British Columbia: Vancouver: Beetle-infested lawns a bonanza for farmers

Beetle-infested lawns a bonanza for farmers​

 

Yay!! I LOVE seeing boulevard and front yard plantings/gardens.

 

Such gardens are much more interesting than a lawn, no matter how well manicured it is. Strangers might even be tempted to strike up a conversation over it. One of the nicest gardens I've seen is one that incorporated wildflowers and native plants (at least they looked that way).

Graham Harrop's editorial cartoon in the May 17th edition of The Vancouver Sun featuring an Inner City Farms project: Cartoon

 

I do love chatting with gardeners about what they have and what their design process was. I go out of my way to drive past the railway allotment gardens south of Kerrisdale...they are so lovely and interesting. People do not see enough flowers and vegetable gardens any longer.

This year, I decided to fulfill a long time dream as our municipality has finally withdrawn a bylaw prohibiting beekeeping. I now have a lovely backyard hive and am doing my best to nurture the bee population reduced by Colony Collapse Disorder. Everyone who visits is fascinated by the bees, who have been incredibly gentle and well behaved.

Now, let us all earnestly hope for a good, long, hot summer so I can get my tomatoes and peppers to harvest. I grew Black Krim tomatoes last year and only got a couple off but they were the most delicious tomato I have ever eaten...if the ugliest!

 

There are nice gardens north of West 6 Ave next to the railway track as well. They stretch for a couple blocks west and east of Burrard St.