Effective April 22, 2009, Earth Day, Ontario banned the sale and use of chemical pesticides for cosmetic use. This ban was predicted in early 2008 and legislation was brought in during the fall. Anticipating the ban, I decided to convert my entire lawn care program to an organic approach in the spring of 2008. Everything… Read more »
Construction Has Begin
Despite the rain and cold, construction has finally begun on our second garage. This is step one in our plans for this summer which include building a second garage for my tractor and all the garden equipment I seem to accumulate as well as putting in a pool. While I’m not looking forward to repairing… Read more »
Starting Seedlings Indoors
I’m am fortunate to have two areas in our house with corner windows facing both south and west. This means almost all day sun for my vegetable garden seedlings. While it’s not necessary to start all plants indoors (I don’t bother with most early season crops like peas, beets or lettuce for example), this year… Read more »
The Perennially Changing Perennial
I went to a garden seminar today where a guest speaker introduced the ‘newest’ and ‘hottest’ perennials to be introduced this year. Each one was touted to be better than a previous cultivar, which amazingly to me, was the hottest new cultivar on the market just a few years ago. Breeders have basically, in large… Read more »
All Planned Out
After ordering my vegetable garden seeds last week, I spent this past weekend planning our vegetable garden. We have a large fenced in garden about 35 feet by 35 feet and use my ornamental gardens as overflow. The plan for our vegetable garden is based on the principal of crop rotation. Crop rotation ensures that… Read more »
Ordering Vegetable Seeds
Some warm weather over the past few days and I’m starting to think of gardening. So it was time to sit down, order my vegetable seeds and plan my vegetable garden. Last summer was our first real serious year of vegetable gardening. By that I mean we actually grew more than the basic tomatoes, cucumbers… Read more »
An Obsessive Compulsive Plant Addict
It’s the middle of winter, my garden is under a blanket of snow, and what else do I have to do except browse through gardening books. Always a dangerous occupation for a confirmed tree and shrub addict like myself. I covet trees and shrubs like some women covet shoes. I’m not fussy about having a… Read more »
Winter In The Garden
While we may not have had record snow falls this year, this is the first year in a long time I can remember almost constant snow cover on the ground. I can almost hear the garden purring in delight. It’s beautiful to look out the windows at the snow covered winter garden, watch the heavy… Read more »
Do you need to deer proof your garden?
Living where we do we have come to enjoy the sight of deer grazing in our back bush. Having said that, I must admit to taking some offense when the deer completely chow down on a particular garden favourite (mine, not theirs). When we first started landscaping our yard, I was keen on ‘deer proofing’… Read more »
Snow Day
My boys are thrilled as today was the first snow day of the 2008/2009 winter season. Fortunately for me I’m ready for Christmas so it just means we will start our Christmas holidays a little early. Despite the driving snow, our feathered friends are still out in full force. Although I have planned my garden… Read more »