Weeds for 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.

Some gardeners have little to no problem with weeds as they either use them to attract beneficial insects to their garden, eat them, for example, lambs quarters have serious food potential, or they read them and realize that the existence of weeds is telling us something about our garden; usually about the condition of the soil.

When we get the message we can take the proper steps to eliminate the problem and watch the weeds disappear.

Others mulch and mulch heavily thus reducing the space that weeds can claim.

Nature does not like bare patches of soil and the plants that we call weeds are nothing if not opportunistic, they will quickly move in where others fear to grow.

Weeds are hardy pioneers that are often the first plant life to appear on an abandoned site. So if you do not want the weeds to move in then do not leave patches of soil available to them because if you leave it they will come.

In addition to mulching, you can avoid digging all together; often when we turn over the soil to create a new garden bed what we do is free the weed seeds that have been lying in wait for the opportunity to grow to spring forth.

Resist the temptation to dig and deny them that opportunity. No-till gardening plus mulching will reduce your weed concerns.

Like many activities how you approach your garden depends to a considerable extent upon your attitude towards the garden; towards Nature and towards weeds.

When I am giving a garden talk or starting a workshop and feel the need to gain some insight into the people who are there; I ask one question; when you hear the word dandelion what is your first reaction?

If they gasp and say weed or worse then I know that I have my work cut out for me; if they say healthy, salads, wine or tea substitute than I have a very different crowd.

The dandelion, the bane of many suburban lawn and gardeners, is probably one of the most versatile and useful plants that grow so freely in our yards and just about anywhere it can get some sun and put down roots.

I am not suggesting that you deliberately grow it, although you can buy seeds, if you wish, but I do feel that you can learn to love it and try some of the recipes, like dandelion fritters.

I find the dandelion to be quite a beautiful plant that contrasts brilliantly with green lawns; if you pick the heads before they go to seed and deep fry them in batter, for example, you won’t be spreading them around the neighbourhood.

In fact you could invite the neighbours over for dandelion tea and fritters and maybe just change their minds.

Once again, if you do not leave space for weeds to garb hold in your garden and do not set free the seeds already hiding in the soil, you are well on your way to reducing your weed worries.

Share The Surplus

 Our gardens provide us with more than just food and flowers. They give us an opportunity to experience and renew our connection with nature as we weed, harvest and walk among the plants.

They can provide us with exercise and a hobby that helps keep our minds and bodies sharp.

As a permaculture designer, I do my best to shape my life according to the three basic ethics of permaculture design.

Three Ethics

1- care for the earth

2- care for people

3- Take responsibility for my own production and share the surplus.

It is through the third that I am able to achieve the other two. There are many ways to share the surplus and do good work in your community at the same time.

You can, when you go shopping for groceries, and there is a sale on canned or dry goods, (beans, pasta) buy a few extra and set them aside for the local food bank or meal program.

I suggest that if you are planning to do this you call the organization that you have in mind and ask them what they need. This way you can help them meet an urgent need and share at the same time. You could also consider making a financial donation or volunteering your time. Both cover the sharing the surplus concept.

If you are a gardener, you could donate some of your produce to the local food bank or meal program. Again, I suggest contacting them first and find out what they would like.

When I worked at a food bank, we got a lot of zucchini and rhubarb which was fine because it is fresh food that the clients may not buy. We always included a recipe or two when we gave the produce out so that those who did not know what to do with it would have the recipe to guide them.

If you want to take this sharing your garden surplus to another level you can grow a row for the local food bank. Simply set aside one of the rows in your garden and all that grows in that row is donated to the food bank.

You may want to check and see if there is an organized grow-a-row program in your community and contact them if there is.

If there is no organized program, you may want to share the idea with a few of your neighbours and ask them to share it with theirs. This way you can increase the sharing and the amount of food that will be donated.

If you are a member of a community garden, you may want to set aside a row in your plot for grow-a-row or suggest to the other gardeners that together you set aside a plot that is meant for the food bank. You could contact the food bank and let them know that you are doing this and ask them if there are foods that they would prefer.

Salad greens, the come-an-cut-again food, can provide people with a healthy and tasty donation that some people may not be able to buy for themselves.

There are a number of ways that your garden or your ability to garden can enable you to share the surplus. Try it and see what happens.

 What you choose to plant in the garden matters. Your garden is an ecosystem Each change you make to the garden has an impact,. When you add or remove plants you impact all the other beings that rely on your garden for food and shelter.

Ecosystems are complex, possibly too complex for us to be able to understand all the connections and actions and interactions that take place within them.

Pollination:

Pollination is the transfer of pollen from the anthers of a flower to the stigma of the same flower or of another flower. Pollination is a must if the flower is to be fertilized.

Fertilization is necessary if the plant’s flower is to produce seeds and seeds are needed to produce more plants.

The honey bee is not a native to North America and our growing dependence upon the honey bee to provide pollination services as lead to our forgetting the native bees that are able to perform this function and in some cases even better than the honey bee.

Now, one way that the gardener can attract native bees such as the bumblebee or mason bee is to create a garden that appeals to them.

This is a fundamental principle for attracting any type of wildlife whether it is, bee or butterfly the garden will design a garden that meets the needs of the beings and they will move in.

 Feed the soil is the organic gardener’s mantra. One of the most effective ways to feed that soil is to add organic material, such as compost to the garden. Another is to add compost tea.

Compost tea is relatively easy to make; you simply put a shovelful of compost into a burlap bag or apiece of cheese cloth and tie the bag closed: then suspend that bag into a container of water for a few days.

I suggest you keep this covered as the odour will become quite strong.

After the tea has steeped you can use the liquid or tea to water the soil at the base of the plants you wish to fertilize.

You can also use compost tea as a foliar spray that is spray it directly onto the plant’s leaves. First, dilute to tea until it is the colour of a weak tea.

The nutrients from the compost have dissolved into the water and the plants will be able to take them up quickly.

The tea bag is reusable for three or four pots of compost tea. When done toss the tea bag into your compost pile.

Plants must have 16 different chemical elements to thrive; these are divided into two categories, macronutrients and micronutrients also known as trace minerals. Each element performs a different function.

Fertilizers are used to enrich the soil and replace missing elements. A fertilizer is a material containing significant amounts of the chemical elements that plants need to grow; such as potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus. Examples of organic fertilizers are greensand, bat guano, cottonseed meal, fish emulsion, manure, and blood meal.

Blood meal is a powerful source of nitrogen and must be applied properly or it will burn your plants. Follow the directions on the label. Blood meal is dried blood usually collected from slaughterhouses and may not be acceptable to vegetarians or vegans.

Greensand is mined from deposits of minerals once part of the ocean floor. It is approximately 3% total potash, along with iron, magnesium, silica and as many as 30 other trace minerals. There may be some ecological concerns here.

Cottonseed meal is a by-product of cotton manufacturing. Cottonseed will produce a slight acidic reaction; consequently, so is usually used for fertilizing acid-loving plants such as azaleas, camellias, and rhododendrons.

Manure has been used as a fertilizer for generations, be sure that any manure you but has been well composted before you apply it your garden. I have used chicken manure and horse manure that was well aged with some impressive results.

I personally like seaweed but then I live near enough to the coast to be able to get it but it does work wonders.

Fish emulsion is a balanced, organic fertilizer; however, it is a partially decomposed blend of finely pulverized fish so again vegans and vegetarians may not wish to use it.

Whatever your choice is, the proper use of an organic fertilizer and the occasional use of a compost tea will give your garden the elements it needs to produce beautiful flowers and healthy and hearty vegetables.

Up On The Roof

 There are always options.

If you can’t grow in the ground, use containers or raised beds, if you have limited space think vertical.

One area that is often overlooked when planning a garden is the roof top.

Now your house may not have a roof that suits a garden; it may be too slanted or does not have easy access for regular gardening chores.

It is important to make the distinction between a rooftop garden and a green roof, while there are some similarities, they generally serve different purposes.

Green Roofs:

Green roofs are a roof that allows plants, trees and shrubs to grow in a specially designed light-weight growing medium.

The three main types of green roof systems are:

• complete systems where all the different components including roof membrane are an integral part of the whole system
• modular systems that are positioned above the existing roofing system
• pre-cultivated vegetation blankets that consist of growing medium and plants that are rolled onto the existing roofing system with drainage mats and root barriers as required

RoofTop Gardens

The rooftop garden is simply a garden, usually in containers, that is located on a rooftop. The rooftop may be a house, an office building, a garage, shed or any other structure that has a suitable surface and is strong enough to take the extra weight.

BE sure that the roof you choose can handle the extra weight, or you may get a major surprise. You may need to consult with a structural engineer before proceeding, remember that in addition to the garden, there will be at least one person adding to the overall weight.

If you are ready to proceed in the design of a roof top garden the process that you are beginning is similar to combining interior decorating with landscape design.

Step One:

What is the purpose of the space? If you are looking to grow a container or two of herbs and vegetables that is one thing; if you are planning a community garden that is another.

Or, are you designing an outdoor space for relaxation and entertaining that incorporates flowers, shrubs and trees into the design?

It is possible to set up an orchard on the roof as long as the containers you use are big enough.

Step Two:

You know the space’s purpose; now what do you want to grow?

Step Three:

How much time do you want to devote to gardening? If your time is limited you may want to keep the garden element of the design small, you can always add later, enough so that you can give the plants the attention they deserve.

Be sure to make notes as you go; you will want to refer to them as you proceed.

What you do next will depend upon the answers to the questions raised in the first three steps. If you are adding an outdoor room to your home then you need to think about furniture, for example; if you are growing food, then all that is left to do is decide what food you want to grow.

Some considerations, the weather conditions on a roof top, much like a balcony, will be different than those at ground level, there may be little to no shade so it will be hot and the winds will be stronger.

The combination of heat and strong winds means that the soil will dry faster than it will in the garden and therefore, the plants will need watering more frequently.

This brings us to another point, water overflow; containers can be designed to catch excess water so that it does not puddle on the roof, making for slippery conditions and added weight. I suggest you hand water your roof top garden so that you get sued to the plants’ needs and thus avoid excessive watering.

Link

Edible Flowers

 Six Common Edible Flowers: 

1-Bee balm- The red flowers have a minty flavor. The bee balm also attract bees to the garden so is an excellent choice as a garden helper.

2-Borage- Blossoms are a lovely blue hue and taste like cucumber. They grow well and you may want to place them in a container to keep them from spreading too far.

3- Calendula - A great flower for eating, calendula blossoms are peppery, tangy, and spicy, and their vibrant golden colour adds zest to any dish.

4-Johnny Jump-Up-  Attractive and delicious, the flowers have a subtle mint flavor, great for salads, pastas, fruit dishes and drinks.

5- Nasturtiums-  This well-known annual has a surprising peppery taste. The young leaves, flowers and buds are all edible. They are said to contain high amounts of Vitamins A and C.

6- Violets Another famous edible flower, violets are floral, sweet and beautiful as garnishes. Use the flowers in salads and to garnish desserts and drinks. In addition, the violet is New Brunswick provincial flower.

This year add both colour and substance to the food garden. The edible flowers will lend colour and attract pollinators. They will also diversify the menu and bring extra value to the meal. Edible flowers are inexpensive and will give back much more than they cost

Gardening with Osteoarthritis

 

I love to garden. Anything that prevents me from doing so would be most unwelcome.  There are many benefits to be gained from the garden, above and beyond growing your own food. Gardening gets me outside to enjoy the wind and sun.  In addition, working in the garden exercises the mind, body and spirit.

However, if you have a bad back or knee problems for example, garden related activities can be painful, no fun at all.

I have osteoarthritis in both knees. This makes standing up difficult and kneeling down impossible. However, I can continue to enjoy the multi-benefits having a garden brings by using raised beds. There are many ways to raise the garden up.

A garden does not have to be a patch of earth on the ground set aside for the specific purpose of growing plants. A garden can be a series, or even one container, placed upon a table or a bench high enough so a chair can slide in and out under that table. Keep the length and width of the table to dimensions that allow the gardener to reach across it from any side.

If you are a do-it-yourself person build your own raised beds. using wood, bricks, concrete blocks, rubber tires, or compost and earth piled up above the ground.

If you have little time, then, buy some organic soil, cut a slit into the bag and plant right into this, if you want it higher, put it on a table or bench.

One of the advantages to using a raised bed, besides the ease of gardening, is that the soil in the raised bed will warm up faster in the spring so you can get an early start. Another advantage to a raised bed is you can build a seat or two along the edge of the bed so that the gardener can sit down while planting, weeding or harvesting.

The ease of access means that the various gardening chores, such as planting, weeding, deadheading, watering and perhaps the most fun, harvesting require less effort.

A major expense, depending upon the size of the garden, will be soil. The plants need healthy soil and this may need to be bought, the first year.

The raised bed will need to be placed where the plants you choose get that light they need. A second location consideration is putting the bed as close as possible to the water source should the rain be insufficient to meet the plants’ needs.

It is also a good idea to keep the bed as close to the house as possible, in order to cut down on the number of steps needed to reach it.

If you are putting in a new garden take a close look at the raised bed garden, you may just appreciate the advantages. Next week we will begin to look at the best vegetable to plant. The ones that provide the most nutrients in return for the work done. Planting season is coming, be patient and happy gardening.

The Oldest Profession?

 Gardening is one of the world's oldest professions; there are older activities hunting and gathering come to mind, but many, many years ago,, humanity realized that food could be obtained by working the earth.

The process of gardening has traveled far since the days when we put the first seeds in the ground and tended them till harvest time, however, over the multitude of generations much has been lost.

We have strayed far from the garden and there are times when it seems as though we are lost and have no understanding of which way to turn to get back to that garden.

What is more we do not seem to understand or know that it is the garden we need to return to, not technology nor traveling to distant planets but the garden that is all around.

I am referring to the bounty that Mother Nature so generously provides.

Ecological gardening is working with Nature not fighting her. Ecological gardening does not use synthetic chemicals. There are natural ways to promote growth and deal with pests and diseases.

The ecological gardener knows that the soil is what matters; what you grow is a matter of choice as long as the soil is healthy the plants will be healthy.

Feed the soil, the organic gardener’s mantra. One of the most effective ways to feed that soil is to add organic material, such as compost to the garden. Another is to add compost tea. 

Before you even buy a plant or a seed pack, you need to determine, how much space you have or are willing to dedicate to your garden. This depends upon one several factors. 

Marjorie Harris, in her book, Ecological Gardening: How to Garden with the Planet in in Mind, in the book’s introduction says the following:

We know that the earth is one vast living, breathing system where everything relates to everything else…The ecological garden is a metaphor for planet Earth- it is itself an ecosystem that reflects this finely tuned, integrated whole.

Harris adds that an ecological gardener understands his or her place in this whole and how the garden functions within its own ecosystem; being aware of the relationships between soil, light. Insects, air, microbe and the plants the gardener picks.

Harris’s book is a great guide for anyone who wishes to garden ecologically.

If you are a new gardener and this is your first garden; you can get it right from the beginning. It does not matter what you grow, it is the how that counts.

The first step is to decide how much time you have to tend your garden because the gardener-garden interaction is most important. If your time is seriously restricted make the garden small, a few containers or a four by three foot garden will allow you to interact with Nature, build soil and grow an awareness of your role in the greater picture, plus you will get some flowers or food for your table, perhaps both.

If you do not have a compost bin, buy or make one. You can also consider worm composting which can be useful if you do not have space for an outdoor compost bin. Worm compost works well for container gardens.

Seeds are where the process begins and ends; use heritage and heirloom seeds and learn how to save them.

Remember the cardinal rule, you are building healthy soil, and when you do this, whatever you decide to grow will prosper.

The ecological gardeners does more that grow herbs, flowers, fruit or vegetables, the ecological gardener helps reduce the negative effects of pollutions and climate change, while the scale may be small when one gardener is involved, it grows as the number of ecological gardeners grow.

We do make a difference even if it is one backyard at a time.

There is another benefit to gardening ecologically, you are creating habitat for native butterflies, birds and bees as well as many other beings when you do. Your backyard ecological garden also helps restore native plants which form the backbone of the garden.

This is indeed a win-win way to garden. The benefits are many and we have not even touched on the physical and metal well being that flows from spending time in yoru garden.

Great Garden Reads

 

My book collection about gardening and related subjects seems to grow faster than my gardens do. My preference, for the most part, is for works published 50 to 70 years ago, when no one used the word organic to describe growing flowers, fruits, vegetables, and herbs. There was no need to add the adjective organic because it was the only way to grow.

When I hold a gardening workshop, especially one aimed at beginning gardeners, I suggest they forget books and rely on the instructions on the seed pack when planting. A few words about soil, hours of sunlight and watering, and they are all set to begin.

Once experience is gained it is time to broaden the knowledge base and read a few books.

The difficult can be in selecting two or three books from the hundreds that are available. Add to this the web pages and gardening articles found on the internet and the choice can be perplexing.

Where to begin?

First, answer a few questions. Are you new to gardening or a seasoned pro? Do you primarily grow vegetables, flowers or herbs? Are perennials your thing or do the possibilities of annuals turn you on?

Do you want the latest organic gardening tips?

The choice of a book will also depend upon your overall gardening goals; are you seeking to grow brilliant roses or to transform your yard into a market garden? Both are possible.

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.  A second edition is available.

Hemenway’s book is for the people who are really determined to increase their ability to grow their own food. If that describes you then check out this book.

Speaking of checking out books, the local public library is a great source for gardening information. You can browse through the books until you garden fix is satisfied then check out the one(s) that you want to take a more detailed look through.

Book sales are another excellent source for getting great garden books; much of my ever growing collection comes from book sales. In the gardening world, there is much that is new again and the date a book was printed often does not matter.

Used book sales have added quite a few books to my collection.

I recommend getting at least one plant guide for flowers; make sure it covers plants that will grow in your area. The guide can help you make plant choices; a good one will have colour photos or illustrations of the plants plus information about the plant’s requirements and maintenance.

For anyone in the Canadian Maritimes, this is a good choice, The Atlantic Gardener's Greenbook, by Jodi DeLong (Nova Scotia, Canada).

 Gardening can be a very simple and enjoyable activity and a good book or three can enhance the practice and the pleasure.

Garden Gadgets,

 

Gadgets, where would any gardener be without their favourite gadget or tool? It does not matter what you grow or where you grow it, most gardeners have at least one tool that they hold dear and could not begin to garden without it.

Whether it be a pair of well worn gardening gloves, a favourite pair of shoes that are worn only in the garden or a spade that you can live without, it does not matter.

For me, for many years a pocket knife was m favourite garden tools. Now, I suspect as I was collecting pocket knives then, this was more a rationalization than a reality.

Now that I am a few years older than I was when I dug my first garden, I look for tools that make the work easier.

Long handled tools that enable me to stand up and do the work rather than bending over or kneeling down are ideal. I can still do the chores, such as bulb planting, I do love both spring and fall bulbs, are possible without causing me any problems.

As baby boomers continue to rise in numbers, garden gadgets that make it easier for them to either, take up or continue to garden, will find a ready market.

Another handy garden gadget is the garden tool cart. The garden tool cart allows you to take your tools with you easily as you move around the garden and also acts as a storage unit when you put them back into the garden shed or garage.

If you just have to get down and weed, then a kneeling stool will make it easier for you to do that. The kneeling stool gives you a comfortable pad to kneel on; is raised a off the ground and has sturdy support which you can sue to help yourself up and down. You can obtain a garden tool pouch to put over one of the supports so that your favourite garden tools are handy and within easy reach.

Anyone who wants to can garden. The garden gadgets that I have mentioned in this hub are designed to increase the gardener’s ability to participate in one of the most healthy and enjoyable outdoor activities that can also beautify your home; provide food for you family and increase your property value.

There are also long handled shovels; easy to use lawn mowers, and tools designed with special grips that are simpler to hold and use. Just like the garden glows when you put the right plant in the right place; the gardener grows when the right tool is selected. Happy gardening. 

Growing Herbs Indoors

 You are in you kitchen getting ready to make a tomato sauce. You need some fresh basil, what do you do? Well if you have a kitchen herb garden, you pick the herb you need.

without leaving the kitchen.

Getting your windowsill kitchen herb garden started is fairly straightforward.

You can be creative with your choice of containers and enhance your kitchen décor at the same time as you grow herbs to enhance your food, just make sure the container you select has a means to drain the excess water and something to catch that water in.

You could use terra cotta pots that you decorate yourself to add that personal touch.

First you plant your seeds in potting soil and keep moist until they sprout. You can place them on the top of your refrigerator as it will provide the needed warmth to get them sprouting.

Second, when the seeds have sprouted you move them to a sunny (5-6 hours of sunlight) windowsill and water them when they need it. As the herbs mature, cut back on the water as they prefer the soil to be slightly dry

Herbs

Dill – A common kitchen herb that has many sues, both the seeds and leaves of dill have sharp, slightly bitter taste. You can use the young branches are used to flavor salads, pickles, vinegar, sauces, soups, stews, and chicken, lamb and fish dishes.

Parsley – You will most commonly see parsley used as a garnish and it does work well but be sure to eat it and not toss it away. Parsley is very versatile and will look great on your windowsill I use parsley in salads, stews, omelets and soups, for example.

Sweet Basil – Sweet basil will add a pleasant aroma to your and a deep and spicy flavour to your food. It is essential for Italian cooking and Thai dishes. You can use sweet basil in tomato sauce and in stir fries for example.

Chives - Chives are one of my favorites, chives are a relative of the onion and bring that extra zip to any dish that needs it. The purple flowers are quite attractive and edible. Chopped chives can be added to salads, egg and cheese dishes, cream cheese, mashed potatoes, and sauces.

If you have these four herbs growing in your kitchen you will be all set to add that fresh something extra to a wide variety of meals. Your kitchen plants will produce well enough that you will be able to dry and store them for future needs or give them as gifts.

How to Force Bulbs Indoors

 

Winter is coming.

Winter and the garden is sleeping under a thick blanket of snow, keeping warm until Spring arrives and calls the bulbs that brighten our Springtime gardens and ease our snow worn eyes.

You do not have to wait until Spring to enjoy your favourite bulbs; there is no need to wait for those splashes of colour to break the monotony of the winter yard. You can grow you favorites indoors all Winter long.

The way you achieve this indoor bloom is by forcing them into the light, and it is not as painful as it sounds. Your indoor garden will work best when you select bulbs that are hardy, this way you will be able to have colour throughout the seasons,

The following are the hardy bulbs that are most commonly forced:

- crocuses (Crocus species),

- daffodils (Narcissus species),

- hyacinths (Hyacinthus species)

- tulips (Tulipa species).

You can also force:

- Dutch iris (I. x hollandica)

- netted iris (Iris reticulata),

- snowdrop (Galanthus species)

- grape hyacinth (Muscari species),\

- winter aconite (Eranthis species)

- star-of-Bethlehem (Ornithogalum species),

- and Brodiaea species.

There are some bulbs that are difficult to force and may require special conditions such as artificial lighting, among these are the Allium, Camassia, Lilium and Scilla species.

There are four stages involved when forcing bulbs:

(1) selecting appropriate bulbs;

(2) planting;

(3) cooling;

(4) Forcing into flower.

You will achieve the best results when you but the cultivars that are recommended for forcing. ; This is important when you are working with daffodils, hyacinths and tulips, where the cultivar selection is wide.

The bulbs need to be handled with care so avoid exposing them to temperature extremes for example.

If you are not going to plant them immediately then be sure store them in a cool place (35 to 55 °F). You can place bare bulbs in the refrigerator for several weeks before you pot them.

It is best to keep them in a paper or mesh bag than have holes for breathing. If you are going to use the crisper drawer in your fridge make sure that you do not put fruit or vegetables in the same drawer. The ripening process gives off a gas that may harm the bulbs.

Remember that some bulbs are poisonous, and should not be eaten so if you have young children it may be best not to use the fridge for bulb storage.

African Violets

I am waiting for my African Violet seeds to arrive,

 

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