No Stone Left Unturned
Always think resale
This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
Planting an Okanagan garden
Well Spring is officially here and now it’s time to think about planting a garden here in Kelowna.
You shop in the organic aisles in the produce section, always scrub your vegetables, and keep a list of pesticide’s “dirty dozen” on your refrigerator door. You are a responsible and educated consumer for both yourself and your family. But, why not take it one step further? Planting a vegetable garden is a great way to go green in a health-conscious and super economic manner.
It’s true; the idea of cultivating a vegetable plot from scratch is a daunting one. However, what you may not know is that you and I, inhabitants of the Okanagan Valley, have a fabulous advantage. The location and climate we love about this place we call home is ideally suited to creating a successful and abundant vegetable garden. Our proximity to Okanagan Lake contributes to a hardy and nutrient rich soil quality. And the combination of a long summer season and short, mild winter season provides the opportunity to grow a copious variety of fruits and vegetables. By simply following a few guidelines, you can without a doubt create your own thriving Okanagan Valley garden.
First, those gentle seasons we enjoy year after year have created a mild and sometimes dry climate that makes efficient water retention necessary. Routinely picking weeds and mixing your gardening soil with a generous amount of peat moss or soaker hoses and drip lines should do the trick. Fertilizer is also important for optimum growth potential. Our local abundance of dairy farms offers a great supply of bovine manure, one of nature’s most resourceful fertilizers.
Next, when choosing the location for your garden, take into consideration the amount of sunlight and shade different areas of your yard receive. The Okanagan Valley has no absence of sunlight during its long summer season, and plants such as tomatoes, bell peppers, and cucumbers thrive in extended periods of sunshine. By comparison, other plants, like broccoli for example, grow best in a more shaded environment. During the cooler seasons, crops such as lettuce, cabbage, beets, and onions prosper best. However, no matter what you decide to grow, stick to north to south rows for optimal sunlight exposure.
We hope to have helped you with your future gardening ventures, and we wish you a flourishing and fruitful plot. Please feel free to contact The Stone Sisters Group at http://www.stonesisters.com for all your real estate needs.
This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
Family Friendly Kirschner Mountain
This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
Kelowna Real Estate Tour
We just recently returned from a trip to Scottsdale for a conference and wanted to take a real estate tour of the town we were visiting. It got us to thinking that people likely come to Kelowna and want to do the same thing. Whether you are wanting to get a sense of the community and different neighbourhoods or just get some great design ideas, here's what we suggest to see some great homes in Kelowna.
1) Start downtown and drive South along Abbott Street. The tree lined streets with wide pedestrian paths is absolutely gorgeous! The homes range from the early 1920's to modern waterfront palaces.
2) Then continue along Okanagan Lake making sure you take a drive down Hobson Road where some of Kelowna's most magnificent waterfront estates are located.
3) Head up Lakeshore Road towards Kettle Valley (one of Kelowna's most family friendly neighbourhoods). There are some incredible neighbourhoods that surround Kettle Valley so give yourself time to explore.
4) If you want to see some beautiful estate properties set on acreages, head through South East Kelowna and you'll see an eclectic assortment of architectural styles on large properties.
5) To see some beautiful modern homes, drive through Highpointe Estates (off Clifton Road). This gated community is usually open during the daytime and well worth a drive through.
6) Your next stop should be Wilden as they have some gorgeous new showhomes worth touring through.
7) Drive through Carrs Landing in Lake Country and then through the Lakes. You will see some beautiful properties and different building styles and ages of homes.
8) There are also some spectacular homes and neighbourhoods on the West side of Kelowna. Give yourself some time to explore West Kelowna Estates, Lakeview Heights and Shannon Lake.
Whether you take the whole tour, or just part of it, you're sure to enjoy yourself and see some of Kelowna's most beautiful areas. If there is a particular style of home you'd like to see, send the Stone Sisters Group and email and we can give you a customized driving guide.
This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
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