Gardening Tips & Tricks
Want to grow your own food?
Learning to grow your own food is a powerful step toward both food security and food sovereignty. When you grow even a small portion of your own fruits, vegetables, or herbs, you reduce your dependence on fluctuating grocery prices, supply chain disruptions, and limited availability—making your household more resilient in uncertain times.
Growing your own food on the North Island is not only possible, it’s an adventure! Explore our tips and tricks to empower yourself to build your home food security. We aim to update this often! Please reach out if you’d like to see anything added.
One of the most intimidating parts of getting started growing food is all the different information out there! See the links below for important frost dates and suggested planting dates for our region.
Guides & Resources
Old Farmer’s Almanac
Check out the Old Farmer’s Almanac! A planting guide for the North Island (based off Coal Harbour’s frost dates)
West Coast Seeds Vegetable Planting Calendar
See West Coast Seeds Vegetable Planting Calendar – a planting calendar for Southern B.C.
Master Gardener: Faerlyn Marzoff
Looking for more gardening resources? Take a look at the North Island’s own Organic Master Gardener, Faerlyn Marzoff, and her social media pages!
Vancouver Island Regional Library
Guides & Resources
VIRL offers many gardening resources for all island residents! Click the link below to browse their Seed Library, Book Lists, and Virtual Gardening Series.
Garden Retail Centres
