With summer almost over, it鈥檚 time to harvest the bounty of back yard gardens and start thinking about next year鈥檚 crops.
Emily Lorenz of the 91原创 Environmental Partners Society (LEPS) manages the 91原创 Demonstration Garden at the Derek Doubleday Arboretum.
鈥淲e have lots going on,鈥� Lorenz said.
Right now the garden is still growing zucchini, tomatoes, cucumbers, beets, Swiss chard, tomatoes, and herbs such as rosemary and dill.
A number of crops including lettuce have already been harvested and are finished for the season, while the first harvest of apple, pear, hazelnut, and plum trees planted several years ago will take place for the first year ever.
The demo garden was moved to its current location about four years ago, and every year it鈥檚 modified or upgraded, as well as having annual vegetable crops tended by LEPS staff and volunteers.
The harvest will go to local food banks or be frozen for canning workshops to be offered this fall at the Timms Community Centre, said Lorenz.
Adjacent to the demonstration garden is one of the .
Local residents can call in the hopes of reserving a plot if they don鈥檛 have any land themselves on which to garden.
Lorenz has some advice for those thinking about trying to reserve a plot for next year.
鈥淚 would say put your name in as soon as you can,鈥� she said.
There is usually a lengthy waiting list for the plots. For more information in the Township, call 604-532-7562, or email parksdev@tol.ca.
If people want to do some gardening but can鈥檛 get a plot reserved, they can help out with the demonstration garden as volunteers, by calling 604-546-0344.
LEPS also runs gardening clubs, including a session on that will run from Sept. 6 to Nov. 8. Find more information on LEPS programs at www.leps.bc.ca.
鈥� How was the produce of your garden this year? Any impressive sunflowers, monster zucchinis, or killer tomatoes? Share the photos with us online through or email editor@langleyadvance.com.
