With Daylight Saving Time returning this weekend, we know for certain that spring IS just around the corner! The Dig This staff has been taking advantage of any dry moment to don our boots and head outdoors to attend to spring chores and muse about what we are going to do in our gardens this year. It’s time to check over our garden tools – are they sharp, clean and ready to use? It’s also time to think about changes we want to make to our gardens … new plants, new garden beds, new ways to enjoy the long outdoor season we have in Victoria.

In this issue, we offer you some ideas about designing your ideal outdoor living room, along with some tips on growing potatoes in small spaces and attracting those gorgeous hummingbirds to your garden. We also have an amazing list of workshops this month, so don’t forget to check them out! Happy Gardening!

When I was a kid, “outdoor living” meant eating hotdogs at our family’s wooden picnic table in the back yard. Now, outdoor living means not only dining al fresco, but thinking of our gardens as an extension of our homes. In other words, our gardens are simply another room to live and relax in.

A glance at any gardening or home decorating magazine will show you many different ways to create that special outdoor space. You don’t need a large home or garden to create an outdoor retreat – a balcony, patio, deck, or even a porch or veranda – can easily provide a haven for relaxation or a place to gather with friends and family.

To create your ideal outdoor living space, think about how you want to use the space you have. Do you want to have your morning coffee outside while reading the paper? Or would you like to have a comfortable sitting area in which to linger with friends and family on a summer evening, while the BBQ sizzles with mouth-watering aromas? Do you want a quiet spot for an afternoon nap, or is puttering in your potting shed or greenhouse more your style of relaxation? Do you want a play area for your children, or a place to nurture your prize plants?

The design concepts used inside the home apply equally when designing your outdoor living spaces. Your style of garden should complement your home’s architecture as well as meeting your needs. Choose quality, comfortable furniture that will stand up to being outside most of the year. After all, you want to relax, not spend your spare time maintaining or repairing your garden furniture! In many cases, you will view your garden “room” from your home, so it is important that the look, style and colours in the garden are complimentary to the look, style and colours in your home. Don’t forget outdoor lighting – which can extend the time you have to enjoy the outdoors – or heat. Outdoor gas and electric fireplaces and heaters are popular, but a few ceramic fire burners, which burn a clean, non-toxic gel, add both warmth and light. Cosy throws and colourful blankets can have the same effect and use no energy.

Pay attention to the “walls” of your outdoor room. Arbours, trellises or bamboo screens, draped with fragrant vines, provide shade and protection from the wind. They also provide a more intimate enclosure on a deck, privacy on a balcony, or simply carve out one part of your garden for a special purpose. One magazine we looked at recently showed a bistro table in a gazebo complete with curtains draped along three sides, that upon closer examination, turned out to be shower curtains – a smart idea when rain threatens to spoil an outdoor meal!

Speaking of water, the sound of water in the garden is a great way to mask urban noise. Water features don’t have to be grand to soothe the soul and attract birds – a simple water bowl on your patio outfitted with a pump and a bamboo or bronze “spitter” provides sound, light and music. Add a water plant, and you have an instant water feature! There’s a terrific selection of fountains and water features in concrete, resin, stone and metal on the market these days.

Now that you have created your ideal outdoor haven, and have placed a seat or two in the right spot to admire the view of your garden, it’s time to add the final touches. Strategically placed pots filled with your favourite plants complete the outdoor room. Statues or other forms of garden art add whimsy and beauty, just as art does inside your home. Mirrors designed especially for the garden reflect light and trick the eye into seeing a larger garden. Bird feeders provide hours of outdoor entertainment. Table linens designed for the outdoors, candles and solar accent lights make a simple meal outdoors stylish.

Now, close your eyes … imagine sipping some iced tea, a light throw at hand to toss over your legs and the warm summer sun filtering through the leaves overhead – why I can almost feel it’s time for a nap.

 At Dig This, we start the gardening season with our Annual Garden Furniture Sale so you can start enjoying your garden with the first warm days of spring. Until the end of March, all our garden furniture is 20% off the regular price – whether we have it in stock or order it especially for you.

When buying garden furniture, you want it to be as maintenance-free as possible.  We recommend PVC "rattan", which is a vinyl "wicker" or "rattan" on an aluminum frame - it won't splinter, rust or fade.  A great alternative is teak or yellow balau, both strong, durable hardwoods.  For a more stylish look, consider our new cast aluminium furniture.  All our cushions are water resistant and good outdoors all season long.

If it’s March it must be time to plant potatoes. This year, we have five varieties of certified organic seed potatoes: Yukon Gold, Red Chieftain, Shepody, Sieglinde and the ever popular Russian Blue.

Potatoes are easy to grow, especially if you have extra space in your vegetable beds. Potatoes grow in average soil, so a great deal of soil preparation is not needed; however the addition of some compost or a little peat moss is beneficial, as is a fertilizer, like Super Grow 4-4-4. Avoid using fresh manure or lime in the soil where potatoes are to be grown, as it tends to cause scab.

Till or spade the soil to a depth of ten or twelve inches. If you’re planting in rows, plant about one potato per foot a few inches under the earth, with about 18 inches between rows. Our potatoes are “single drop”, so they don’t require cutting - just drop them in whole for each planting.

For those with limited garden space, one of the best methods is to put a tire or wooden frame on the ground, fill it with soil and plant the potatoes within the tire or frame. Plant two seed potatoes in a tire, about two inches deep, or four in a two by two foot frame. Once the potatoes have developed three or four inches of foliage growth, a second tire or frame can be put on top of the first.  Fill in with more soil, hay, leaf mulch or a combination of the three, always leaving at least two inches of leaf growth above the soil level. Continue to fill as the plants grow. Once you've filled in the center of the second tire or frame, continue the stack to a height of three or four tires. Keep in mind you must always leave about two inches of foliage showing.

New young potatoes are harvested as the potato plants begin to flower. For storage of full sized potatoes, harvest them when the vines turn yellow or have died-back.

· Start Seeds

While some plants can be seeded directly outdoors this month (check out the West Coast Seed catalogue for a great chart on when to plant seeds), March is the month to start most seeds indoors in a propagator, cold frame or greenhouse. Seeds do best when started in a starter mix developed specifically for this growing stage, or in those little peat pellets which pop up once moistened. Keep your soil warm by using a heating mat and use a grow light to encourage a strong growth. Poor light conditions result in leggy seedlings that don’t do as well once planted outdoors. Once the seedlings have a few true leaves, fertilize regularly with a fertilizer formulated for new growth. We like Plant Prod Plant Starter Fertilizer 10-52-10. This is one of those projects where our bottle-top-waterer is ideally suited to the task as it emits a very fine spray. It’s a real bargain at under $2.

· Dig, Dig, Dig.

Tilling the soil is another important task at this time of the year as it lets air into the ground and allows water to drain more rapidly. Another benefit of tackling this task early is that small weeds can be easily removed from moist soil, and a diligent, watchful gardener can remove slugs and other pests. A word of caution: pouring over seed catalogues during the winter is NOT the best way to limber up for gardening! Take a few moments to stretch before you embark on any heavy lifting, bending or digging and your back will thank you.

What’s the best way to prune roses?

Not all roses need extensive pruning each year, but if you follow these rules you won't go wrong with most modern roses.

1. Use sharp, clean tools for cutting. Use a saw or lopper to cut thick, woody, old canes.
2. First, take out all dead wood.
3. Next, take out all crossed or twiggy growth.
4. Cut all canes to white or pale green pith. Any brown coloration in the pith indicates a dead or dying cane, in which case the cane should be pruned to a lower bud eye, clear to the crown if necessary, in order to find live pith.
5. Now, look at your plant and prepare to remove 1/3 to 1/2 of the plant. Aim for an open, vase-like shape. Cut canes at uneven heights for a longer blooming period and better appearance.
6. Cut approximately 1/4 inch above a bud, on a downward slant, away from the bud. Cut to an outside bud to keep the centre of the plant open.

For more information, check out http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0201/rose_pruning.asp

Local gardening expert, Carolyn Herriot is giving a series of presentations at Dig This Johnson Street:

· Thursday, March 29th – Growing Terrific Tasty Tomatoes

· Thurday, April 12th – Harvesting Food Year Round

· Thursday, April 26th – A Mixed Border for All Seasons

All sessions: 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Refreshments will be available to tide you over until dinner time!  $10 per session or $25 for all three.  You will receive a gift certificate equal to the registration fee on the night of the event.  Please register in advance by calling 385 3212.

For more information on Carolyn, check out http://www.earthfuture.com/gardenpath

Maureen Markham will be conducting a Pruning Workshop at Dig This Broadmead.  Learn all you need to know about pruning your precious plants.
Sunday, March 11th at 10 a.m.
No charge.

Dig This bonsai enthusiast, Jamaal Hyder, will be conducting a series of bonsai workshops in April. Please register in advance as these workshops fill quickly.

Advanced Spring Maintenance and Training for Bonsai at Dig This Broadmead.
Sunday, April 1st at 10:00 am
This is our first ever advanced bonsai class. We invite former students and established bonsai enthusiasts to bring their bonsai plants for tips on maintenance and further training and design. We will provide specialty tools, wire and expertise. Please contact Dig This Broadmead at 250 727-9922 to register
Cost: $20.

Beginners Bonsai Workshop at Dig This Nanaimo.
Saturday, April 14th at Noon.
Our beginners bonsai workshop is about 2 hours long and covers the basics of pruning, potting and training. The course fee includes everything you need and each participant will leave with a potted tree. This beginners workshop will feature the Shinpaku Juniper. Please contact Dig This Nanaimo at 250 756-0049 to register.
Cost: $35

Beginners Bonsai Workshop at Dig This Johnson Street.
Saturday, April 21st at Noon
This beginners workshop will feature the Shinpaku Juniper. Please contact Dig This Johnson Street at 250 385-3212 to register
Cost: $35

Beginners Bonsai Workshop at Dig this Broadmead.
Sunday, April 29th at 10:00 am
This beginners workshop will feature the Shinpaku Juniper
Please phone Dig This Broadmead at 250 727-9922 to register
Cost: $35

Thursday March 22 at 7:30 pm
Public lecture, View Royal Garden Club
All Saints' Parish Hall, 294 Stewart Avenue in View Royal

This meeting of the View Royal garden club is open to the public. Jamaal Hyder will be talking about the basics of bonsai cultivation, as well as demonstrating some training and potting techniques on a fifteen year old Tsukumo Cypress that has been in the initial stages of training for about 8 months.  Please contact Dig This Victoria at 250 385-3212 if you plan to attend – we want to insure we have plenty of seating!

Efficient Irrigation Workshops

CRD Water Services and the Irrigation Association of BC are hosting a number of free, efficient irrigation workshops over the coming months.  Call 474 9684 for details.

Glenlyon Norfolk School has organized a Spring Garden Tour on April 22, 2007, from 10 am to 4 pm.  Visit 8 spectacular spring gardens for $20.  This is a fundraiser for the TLC’s Abkhazi Garden and the GNS Grads Community Project.

Tickets are available at Glenlyon Norfolk School, Ivy’s Bookshop, Dig This and Bambinos at Cadboro Bay or by calling Richard at 592-3803.

In our next issue, we'll have an article on gardening tools and techiques that are easy on your body.  Also, look for more on organic gardening.

Stay tuned for our website - it's almost completed and we know you'll find it useful once it's up and running.

We love to hear from you, so please contact us at info@digthis.com with your comments and questions.