Fall Plant Sale Fast Approaching!

July 25, 2024

A C E C staff member and volunteer table the C E C booth during a plant sale.

The Compost Education Centre (CEC) is hosting our annual all-organic Fall plant sale! August 10, 10am-12pm!

The plant sale will take place in our site at 1216 North Park street. Stay for a while and enjoy bike pedal-powered music in the garden. Entry by donation or free for CEC members. Dogs welcome.

The Fall Organic Plant sale features veggie starts that are perfect for your overwintering vegetable garden.

What you can look forward to:

• A selection of annual vegetables suitable for fall and winter growing

• Native plants for your low maintenance garden

• Perennial edibles like berry bushes and other fruiting shrubs

• Medicinal herbs like English lavender, chamomile and yarrow

• Live bicycle powered music!

The Compost Education Centre is located on unceded and occupied Indigenous territories, specifically the land of the Lekwungen speaking people—the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations. These nations are two of many, made up of individuals who have lived within the porous boundaries of what is considered Coast Salish, Nuu-Chah-Nulth and Kwakwa’wakw Territory (Vancouver Island) since time immemorial. At the CEC we seek to respect, honour and continually grow our own understandings of Indigenous rights and history, and to fulfill our responsibilities as settlers, who live and work directly with the land and its complex, vital ecologies and our diverse, evolving communities.

Compost Education Centre memberships get you free workshops, discounts at garden centres around town and more great perks! Sign up or learn more on our website.

Accessibility Information

The Compost Education Centre is committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive experience for all our community members.

Getting to the Compost Education Centre

The Compost Education Centre is located at 1216 North Park St. The closest bus stops are:

  • Pandora Ave at Chambers St (Stop ID: 100169) (300 meters away) served by Routes 2, 5, 27, and 28;
  • Cook St at Balmoral Rd (Stop ID: 100160) (350 meters away) served by Routes 24 and 25;
  • Fernwood Rd at Grant St (Stop ID: 100227) (450 meters away) served by Route 22; and
  • Bay St at Cedar Hill (Stop ID: 103733) (750 meters away) served by Route 10.

A bus transit planner is available on the BC Transit website (https://www.bctransit.com/victoria/).

The Compost Education Centre is accessible by bicycle, and there is ample bike parking available. Bike routes are visible on the CRD website (https://maps.crd.bc.ca/Html5Viewer/?viewer=BikeMap).

Parking

Parking is very limited. The closest parking options during the week are:

  • Two 2-hour parking spots at the corner of North Park St and Chambers St (50 meters away);
  • Three 2-hour parking spots at Haegert Park (100 meters away);
  • One 1-hour parking spot at the corner of North Park St and Cook St (250 meters away);
  • Multiple 1-hour parking spots on Gladstone Ave opposite the Fernwood Community Centre (300 meters away); and
  • One 1-hour parking spot at the corner of Caledonia Ave and Cook St (350 meters away).

All other parking within 400 meters of the Compost Education Centre is residential-only. While construction is occurring adjacent to the Compost Education Centre at 1211 Gladstone Ave (projected to be complete in June 2025), parking is even more limited.

On Saturdays, parking is available in the Victoria High School parking lots that are accessible off Grant St and Gladstone Ave. From these parking lots, it is less than a 300 meter walk to the Compost Education Centre.

Site Accessibility

The Compost Education Centre site has paths made of wood chips. Mobility devices with wheels (such as wheelchairs, walkers etc.) are sometimes difficult to use on site. The Strawbale learning classroom is accessed via a wooden ramp, and it has a wide double door and a ramp leading up to it. Once inside the Strawbale, the floor is a level hard surface. There is a single-stall gender-neutral washroom on site. The washroom is not wheelchair accessible. There is a wooden ramp up to the washroom door and a small step over the doorframe into the washroom. The retail space is not wheelchair accessible; there are four steps up into our retail space.

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Spring Plant Sale happening soon!

April 19, 2024


The Compost Education Centre (CEC) is hosting our annual all-organic May plant sale! May 11th, 2024 10AM-2PM

The plant sale will take place in Haegert Park (1202 Yukon St.) one block from our site on North Park street. Bring a blanket or a picnic so you can enjoy the music in the shade of the giant Sequoia tree. Entry by donation or free for CEC members. Dogs welcome.

The Spring Organic Plant Sale features local farmers offering a wide variety of organically grown vegetable, flower and herb seedlings to get you off to a successful start this growing season.

There will also be a Parent-Child workshop taking place during the sale, from 11:00am-12:00pm so bring the whole family!

What you can look forward to:

• The largest selection of organically grown heirloom tomato varieties all in one place for easy shopping

• Organically grown vegetable starts from arugula to zucchini

• Native plants for your low maintenance garden

• Perennial edibles like berry bushes and other fruiting shrubs

• Medicinal herbs like English lavender, chamomile and yarrow

• Culinary herbs like Genovese basil, dill and chives

• Companion plants like marigolds, sweet cicely and comfrey

• Live bicycle powered music!

The Compost Education Centre is located on unceded and occupied Indigenous territories, specifically the land of the Lekwungen speaking people—the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations. These nations are two of many, made up of individuals who have lived within the porous boundaries of what is considered Coast Salish, Nuu-Chah-Nulth and Kwakwa’wakw Territory (Vancouver Island) since time immemorial. At the CEC we seek to respect, honour and continually grow our own understandings of Indigenous rights and history, and to fulfill our responsibilities as settlers, who live and work directly with the land and its complex, vital ecologies and our diverse, evolving communities.

Compost Education Centre memberships get you free workshops, discounts at garden centres around town and more great perks! Sign up or learn more on our website.

Accessibility Information

The sale will be happening in Haegert park which is grassy and slightly sloped, there are curb cuts at various entrance points to get into the park.

Visitors can park at the Vic High parking lot between Gladstone Avenue and Grant St. The parking lot is a 200m walk from Haegert Park.

Posted in Announcement, Blog, Events, News, Organic GardeningTagged , , , , , ,

August Plant Sale and Celebration

July 13, 2023


The Compost Education Centre (CEC) is hosting our annual August Plant Sale at 1202 Yukon St. from 10AM-1PM! This event features local farmers offering a wide variety of organically grown annual overwintering vegetables and perennials to keep you eating local organic produce through the fall and early spring. through the winter.
The plant sale will take place for the first time in Haegert Park (1202 Yukon St.) one block from our site on North Park street. You can also look forward to live-bike-pedal-powered music, a raffle, and artisan vendors. ‘
Bring a blanket or a picnic so you can enjoy the music in the shade of the giant Sequoia tree. Entry by donation or free for CEC members. Dogs welcome.
There will also be a Parent-Child workshop ‘Garden Arts & Crafts’ taking place during the sale, so bring the whole family and learn about composting while you’re here!
Fundraising from this event will support CEC educational programming initiatives for children, youth, and adults in the community.
Posted in Announcement, Blog, Events, News, Organic GardeningTagged , , , , ,

May Plant Sale

April 5, 2023


The Compost Education Centre (CEC) is hosting our annual all-organic Spring plant sale on May 13th from 10AM-2PM!

The plant sale will take place for the first time in Haegert Park (1202 Yukon St.) one block from our site on North Park street. Bring a blanket or a picnic so you can enjoy the music in the shade of the giant Sequoia tree. Entry by donation or free for CEC members. Dogs welcome.

The Spring Organic Plant Sale features local farmers offering a wide variety of organically grown vegetable, flower and herb seedlings to get you off to a successful start this growing season.

There will also be a Parent-Child workshop ‘Spectacular Seeds’ taking place during the sale, so bring the whole family and learn about seeds while you’re here!

What you can look forward to:

• The largest selection of organically grown heirloom tomato varieties all in one place for easy shopping

• Organically grown vegetable starts from arugula to zucchini

• Native plants for your low maintenance garden

• Perennial edibles like berry bushes and other fruiting shrubs

• Medicinal herbs like English lavender, chamomile and yarrow

• Culinary herbs like Genovese basil, dill and chives

• Companion plants like marigolds, sweet cicely and comfrey

• Live music!

 

Thank you to the City of Victoria and Cold Comfort Ice Cream for generously sponsoring this event.

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August Organic Plant Sale Wrap up & Thank yous

August 10, 2022


 

Wow, what a great turn out for the plant sale last weekend! A massive thank you to every person who came out to buy plants, connect with community, and celebrate the CEC’s 30th birthday with us.

 

These fundraising events are paramount to the operation of our year-round programming which connects many people, young and old, to composting and ecological gardening education.

 

A special thank you to all the volunteers who wheelbarrowed HUNDREDS of plants from our demonstration gardens to Haegert Park.

And we’d also like to thank our generous event sponsors who made the growth of this year’s sale to a market event possible: Country Grocer, Paper Heart Films, Root Cellar, Chek Media, Hoyne Brewing, Cold Comfort Ice Cream, and Vancity

Happy planting, and remember—you can always call our hotline if you have any composting or gardening questions! 250 386 WORM (9676) 

Posted in Blog, Events, Fundraising, News, Organic Gardening, ReflectionsTagged , ,

Annual August Plant Sale + 30th Birthday Party

July 14, 2022


The Compost Education Centre (CEC) is hosting our 11th Annual August Plant Sale! This event features local farmers offering a wide variety of organically grown annual overwintering vegetables and perennials to keep you eating through the winter. And to celebrate our 30th birthday as an organization we’ll also have live music, cake, artisan vendors, an e-bike raffle, a bean counting contest, and more!

The plant sale will take place for the first time in Haegert Park one block from our site on North Park street. Bring blanket or a picnic so you can enjoy the music under the giant Sequoia tree. Entry by donation or free for CEC members. Dogs welcome.

There will also be a Parent-Child workshop ‘Composting 101’ taking place during the sale, so bring the whole family and learn about composting while you’re here!

Posted in Announcement, Blog, Events, News, Organic GardeningTagged , , , , ,

Annual Spring Organic Plant Sale!

April 27, 2022


The Compost Education Centre (CEC) is hosting our annual, all-organic spring plant sale! Located at the end of North Park near the Chambers Street intersection, this popular market-style event is on Saturday, May 7th, from 10am-2pm out front of our demonstration gardens and retail site located at 1216 North Park Street. Entry is by donation. The Spring Organic Plant Sale features local farmers offering a wide variety of organically grown vegetable, flower and herb seedlings to get you off to a successful start this growing season.
What you can look forward to:
The largest selection of organically grown heirloom tomato varieties all in one place for easy shopping, Organically grown vegetable starts from arugula to zucchini, Perennial edibles like berry bushes and other fruiting shrubs, Medicinal herbs, Culinary herbs like Genovese basil, dill and chives, Companion plants like marigolds, and comfrey, Native plants, and Live music!
VENDORS:
Saanich Organics
Metchosin Farm
Cam Kidd Perennials
City’s Edge Farm
Compost Education Centre
Crooked Fir Farm & Nursery
Fireweed Farm
Growceries
Joyful Agriculture
Little Crescent Farm
We host this event to highlight the importance of locally produced food and ecological gardening practices; support local organic growers; and supply difficult-to-find organic plant varieties to the community.
Posted in Announcement, Blog, Events, News, Organic GardeningTagged , , , , ,

August Plant Sale: Vendor List, & COVID Protocols

August 6, 2020


August Organic Plant Sale
Saturday, August 8, 10am-1pm
Vendor plant list (some vendors missing):
Compost Education Centre

Brussel Sprouts (Igor)
Purple Sprouting Broccoli
Lennox Cabbage
Galleon Cauliflower
Fordhook Chard
Rainbow Chard
Danish Ballhead Cabbage
Siberian Kale
Rainbow Kale
Lacinato Kale
Red Russian Kale
Kale mix
Collards
Arugula
Red Romaine
Mixed Mustards

Metchosin Farms

-lettuce
-chard
-kale
-salad mix
-collard
-purple sprouting broccoli
-broccoli
-corn salad
-cilantro
-Springbank clover (traditionally-cultivated native food plant – what Clover Point in Victoria is named after)
-white guava
-dragon fruit cactus
-passion fruit vine

Haliburton Farms (Joyful Agriculture)
Black currant
Rosemary
Butterfly milkweed
Mallow
Lavender
Gooseberry

Chard, rainbow
Kale, assorted
Green onion
Snow pea
Rapini
Tatsoi
Lettuces
Cabbage

Fresh Produce:

Tomatoes
Potatoes
Assorted herbs
Kale
Chard
Garlic
Squashes
Flower bouquets

Saanich Organics

Beets, collards, rutabaga, kohlrabi, green onions, cabbage, napa cabbage, chard, lettuce, spinach, mei qing choi, arugula, purple top turnips, red russian kale, sprouting broccoli, tatsoi, corn salad (mache) and cilantro

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Saturday, August 8th, August Organic Plant Sale

July 10, 2020


For more information on vendors, location, COVID protocols, and winter garden plant starts click here!

 

Posted in Announcement, Blog, Events, Food Security, News, Organic GardeningTagged , , , , , , , ,

August Organic Plant Sale: Saturday, August 17, 2019

July 19, 2019


Missed the window in June and July to seed your winter vegetable garden? Not to worry, we’re hosting our 8th annual August Organic Plant sale so you can still have fresh greens and herbs throughout the winter!

The plant sale will be held Saturday, August 17th from 10am to 1pm on the street outside the CEC (1216 North Park Street). Gardeners can expect to find a wide selection of plants for fall and winter growing and harvest including kale, broccoli, cabbages, collards, arugula, cold hardy lettuces, herbs like cilantro and parsley, and many others. Local, organic farmers are:

Ravensong Seeds

Saanich Organics

The Compost Education Centre

Metchosin Farm

Cam Kidd with Perennials, and Mushroom Spawn

Haliburton Farm

and more!

No need to register for this event but feel free to call our office at 250 386 9676 or contact us via email at office at compost.bc.ca if you have any questions.

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