by Lisa Giroday, Sandra Lopuch and Sam Philips | What’s up with the record cold snap we just had? While weather fluctuation of the indecisive Vancouver climate is not new to us, especially during this time of year, with the (hopefully not ephemerally) warming temperatures, we can begin to get to WORK – or play, rather – in the garden. What are you doing to prep for spring? Don’t procrastinate; we all want to use this precious seed sowing weather for just that – sowing seeds!

What can you be doing right now, you ask? Well, here’s a to-do list. Now get to it!

1. Prep your tools. Are your tools dirty, dull and weathered? Rejuvenate those babies for the digging and whatnot. It will make your season way smoother with sharp, well cared for tools. Also, cleaning your tools will ensure they don’t have any lingering disease or fungus on them that you can transfer onto precious healthy plants. Don’t have tools? Stock up ahead of time on the essentials: a hand rake and trowel are your trusty garden sidekicks.

2. Work and replenish the soil. Do you have cover crops you need to dig into the soil so they have time to decompose before planting time? Does your soil need a little love in the form of compost and organic fertilizer to feed your veggies? That’s a trick question. Unless you did this already, you likely do. Or, do you have soil erosion in your raised beds or hilled rows and need to top them up a little? Why not do this now?

3. Rain barrel and compost time. It’s rainy. Want to practice water conservation? Get some rain barrels from the city and hook them up to your gutters – it’s easy. And the point, of course, is to do this while it’s pouring. You can get big barrels that sit at ground level.

Attach a hose or utilize a watering can and you’re set. Thinking about composting? Kill two birds with one stone (meanest phrase ever) and get some compost bins from the city at the same time you pick up your rain barrel. Better yet, make a 3-bin compost system yourself. Ask us if you need help. Composting can be easy, and if you have the space, go for it! Get it ready now so you can begin throwing your organic kitchen scraps in there. If you live in an apartment, there are composting options for you, too.

4. Additional infrastructure. Perhaps you NEED a garden, or want to expand your existing garden space? Always a good idea. Now is the time to either call on us or get your ass building and lifting. It will be worth it come March!

5. Get your seeds. Have a serious dream session and leaf through the local, organic seed catalogues, or our online shop. It’s so fun to plan and dream your food-growing Mecca, be it big or small.

6. Get your garden map sorted. Planning your space is key, we cannot stress this enough! Going all willy-nilly planting this here and that there can be detrimental for subsequent years to come. Planning takes a little time, so get your garden map and plan ready for spring. A garden map will help you best use your space, and there are many tricks involved we can either teach you or sort out for you.

THE VICTORY GARDENS ARCHIVE

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Victory Gardens is a team of local urban farmers for hire. Lisa, Sandra and Sam help transform tired or underused residential and commercial green spaces into food producing gardens. Their goal is to challenge the way communities use space and to participate in the change needed to consume food more sustainably. For the rest of the growing season, they’ve hooked up with Scout to share some cool tips and tricks on how to get the best from of our own backyards.