About Me
I'm Melanie Watts. For twenty two years I've been practicing organic gardening in Northern British Columbia Canada. I have only known short season gardening, growing vegetables that mature in 60 days or less and perennials that survive in temperatures down to minus 40. My previous garden was in zone 2 and my current garden is in zone 3.
I became a qualified Master Gardener in 2010, since then I have been answering a lot of gardening questions.
The Garden
My garden is built around the log house my husband and I built together in 2006. The soil is clay. I've had to bring in a lot of compost and topsoil to improve drainage and increase soil activity, worms and microorganisms, to make it a welcome home for my plants. In 2009 I gave up trying to grow a vegetable garden, without a rototiller. I built raised beds out of lumber, filled them with compost and topsoil and planted my seeds. My vegetable yields improved dramatically.
Plants
I start all my vegetable plants from seeds planted directly into the garden, the exceptions are tomatoes, peppers and some annual flowers; I start those indoors in March and April. I have started many easy to grow perennials from seed, things like Dianthus, Papaver orientale, Delphiniums, Primula sieboldi, Arabris, Iberis sempervivens, thymus serpyllum and others.
I buy the smallest shrubs, perennial flowers and trees from the nursery because they cost less, and I like to watch them grow up. It gives me a sense of pride. There is nothing I like better than getting cuttings or shrub offsets from friends. These plants remind me of my friends and it is a great way to not spend money. I try to give away, or donate to local plant sales, divisions of my plants that have outgrown their garden spots. Sometimes there are no takers for the extra plants and I‘m forced to toss them on the compost.
If plants are struggling I may move them to see If they do any better, however if all their needs are met, correct soil pH, amount of sun, enough water to become established, correct amount of nutrition and they are still struggling then out they go, it may take me three or four years to determine this though.
I like to grow as many vegetables and herbs as possible, enough to freeze or store in the cold room, to feed my family until next season.
I grow annual herbs and flowers in pots. I prefer to grow them from seed because I can get different plants than what the nurseries are selling, and I can have more of them. If I’m forced to buy plants for my pots I like to get ones I can overwinter indoors. Herbs like rosemary, and tender perennials like begonias and geraniums are easy to overwinter.
Pests and disease
I’m not bothered about bugs or diseases in the garden. I keep my plants healthy by planting healthy stock, watering the plants appropriately, and fertilizing them by building up the soil. Healthy plants are able to resist attacks from bugs or diseases. As the balance tips to the side of the bugs or disease, nature tries to rebalance by ushering in predators for the bugs and antidotes for the disease. This even works for big pests like the rabbits that eat my crocus flowers every spring. Like bugs, rabbit populations grow in cycles. Luckily I do not have problems with deer. Letting nature take care of itself has worked for me my entire gardening life.
Soil
I prefer building up the soil rather than using chemicals for garden fertilization. I use manure when I can get it, compost I make myself, and compost I buy by the yard, a pickup full, from the municipal landfill, or topsoil by the yard from a local topsoil place. Buying soil amendments by the yard is much cheaper than by the bagful. I’m lucky I have a beat up old pickup to bring it home in.
Building up the soil keeps it healthy, and thriving with worms, bugs, and microorganisms that in turn feed the plants. Wether your garden soil is clay or sandy, building it up helps it stay loose and friable. Plant roots are easily able to penetrate down through it, and water and nutrients are absorbed instead of draining away or pooling around the plants roots.
About This Site
I write about the plants I grow in my garden or inside my house. The photos are taken by me and are of the plants I grow or find in other peoples gardens or when I’m out hiking.
This site started out as a basic manual for beginning gardeners, especially those of us gardening in chilly northern areas. However, much of the advice is applicable to gardeners everywhere. Most of the plants I write about are hardy in my garden or in northern BC. Other plants I write about are those I grow as houseplants or are plants I discover on my travels.
As the garden evolves and grows I'll write about what's happening.
If you have any questions about anything gardening related please email me
