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planters abandoned on the street.

Klock gets most of her
gardening supplies from the dollar
store (where she picks up seeds
and tools), from Craigslist (“cheap
balcony stuff from rich people who
don’t want it anymore”), and from
friends’ clippings.

“If you see something that
someone else has, don’t be shy to
ask for a clipping,” Klock says.
Clippings, or small pieces of an
existing plant, can be planted in
your garden to create your own—at
no cost. “Clippings work especially
well for viney-type plants.”

When it comes to soil,
Levenston and Klock both agree
that quality is important—and often
one of the larger costs associated
with container gardening. If you’re
not squeamish, however, Douglas
student Karin Keefe recommends
composting your food scraps to
make your own rich, quality soil.

Community Gardening

If you don’t want to plant in
containers—but don’t have any
space—community gardens might
offer an alternative way to grow.

Community gardens are
neighbourhood gathering places
that are increasingly popular in
Metro Vancouver, where land for
hobbyist agriculture is often at a
minimum. These park-like areas offer
residents the opportunity to plant and
maintain a small plot of land in their
community.

While community gardens offer
pre-made plots to garden in, they can
be difficult to get into because they're
so popular. According to the City
of Vancouver Community Services
page, “Currently, the demand
for community garden plots in
Vancouver far exceeds the number of
plots that are available.” So, if you've
got your heart set on gardening in
a plot, it’s best to contact your local
community garden and inquire about
spots and waitlists.

No-Fail Crops for Beginners

So, you're set up and ready to
grow—but the last time you tried
to care for a plant, your mom’s fern
turned pink. What to grow?

“If you're brand new at it,
start simple,” Levenston advises,
noting that the easiest place to
start is with the makings of a
good salad. “Lettuce, greens—
many types of lettuce are easy
to grow. Also chives [and] small
green onions.” Similarly, based on
her balcony garden experience,
Klock recommends other hard-to-
screw-up harvests include cherry
tomatoes, berry plants, peas, and
most herbs.

Aside from fruit and vegetable
crops, growing hardy plants like
vines and cacti might improve your
gardening practice and confidence,
while also beautifying your living
space during exams.

The real key to starting simple,
however, might have more to do

e Signs of life to come

with how you grow than what
you grow. Levenston stresses

the importance of a solid base

of healthy, good soil and lots of
light. Once your growing bases
are covered, you don’t have too
get overly ambitious with seeds;
although successfully growing
plants from seeds might be the
cheapest strategy, you can also get
bedding plants (basically, baby
versions of your plant) from the
nursery and transplant them into
your soil, where they will grow.

Timing’s Everything

There’s no better time than now to
start your garden, but certain things
grow best in certain conditions and
times of the year. Klock advises
starting the year by planting bulbs
for spring flowers. “Things like
crocus’ and tulips will come up
from the bulbs, and when they’re
done, you can pull them up, store
them, and reuse them next year.

I keep mine in an old coffee can
when they aren’t in the ground,
so you save a lot of money by not
buying that sort of thing every
year.”

In late-March and April, after
the last frost has left town, you
can start planting warm season
vegetables like tomatoes and
peppers. Still, if you don’t get the
timing down perfectly, don’t freak
out.

“The thing to remember when
you first start is to be patient,”
Klock advises first-time growers.
“If something doesn’t turn out,
that’s okay.

“I do a lot of trial and error. I
mean, obviously college students
aren't our grandparents, so we
probably haven't been gardening
for 40 years. Don’t worry if
something doesn’t work out, and
just enjoy the spoils.”