Reaching for the Sun

 

Zinnia: My Small Garden

 This year Zinnias were the garden stars along with sunflowers and glass gem corn

My Small Garden Photos

A great year for corn and sunflowers. 

 

The Balcony Container Garden

Balcony gardening can offer greater challenges than working a garden bed in your backyard. The first one is that it may be against the building rules to grow anything on your balcony and so by doing so you may run into some problems with other tenants, the superintendent, or the owner.

The second challenge is the conditions, low light, or high winds can be common conditions on an urban balcony. However, if you can get 3-4 hours of sunlight each day, more is better, but if that is all you get you can still grow your own food.

It is possible that the yield will be less or the plants will take longer to produce fruit. It is almost certain you will need to water frequently as the containers will dry or under the hot sun or high winds.

Before planting anything get to know the conditions, especially how much sunlight you get on your balcony, if it varies then place the containers where the sun visits longest.

Plant Choices:

1. Cherry Tomatoes, I use CampJoy but any cherry tomato will do well in a container and the bonus is you can grow basil in the same container. Two containers, 18 inches across and 2 feet deep will hold two tomato plants and two basil plants.
2. Green Peppers, both peppers and tomatoes enjoy the sun but need heat so if the spot is cool, then I suggest planting something else. Plant peppers same as tomatoes without the basil.
3. Pole beans need support; I use bamboo poles, available at the plant nursery. They are cheap and last for years. You can put two plants per 18 inch diameter pot.
4. Peas, you will need support and there are trellises that will fit into an 18 inch or larger container. They can also support themselves on balcony railings.
5. Herbs, chamomile, borage, chives, thyme will all do well in a container. You could create an herb garden in one 24 inch diameter container and plant a few of your favourites. They will also help to bring in the pollinators when in flower.
6. Gladiolas, I must have one ornamental per garden and the glad is an ideal choice. The bees are as necessary on the balcony as they are in the backyard. Fuchsia works as well. Morning glories can grow along railings.

Containers:

You can use anything that is deep and wide enough as long as it will hold soil in place. A drainage hole is essential and you may want to place the container in another container to catch the excess water. If you are cramped for space you can use smaller containers and plant fewer seeds or seedlings per pot.

Anyone Can Garden

Gardening is the most rewarding and useful activity.

There are many lessons for one thing, that you can learn from a well-designed garden; history, math, language, organizational skills, the appreciation of beauty and so on. Perhaps the most important aspect of gardening is that it can keep us in touch with nature. I view the garden as the place where Civilization and Nature meet. The garden’s job is to maintain the balance between the two forces so that the garden and all that is in it thrive.

A child’s garden can be a simple design that includes fast-growing plants like radishes so the child can see the results quickly and sunflowers so they can enjoy the majesty of these garden giants. What you place between these two is all up to you and the time that is available for gardening.

Gardening does not require you to be physically fit. There are many tools that make basic gardening chores simpler and we will explore those in a future hub.

If you cannot bend over you can create a garden on a tabletop to which you can pull up a comfortable chair. This works well for a container garden. Remember when building a tabletop garden, it is important to consider the height of the table and the container. You want to keep it all within reach.

Window boxes are a great way to make your garden reachable or you can place flower boxes on your balcony railing.

The most important consideration is that this is your garden so if you are designing it for yourself ask this question what do I need in order to garden comfortable?

If you are creating a garden for someone else then be sure to ask them that vital question.

Trellises are another way to keep your plants within reach. You can build your own or buy a trellis.

There is a wide range of plants that grow well on a trellis from clematis to zucchini. Here again, what do you want to grow is an important question to answer? Are you looking for beauty or food, perhaps a bit of both?

Raised beds are another option and the video gives you some ideas about how to make a raised bed garden. You can even add a trellis to your raised bed.

You may find it essential to put in a pathway in order to make it easier to get around. We will examine pathways in a future hub but for now, the type of material will depend upon how you are getting around.

You may want to give some thought to the fragrant garden; herbs, for example, will give off their aroma as you walk through the garden. Herbs are easy to grow and work well in containers regardless of where you place that container, as long as they get the light that they need.

I believe that anyone who wants to can garden, it all rests in the design.

Back to The Garden

Over the years my work has been shaped by a number of influences, music and particular lyrics have played a strong role in helping me choose a path that made sense and served a purpose.

There are many reasons why I have chosen to wander the garden path but the following words from Joni Mitchell’s Woodstock still keep me focused.

And we've got to get ourselves Back to the garden.

The garden is where civilization and the wilderness meet, the place where humans maintain the balance and all thrives.

Over the years we have wandered far from the garden and even when we are gardening the techniques that we use are hostile and unfriendly and upset the balance rather than maintain it.

When I speak about gardening I am referring to everything from growing a petunia in a container to a community garden and onto the schoolyard and beyond.

The intent of this hub, which is the first in a series, is to bring my gardening hubs into focus and thereby create a more useful document for anyone who is interesting in growing plants of all kinds.

Why do I garden? Let me count the reasons; but seriously folks, I garden for many reasons and I will explore them here.

Style plays a major role in many gardening discussion but I feel that what is most important is for the gardener to always remember that it is your garden so style it your way. Anyone, who wants to can garden.

The plot may be as small as single container with a cherry tomato and some basil on a table top, for example, or vast; that depends upon your resources (time, money, land) and your interest.

The wise use of water enables the gardener to conserve this valuable resource and to have a garden as well. A garden needs five things to make it thrive; air, light, water and soil are four that in varying degrees nature will provide but the fifth and certainly not the least is the care and attention of a gardener.

Trees may not be right for every garden but the act of planting a tree begins a long term commitment with another being.

Now if there was a situation when it was important to follow the right plant, right place rule it is when you are choosing a tree or trees for your property. Pick the wrong tree and you may find its roots assaulting the foundation of your home. Pick the right tree and you will enjoy its many benefits for many years.

The plant you call a weed, I may call lunch. Weeds, if they were called by any other name would they still annoy us to such a degree. The topic of weeds and weed control can touch off a frenzy of discussion when gardeners gather.

Many people, especially those living in the city are faced with serious space restrictions when it comes to growing anything.

So you want to garden but your backyard is small or non-existent; well do not let that discourage you, if you have the will, you will find the way.

The first step, as in all forms of gardening, is to assess you existing space. How much room do you have? How much sun and shade does that space get?

Growing you favourite plants in a container is another great way to utilize a small space or tot take advantage of decks, patios and balconies.

The choice of container is up to you and there are many possibilities out there. You can buy a wide variety of containers from urns to window boxes at you local plant centre or you can drop by a garage sale and find that unique planter. You may even find ways to recycle items in your attic or garage. Your personal taste and vision will guide you when it comes to choosing a container.

If you are looking to move beyond the lawn and establish and backyard food production system then you may want to take a close look at the forest.

Have you begun to feel that the time you spend watering and cutting your lawn is a waste and probably doing more harm than good? Tired of using poisonous chemicals to keep that lawn green and golf course ready?

Or are you longing for fresh fruits and vegetables?

Perhaps both appeal to you and if you have answered yes to one or both then it could be time to turn your yard into a food forest garden.

There are many possibilities and adventures awaiting the person who chooses to set out on the path back to the garden.

If you are not yet a gardeners then take that first step and plant a seed, watch it grow and produce more seed that you can save and plant to grow more plants and so the circle continues.

Forest Gardens

Have you begun to feel that the time you spend watering and cutting your lawn is a waste and probably doing more harm than good? Tired of using poisonous chemicals to keep that lawn green and golf course ready?

Or are you longing for fresh fruits and vegetables?

Perhaps both appeal to you and if you have answered yes to one or both then it could be time to turn your yard into a food forest garden.

If you do undergo the transformation, you will be no longer be using your time and energy to maintain an unnatural ecosystem- the lawn- which gives you little in return for your efforts.

Instead, you will be investing that time, energy and dollars in an ecosystem that provides you and your family with fresh right off the vine, produce all the while, creating a backyard habitat that will attract, butterflies, bees and birds.

The backyard food forest meets not only you and your family’s needs but provides food and shelter for butterflies and songbirds, for example.

The inclusion of native plants and others, such as herbs, berries and fruit trees, in the backyard forest garden will form the layers of your backyard forest.

Your lawn wants to become a forest; it wants to follow Nature’s way and eventually become a forest but the constant maintenance that a lawn requires prevents this natural progression from taking place and creates considerable work for the homeowner.

As you move away from the lawn; from an unnatural and stalled ecosystem that wants to evolve but is constantly thwarted in its desire, you move from wasting your resources to investing them and stop using resources poorly and begin to invest so that one day you can reap the rewards of your work as you harvest, fruit, berries, herbs and vegetables fresh from you own backyard.

The role of the gardener is not to stall ecosystems and combat natural growth but to work with that desire and need to grow and guide the progress so that it meets the needs of all beings.

This way balance is maintained and the garden becomes a place of mediation between Nature and Civilization rather than a war zone.

You can start small. There is no need to overturn your whole backyard into a forest garden the first time around, select a sunny corner and work with dwarf fruit trees for example.

This is a process and you may proceed at your own pace.

If you are interested in converting your backyard into a food garden then the book, I’d suggest is Gaia's Garden:A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture by Toby Hemenway. It is published by Chelsea Green, 2001, and has a foreword by John Todd.

introduction

edible forest gardens

My Small Garden: Update

Good day. Cool and windy here today. The photos are from my Small Garden:

Pumpkin rising

part of my container garden on deck. Glass gem corn, pumpkin, peas.

Beans, Beans, Beans

Beans are a perfect crop. For the home gardener, there are two types of beans that you will want to consider. One is the pole bean. Pole beans will need some kind of support; support that is strong enough to keep the plants from tumbling to the ground.

The support must bear the full weight of the plants but it has to also withstand the summer winds and storm. You do not want to come out one fine sunny morning and find that last night’s storm knocked your beautiful beans flat.

The other is bush beans, which are a smaller and more compact plant, and will provide a heavy first harvest as well as a lighter second picking before the plants are finished.

When you use bush beans you may be able to plant more than one crop during the season so that a continuous supply of beans is always close to maturing.

I have built tripods/teepees from poles to use as supports and if the poles are long enough and put into the ground at least six inches and securely fastened at the top they have withstood some fairly heavy wind storms.

Beans should not be sown until the danger of the last frost has passed; damp and cold soil will cause the bean seed to rot and bye-bye bean.

There is a wide variety of beans to choose from and remember when you buy seeds of any kind, beans included, read the seed package and follow the instructions.

Beans are also a great way to introduce children to gardening and the connection between food and the earth.

What you need are a bean seed, a small garden pot (3 inches across) some soil and water. You will also need a place at home to put the pot where it will get 4-6 hours of sunlight.

Fill the pot with soil; make a small hole using the pinky finger about ¼ inches deep, put in the bean cover over, water.

Then place the pot in a sunny spot and watch it grow. Be sure the planter has drainage and be sure to place a saucer or something else to catch the excess water.

We have done this exercise with quite a few children over the years and they enjoy the planting and have often told us about their beans and even brought pictures.

This exercise works well with children between the ages of 2 and 4 years old but children up to 7 have participated and had fun.

In Praise of Dandelions

They grow everywhere or so it seems. You do not have to tend them, water them or feed them. All you need to do is appreciate them and harvest them, then enjoy them as wine, tea, in a salad or deep-fried as fritters.

What I am I going on about, well dandelions, the most misunderstood and under-appreciated “weed’ in the world, well that may be a bit over the top, but you get my drift.

This is urban food foraging at its most basic. You may not even have to leave your own property to gather this most versatile plant. If you are a homeowner and have a lawn, the odds are good you have a handy supply of dandelions.

Now you may have spent hours, each summer, in vain attempts to make the dandelion go away, but somehow, no matter what you do it keeps coming back.

Now you can give up the struggle and start reaping the rewards that nature has been putting in front of you for all those years and rather than doing battle, go and get some supper.

Dandelion greens are one of the season’s first edible arrivals and the ragged leaves add a distinctive appearance to the meal. They are best picked when young. Dandelion greens are high in vitamin A in the form of antioxidant carotenoid and vitamin C.

It is not necessary to be a gardener to take advantage of this useful plant. All you need is a lawn that has not been sprayed with poison in an attempt to control the weeds and it is quite likely that you will have dandelions aplenty.

You can harvest the root, the flower and the green, so the whole plant, pretty much, is useful. The root can be ground and used as a coffee substitute, something like chicory, in case you are looking for something a little different in the morning.

You may find it faster to collect the dandelions if you work with at least one other person that is if you are planning to harvest the whole plant.

Have one person cut the flower and another dug out the root using a dandelion weeding tool. The tools often destroy the flowers.

Now, because dandelions are so plentiful in many lawns you can do an early harvest and take the young leaves and leave the root in the ground to grow back and then come back for the flower and root.

Or you can harvest the whole plant when young making sure to leave a few growing so that you can harvest the flowers if you want them. There are options which make this even more fun.

So the first step is to decide what you are going to use the dandelion for, salads, coffee, wine fritters and so on and then collect the plant accordingly.

If you do not have a lawn you may want to visit your neighbours and ask them if you can harvest their dandelions. Do this in early spring before the dandelion is bloom.

Tell them what you want the dandelion for and that you will remove all the dandelions from their front lawn. Unless you really love dandelion coffee or wine, there is a limit to how many plants you will need to harvest.

Friends and family may be happy to have your drop by and visit while weeding their lawn.

It is possible that people will look at you funny and whisper behind your back but hey you are getting some great exercise outdoors, providing food for the family, that costs nothing but your labour, and maybe encouraging others to step forward and stop poisoning the community and eat the weeds.

My Small Garden, 2019, Year 1, Day 1

This is from last year. I plan to expand the Small Garden a bit, maybe a foot or 2. then add compost. The plot's purpose is to grow some food, have plants for seed and to do a small bean breeding project. There is ample room.

Paw Paw Experiment

I am growing paw paw trees, for the first time, this year. Pawpaws are the largest edible fruit trees native to North America, specifically the temperate climes of the eastern parts of the United States, though you won't often find them near the coasts.
They should grow here.

 I have started two seeds out of the five I purchased. I will post updates, with photos, as this experiment moves along.

Planning a new or First Garden?

It is not difficult to grow your own vegetables, flowers and herbs. There are three things that you must consider if the garden is to be successful; the sun, soil and water. The garden will need six to eight hours of sunlight per day in order to produce vegetables or flowers.

Soil comes in three basic types, clay, sand or loan. The ideal soil is a sandy loam. There is a simple way to determine the type of soil in your garden. Pick up some soil with one hand, roll it into a ball. If it forms a ball that breaks apart readily it is loam. If a ball does not form, it is sand. If a ball forms but does not break apart easily, it is clay.

This primer will help you plan and design your first garden; it does not matter what you decide to grow, vegetables, flowers, herbs or all three, the steps are the same.

Step One:

There are two questions you need to answer at this point.

1- What do you want to grow?

2- How much time to you have to garden, each day, and week?

It is important to match your schedule to your interests; you do not want to start a garden that is too big, as it is likely to become a burden and that will take all the fun out of the project.

It is equally important not to put in a garden that is too small as your yield, what you get back for your labour, will be smaller than you expected and you will be disappointed and perhaps discouraged.

Step Two:

Now is the time for the garden plan. Don’t panic, this is simple; a plan helps you stay on track, makes maximum use of your gardening time, is fun and can be changed whenever you desire.

You now know what you want to grow and how much time you are willing to commit to the growing and maintenance. Now you must determine:

1- Where will your garden grow? The backyard most likely but were, well for most cut flowers, herbs and vegetables you want a spot that gets full sun for 5-6 hours a day, minimum.

2- How big will it be? The size depends upon what you want to grow and how much. A good cut flower garden can be fairly small in feet 6x6 will do; same for a herb garden. Now unless you are prepared to convert your whole backyard into a vegetable garden and even then, you are not going to grow all the food your family needs, so pick you 3-5 favourite vegetables and focus on them.

3- Homework time. You need to know the plants you plant to grow, the public library can be a great source of information as can the Internet. You can also visit a local plant nursery and have a chat with the manager.

4- Put the right plant in the right place and it will thrive.

Read this hub, for details on building the garden bed. Speaking of reading, if you are planting seeds read the seed package. The information there is meant to be followed, so do so. If you are using plants then read the tag that should be in the pot with the plant, the same story; If it is not then ask.

Gardening is a rewarding activity that does not have to be difficult or time-consuming, just be sure to build the garden that matches your needs, wants and schedule.

Consider keeping a journal. Record what you planted, how it fared and anything else that you notice. This information will be valuable when planning next year's garden.

Permaculture Guilds

Hi, this video by Heather Jo Flores provides an excellent look at what guilds are.

Native Plants

I am making changes to my garden, my small garden. Native plants, plants that are adapted to this region will play a more predominant role. I am a seed saver and plant breeder so will be saving seeds from these plants and possibly attempting a breeding program so the seeds can handle changing weather. Any advice and ideas are most welcome.

I live in Renfrew ON.

Covid-19 and Your Garden

Will Covid-19 have any impact on how you garden this year? If yes, what changes will you make?

The Community Garden

One of the many aspects I like about living in Renfrew On. is its community garden. I am not a member because my osteoarthritis makes trips back and forth, difficult, but just knowing the garden is there is a feel-good reality.

If you want to garden and grow and maintain your own food, flowers or herbs but do not have a space suitable at home then a community garden can be the place where you can set your gardening passion free.

A community garden is a plot of land that is usually divided into subplots with each gardener having their own plot. You can grow herbs flowers or vegetables or a mix of all three.

There may be a communal plot where you grow corn or squash which is then shared.

Each gardener tends their own plot according to whatever rules the group has set.

For example, you may want to grow organically and in order to do this then all the gardeners would need to agree.

Terms such as whether the garden is organic or not are best set out in a contract which each gardener agrees to and signs before the season gets underway.

There may be communal workdays. Especially at the beginning and the ending of the season to take care of site preparation and clean up as well as putting the plots to bed for the season.

There may be chores that all share. When I was in Saint John, New Brunswick, for example, I belonged to a large community garden and there were chores such as cutting the lawn in the common areas and doing a bit of weeding and composting. Each gardener signed up for a shift.

How to Start a Vegetable Garden

Bob Ewing 

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How to start the vegetable garden

. There are three things that you must consider if the garden is to be successful; sun, soil and water. The garden will need six to eight hours of sunlight per day in order to produce vegetables or flowers.

Soil comes in three basic types, clay, sand or loan. The ideal soil is a sandy loam. There is a simple way to determine the type of soil in your garden. Pick up some soil with one hand, roll it into a ball. If it forms a ball that break apart readily it is loam. If a ball does not form, it is sand. If a ball forms but does not break apart easily, it is clay.

This primer will help you plan and design your first garden; it does not matter what you decide to grow, vegetables, flower, herbs or all three, the steps are the same.

Step One:

There are two questions you need to answer at this point.

1- What do you want to grow?

2- How much time to you have to garden, each day, and week?

It is important to match your schedule to your interests; you do not want to start a garden that is too big, as it is likely to become a burden and that will take all the fun out of the project.

It is equally important not to put in a garden that is too small as your yield, what you get back for your labour, will be smaller than you expected and you will be disappointed and perhaps discouraged.

Step Two:

Now is the time for the garden plan. Don’t panic, this is simple; a plan helps you stay on track, makes maximum use of your gardening time, is fun and can be changed whenever you desire.

You now know what you want to grow and how much time you are willing to commit to the growing and maintenance. Now you must determine:

1- Where will your garden grow? The backyard, most likely, but where, well for most cut flowers, herbs and vegetables you want a spot that gets full sun for 5-6 hours a day, minimum.

2- How big will it be? The size depends upon what you want to grow and how much. A good cut flower garden can be fairly small in feet 6x6 will do; same for a herb garden. Now unless you are prepared to convert your whole backyard into a vegetable garden and even then, you are not going to grow all the food your family needs, so pick you 3-5 favourite vegetables and focus on them.

3- Homework time. You need to know the plants you plant to grow, the public library can be a great source of information as can the Internet. You can also visit a local plant nursery and have a chat with the manager.

4- Put the right plant in the right place and it will thrive.

Read this hub, for details on building the garden bed. Speaking of reading, if you are planting seeds read the seed package. The information there is meant to be followed, so do so. If you are using plants then read the tag that should be in the pot with the plant, the same story; if it is, not then ask.

Gardening is a rewarding activity that does not have to be difficult or time-consuming, just be sure to build the garden that matches your needs, wants and schedule.

Consider keeping a journal. Record what you planted, how it fared and anything else that you notice. This information will be valuable when planning next year's garden.

Planting Bulbs in Brief

Remember right plant right place will help you grow beautiful flowers. Most spring-flowering bulbs will need a highly organic, well-drained, slightly acidic (pH 6-7) soil in a sunny location(6 to 8 hours of sunlight.)

When it comes to planting bulbs there is a second rule in addition to the right plant, right place rule and that is to plant bulbs root side down. If you do not you will be wondering where the bulbs are.

You plant spring bulbs two to three times as deep as the bulbs are tall. For example, two of the most popular plants tulips and daffodils will be planted approximately eight inches deep. Smaller bulbs, such as crocus and snowdrops (Galanthus) will be planted three to four inches deep.

You measure the planting depth from the bottom of the bulb; this applies to spring bulbs.

To plant you will dig and loosen the entire bed (where the bulbs will go) to the proper depth.

Next, you plant the bulbs into the soil in the bed and press them down and cover with soil. Do not press too hard you do not want to compact the soil.

This process is a faster means of getting your bulbs planted than using a bulb planter to do them one by one. Although, the one at a time method can be useful if you are only adding a few bulbs to an already existing bed or another spot where you need a bit of early colour.

Once the bulbs are planted, water them. This will provide the moisture that the bulbs need to start the rooting process and will assist the soil to settle.

If you are planting bulbs in the fall, they will need to root before the weather gets too cold. It is vital that you do not overwater in the fall as the bulbs may rot and once again you will be wondering where the bulbs come up in spring.

When you first see the flower buds appear it is time to water as long as the soil is dry.

You must water, when it is time, deeply. The bulbs can be planted six to eight inches below the ground and you want the water to reach them.

A soaker hose is an efficient way to make sure that your bulbs get the water they need so that they can produce the brilliant colours that you are eager to see at winter’s end and as spring blossoms.

Start a School Garden

What is a school garden?

Simply put a school garden is a garden on the school property. It may be a flower garden or a vegetable garden or both. The choice is up to the people who plant and tend the garden; the students with guidance and advice from teachers and parents.

A school garden is an excellent way for the parents to become involved in the school that their child(ren) attends. The garden can be a container garden, raised bed or planted directly into the ground, once again the choice belongs to the gardeners taking into consideration the available resources, such as the amount of land available and the type of land as well as the amount of time that can be dedicated to gardening.

The school garden can complement the learning experience as there are many lessons that can be based upon the garden. For one thing, students can learn how to work together to plan, plant and care for the garden.

How to get started?

The impetus for the garden may come from a teacher, a parent or a student. For the garden to work all must be involved. Regardless of who initiates the project, the school principal must be involved and the principal’s permission is essential.

If a teacher starts the project and gets the principal on board then the next step is to rally other teachers and plan a public meeting.

The students’ parents are invited to that meeting in order to inform them about the project and get them interested. Have them bring their children as well so all the concerned parties are in the room.

You will need to give them information such as the size of the garden and were on the school grounds it will be located. Having a clear purpose for the garden may help; for example, will it be an edible plant garden, that can provide fresh food for the cafeteria; or will it be a native plant garden designed to introduce native plants into the area and encourage birds and butterflies.

The meeting begins with a quick overview of the project which includes the benefits that the students will receive from being involved. Then a question and answer period followed.

Be sure to have a sign-up sheet handy for any parents who want to help with the garden, their assistance will be invaluable over the summer months.

If a student or group of students are eager to start a garden on the school grounds, the first step is to talk with a teacher and get his or her support; once that is done then the process becomes the same as the above for the teacher-initiated garden.

If a parent or parents are interested in starting the garden, then the first step is to contact the school principal and any teachers you may know and arrange a meeting to discuss the project. A parent initiated garden may not need to hold a community meeting, as parents are already in the loop.

Once you have the principal’s permission and have students, teachers and parents o board, the final gardening decisions can be made. Decisions such as organic or not; what to plant can be worked out by the gardeners.

A school garden can provide an outdoor classroom, a source of healthy food or habitat for local wildlife or the best, all three. There are enough examples of successful school gardens around to know that it is a win-win situation for your child’s education.

Gardening can help build a child’s confidence, engage their imagination, make new friends and enhance the school property.