Spring Has Nearly Sprung- Time for Seedy Saturday

I am in love with the idea of the garden this year. Planning in my head for the last couple of months the serious yumminess that will be popping up from the raised beds and imagining a Summer full of fresh peas, tomatoes and other veggie goodness is making me wish it was April already.
But, [...]

Sprouts – Garden-Inspired Holiday Crafts

Editor’s Note: Happy Friday. Today, Kendra Quince discovers holiday ideas in her garden. It’s that time of year when getting out into the dirt is kind of a drag. Not much planting or pruning going on. But, kids always seem to know how to make dirt and the garden fun any time of year. Here [...]

Sprouts – Discovering A Garden

Editor’s Note: This morning we have local garden enthusiast Kendra Quince discovering the treasures within her new garden and giving us a helping hand with identifying unknown plants and flowers. Here she is:
Well, I have to admit, I’m not sure where to start. This new garden is throwing me off. Suddenly my yard is twice [...]

SPROUTS – Goodbye Garden

Editor’s Note: Happy Friday. This morning we have gardening goddess Kendra Quince taking us through the steps of moving a garden from one home to another. Here she is:

Every year at this time, I begin to feel a little sad. Pulling out the plants and harvesting what remains of the garden reminds me that cooler [...]

SPROUTS – Fall Flowers and Garden Chores

Editor’s Note: Kendra Quince is with us this morning. She’s got some serious fall gardening fever and has been busy harvesting, cleaning up and preparing for next year. Plus she has a fabulous way to make good use of fallen flower petals. Here she is:

Ah, September.  I get that back-to-school feel even though my children are not [...]

SPROUTS – Family Greenhouse

Editor’s Note: Good morning. Thinking local food today is all about date night. Get on the horn to grandma or the babysitter and plan for a great evening of local food at Bisque, Anderton Bistro-Pub, The Great Escape (I am so in the mood for Indian food) or Locals-Food From the Heart of the Island [...]

SPROUTS – Get the Low Down on Good Garden Bugs

Editor’s Note: I am loving all of this time in the garden this time of year. My mother-in-law might wonder “What time in the garden is she talking about? I never see her in the backyard.” It’s true. It seems that most of my time is spent out at the Comox Valley Regional District Compost [...]

SPROUTS – Creating a Kids Garden

Another sunny day. Everyone loves it when warm days blow in. With all this good weather I can finally tackle the weeds that have been meandering in my garden beds and deadhead a few of the plants that escaped me in the Fall.

It is so refreshing to be outside for hours these days – with [...]

Register Today for Family Community Garden Plots

I have a huge confession to make. My thumb, it’s brown. I’ve perfected the art of picking and eating veggies, am a big fan of the farmer’s market and all things farm stand related. But, please, don’t give me something and ask me to make it grow. The chance of seeds actually becoming veggies is [...]

SPROUTS – Composting, Family-Style

Editor’s Note: Good Morning. SPROUTS gardening goddess Kendra Quince is here to kick off our Earth Month goodness with a quick lesson in composting.
While I’ve got you thinking gardening, this gives me the chance to announce some big news here at Our Big Earth.
On Monday morning (April 6), if you wake up bright and early [...]

SPROUTS – Early Spring Kid Gardening Fun

Brrr, it’s chilly.
On those afternoons when the bright sun makes it tolerable, I stroll aimlessly around my garden with hopeful ideas of planting.
My daughter and I sample a bite from a patch of oregano as it pokes its head out of one of my veggie gardens.  In the front yard we marvel over little yellow [...]

SPROUTS – Plan Your Family Garden

I’m getting excited! The odd peek at sunshine and warmer afternoons means Spring is on its way!
I may have a few months to go before I can even plant outside, but I can already taste the sweet harvest… that means its time for me and the kids to start planning our family garden
After [...]

Putting The Garden to Sleep

So, here we are with the cooler nights and still the hot sun during the day. Ah, Fall.
Time to harvest the rewards after a long season of gardening. Seems a shame to put the garden to bed with the weather we’ve been having, but alas it must be done before we are caught off guard [...]

Kid-Friendly Garden Parties

Rain, rain go away….
But, on the other hand, a cooler day makes it easier to get out into that garden to investigate.
Suddenly treasures are popping up everywhere! One by one our tomatoes are turning red, the peas are plump and sweet.
Then, we find something new in the garden – a gnome hiding in the tomatillos… [...]

Time to Cool Off with Peppermint Tea

Editor’s Note:
I know, I know. Wednesday is food day.
But, in honour of the birth of Sprouts writer Kendra Quince’s baby boy, and the fact that some cool minty tea sounds perfect during this very steamy week, we bring you Sprouts, the foodie version.
Congratulations Kendra and family.
Time for some leisurely back porch sitting with a glass [...]

The Path to Edible Plants

Editor’s Note:
The relationship between me and gardening is a little too green for me to think that sharing my experiences with you are something useful, although they may be mildly entertaining in a Ben Stiller embarrassing sort of way.
But, I am not without hope that gardening will grow on me, and the tiny person.
Thankfully, there [...]

The Weather & Garden Synch Up

It’s true.
Our Sprouts preschool garden experiment, well, died.
Being entirely new at making anything grow, I had no plan for dealing with the record-cold April and the reality that frost always wins over veggies when push comes to shove.
I’m a little embarrassed, mildly comforted by the fact that a whole whack of people I know [...]

Mother’s Day the Together Way

There’s a running debate amongst my girlfriends about whether or not we personally should have a hand in what happens on Mother’s Day.
Yes, there is a wonderful charm about waking up to a magical surprise this Sunday morning (yes, gulp hard dads, Mother’s Day is Sunday) completely crafted by your partners and tiny people to [...]

Seal Bay Swamp Loop & Boot Plants

When you wake up early, the kiddos are going stir crazy and you just need to get out of the house on a Sunday morning, there are walks that make all of that chaos fade away.
Taking the winding drive out to Seal Bay Nature Park is relaxing all on its own – with its fields [...]

When Preschool Gardening Gives Way to Absentmindedness

Bad news first: I have no brain.
It has been missing since about six months into pregnancy…and it is now becoming painfully apparent that its continued decline is starting to effect our day-to-day well being.
…at least when it comes to gardening.
After our unfortunate leaving-outside-overnight incident last week, I lovingly put the sprouts back on the front [...]

Our First Preschool Garden Casualty

The whole gardening-for-the-first time is bound to have some seedling drama.
Today, we had to officially say goodbye to our lettuce, which struggled long and hard after the transplant (note to self: plant lettuce directly into the ground)

It was a sad, solemn day as we had hoped that somehow by magic everything we planted would live [...]

The Preschool Garden Replant

Today’s comment challenge: What were your favourite childhood family projects? Do you build those into your family life today?
Reesh, you definitely score in the comment department. A Log’s Life is yours! Today, I’ve got a cool dinosaur puzzle for one random commenter. So, jump in and win!

There’s nothing like digging in the dirt.
Kiddos know that [...]

Sprouts – Mid-Week Update

As part of the gardening journal, we’ll be doing short, periodic updates about what’s growing (lots of photos) in addition to the bi-montly write-up.

We have Sprouts!
Here are some from Day 3:
Lettuce and radishes just popping up.
Zucchini nearly sprouting.
Here’s from last night:
The zucchini and marigolds have sprouted and the radishes are just about in need of [...]

Sprouts – A Preschool Gardening Journal

There’s nothing like digging in the dirt.
For weeks around our house the gardening hats and wooden bugs have been planted and re-planted on the living room floor. Her afternoon “gardening” sessions haven’t resulted in anything edible or sprouting, but one thing was clear – our daughter’s itch to get some soil between her toes had [...]