If you’re new to gardening, you may want to start off with low-maintenance, robust plants that are easy to maintain without an expert-level of horticultural knowledge.

Before picking out you plants, here are a few mindful tips for the beginner gardener to help you get started:

Sunlight and shade

Put the right plants in the right place! Surprising to some, but not all plants love the sun. Be attentive to where you place your plants in your garden to ensure they’re in a spot optimal for their specific growing needs – some plants thrive in full sun conditions, while others do best in a mix of shade and daylight.

Soil

You’ll be tucking your plants into their garden bed, so it’s important to ensure they’re comfortable. The soil surrounding your home might not be ideal for growing certain types of plants. You can bring a soil sample to your local greenhouse for testing to determine whether or not it’s usable, and if new soil is required.

Water

Some plants are drought-resistant, while others require regular watering. Keep the specific water needs of each plant well documented so your hard work in the garden doesn’t go to waste.

Perennials versus annuals

Before adding any plants to your garden, it’s important to distinguish between varieties that are seasonal and those that stand the test of time. Annuals are the plants that join your garden party for just one season, while perennials are your trusty, long-term garden companions, returning year after year without replanting. Both are wonderful in their own way, adding their unique charm to your outdoor space.

Climate

It’s important to be aware of your surroundings and pick plants and trees that are best for the climate you live in. If you live in a region where temperatures dip below zero, you should also keep an eye on the frost report in your area at the beginning of spring and wait to start gardening until after the frost lifts.

Now that you’re familiar with some basic gardening know-how, here is a list of seven beginner-friendly plants to start with in your garden this year:

1. Boxwoods

Boxwoods are the perfect addition to any garden because they are incredibly resilient. They are drought-resistant, low-maintenance, evergreen shrubs that offer year-round greenery – perfect for the beginner gardener, and loved by even the most seasoned.

2. Hostas

Hostas are the go-to choice for beginner gardeners in Canada because they offer lush greenery while requiring minimal maintenance. They’re perfect to use for lawn borders, ground cover, or adding greenery throughout your property. Hostas are available in different sizes and colours. Place them in partial- to full-shaded areas of your garden – this is where they’ll thrive!

3. Black-eyed Susans

Black-eyed Susans add a beautiful pop of colour to your garden. To grow these blooms in abundance, don’t be afraid to cut them back to encourage abundant blooms — the more you prune, the more they’ll grow. Black-eyed Susans are known pollinators, perfect for attracting bumblebees and butterflies to your garden. These flowers are available in a few different colours, including the most popular variety – yellow! These flowers love the sun, so be sure to plant them in an area with full sun exposure.

4. Garden Phlox

Garden Phlox are available in a variety of colours and smell amazing. Hummingbirds and butterflies love these flowers. They bloom from mid-summer to late fall, and will blossom more vigorously in areas with full sun and ample air flow. Deadhead these pollinators and water them often to have them grow more plentifully.

5. Lavender

Lavender, known for its calming fragrance, is an excellent choice for beginner gardeners due to its resilience and easy upkeep. Lavender thrives in well-drained soil and full sunlight, and is drought-tolerant once established, making it a perfect flower for a beginner’s garden. Be sure to water lavender regularly and prune them lightly after flowering to encourage bushier growth.

6. Daylilies

Daylilies add beauty to your garden with their vibrant and long-lasting flowers. They’re great for beginner gardeners due to their resilience and adaptability. These hardy perennials thrive in various soil conditions and light levels. This makes them easy to grow in almost any garden. Show love to these plants with regular watering and deadheading, and they’ll flourish.

7. Peonies

Peonies are known for their fluffy fragrant blooms and are one of the most commonly used flowers in bridal bouquets. Lucky for the novice gardener who wants to add elegance to their home, these stunning stems are an excellent choice. Not only are they incredibly resilient, but these perennials are available in an abundance of colours.

Happy gardening!

Spring inventory continues to build in the Fraser Valley to levels not seen in nearly 5 years creating more balanced market conditions for home buyers and sellers. The increase in supply over the past several months has further contributed to a softening of price growth, which is good news for buyers.

The average number of days townhomes and single-family detached homes are spending on the market increased slightly in May.

Detached homes are spending 25 days on the market, up from 23 in April.

Townhomes are spending 20 days on the market, up one day from April, and condos remain steady at 23 days on the market.

Real estate investments extend beyond traditional flipping or rentals, encompassing a variety of lucrative opportunities that can diversify portfolios and capitalize on market trends without loads of capital.

 One method is called Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). Investors can buy shares of REITs to earn dividends from the properties without having to manage upkeep or deal with tenants. REITs offer faster liquidity and an opportunity for those seeking exposure to real estate with a hands off approach. Real Estate Mutual Funds and ETFs offer similar benefits.

 Private Mortgages or Mortgage Investment Funds: Investors can provide loans secured by real estate, receiving interest payments over time, usually for higher returns compared to traditional bonds. People looking for steady cash flow and passive income, backed by real estate fills a niche in markets where conventional lending is restricted.

 Real Estate Crowdfunding: Get a group of investors to pool their funds to invest in real estate projects, for the chance to participate in larger, potentially more profitable projects than they could on their own.

 Self-storage facilities and parking lots are increasingly popular for their low maintenance costs and high demand, offering investors steady cash flow with minimal operational complexity. With lower upfront costs and steady demand, especially in affordable housing markets, mobile home parks may yield good returns as well with lower maintenance costs compared to traditional real estate.

Do these 5 things if you want to build capital faster and get your home working for you right away.

1. Always buy the outdated but well cared for home that you can strategically improve upon over time, building up your equity over time as it appreciates. When it’s your principle residence, in B.C, Canada, all of that gains is exempt from tax, allowing you to carry it forward to your next purchase.

2. Whenever you can,  always try to find a way to make your property work for you. It can be simple extras like renting out a parking space, to having a rental suite or renting storage space. Can you run a business, get ALR status or even grow your own food?

3. Consider long term Development.  Properties flourish close to things like transit and city centres. Have a look at your local zoning and municipal plans so you can see where a good up and coming location will be that will be desirable. Things like being close to schools, hospitals, shopping, recreation and transit are important. Strategize to buy homes these up and coming neighbourhoods to get in before they are in high demand and prices soar. 

4. Highest and best use. There are homes I come across all the time with untapped potential to really maximize value. I’ve witnessed some amazing gains made by cleaning up poor landscaping, adding skylights and more natural light into a home. Do you have an awkward layout that you could open up? Can you add an ensuite where there is none? Can you build a shop? Can you add a coach home?  Can you stratify or subdivide?

4. Repeat # 1 every time you sell and upgrade. By doing this over and over through the various stages of life as you need it, you will be able to grow your principle residence over time without the payment of capital gains tax. This compounding effect over time really makes a difference. Again this only applies to principle residences and according to tax law. We advise that you seek out professional advice from an accountant to get advise that’s right of you as I am not an accountant. 

As of January 1, 2025 B.C.'s new flipping tax is something we need to think about as we make our real estate purchase and sale decisions.

If you purchased recently and may have intended to sell before 2 years is up, you now have until the end of December 2024 to sell without any tax payable.  If you sell after January 1, 2025, the tax is payable.

For those who purchased pre-sales, if you sell your presale and enter into a contract prior to 24 months of entering into the original agreement, the flipping tax is applicable. If you wait until 24 months has passed, you may assign without owing the flipping tax. 

There are exemptions to the tax, and you can check out the government of B.C. website for more information. For detailed questions about the application of the tax to a specific transaction, you should seek independant professional advice. 

Some exemptions listed include, the passing of a life, serious illness or disability, some relocations for work or education, involuntary job loss, registered builders, marriage breakdown, foreclosure and more. Sales between related persons are also exempt.  I found this pretty interesting too about about renovation exemptions according to their website.

"If there is a substantial renovation of a housing unit, the property will be exempt from the BC home flipping tax.

If a housing unit is demolished and a new housing unit is constructed or placed on that property, the property will be exempt.

If there is an additional housing unit added to either an existing housing unit (in other words, a basement suite) or constructed or placed on the residential property with an existing housing unit, the property will be exempt from the BC home flipping tax.

The renovation, addition, construction, or placement of the housing unit must be in accordance with a bylaw of a local government with jurisdiction over the property or a British Columbia Building Code established under the Building Act."

If you look under their definition of substantial renovation, it defines it as such:

"Substantial renovation, in relation to an existing housing unit, means a renovation or alteration of the housing unit to such an extent that:

• All or substantially all of the housing unit has been removed or replaced, other than structural components, which include, without limitation, the roof, the foundation, external walls, interior supporting walls, floors, and staircases, or
• The habitable area of the housing unit is increased by at least 100 percent"

So it sounds like as long as you're increasing housing units and square footage, you may be exempt. It will be interesting to see if this is something that takes off.  If someone can buy a home, apply for a coach suite and detached garage, add a basement suite, it sounds like this would be an opportunity for those with land to do it. 

http://fvreb.bc.ca/statistics/Package202101.pdf

LOW INTEREST RATES AND THE COVID-19 DRIVE FOR MORE SPACE AT HOME SENDS HOUSING ON A RECORD HIGH.  SELLING HAS NEVER BEEN SO EASY.  ON TH EFLIP SIDE, BUYING IS MORE FIERCE THAN BLACK FRIDAY AS INVENTORY IS SERIOUSLY LACKING.  DON'T WORRY THOUGH.  THAT'S WHAT I'M HERE TO HELP GUIDE YOU THROUGH.  CALL ME AND LET'S DFISCUSS YOUR OPTIONS.