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Here's what I like about them: (clockwise from top)
1) Muscari. A small early blooming which happily naturalizes. 2) Allium. Adds interest and height. These flower balls can come in all sizes but I prefer the largest ones! 3) Lavender. A classic flower/shrub which is evergreen in some climates. 4) Hydrangea. The large flower heads on these shrubs add a pop of colour in the garden. They also make beautiful cut flowers. 5) Hyacinth. The early season blooms and beautiful fragrance of these flowers make them an essential addition to the garden. 6) Butterfly bush. These semi-evergreen shrubs seem to bloom all season long. They are also a magnet for butterflies (hence the name), bees, and hummingbirds. 7) Campanula. I think campanula has not gotten enough credit for its long blooming, low growing habit. The flowers bloom over a long period and it is well-mannered in its spread. There you have it! My purply-blue favourites in the garden. What's your experience growing these in your garden? Will you be adding any this year? Let me know in the comments below!  Originally posted August 2020, Updated January 2022 Let me start off by saying, “good job!” You’ve made it to August. Holy moly, 2020 has been a long year already and it’s not over yet. As I have said before, I am so thankful that I have a garden. It has provided us with so much fresh air, food, and entertainment. We have been taking social distancing seriously, so we have been spending a LOT of time at home. You might remember from a previous post, that we had our while front yard scraped away to start fresh. That was before the pandemic turned our lives upside down. Since the first days that I stared at that blank slate, my garden design has evolved. I have strongly held the belief that gardens should have something to offer; they are not just pretty things to look at. They should provide food, places to play, wildlife habitats, feed the birds, or feed the bees. I am not one to envy a prim and proper rose garden. Concerns about food security prompted me to incorporate a vegetable patch and foodscaping elements. We added a beautiful rustic split rail fence to give our yard a park-like feel and to help contain our 2- and 4-year old kids. This new garden gets much more midday shade, so we have found ourselves playing out front much more often. Inspired by our local park excursions, I decided to incorporated natural play elements in the garden to make it more fun, interactive, and inviting for the kids. So I set to work. Objectives:
Let me begin by saying that I am not a landscaper, landscape designer, landscape architect, or even a horticulturalist. I am a gardening enthusiast. So please excuse my rudimentary illustrations and non-technical terms.  The above illustration represents the front-most portion of my garden bed. It is large; approximately 26’x10’. First of all I needed to determine the trail through the bed that the kids would use to move through the space. I used some dusty old soil to mark the path they would use. Then I let them play in the partially planted bed to see where they tried to enter and exit the garden naturally, and marked those paths as well. I also wanted a circular element which would allow them to run circuits within the bed without exiting (i.e. the trail around the large tree). I ended up with five entrance and exit points. I cleared the routes of this paths and entrance/exit points of any plantings (don’t worry, I transplanted them elsewhere). Next step I needed to determine the elements of play on the trail. I’ll describe them sequentially by number according to the illustration above. I've also included some photos if your scroll down.
These hardscaping features were installed quickly and easily. Since this was a relatively new bed, I completed this projected over the course of a week. I am pleased that all of the features that I added were free and created from found and discarded materials. You may use the same concepts as I have but with other materials. This little garden trail has already provided the kids with HOURS of garden play. Being outdoors is important to me and I want to foster an appreciation for nature in my kids. This feels like another way to encourage this. While you are creating your new landscape design, there are other things that you may want to take into consideration:
The Dirt on |
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 You don't need to be a greenthumb to grow wildflowers! They practically grow themselves. | By planting this packet of seeds, you are doing some amazing things!
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Planting Instructions
It's SOW Easy!
Clear the are to bare soil.
For more on water-saving gardens, check out my post on my chafer beetle and drought resistant lawn. Even through the drought and heat dome last summer, I never watered my lawn and it stayed GREEN ALL SUMMER!
- Sprinkle the seeds evenly over the surface of the soil. Try to space them out a bit - remember that they will grow into mature plants.
- Gently scratch the seeds into the surface of the soil.
For more on water-saving gardens, check out my post on my chafer beetle and drought resistant lawn. Even through the drought and heat dome last summer, I never watered my lawn and it stayed GREEN ALL SUMMER!
The above picture is my wildflower garden. I think my favourite flowers are calendula and poppies.
I love all things gardening. I love flowers, annuals, perennials, and trees. But my biggest passion of all is growing my own food. There is something incredibly satisfying about plucking your own fresh vegetables from the garden. You have planted it, watered it, fed it, and harvested it yourself. You know that it hasn't been doused in chemicals or sat in a crate for a week. You truly start to appreciate the beauty in the expression "farm-to-table" because it is so close to home. There's just nothing comparable.
So what happens if you are not in farm country but a urban or suburban neighbourhood? In a complex with a homeowners' association or strata bylaws? You might have your own little patch of dirt by you have to play by someone else's rules. Or, simply, you might just not want to commit to converting your garden to raised or bermed vegetable beds. That's OK!
There is a lot the you can do and grow in a regular old garden bed or border. There are sneaky ways of incorporating fruits and vegetables in your front yard plantings. With a bit of planning, you can interplant edibles with shrubs, perennials, and annuals without sacrificing the beauty of a traditional bed.
I recently created another post with some examples of excellent choices of fruits and vegetables to incorporate into an edible border. I would like to take it a step further to talk about how to design such a space. Keep in mind, at the end of the day, it is YOUR garden. Your taste, aesthetic, climate, and neighbourhood are all different than mine. And, again, that's OK!
Edible bed and border design is at the front of my mind these days as we are started our front yard from scratch (see the photo above from early 2020). Our lawn and beds were exclusively compacted clay dating back to the construction of our house nearly three decades ago. It was so hard, we couldn't get anything in or out with a shovel. We hired a small excavator to scrape away the surface for a fresh start. We are starting with a blank slate which is both exhilarating and overwhelming!
Here are some things that you might want to take into consideration while designing your edible beds and borders:
1) Light and Growing Conditions.
I suppose this is first and foremost. You aren't going to be able to grow much (if any) in an edible garden if you don't have sufficient light and other growing conditions. Pay close attention to how much light that you get in a day in the areas you plan to grow vegetables. Some perennials and shrubs may be more forgiving of lower light, but vegetables usually need a great deal of sunshine for optimum growth. You may be able to let in more light by trimming adjacent trees, but there is only so much that this will achieve. If you are putting a lot of effort into incorporating vegetables in part-sun or shady garden, you will likely be very disappointed. Other conditions you will want to pay attention to are waterlogged areas or cold pockets, though you may be able to work around these problems more easily. You can create wind-blocks and crop protection for cold pockets, and you can raise beds (berms or planters) for wet spots.
2) Shape.
First and foremost, you are going to want a general idea of the shape of the borders. It will be helpful to ask yourself questions regarding what you want to achieve with your design. Do you want a free-flowing curvy border or a contemporary straight-line? Where are you viewing the garden from? Do you need footpath access to different areas (i.e. bench, garbage cans, car, shed, etc.)? Are there views that you want to obstruct (i.e. garbage cans, nosy neighbours, unsightly utilities)? Do you need to work around immovable structures? How do you plan on accessing the areas in which you are growing your edibles?
3) Hardscaping.
The elements of your garden that are man-made are your hardscaping: think pathways, ponds, fountains, waterfalls, boulders, walls, borders, fencing, edging, etc. You will want to consider placing these in your garden after your initial plan for shape has been determined. You may want to think about any hardscaping required for accessing your edibles. Also, ask yourself if you want any spaces for containing or defining the vegetables you are growing.
4) Concealment.
Do you plan on hiding your edibles from plain view? Perhaps you have HOA restrictions regarding growing food in your front yard. Perhaps you don't want people helping themselves to your dinner ingredients. Either way, you can plan rows or patches for growing behind barriers of shrubs, annuals, perennials, or raised borders. You will need to consider your need to conceal your veggies from prying eyes in your plan from the outset.
5) Colour palate.
Strictly speaking, this has nothing to do with growing fruits and vegetables, so this is an aesthetic consideration. You may want to consult a colour wheel while planning which colour combinations that work best for your yard, your neighbourhood, and your own taste. Head over to Pinterest for inspiration on garden colour combinations.
6) Balance.
You will want to consider balancing the garden design for your yard. You will want to consider weighing the elements of your design on either side of a yard, window, door, and driveway. A combination of hardscaping and vegetation can help you achieve balance. This is not necessarily required for growing fruits and vegetables, but it can be accomplished by incorporating them.
7) Lawn or no lawn?
This is a tough one. North Americans are still attached to their lawns. We put a great deal of effort, water, and chemicals into achieving the perfect patch of green in front of (and usually behind) our houses, even though they give us nothing in return. Growing a lawn is an environmentally unfriendly practice. Have you considered alternatives? There are many options now available as alternatives to traditional grass lawns that require less maintenance and effort. West Coast Seeds has recently developed a lawn alternative called Bee Turf! How amazing is that?! You can feed the bees and still have a lawn-like carpet of vegetation. We have removed our lawn and we are excited to try out this new turf blend!
8) All -Season Interest.
In open beds and borders, in many zones you are not able to achieve vegetable grow year-round. This means that you are going to have empty patches in your garden for part (or most!) of the year. You want to plan to have things growing or providing interest all year. Evergreen trees and shrubs can help you to accomplish this. People usually think of conifers when you talk about evergreens, but there are also a variety of broadleaf evergreen shrubs which can help add year-round interest. My favourite evergreen plants are:
9) Height.
Add vegetation to your garden by growing vertically! You can add dimension to your garden by including trellises and climbing plants. I have already created a post on climbing edibles and ways to maximize your space by growing upward. You can apply this knowledge to front yard landscaping as well. Pole beans, climbing peas, and scarlet runner beans are all particularly attractive annual vegetables. Perennial climbing fruit you might want to consider are grapes and kiwis. These varieties are not evergreen, but you can choose a beautiful trellis which can serve as year-round interest itself.
Fruit trees are another way to add height in a front yard garden. I have another post which explains a bit more about root stock and height which are worth considering when choosing a tree for your front yard; you probably want to know how big it will ultimately grow.
10) Senses.
One of the frequently overlooked elements in garden design is scent. There are countless varieties of scented annuals, perennials, and shrubs though far too often they can be an afterthought. Scented plants are, of course, not essential for an edible garden, but they do offer additional enjoyment of the space. I like to plant scented vegetation by windows, doors, and pathways so that the fragrance is easily carried to passersby. Grasses are another way to incorporate the senses of touch and sound; the fluffy seed heads and soft rustling sounds in the wind enrich the experience in your garden.
11) Pollinators.
You are going to maximize the productivity of your garden by encouraging the presence of beneficial insects. You can do this by ensuring that you have blooms which span as much of the year as possible. A true wildflower bed is a bee magnet but it is hard to pull off in the front yard. There are lots of beautiful flowers which feed the bees and look great in borders. My current favourites are:
12) Garden Decor and Visual Interest.
This is the icing on the cake. You can incorporate decorative trellises or planters into the vegetable-growing areas of your garden quite easily, though you may choose to highlight your non-edibles. Either way, you might put your decor forefront in your garden or you might tuck it away like a hidden gem, only visible from certain angles within your yard. You can get creative with your decor and use it to express your personal taste and aesthetic. Make it your own! Your garden is for your own enjoyment.
Summary
Now that we've covered all the bases, it's time for the real leg work. Grab some paper and pencils and start sketching. Measure the dimensions of your yard. Research the edible and non-edible plants that you would like to include in your landscape. Some edibles are attractive or functional enough to serve both purposes.
So what happens if you are not in farm country but a urban or suburban neighbourhood? In a complex with a homeowners' association or strata bylaws? You might have your own little patch of dirt by you have to play by someone else's rules. Or, simply, you might just not want to commit to converting your garden to raised or bermed vegetable beds. That's OK!
There is a lot the you can do and grow in a regular old garden bed or border. There are sneaky ways of incorporating fruits and vegetables in your front yard plantings. With a bit of planning, you can interplant edibles with shrubs, perennials, and annuals without sacrificing the beauty of a traditional bed.
I recently created another post with some examples of excellent choices of fruits and vegetables to incorporate into an edible border. I would like to take it a step further to talk about how to design such a space. Keep in mind, at the end of the day, it is YOUR garden. Your taste, aesthetic, climate, and neighbourhood are all different than mine. And, again, that's OK!
Edible bed and border design is at the front of my mind these days as we are started our front yard from scratch (see the photo above from early 2020). Our lawn and beds were exclusively compacted clay dating back to the construction of our house nearly three decades ago. It was so hard, we couldn't get anything in or out with a shovel. We hired a small excavator to scrape away the surface for a fresh start. We are starting with a blank slate which is both exhilarating and overwhelming!
Here are some things that you might want to take into consideration while designing your edible beds and borders:
1) Light and Growing Conditions.
I suppose this is first and foremost. You aren't going to be able to grow much (if any) in an edible garden if you don't have sufficient light and other growing conditions. Pay close attention to how much light that you get in a day in the areas you plan to grow vegetables. Some perennials and shrubs may be more forgiving of lower light, but vegetables usually need a great deal of sunshine for optimum growth. You may be able to let in more light by trimming adjacent trees, but there is only so much that this will achieve. If you are putting a lot of effort into incorporating vegetables in part-sun or shady garden, you will likely be very disappointed. Other conditions you will want to pay attention to are waterlogged areas or cold pockets, though you may be able to work around these problems more easily. You can create wind-blocks and crop protection for cold pockets, and you can raise beds (berms or planters) for wet spots.
2) Shape.
First and foremost, you are going to want a general idea of the shape of the borders. It will be helpful to ask yourself questions regarding what you want to achieve with your design. Do you want a free-flowing curvy border or a contemporary straight-line? Where are you viewing the garden from? Do you need footpath access to different areas (i.e. bench, garbage cans, car, shed, etc.)? Are there views that you want to obstruct (i.e. garbage cans, nosy neighbours, unsightly utilities)? Do you need to work around immovable structures? How do you plan on accessing the areas in which you are growing your edibles?
3) Hardscaping.
The elements of your garden that are man-made are your hardscaping: think pathways, ponds, fountains, waterfalls, boulders, walls, borders, fencing, edging, etc. You will want to consider placing these in your garden after your initial plan for shape has been determined. You may want to think about any hardscaping required for accessing your edibles. Also, ask yourself if you want any spaces for containing or defining the vegetables you are growing.
4) Concealment.
Do you plan on hiding your edibles from plain view? Perhaps you have HOA restrictions regarding growing food in your front yard. Perhaps you don't want people helping themselves to your dinner ingredients. Either way, you can plan rows or patches for growing behind barriers of shrubs, annuals, perennials, or raised borders. You will need to consider your need to conceal your veggies from prying eyes in your plan from the outset.
5) Colour palate.
Strictly speaking, this has nothing to do with growing fruits and vegetables, so this is an aesthetic consideration. You may want to consult a colour wheel while planning which colour combinations that work best for your yard, your neighbourhood, and your own taste. Head over to Pinterest for inspiration on garden colour combinations.
6) Balance.
You will want to consider balancing the garden design for your yard. You will want to consider weighing the elements of your design on either side of a yard, window, door, and driveway. A combination of hardscaping and vegetation can help you achieve balance. This is not necessarily required for growing fruits and vegetables, but it can be accomplished by incorporating them.
7) Lawn or no lawn?
This is a tough one. North Americans are still attached to their lawns. We put a great deal of effort, water, and chemicals into achieving the perfect patch of green in front of (and usually behind) our houses, even though they give us nothing in return. Growing a lawn is an environmentally unfriendly practice. Have you considered alternatives? There are many options now available as alternatives to traditional grass lawns that require less maintenance and effort. West Coast Seeds has recently developed a lawn alternative called Bee Turf! How amazing is that?! You can feed the bees and still have a lawn-like carpet of vegetation. We have removed our lawn and we are excited to try out this new turf blend!
8) All -Season Interest.
In open beds and borders, in many zones you are not able to achieve vegetable grow year-round. This means that you are going to have empty patches in your garden for part (or most!) of the year. You want to plan to have things growing or providing interest all year. Evergreen trees and shrubs can help you to accomplish this. People usually think of conifers when you talk about evergreens, but there are also a variety of broadleaf evergreen shrubs which can help add year-round interest. My favourite evergreen plants are:
- Mexican mock orange (choisya ternata) - twice a year blooms, beautiful scent!
- Sweet box (sarcoccoca) - winter blooming, dark berries, jasmine-like scent!
- Fatsia japonica - tropical-like large leaves
- Butterfly bush - smaller leaves in winter season, profuse bloomer, long-bloom season, feeds butterflies/bees/hummingbirds
- Hellebore - very early blooms in a variety of colours
- Clamatis armandii - climbing vine with evergreen leaves, showy white blooms
9) Height.
Add vegetation to your garden by growing vertically! You can add dimension to your garden by including trellises and climbing plants. I have already created a post on climbing edibles and ways to maximize your space by growing upward. You can apply this knowledge to front yard landscaping as well. Pole beans, climbing peas, and scarlet runner beans are all particularly attractive annual vegetables. Perennial climbing fruit you might want to consider are grapes and kiwis. These varieties are not evergreen, but you can choose a beautiful trellis which can serve as year-round interest itself.
Fruit trees are another way to add height in a front yard garden. I have another post which explains a bit more about root stock and height which are worth considering when choosing a tree for your front yard; you probably want to know how big it will ultimately grow.
10) Senses.
One of the frequently overlooked elements in garden design is scent. There are countless varieties of scented annuals, perennials, and shrubs though far too often they can be an afterthought. Scented plants are, of course, not essential for an edible garden, but they do offer additional enjoyment of the space. I like to plant scented vegetation by windows, doors, and pathways so that the fragrance is easily carried to passersby. Grasses are another way to incorporate the senses of touch and sound; the fluffy seed heads and soft rustling sounds in the wind enrich the experience in your garden.
11) Pollinators.
You are going to maximize the productivity of your garden by encouraging the presence of beneficial insects. You can do this by ensuring that you have blooms which span as much of the year as possible. A true wildflower bed is a bee magnet but it is hard to pull off in the front yard. There are lots of beautiful flowers which feed the bees and look great in borders. My current favourites are:
- Liatris. This perennial prairie flower is a no-fuss pop of colour. They are lightening rods to bees in every direction!
- Agastache. This is another tough perennial which grows in purple spires. It is beautiful, attractive to bees, AND it's edible! It is also called 'licorice mint' for the flavor and scent of the flowers and leaves. The flowers can be used to garnish salads and beverages.
- Artichoke. Yes, technically this plant could check two boxes in your garden. It is a vegetable, but it ALSO has magnificent purple flowers which the bees love. They are a very large thistle-like flower which is an unusual sight in a garden so it will attract a lot of attention from passersby.
- Bee balm. I am not sure when exactly I decided to grow bee balm, but I remember the first season that I had it, that I was in love. It is a unique anemone-shaped flower in brightly coloured hues. It can sometimes be prone to powdery mildew when damp, but that's never stopped me from growing it!
- Butterfly bush. I love butterfly bushes. Over the years, I have planted and gifted them because I love them so much. You may want to take extra care in selecting the variety to ensure that the one you choose is not invasive in your area. I've never had any of my varieties spread or self-seed, so they have remained entirely unproblematic. I love them for their scent, long bloom time, slight foliage through the winter, and their ability to attract every bee, butterfly, and hummingbird in theniehgbourhood.
- Scarlet runner beans. This vine is one of the best kept secrets in gardening. It is a quick growing annual vine, except in some warm areas where it can overwinter. It can quickly fill a tall trellis with deep green leaves and bright red/orange flowers. Some people eat the beans depending on the stage of growth, though it is beautiful enough to be grown as a decorative plant. The bees and hummingbirds LOVE scarlet runner bean flowers.
- Echinacea. Every garden should have echinacea. It is hard, beautiful and low maintenance. And the bees love it!
- Calendula. This flower is grown as an annual but it is super easy to sow directly in the soil. It has an extremely long bloom time in our area and mine kept going into November!
- Gaillardia. A perennial which thrives on neglect and attracts bees. It's the perfect low maintenance flower.
12) Garden Decor and Visual Interest.
This is the icing on the cake. You can incorporate decorative trellises or planters into the vegetable-growing areas of your garden quite easily, though you may choose to highlight your non-edibles. Either way, you might put your decor forefront in your garden or you might tuck it away like a hidden gem, only visible from certain angles within your yard. You can get creative with your decor and use it to express your personal taste and aesthetic. Make it your own! Your garden is for your own enjoyment.
Summary
Now that we've covered all the bases, it's time for the real leg work. Grab some paper and pencils and start sketching. Measure the dimensions of your yard. Research the edible and non-edible plants that you would like to include in your landscape. Some edibles are attractive or functional enough to serve both purposes.
f you've read my previous posts, you might already know that I have two preschoolers at home. Like most parents right now, we are doing our best to keep our kids busy these days. I am so deeply thankful that we have a garden because we love to be outside.
Many people are painting rocks to place in their gardens and on walkways and trails to help raise spirits during the pandemic. We also painted a few to put at the front of our house. That inspired me to take it a step further.
When we moved into our house, we already had a lot of landscaping rock. I also had red, black, and white spray paints leftover from miscellaneous house projects. It dawned on me that I could make an army of ladybugs for the kids, essentially for free!
I decided that I could hide them around the yard for the kids to find like Easter eggs. Surely that would keep them busy for a while! We could also place them in our friends and neighbours' gardens to spread some happiness.
Make sure that you are using OUTDOOR weather-proof paint so that all of your hard work doesn't go to waste. On a warm and sunny day, the paint should dry quickly. I made 40 ladybugs over the course of about 2 hours using this process.
So, here's how I did it:
1) Collect, wash, and dry an assortment of round and oval rocks of various sizes.
2) Arrange them closely together on newspaper (outside in a well-ventilated area) and spray them all over in red paint. You only need to do one side. Wait until it is dry.
3) Paint the heads black by holding a piece of cardboard over the top to get a clean line. OR you can paint the heads by spraying the paint into a DISPOSABLE bowl and painting with a small craft brush.
4) Using the paint in the bowl, paint a black line down the middle and put on the dots. Now wait until it is dry again.
5) Put white paint into another DISPOSABLE bowl and use a craft paint brush to put dots on for the eyes. Now (again) wait until this layer is dry.
6) Using the black paint in the disposable bowl, make dots for the pupils of the eyes. I used the blunt end of wooden skewers and dipped them into the paint. Let them dry.
7) For good measure, I sprayed them with a gloss clear coat of spray paint (which I also had sitting around).
Voila! Hopefully your kids will love them as much as mine do! I am sure that they will be playing with them endlessly for the rest of the summer. I'm also hoping that they'll last much longer because I prepped them with a little extra TLC.
Now, get outside and have some fun! :)
Many people are painting rocks to place in their gardens and on walkways and trails to help raise spirits during the pandemic. We also painted a few to put at the front of our house. That inspired me to take it a step further.
When we moved into our house, we already had a lot of landscaping rock. I also had red, black, and white spray paints leftover from miscellaneous house projects. It dawned on me that I could make an army of ladybugs for the kids, essentially for free!
I decided that I could hide them around the yard for the kids to find like Easter eggs. Surely that would keep them busy for a while! We could also place them in our friends and neighbours' gardens to spread some happiness.
Make sure that you are using OUTDOOR weather-proof paint so that all of your hard work doesn't go to waste. On a warm and sunny day, the paint should dry quickly. I made 40 ladybugs over the course of about 2 hours using this process.
So, here's how I did it:
1) Collect, wash, and dry an assortment of round and oval rocks of various sizes.
2) Arrange them closely together on newspaper (outside in a well-ventilated area) and spray them all over in red paint. You only need to do one side. Wait until it is dry.
3) Paint the heads black by holding a piece of cardboard over the top to get a clean line. OR you can paint the heads by spraying the paint into a DISPOSABLE bowl and painting with a small craft brush.
4) Using the paint in the bowl, paint a black line down the middle and put on the dots. Now wait until it is dry again.
5) Put white paint into another DISPOSABLE bowl and use a craft paint brush to put dots on for the eyes. Now (again) wait until this layer is dry.
6) Using the black paint in the disposable bowl, make dots for the pupils of the eyes. I used the blunt end of wooden skewers and dipped them into the paint. Let them dry.
7) For good measure, I sprayed them with a gloss clear coat of spray paint (which I also had sitting around).
Voila! Hopefully your kids will love them as much as mine do! I am sure that they will be playing with them endlessly for the rest of the summer. I'm also hoping that they'll last much longer because I prepped them with a little extra TLC.
Now, get outside and have some fun! :)
Parsley is a hardy biennial herb, meaning that it goes to seed in it's second year. Typically, it starts to bolt in the springtime as temperatures warm up; it puts it's energy into producing gangly, woody stems and see heads, instead of its tasty emerald leaves. And like clockwork, that's exactly what happened to my abundant overwintered parsley. Instead of cutting it down and composting it, I took off the best sprigs so that I could dehydrate them for future use. I ended up packing a whole salad spinner full of nice looking sprigs.
Making dried parsley is easier than you think. You can dry leftover parsley that you buy at the store, or, better yet, dry your own homegrown organic parsley from your garden! The taste and colour difference is striking. You will certainly notice it right away.
You can make your own in only a few easy steps:
1) Wash your parsley and pat dry with a tea towel to remove some of the surface moisture.
2) Remove any larger stems.
3) Lay in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Place cookie sheet into an oven on the dehydrate setting (or as low as possible, around 150 degrees).
4) Check parsley after an hour. If it easily crunches and crumbles between your fingers, it is ready. If not, check it in this manner after every half hour.
5) Gently scrunch the parsley by closing it in your palm. Don't overdo it or you'll end up with dust.
6) Let it cool to room temperature.
7) Seal in sandwich bag with air removed, or in air-tight container.
Voila! Easy peasy! And there you have it. Dried parsley at home. If you went through the trouble if growing this versatile herb at home, you definitely don't want to waste it. Dried parsley will last for months and hopefully you will have fresh parsley growing by the time you run out.
Making dried parsley is easier than you think. You can dry leftover parsley that you buy at the store, or, better yet, dry your own homegrown organic parsley from your garden! The taste and colour difference is striking. You will certainly notice it right away.
You can make your own in only a few easy steps:
1) Wash your parsley and pat dry with a tea towel to remove some of the surface moisture.
2) Remove any larger stems.
3) Lay in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Place cookie sheet into an oven on the dehydrate setting (or as low as possible, around 150 degrees).
4) Check parsley after an hour. If it easily crunches and crumbles between your fingers, it is ready. If not, check it in this manner after every half hour.
5) Gently scrunch the parsley by closing it in your palm. Don't overdo it or you'll end up with dust.
6) Let it cool to room temperature.
7) Seal in sandwich bag with air removed, or in air-tight container.
Voila! Easy peasy! And there you have it. Dried parsley at home. If you went through the trouble if growing this versatile herb at home, you definitely don't want to waste it. Dried parsley will last for months and hopefully you will have fresh parsley growing by the time you run out.
For less than $15 and under and hour, you can make your own DIY trellis. This project is easy and inexpensive, and the resulting product is sturdy and will last you for years! This trellis also makes a great privacy screen when planted with your favourite climbing fruits, veggies, or flowers.
You only need a few supplies which are easy to find at most hardware stores. One remesh panel can make one large trellis (3.5'x7') or two narrow panels (1.5'x7'). We chose to make two narrow trellises, which worked out to be less than $15 per panel.
Supplies:
Steps:
And that's it! Easy peasy. Now you have a trellis panel (or two) to grow vertically in your garden, saving precious square footage for getting the most out of small spaces. Remesh is very strong and can hold large veggies like cucumbers or even mini squash. If you need some trellising inspiration on vertical fruits and veggies, check out my trellising edibles post. If you are looking for other trellising materials or ideas, I have a post for that too!
Happy planting!
You only need a few supplies which are easy to find at most hardware stores. One remesh panel can make one large trellis (3.5'x7') or two narrow panels (1.5'x7'). We chose to make two narrow trellises, which worked out to be less than $15 per panel.
Supplies:
- 2"x2" lumber, 8 foot length, x 3
- 1 panel of remesh (used for pouring concrete slabs, usually found with rebar)
- 2" wood screws
- Staples (0.5") and staple gun
- Reciprocating saw ("Sawzall")
Steps:
- Cut the remesh panel to preferred size. We cut it in half lengthwise to make two tall trellises. You will need to cut the ends flush to the outmost wire so that you don't have sharp ends sticking out. You can do this with a reciprocating saw (using protective gear!).
- Cut your 2"x2" to frame your cut remesh.
- Use wood screws to fasten the wood together to form your frame.
- Fasten the panel to the frame with heavy duty staples. Done!
And that's it! Easy peasy. Now you have a trellis panel (or two) to grow vertically in your garden, saving precious square footage for getting the most out of small spaces. Remesh is very strong and can hold large veggies like cucumbers or even mini squash. If you need some trellising inspiration on vertical fruits and veggies, check out my trellising edibles post. If you are looking for other trellising materials or ideas, I have a post for that too!
Happy planting!
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I understand that some gardeners find sunflowers a divisive choice of bloom. It is a happy-go-lucky flower that may seem out of place in formal, simple, or highly structural (*ahem,* serious) gardens. I can respect the care, effort, and planning that is invested in formal garden design and have a deep appreciation for the many magnificent historical gardens of Europe. I, however, do not have a formal garden and I thoroughly love it that way. My beds change and evolve as I decide my plantings for the year or I decide that I like of dislike elements as my taste changes. One thing that I love to include is sunflowers, and here's why:
1) They're happy!
First of all, can you think of a happy bloom in a garden? Sunflowers are bold and bright. Their traditionally lemony yellow colour is like sunshine in flower form (hence the name). The enormous Large Russian sunflowers are comically huge. They're guaranteed to put a smile on the faces of passersby.
2) They're easy to grow.
Sunflowers are actually happiest when they're directly sown in the soil. You don't need to fuss with indoor sowing or frost protection. Actually, if you try to transplant larger varieties, they may flop and require staking. Simply push a seed into the soil and it's ready to go! Seeds are easy to come by and inexpensive. They're also pretty tolerant of a range of soil condition, but they're happiest in full sun. You don't need to fuss to much about watering either, they really like the dry heat!
3) Different sizes for different growing areas.
While you may think of most sunflowers as tall and imposing, they actually come in a variety of sizes. You can find ones that can work in the fronts of beds and borders, and some even work well in containers. The largest obviously need more space and can be obstructive if not placed properly. I like the large ones in the back of my beds or the farthest point in my yard to draw your gaze to the distance.
4) Easy to harvest seeds.
At the end of the season, you can collect your own seeds for planting more sunflowers next year! You will have an endless supply of sunflowers to keep and share if you collect your own seeds. Simply let the seed heads mature on the plant. You will be able to brush the "fluff" off the maturing seeds which will look like they're turning colour. Remove the head and let it dry completely before removing the seeds. I let mine seeds dry further after they've been removed by placing them on a tray in my warm laundry room.
5) Eat the seeds.
Depending on the variety that you choose to grow, you may have a tasty snack by the end of the season! Not only will you get to enjoy beautiful flowers in your yard during growing season, but you will get a tasty treat when they're all done (after you've saved some seed for growing next year, of course).
6) Eat the heads.
I bet you didn't know that you can eat the heads too! Yes, if you pick the buds before they bloom, you can cook them sort of like an artichoke. You can steam or sautee them, and trim them like an artichoke heart. I have yet to try this myself as I enjoy the flowers so much, I hate the idea of cutting them off before they bloom. However, I have planted enough sunflowers this year that I am hoping to finally give it a try.
7) Feed the birds and the bees.
This one should not be undervalued. Bees are perilously at risk right now and we should be putting more efforts into supporting their health. Sunflowers provide an excellent food source to native bee populations and there are few sights more heartening than a a few busy bumblebees on a large sunflower head. After summer has passed and the flowers start to put their energy into their seeds, the bird start to take notice of the fading plants. If you leave the seed heads in the garden, you will attract birds foraging for food in the fall. You can also remove the spent flower heads with the seed in place and hang it elsewhere in the garden to create a natural bird feeder.
And there you have it. I hope that I have convinced you to tuck a few sunflower seeds into your garden this spring; you might be thanking me when they bring a smile to your face this summer. Or, you might find that the birds and the bees are the ones thanking YOU.
Happy planting!
1) They're happy!
First of all, can you think of a happy bloom in a garden? Sunflowers are bold and bright. Their traditionally lemony yellow colour is like sunshine in flower form (hence the name). The enormous Large Russian sunflowers are comically huge. They're guaranteed to put a smile on the faces of passersby.
2) They're easy to grow.
Sunflowers are actually happiest when they're directly sown in the soil. You don't need to fuss with indoor sowing or frost protection. Actually, if you try to transplant larger varieties, they may flop and require staking. Simply push a seed into the soil and it's ready to go! Seeds are easy to come by and inexpensive. They're also pretty tolerant of a range of soil condition, but they're happiest in full sun. You don't need to fuss to much about watering either, they really like the dry heat!
3) Different sizes for different growing areas.
While you may think of most sunflowers as tall and imposing, they actually come in a variety of sizes. You can find ones that can work in the fronts of beds and borders, and some even work well in containers. The largest obviously need more space and can be obstructive if not placed properly. I like the large ones in the back of my beds or the farthest point in my yard to draw your gaze to the distance.
4) Easy to harvest seeds.
At the end of the season, you can collect your own seeds for planting more sunflowers next year! You will have an endless supply of sunflowers to keep and share if you collect your own seeds. Simply let the seed heads mature on the plant. You will be able to brush the "fluff" off the maturing seeds which will look like they're turning colour. Remove the head and let it dry completely before removing the seeds. I let mine seeds dry further after they've been removed by placing them on a tray in my warm laundry room.
5) Eat the seeds.
Depending on the variety that you choose to grow, you may have a tasty snack by the end of the season! Not only will you get to enjoy beautiful flowers in your yard during growing season, but you will get a tasty treat when they're all done (after you've saved some seed for growing next year, of course).
6) Eat the heads.
I bet you didn't know that you can eat the heads too! Yes, if you pick the buds before they bloom, you can cook them sort of like an artichoke. You can steam or sautee them, and trim them like an artichoke heart. I have yet to try this myself as I enjoy the flowers so much, I hate the idea of cutting them off before they bloom. However, I have planted enough sunflowers this year that I am hoping to finally give it a try.
7) Feed the birds and the bees.
This one should not be undervalued. Bees are perilously at risk right now and we should be putting more efforts into supporting their health. Sunflowers provide an excellent food source to native bee populations and there are few sights more heartening than a a few busy bumblebees on a large sunflower head. After summer has passed and the flowers start to put their energy into their seeds, the bird start to take notice of the fading plants. If you leave the seed heads in the garden, you will attract birds foraging for food in the fall. You can also remove the spent flower heads with the seed in place and hang it elsewhere in the garden to create a natural bird feeder.
And there you have it. I hope that I have convinced you to tuck a few sunflower seeds into your garden this spring; you might be thanking me when they bring a smile to your face this summer. Or, you might find that the birds and the bees are the ones thanking YOU.
Happy planting!
So you might already know from my previous posts that I'm not a huge fan of lawns. They are not great for the environment; the water, fertilizer, pesticides, and other chemicals that people pour into their grass is unfortunate. You might also know that we scraped off several inches of our whole front yard and we have been working away at creating an edible landscape.
After much deliberation, we decided to dedicate part of our yard to a... lawn. I know, I know. I'll say it - hypocrite! Before you give me a hard time, hear me out. We have two young kids who spend lots of time playing outside in our garden. We have a sizable suburban front yard which makes for a great place to play. So, we had space to fill and kids who need somewhere to play close at hand. If we were going to do a lawn, we needed to have an environmentally-conscious approach. We already did not use pesticides or fertilizers on our previous lawn, so we didn't need to change our approach in that respect. We also didn't water our lawn either. We let it go brown in the summer (oh boy, did it go brown). We did have concern that the invasive chafer beetle was closing in on our neighbourhood, having ravaged the lawns of other adjacent municipalities. We had two concerns - a prickly dead brown lawn and the chafer beetle. Who knew that we could solve both problems at the same time?
We found a lawn seed blend that combines tall fescue and microclover. This combination does not form a layer of thatch that other grass blends create. The layer of thatch is what helps critters peel back the top layer of grass to eat the juicy chafer beetle grubs hiding underneath. The thatch is also inviting to the chafer beetles which see it as a good place to lay their eggs.
Some people may cringe at the idea of deliberately putting clover into their lawn, but clover is a natural nitrogen fixer, which will help to keep the tall fescue green and healthy. The clover will die back in the winter but re-emerge in the spring, with the fescue remaining green year round.
Tall fescue is a type of grass which grows tightly together, not leaving much space for the chafer beetle to enter and lay eggs. it also forms deeper roots which allows it access to moisture deeper below the surface of your lawn, meaning it will stay greener for longer.
As a bonus, between the microclover and the tall fescue, this blend is suited to both full sun and part shade!
Here's the catch. This type of lawn seed blend is best applied to bare soil which has been prepared for grass seed application. This mix does not lend itself to over-seeding. We were fortunate that we decided to make the change to this blend when we had no lawn at all.
So here's how we did it:
1) We removed several inches off the top of the previous yard/lawn, removing the grass and some of the clay with it. The clay was not conducive for growing anything at all. When our yard was dry, we had no shovel that could pierce through the rock-like surface.
2) We put down a layer of turf blend (50/50 sand and compost mix) to help with drainage and hopefully break up the deep, heavy clay underneath. We put another layer of bulk garden soil on top. This wasn't perhaps the best idea, but it was the least expensive option we had. We also need the soil to form the beds we were making. There were lots of bits of wood and bark that I raked out to the best of my ability.
3) I fluffed up the top layer and levelled it with a levelling rake.
4) I seeded the soil, then raked and levelled it again.
5) I did an extra sprinkle of the seed mix, just for good measure.
6) With daily sprinkling of watering to get it started, it was showing clover and fescue growth within a week! Now, I'm hoping that the spring rain will take it from here.
Voila! That's it! I will keep you updated to let you know how it looks over the summer once it becomes established.
UPDATE 2022: Not only did our lawn stay lush and green through the heat dome and drought, but it looks like it will bounce back just fine after our fierce winter. I've noticed more lawns in the neighbourhood getting damaged as a result of chafer beetles, which is another reason I'm glad that we went with this blend.
After much deliberation, we decided to dedicate part of our yard to a... lawn. I know, I know. I'll say it - hypocrite! Before you give me a hard time, hear me out. We have two young kids who spend lots of time playing outside in our garden. We have a sizable suburban front yard which makes for a great place to play. So, we had space to fill and kids who need somewhere to play close at hand. If we were going to do a lawn, we needed to have an environmentally-conscious approach. We already did not use pesticides or fertilizers on our previous lawn, so we didn't need to change our approach in that respect. We also didn't water our lawn either. We let it go brown in the summer (oh boy, did it go brown). We did have concern that the invasive chafer beetle was closing in on our neighbourhood, having ravaged the lawns of other adjacent municipalities. We had two concerns - a prickly dead brown lawn and the chafer beetle. Who knew that we could solve both problems at the same time?
We found a lawn seed blend that combines tall fescue and microclover. This combination does not form a layer of thatch that other grass blends create. The layer of thatch is what helps critters peel back the top layer of grass to eat the juicy chafer beetle grubs hiding underneath. The thatch is also inviting to the chafer beetles which see it as a good place to lay their eggs.
Some people may cringe at the idea of deliberately putting clover into their lawn, but clover is a natural nitrogen fixer, which will help to keep the tall fescue green and healthy. The clover will die back in the winter but re-emerge in the spring, with the fescue remaining green year round.
Tall fescue is a type of grass which grows tightly together, not leaving much space for the chafer beetle to enter and lay eggs. it also forms deeper roots which allows it access to moisture deeper below the surface of your lawn, meaning it will stay greener for longer.
As a bonus, between the microclover and the tall fescue, this blend is suited to both full sun and part shade!
Here's the catch. This type of lawn seed blend is best applied to bare soil which has been prepared for grass seed application. This mix does not lend itself to over-seeding. We were fortunate that we decided to make the change to this blend when we had no lawn at all.
So here's how we did it:
1) We removed several inches off the top of the previous yard/lawn, removing the grass and some of the clay with it. The clay was not conducive for growing anything at all. When our yard was dry, we had no shovel that could pierce through the rock-like surface.
2) We put down a layer of turf blend (50/50 sand and compost mix) to help with drainage and hopefully break up the deep, heavy clay underneath. We put another layer of bulk garden soil on top. This wasn't perhaps the best idea, but it was the least expensive option we had. We also need the soil to form the beds we were making. There were lots of bits of wood and bark that I raked out to the best of my ability.
3) I fluffed up the top layer and levelled it with a levelling rake.
4) I seeded the soil, then raked and levelled it again.
5) I did an extra sprinkle of the seed mix, just for good measure.
6) With daily sprinkling of watering to get it started, it was showing clover and fescue growth within a week! Now, I'm hoping that the spring rain will take it from here.
Voila! That's it! I will keep you updated to let you know how it looks over the summer once it becomes established.
UPDATE 2022: Not only did our lawn stay lush and green through the heat dome and drought, but it looks like it will bounce back just fine after our fierce winter. I've noticed more lawns in the neighbourhood getting damaged as a result of chafer beetles, which is another reason I'm glad that we went with this blend.
So, you want to get started gardening and quick. There has been a lot of talk about food security lately with the pandemic unfolding. People are snapping up seeds and picking up their shovels since they are stuck at home and wondering where their food is going to be coming from in next few months.
You have a number of options for getting started with a new bed. Berms with sheet mulch, raised garden beds boxes, in ground beds. These are all relatively inexpensive ways to get started but they require time, planning, and materials. My favourite solution for an instant garden is... a container! Not just any container, but the largest used nursery pot that you can source out. Many nurseries sell or give away used containers. Try calling around to your local garden centres. My newest two beds are enormous used bamboo nursery pots that are probably around 100 gallons in size and 4 feet across.
Since I didn't need the full depth of the container, I filled the bottom with empty milk jugs and smaller upside down nursery pots. I covered them with landscape cloth and added my soil to the top. Voila! Instant raised bed. And since these pots are being upcycled, they are eco-conscious as well.
Start asking around for old nursery pots - you may be pleasantly surprised that your instant garden is easier than you think. I'm a big fan of container gardening. They offer instant space and there is a wide variety of fruits and vegetables that are suitable for container growing.
Now you're ready to dig in!
You have a number of options for getting started with a new bed. Berms with sheet mulch, raised garden beds boxes, in ground beds. These are all relatively inexpensive ways to get started but they require time, planning, and materials. My favourite solution for an instant garden is... a container! Not just any container, but the largest used nursery pot that you can source out. Many nurseries sell or give away used containers. Try calling around to your local garden centres. My newest two beds are enormous used bamboo nursery pots that are probably around 100 gallons in size and 4 feet across.
Since I didn't need the full depth of the container, I filled the bottom with empty milk jugs and smaller upside down nursery pots. I covered them with landscape cloth and added my soil to the top. Voila! Instant raised bed. And since these pots are being upcycled, they are eco-conscious as well.
Start asking around for old nursery pots - you may be pleasantly surprised that your instant garden is easier than you think. I'm a big fan of container gardening. They offer instant space and there is a wide variety of fruits and vegetables that are suitable for container growing.
Now you're ready to dig in!
The radish contenders: Cherry Belle, French Breakfast, Crimson Giant (pictured above)
Since my new DIY polytunnels gave me an extra early start in my garden this year, I was able to get my radish seeds into the ground in early February. You may notice when reading the seed packets, that you will often see a number which indicates the number of days to harvest. This number can be deceptive because it can depend on conditions such as temperature, moisture, and light. While radishes do like cooler weather, it can take longer that the estimated 30 days (give or take) they would take in optimal conditions, That said, in about a month and a half, I was able to harvest three rows of radishes last weekend. Because they grew in the polytunnels, they were my most beautiful radishes EVER! They were large and mostly unblemished. I planted one row or each radish vareity that I had on hand from last year; Cherry Belle, French Breakfast, and Crimson Giant. I decided that I would try some of each to find out which were my favourite. It can be hard to remember one week to the next what the flavour of a particular variety is, so I wanted to make sure this was a side-by-side comparison. I LOVE radishes, so I was really looking forward to this exercise. So, here we go...
If you have ever been to your local garden centre looking for mason bee supplies, you'll know that they can be quite cost prohibitive. Buying the bee cocoons themselves is generally about $20CAD for 10. Your new bees will want someplace to live after they emerge, of course. You will be tempted to buy them a fancy house with reusable or disposable tubes, but the price tags on those can be astronomical. You might be dissuaded from getting any bees at all!
Last year, I attended a mini workshop on keeping mason bees. The instructor was from a local nature conservation group and she assured us that bees are not looking for a fancy bug hotel. You can use supplies that you already have on hand!
After I shelled out too much money for cardboard tubes and a reusable bee house, I decided to try a much more economical approach to mason beekeeping.
Last year, I attended a mini workshop on keeping mason bees. The instructor was from a local nature conservation group and she assured us that bees are not looking for a fancy bug hotel. You can use supplies that you already have on hand!
After I shelled out too much money for cardboard tubes and a reusable bee house, I decided to try a much more economical approach to mason beekeeping.
Let's Get Bzzzy!
Last year was my first year as a real, honest to goodness beekeeper. Maybe not honeybees, but I started my first colony of mason bees and I had a nest of big native bumblebees move in shortly afterward. One day I would LOVE to have a honeybee hive, but I am happy with my mason bees and bumblebees in the interim.
Not only are mason bees non-aggressive and they have no stringer, they are a pretty bee to watch coming an going in the garden. They are a dark, almost black, iridescent blue. Don't expect to see the usual stripey bee zooming around the garden.
I purchased several mason bee cocoons from a local nursery early last year and kept them in the fridge until there was a reliable food source for them. We have a few large fruit trees in our yard and were hoping that they would help with pollination. We weren't disappointed! And who doesn't love the company of a bee? It was wonderful to watch them come and go from their little tube homes. I purchased a set of cardboard tubes to start me off on the right foot last year. The bees started to fill them with mud right away to protect next year's cocoons. Having never raised or handled bees before, I went to a workshop on how to keep mason bees. This gave me the confidence to open the tubes up at the end of the season , pull out the cocoons and clean and store them for setting out this year. It was actually easier than I expected.
Starting my colony (2019):
1) Purchase bee cocoons early spring. Keep them refrigerated until they are ready to be set out. It should be when there are plenty of blossoms opening or *just* beforehand.
2) Create a place where they can nest. I used a large coffee tin with a small coffee tin nestled inside. I place my cardboard tubes in the small tin. This set up was EAST FACING, which apparently is important. It must be warm but protected from being overexposed to the elements. You can see the arranged cans in the picture below that shows the white painted tin; I've reused the same set up this year which was great.
3) Place the container in or around your new bee house when their food source is ready to flower. Make sure that the container that they came in is protected from the elements. Mine came in an empty perscription bottle which I set inside the large coffee tin.
4) Wait for your bees to emerge from their slumber. They will chew their way out of the cocoon and get right to work. There's really nothing else that you need to do. They will make an source their own mud, you don't need to buy any gimmicky (and expensive!) mud for them to use.
5) Late in the season when they have gone dormant, but before the harsh winter sets in, you might want to consider bringing in your bees for their own safety. This will prevent any critters from eating them, mites or pests from invading the tubes, or extreme weather from harming them. Although in many areas they are native bees, they are now your friends and garden pets, so you'll probably want to give them some extra TLC. In October, open up the tubes and remove the cocoons. Proceed to the next step immediately.
NOTE: If you see something that looks like little grubs in your mason bee tubes, DON'T PANIC like I did. I thought whatever little creatures they were, that they were surely going to devour my precious mason bees. Well, after some internet sleuthing, it turns out that they were actually resin bees, which are also a solitary bee. If you can leave them where they are and minimally disturb their portion of the nest, that will help them to overwinter in place.
6) You will want to sanitize your mason bee cocoons with a mild bleach/water mixture. Soak them for five to ten minutes, then rinse them thoroughly. I very gently massaged each cocoon between my thumb and index finger as was recommended to me in my class for removing debris. Leave them to dry on a paper towel.
7) Store them in a sealed container in your fridge. Again, an old prescription container should do the trick.
8) Return to step 1 and bring them out in the spring when the timing is right!
You may get as many as 10 mason bees for each one that you initially start with. If you take care of your bees, your colony is going to grow. You may consider selling or sharing your bees year-to-year with others. Bees nee all the help they can get!
Buying mason bee supplies can be expensive, but you don't actually need anything fancy to help them feel at home. I purchased a clearance end-of-season plastic bee house to use every year which is easy to clean and remove cocoons since I plan on storing them in my fridge every year. Those little cardboard tubes are another product which is a popular and easy solution, but they are WAY more expensive than they should be. I have used large coffee tins screwed to the posts of our deck with the housing inside. Instead of cardboard tubes, this year I have rolled half pieces of used computer paper around a pencil to make a long tube, and then fold it in half. It is important to have one end of any tube closed for them, whether it is a pre-formed nest, a cardboard tube, or a paper tube. The paper tube solution was recommended by our local nature conservation organization, so I look forward to seeing what sort of results I will get this year.
I can already see that the bees are emerging and they are actively using my new plastic bee tube house. I will update you to let you know which worked best!
Last year was my first year as a real, honest to goodness beekeeper. Maybe not honeybees, but I started my first colony of mason bees and I had a nest of big native bumblebees move in shortly afterward. One day I would LOVE to have a honeybee hive, but I am happy with my mason bees and bumblebees in the interim.
Not only are mason bees non-aggressive and they have no stringer, they are a pretty bee to watch coming an going in the garden. They are a dark, almost black, iridescent blue. Don't expect to see the usual stripey bee zooming around the garden.
I purchased several mason bee cocoons from a local nursery early last year and kept them in the fridge until there was a reliable food source for them. We have a few large fruit trees in our yard and were hoping that they would help with pollination. We weren't disappointed! And who doesn't love the company of a bee? It was wonderful to watch them come and go from their little tube homes. I purchased a set of cardboard tubes to start me off on the right foot last year. The bees started to fill them with mud right away to protect next year's cocoons. Having never raised or handled bees before, I went to a workshop on how to keep mason bees. This gave me the confidence to open the tubes up at the end of the season , pull out the cocoons and clean and store them for setting out this year. It was actually easier than I expected.
Starting my colony (2019):
1) Purchase bee cocoons early spring. Keep them refrigerated until they are ready to be set out. It should be when there are plenty of blossoms opening or *just* beforehand.
2) Create a place where they can nest. I used a large coffee tin with a small coffee tin nestled inside. I place my cardboard tubes in the small tin. This set up was EAST FACING, which apparently is important. It must be warm but protected from being overexposed to the elements. You can see the arranged cans in the picture below that shows the white painted tin; I've reused the same set up this year which was great.
3) Place the container in or around your new bee house when their food source is ready to flower. Make sure that the container that they came in is protected from the elements. Mine came in an empty perscription bottle which I set inside the large coffee tin.
4) Wait for your bees to emerge from their slumber. They will chew their way out of the cocoon and get right to work. There's really nothing else that you need to do. They will make an source their own mud, you don't need to buy any gimmicky (and expensive!) mud for them to use.
5) Late in the season when they have gone dormant, but before the harsh winter sets in, you might want to consider bringing in your bees for their own safety. This will prevent any critters from eating them, mites or pests from invading the tubes, or extreme weather from harming them. Although in many areas they are native bees, they are now your friends and garden pets, so you'll probably want to give them some extra TLC. In October, open up the tubes and remove the cocoons. Proceed to the next step immediately.
NOTE: If you see something that looks like little grubs in your mason bee tubes, DON'T PANIC like I did. I thought whatever little creatures they were, that they were surely going to devour my precious mason bees. Well, after some internet sleuthing, it turns out that they were actually resin bees, which are also a solitary bee. If you can leave them where they are and minimally disturb their portion of the nest, that will help them to overwinter in place.
6) You will want to sanitize your mason bee cocoons with a mild bleach/water mixture. Soak them for five to ten minutes, then rinse them thoroughly. I very gently massaged each cocoon between my thumb and index finger as was recommended to me in my class for removing debris. Leave them to dry on a paper towel.
7) Store them in a sealed container in your fridge. Again, an old prescription container should do the trick.
8) Return to step 1 and bring them out in the spring when the timing is right!
You may get as many as 10 mason bees for each one that you initially start with. If you take care of your bees, your colony is going to grow. You may consider selling or sharing your bees year-to-year with others. Bees nee all the help they can get!
Buying mason bee supplies can be expensive, but you don't actually need anything fancy to help them feel at home. I purchased a clearance end-of-season plastic bee house to use every year which is easy to clean and remove cocoons since I plan on storing them in my fridge every year. Those little cardboard tubes are another product which is a popular and easy solution, but they are WAY more expensive than they should be. I have used large coffee tins screwed to the posts of our deck with the housing inside. Instead of cardboard tubes, this year I have rolled half pieces of used computer paper around a pencil to make a long tube, and then fold it in half. It is important to have one end of any tube closed for them, whether it is a pre-formed nest, a cardboard tube, or a paper tube. The paper tube solution was recommended by our local nature conservation organization, so I look forward to seeing what sort of results I will get this year.
I can already see that the bees are emerging and they are actively using my new plastic bee tube house. I will update you to let you know which worked best!
Today, I finally got around to getting my potatoes in the ground. In preparation for planting, I chitted the potatoes for a couple of weeks first. What is chitting you ask? It's a word that you should enunciate very carefully as to not cause confusion. Also, it is a word that describes the process of encouraging the seed potatoes to sprout before planting them. I do this by placing the seed potatoes in an empty cardboard egg carton and arranging them so that they are not touching. I put the egg carton in a sunny warm window until they start to sprout. I have now planted them in the ground, placing them about 3 inches deep, 12 inches apart, with about 24 inches between the rows. I hilled soil between the rows so that I can scrape it over top of the growing plants when they need their first hilling. This will probably be when they are around 6 inches tall. I have reserved additional garden soil and straw for when the time comes. I selected Norland and Yukon potatoes so that I would have versatile red and yellow potatoes that are quite productive and pretty good at storing.
I also have 3 russet potato plants in each of two 20 gallon upcycled nursery pots. I tend to not have as great success with container potatoes, but they still offer a reasonable yield for a small space. I am hoping that since I have not crowded them as much this year, that they will offer a heavier crop. Containers are a great way to add instant capacity to your garden without digging or tilling an in-ground bed (especially when you are working with rock hard clay in the absence of rain.
I also have 3 russet potato plants in each of two 20 gallon upcycled nursery pots. I tend to not have as great success with container potatoes, but they still offer a reasonable yield for a small space. I am hoping that since I have not crowded them as much this year, that they will offer a heavier crop. Containers are a great way to add instant capacity to your garden without digging or tilling an in-ground bed (especially when you are working with rock hard clay in the absence of rain.
This post is more for my sake than yours. If you are interested, read below everything that I have in the ground this year (unless otherwise indicated). This gives me a clearer idea of how much food I (hopefully!) will be harvesting over the next several months. It also shows you that it doesn't take a farm to feed a family. You'd be surprised at how much will fit on a suburban lot if you get creative.
All right, here we go...
Sown in the ground, uncovered:
Arugula
Peas (snap, snow, shell)
Spinach
Corn Salad
Onion sets
Scallions
Garlic (overwintered)
In the polytunnels:
Chard (overwintered and newly seeded)
Spinach
Radish
Corn Salad
Parsley (overwintered)
Leeks (overwintered)
Lettuce, Romaine
Chicory
Kale
Carrots
Arugula
Broccoli
Cabbage
Pac choi
Kohlrabi
Beets
Indoors:
Artichoke
Jalapeno pepper
Miniture bell pepper
California Wonder bell pepper
Tomatoes (Roma, cherry, beefsteak)
Melons (cantelope, watermelon)
Squash (butternut, kobocha)
Cabbage
Broccoli
Kale
Trees:
Cherry (mature)
Pear (mature)
Apple (mature)
Apple, young honeycrisp, container
Pear, young bartlett, container
Fig, young Ruby, container
Cherry, young Stella, in the ground
Miscellaneous fruit:
Baskets of strawberries (6)
Blueberry shrubs (6)
Raspberry shrubs (3)
White grapes
Red grapes
Kiwi berries
Chilean guava
Salmonberry
Whew! I think that's it for now. I will be adding to this list as the season progresses. These are just all the things that have hit the dirt so far.
I can dig it! So can you.
All right, here we go...
Sown in the ground, uncovered:
Arugula
Peas (snap, snow, shell)
Spinach
Corn Salad
Onion sets
Scallions
Garlic (overwintered)
In the polytunnels:
Chard (overwintered and newly seeded)
Spinach
Radish
Corn Salad
Parsley (overwintered)
Leeks (overwintered)
Lettuce, Romaine
Chicory
Kale
Carrots
Arugula
Broccoli
Cabbage
Pac choi
Kohlrabi
Beets
Indoors:
Artichoke
Jalapeno pepper
Miniture bell pepper
California Wonder bell pepper
Tomatoes (Roma, cherry, beefsteak)
Melons (cantelope, watermelon)
Squash (butternut, kobocha)
Cabbage
Broccoli
Kale
Trees:
Cherry (mature)
Pear (mature)
Apple (mature)
Apple, young honeycrisp, container
Pear, young bartlett, container
Fig, young Ruby, container
Cherry, young Stella, in the ground
Miscellaneous fruit:
Baskets of strawberries (6)
Blueberry shrubs (6)
Raspberry shrubs (3)
White grapes
Red grapes
Kiwi berries
Chilean guava
Salmonberry
Whew! I think that's it for now. I will be adding to this list as the season progresses. These are just all the things that have hit the dirt so far.
I can dig it! So can you.
I have officially begun the journey of actually planting my front yard foodscape. It was only coincidental that we decided to remove the lawn and beds before the coronavirus/COVID pandemic unfolded.
In the days and weeks following the clearing of our yard, the coronavirus pandemic began hit much closer to home. Then the panic buying started at our own grocery stores. Events and vacations were being cancelled. People began to go into self-isolation, hiding from an invisible danger. Soon, we realized the detailed plan for the garden didn't really matter. We had bigger things to deal with. We had to worry about the health and wellness of our family first and foremost. Our lives felt much smaller and more precarious. Schools, community centres, pools, libraries, public services have closed. Access to medical services is narrowing in the face of possible impending healthcare disaster.
I, like many others reading this, have felt overwhelmed by the constant bombardment of grim information and imagery day in and day out. There is a feeling of loss of control in these uncertain times. While social distancing and self-isolating, we are most likely stuck at home. What better thing to do than plant a garden? Working the soil, sowing seeds, and planting flowers, shrubs, and trees are all very therapeutic activities in my books. Fresh air, the elements, and some good old fashioned heavy lifting. You are connected with nature and you feel alive as much as the plants, bugs, birds, and critters around you.
One of my favourite gardening quotes of all time is "to plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow" (Audrey Hepburn). Gardeners are hopeful people. You don't plant a seed expecting it to rot; you expect it to grow. Gardening is about hope, patience, optimism, and vision. You plan to be there to watch your garden grow and unfold. Like many people, gardening has helped me through some tough times. I have leaned on it many times throughout the decade that I have been seriously gardening.
Right now, I am leaning on my garden to get me through this. If you are having a hard time right now, I encourage you to do the same. Whether you have a yard, or a balcony, or a plant pot in a window sill, plant a seed and watch it grow. It needs you to be there tomorrow. You will be there tomorrow.
I want to sow a seed of happiness and hope in you. Yes, we are in some very tough and destabilizing times. But I believe in tomorrow. I don't know what tomorrow will bring, but when I awake my garden will be there for me.
Oh, and my second favourite gardening quote is "gardening is cheaper than therapy, and you get tomatoes!" (unknown). A very compelling statement indeed!
So, go order some seeds online. You don't even need to leave your house! My favourite source is Westcoast Seeds, based in Ladner, BC.
In the days and weeks following the clearing of our yard, the coronavirus pandemic began hit much closer to home. Then the panic buying started at our own grocery stores. Events and vacations were being cancelled. People began to go into self-isolation, hiding from an invisible danger. Soon, we realized the detailed plan for the garden didn't really matter. We had bigger things to deal with. We had to worry about the health and wellness of our family first and foremost. Our lives felt much smaller and more precarious. Schools, community centres, pools, libraries, public services have closed. Access to medical services is narrowing in the face of possible impending healthcare disaster.
I, like many others reading this, have felt overwhelmed by the constant bombardment of grim information and imagery day in and day out. There is a feeling of loss of control in these uncertain times. While social distancing and self-isolating, we are most likely stuck at home. What better thing to do than plant a garden? Working the soil, sowing seeds, and planting flowers, shrubs, and trees are all very therapeutic activities in my books. Fresh air, the elements, and some good old fashioned heavy lifting. You are connected with nature and you feel alive as much as the plants, bugs, birds, and critters around you.
One of my favourite gardening quotes of all time is "to plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow" (Audrey Hepburn). Gardeners are hopeful people. You don't plant a seed expecting it to rot; you expect it to grow. Gardening is about hope, patience, optimism, and vision. You plan to be there to watch your garden grow and unfold. Like many people, gardening has helped me through some tough times. I have leaned on it many times throughout the decade that I have been seriously gardening.
Right now, I am leaning on my garden to get me through this. If you are having a hard time right now, I encourage you to do the same. Whether you have a yard, or a balcony, or a plant pot in a window sill, plant a seed and watch it grow. It needs you to be there tomorrow. You will be there tomorrow.
I want to sow a seed of happiness and hope in you. Yes, we are in some very tough and destabilizing times. But I believe in tomorrow. I don't know what tomorrow will bring, but when I awake my garden will be there for me.
Oh, and my second favourite gardening quote is "gardening is cheaper than therapy, and you get tomatoes!" (unknown). A very compelling statement indeed!
So, go order some seeds online. You don't even need to leave your house! My favourite source is Westcoast Seeds, based in Ladner, BC.
Have you ever watched the show Doomsday Preppers? Years ago, I watched several episodes which I found both entertaining and enlightening. The show followed individuals who put a great deal of effort and energy into preparing for a number of catastrophic (‘sh*t hits the fan’ = SHTF) world events which would change life as we know it (‘the end of the world as we know it’ = TEOTWAWKI). These people are probably feeling pretty pleased with themselves right now and muttering “I told you so” while sitting on a mountain of toilet paper.
Similar to some of those people (but not in the same extreme), I love being prepared. I love planning and making lists. I meticulously combed through our emergency kits within the last few months and replenished and supplemented our supply. It felt pretty good and gives you a feeling of control when faced with the unknown. And it’s reassuring given our current circumstances that I have these modest supplies in the event of an emergency.
However, one thing you can’t include in an emergency kit? Fresh produce. Yes, fresh food might be considered a non-essential luxury in the event of an emergency. But what about sustained circumstances which impact your food security? I am fortunate to have the confidence in my ability to produce a long growing season of fresh produce. And now that I have polytunnels, hopefully I will have access to fresh food all year-round.
In all likelihood, in most types of emergencies, you will be “bugging in” (I picked up on some of this prepper language!) if it’s safe to do so. That means you’ll be staying home, where your garden is most conveniently located. If you have a productive garden, you can use it as part of your emergency plan. I’ve even seen some “preppers” refer to their garden as their TEOTWAWKI garden. Perhaps not a bad idea.
In my previous post about food security, I described how I was in the midst of changing my garden plans for this year. I am going to try to stuff every reasonable nook and cranny with fruits and vegetables. My front yard foodscaping plan will weigh more heavily on the edible plantings this year. In thinking about my garden over the last few days, I have decided to prioritize FIVE things in particular:
1) Reliability
I want to choose varieties that I have planted before and that I know work well for my climate and soil. I want to select things that are tried-and-true so that I can have a greater degree of assurance that it will be a successful harvest.
2) Trouble-free Crops
I want to choose cultivars for pest and disease resistance. I don’t want to lose the time and energy (and soil!) that is put into a flop crop. I don’t feel like I have time to waste
3) Long Harvest Windows
Ideally, I want something that is going to keep on giving. I want to include lots of cut-and-come-again veggies and I want varieties that are going to produce more as you continue to harvest them. I want something I plant at the beginning of the season to produce until it runs out of steam in the fall (wishful thinking).
4) Heavy Yields
I want something that is going to give me the more edible material for the least amount of effort. I want one seed to give me a large crop.
5) Storability
I want to ensure that I select varieties that can be stored long term. I plan on freezing, refrigerating, or self-storing (cellar-style) as much as possible.
Selecting Vegetables for My Emergency Supply Garden
Having said all of the above, I realize that perhaps it might mean that I won’t be planting as many heirlooms or varieties with ornamental value. I will still try to use high-quality non-GMO and organic seeds whenever possible.
So you ask, what are my top picks and why? Well, here we go…
Potatoes: A reliable crop, which is usually trouble-free, with a long harvest window starting with new potatoes, a potentially very heavy yield, and excellent storability with minimal effort depending on variety. I have selected Norland and Yukon Gold. I have a full 4x8 bed set aside for my seed potatoes.
Onions. A reliable crop that is usually unbothered by pests and diseases. The harvest window is short but they can have a very long shelf life if stored correctly. Onions are a versatile vegetable that can be cooked with virtually anything! I selected a variety pack of onion sets (yellow, white, red); I will not be planting from seed due to the extra time and effort.
Peas. Peas are a staple in my house and they are eaten abundantly fresh and frozen. Last spring, I grew enough to eat fresh and sometimes even two meals per day. I plan to freeze extras or give some away if we have an excess. I want cultivars that will grow vertically on trellises to maximize the square footage of my garden. My choices? Oregon Sugar Pod II (snow pea), Super Sugar Snap (snap pea), and Alderman (shell pea), all of which I have grown with great success.
Beans (snap, i.e. long). As with my peas, I want to grow my beans vertically. This means that I will be using pole beans which have a longer harvesting window but they still have heavy yields. My crop last year suffered from bean mosaic virus and stink bug damage, so I’m actually going to try changing the variety in hopes of remedying this. I plan to freeze excess as usual. I have selected Seychelles and Hilda Romano.
Beans (drying). I have not tried growing beans for drying before this year, but I feel like this could be very important for fall and winter protein. They are grown in the same way that snap beans are grown, though they are left to fully mature before harvesting. It is important to note here that drying beans may also be eaten as snap beans if harvested young/immature. I have selected: black turtle, Taylor Horticultural, and Dragon’s Tongue.
Carrots. Depending on the cultivar, carrots can have a long shelf life if stored correctly. I wanted a longer harvest window, so I chose both quick and slower growing varieties. I have selected Bolero (slower growth, longer storage), Nantes, and Napoli (faster growth, better for fresh eating).
Cabbage. This is a new choice for my garden. It is something that can be directly sown in my zone (8a) and stored for longer periods. I am starting with a fast-growing variety (Tiana) and following with a storage variety (Danish Ballhead).
Swiss Chard. Even before this post, I would wax poetic about Swiss chard. It is a cut-and-come-again vegetable which just keeps giving (until November in my garden!). It is a real workhorse in the vegetable patch which doesn’t get as much attention as it should. I have used Ruby Red for the past two years with great success and I will be using it again. I blanch the stems and leaves separately to freeze and they turn out great.
Spinach. Another cut-and-come-again vegetable which can be planted early and keep on giving until the weather gets too warm. Spinach is versatile and very nutritious. It can be blanched and frozen without taking up much freezer space. I prefer Bloomsdale.
Lettuce. Yet another cut-and-come-again vegetable. I find Coastal Star tolerant of a range of temperatures and slow to bolt. It is a pretty resistant variety of romaine, which I find doesn’t get a buggy or sluggy as other lettuce.
Tomatoes. I want versatility in my tomatoes. I want cherry tomatoes for eating fresh, and I want Roma for slicing, stewing/sauces, roasting, and freezing. I don’t want a fussy indeterminate variety as I don’t want my time occupied by staking, training, and pruning. I want determinate varieties; Tiny Tim and Roma are what I have selected.
Squash (winter). I have selected to include winter squash, rather than summer squash, for their storability. Squash take up a lot of space, especially the vining/trailing varieties. I have chosen buttercup (First Taste), butternut (Waltham), and pumpkin (Early Sweet Sugar Pie). I am probably going to have to add these to my front yard to give them the space they need.
Parsnips. These will serve as my fall root vegetables that can be stored in-place in the garden, or in a root cellar. I have selected Hollow Crown.
Rutabaga. As with parsnips, these will be one of the root vegetables that I will be growing for fall harvest and beyond. They keep well in the garden or a root cellar. I have selected Laurentian.
Turnip. Yet another long-storage root vegetable. I have selected Purple Top White Globe.
Parsley. Parsley is easy to grow and it produces plentiful foliage for a very long period. The best part? It is highly storable once dried and sealed properly. It can be used to season pretty much any vegetable dish. This is a decadent add-on.
Garlic. Along with parsley, garlic is not a necessity (though some might argue that!) but it is versatile and stores well. It is very low maintenance, just set it and forget it. For those reasons, I will also ensure that I include more garlic this year.
And there we have it. These are the vegetables that I will really be throwing my efforts behind this year. I will be growing a variety of other things (especially because I already have them growing) but I want to make sure that I baby these crops.
In addition to these vegetables, I also have a number of fruit trees which I will ensure that I give some extra TLC so that I can maximize my harvests.
Have a look at your access to outdoor spaces. Do you have a deck or balcony which can fit several pots or containers? Do you have space for raised beds in a yard? Can you plant vegetables in your existing beds and borders? Do you have access to a community garden or friend’s or family member’s garden? You may have multiple options for finding and using outdoor spaces for growing. Once you find a space, you can make a plan. The sooner you make a plan, the sooner you are going to be eating your own fruits and vegetables and improving your food security.
Similar to some of those people (but not in the same extreme), I love being prepared. I love planning and making lists. I meticulously combed through our emergency kits within the last few months and replenished and supplemented our supply. It felt pretty good and gives you a feeling of control when faced with the unknown. And it’s reassuring given our current circumstances that I have these modest supplies in the event of an emergency.
However, one thing you can’t include in an emergency kit? Fresh produce. Yes, fresh food might be considered a non-essential luxury in the event of an emergency. But what about sustained circumstances which impact your food security? I am fortunate to have the confidence in my ability to produce a long growing season of fresh produce. And now that I have polytunnels, hopefully I will have access to fresh food all year-round.
In all likelihood, in most types of emergencies, you will be “bugging in” (I picked up on some of this prepper language!) if it’s safe to do so. That means you’ll be staying home, where your garden is most conveniently located. If you have a productive garden, you can use it as part of your emergency plan. I’ve even seen some “preppers” refer to their garden as their TEOTWAWKI garden. Perhaps not a bad idea.
In my previous post about food security, I described how I was in the midst of changing my garden plans for this year. I am going to try to stuff every reasonable nook and cranny with fruits and vegetables. My front yard foodscaping plan will weigh more heavily on the edible plantings this year. In thinking about my garden over the last few days, I have decided to prioritize FIVE things in particular:
1) Reliability
I want to choose varieties that I have planted before and that I know work well for my climate and soil. I want to select things that are tried-and-true so that I can have a greater degree of assurance that it will be a successful harvest.
2) Trouble-free Crops
I want to choose cultivars for pest and disease resistance. I don’t want to lose the time and energy (and soil!) that is put into a flop crop. I don’t feel like I have time to waste
3) Long Harvest Windows
Ideally, I want something that is going to keep on giving. I want to include lots of cut-and-come-again veggies and I want varieties that are going to produce more as you continue to harvest them. I want something I plant at the beginning of the season to produce until it runs out of steam in the fall (wishful thinking).
4) Heavy Yields
I want something that is going to give me the more edible material for the least amount of effort. I want one seed to give me a large crop.
5) Storability
I want to ensure that I select varieties that can be stored long term. I plan on freezing, refrigerating, or self-storing (cellar-style) as much as possible.
Selecting Vegetables for My Emergency Supply Garden
Having said all of the above, I realize that perhaps it might mean that I won’t be planting as many heirlooms or varieties with ornamental value. I will still try to use high-quality non-GMO and organic seeds whenever possible.
So you ask, what are my top picks and why? Well, here we go…
Potatoes: A reliable crop, which is usually trouble-free, with a long harvest window starting with new potatoes, a potentially very heavy yield, and excellent storability with minimal effort depending on variety. I have selected Norland and Yukon Gold. I have a full 4x8 bed set aside for my seed potatoes.
Onions. A reliable crop that is usually unbothered by pests and diseases. The harvest window is short but they can have a very long shelf life if stored correctly. Onions are a versatile vegetable that can be cooked with virtually anything! I selected a variety pack of onion sets (yellow, white, red); I will not be planting from seed due to the extra time and effort.
Peas. Peas are a staple in my house and they are eaten abundantly fresh and frozen. Last spring, I grew enough to eat fresh and sometimes even two meals per day. I plan to freeze extras or give some away if we have an excess. I want cultivars that will grow vertically on trellises to maximize the square footage of my garden. My choices? Oregon Sugar Pod II (snow pea), Super Sugar Snap (snap pea), and Alderman (shell pea), all of which I have grown with great success.
Beans (snap, i.e. long). As with my peas, I want to grow my beans vertically. This means that I will be using pole beans which have a longer harvesting window but they still have heavy yields. My crop last year suffered from bean mosaic virus and stink bug damage, so I’m actually going to try changing the variety in hopes of remedying this. I plan to freeze excess as usual. I have selected Seychelles and Hilda Romano.
Beans (drying). I have not tried growing beans for drying before this year, but I feel like this could be very important for fall and winter protein. They are grown in the same way that snap beans are grown, though they are left to fully mature before harvesting. It is important to note here that drying beans may also be eaten as snap beans if harvested young/immature. I have selected: black turtle, Taylor Horticultural, and Dragon’s Tongue.
Carrots. Depending on the cultivar, carrots can have a long shelf life if stored correctly. I wanted a longer harvest window, so I chose both quick and slower growing varieties. I have selected Bolero (slower growth, longer storage), Nantes, and Napoli (faster growth, better for fresh eating).
Cabbage. This is a new choice for my garden. It is something that can be directly sown in my zone (8a) and stored for longer periods. I am starting with a fast-growing variety (Tiana) and following with a storage variety (Danish Ballhead).
Swiss Chard. Even before this post, I would wax poetic about Swiss chard. It is a cut-and-come-again vegetable which just keeps giving (until November in my garden!). It is a real workhorse in the vegetable patch which doesn’t get as much attention as it should. I have used Ruby Red for the past two years with great success and I will be using it again. I blanch the stems and leaves separately to freeze and they turn out great.
Spinach. Another cut-and-come-again vegetable which can be planted early and keep on giving until the weather gets too warm. Spinach is versatile and very nutritious. It can be blanched and frozen without taking up much freezer space. I prefer Bloomsdale.
Lettuce. Yet another cut-and-come-again vegetable. I find Coastal Star tolerant of a range of temperatures and slow to bolt. It is a pretty resistant variety of romaine, which I find doesn’t get a buggy or sluggy as other lettuce.
Tomatoes. I want versatility in my tomatoes. I want cherry tomatoes for eating fresh, and I want Roma for slicing, stewing/sauces, roasting, and freezing. I don’t want a fussy indeterminate variety as I don’t want my time occupied by staking, training, and pruning. I want determinate varieties; Tiny Tim and Roma are what I have selected.
Squash (winter). I have selected to include winter squash, rather than summer squash, for their storability. Squash take up a lot of space, especially the vining/trailing varieties. I have chosen buttercup (First Taste), butternut (Waltham), and pumpkin (Early Sweet Sugar Pie). I am probably going to have to add these to my front yard to give them the space they need.
Parsnips. These will serve as my fall root vegetables that can be stored in-place in the garden, or in a root cellar. I have selected Hollow Crown.
Rutabaga. As with parsnips, these will be one of the root vegetables that I will be growing for fall harvest and beyond. They keep well in the garden or a root cellar. I have selected Laurentian.
Turnip. Yet another long-storage root vegetable. I have selected Purple Top White Globe.
Parsley. Parsley is easy to grow and it produces plentiful foliage for a very long period. The best part? It is highly storable once dried and sealed properly. It can be used to season pretty much any vegetable dish. This is a decadent add-on.
Garlic. Along with parsley, garlic is not a necessity (though some might argue that!) but it is versatile and stores well. It is very low maintenance, just set it and forget it. For those reasons, I will also ensure that I include more garlic this year.
And there we have it. These are the vegetables that I will really be throwing my efforts behind this year. I will be growing a variety of other things (especially because I already have them growing) but I want to make sure that I baby these crops.
In addition to these vegetables, I also have a number of fruit trees which I will ensure that I give some extra TLC so that I can maximize my harvests.
Have a look at your access to outdoor spaces. Do you have a deck or balcony which can fit several pots or containers? Do you have space for raised beds in a yard? Can you plant vegetables in your existing beds and borders? Do you have access to a community garden or friend’s or family member’s garden? You may have multiple options for finding and using outdoor spaces for growing. Once you find a space, you can make a plan. The sooner you make a plan, the sooner you are going to be eating your own fruits and vegetables and improving your food security.
Slideshow:
17 Things To Grow in a Prepper Garden
Gardening during the COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic outbreak; growing your own emergency rations to become more self-sufficient
First of all, wow. I did not expect to be writing something on this topic right after the launch of my blog. As I have stated in my inaugural post, I have been aiming for self-provision rather than self-sufficiency. About three days ago, the wheels in my brain were turning and I feel like I am going to have to push closer to self-sufficiency. Seeing image after image of grocery stores cleared out and people hoarding food, I started to get an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of my stomach. My own local shops were clearing out as well. I bake nearly all of our bread and baked goods, but our stores were out of flour and so was I. I started to think about what the grocery stores would look like in a week. A month? Three months? Six months? Yes, supply chains for retail stores have reserves in place but at what point do they become impacted as well, if at all? It would be naive to not expect a cascade effect from today's circumstances. I have a number of questions racing through my head. I have a family to feed and care for. People around the world have very real concerns about their job security, food security, healthcare access, and economy. At this point, things are likely to get worse before they get better.
What is "food security"?
Food security is "the state of having reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food" (lexico.com). This is something that we usually take for granted. We usually go to a presumably stocked grocery store, with our list in hand, to buy the things we need and we know we can afford. But what if those foods are no longer available? Or affordable? Those are questions that we should have been asking ourselves, not in this past week, but perhaps the past decade or more. It was nearly ten years ago when I went to see a speaker talk about food security and how truly precarious it may be. The food and agricultural industries are changing, supply chains are changing, and our climate is changing. Our circumstances that we are living right now may affect our food security. Are you ready?
The mystery of what happens next
We are all doing what we can to keep our family well during this challenging time. Hopefully you are not participating in the hoarding (and especially reselling!) of much needed supplies right now. I want to make sure that my family will continue to be able to eat good, healthy fresh food in the coming months. This situation at hand is dynamic and lends itself to a lot of guesswork. One of my concerns that I feel I have some control over is food security. I have the skill and experience to supply my family with fresh, stored, and frozen foods. I worry in the coming months that food prices will increase and availability will decrease due to operational and labour disruptions. I am not the only one predicting this. Furthermore, travel restrictions will impact harvesting labourers as well.
Planning for the unknown
My perspective on gardening and 'micro-farming' has taken a bit more of a serious tone. While I would usually plant things based on trying new foods or things that require fussy care, I am now shifting my efforts to family staples and vegetables that can be prepped to store for longer periods. I am already thinking toward fall and winter, yet it is only March.
Right now, I want FIVE things 1) reliable harvests, 2) trouble-free crops, 3) long harvest periods, 4) heavy yields, and 5) storability. I want vegetables that freeze or can be stored for long periods in root cellars. I have not forayed into canning, but maybe that is something that I might want to consider as well. In the event that I grow too much, I can share with family and friends.
I recently shared that I am working on a sizable front-yard foodscaping project. I currently have no front beds or lawn. Now I am rethinking the proportion of the edibles which I will include this year. Maybe I need to dedicate more space to berry bushes, squashes, and cut-and-come-again crops? I am back to the drawing board in some ways, but I'm going to have to commit to a plan quickly as we enter our prime growing season. I have two of my DIY polytunnels fully planted and I am currently using the third as a greenhouse for starting some cool weather seedlings. I have been furiously sowing seedlings indoors as well. I have planted trays and trays of everything from broccoli to tomatoes.
The thing about food is that it is not instant. Ingredients are derived from crops, which take time and resources to grow. If you miss a window of opportunity to plant a crop at the specific period of time during which it optimally grows, you may have missed the opportunity for the entire year to grow it. You need to start planning now to ensure that you will be able to grow in optimal conditions to ward off bolting, pests, disease, and other considerations.
My priorities have changed. I want to grow more, for longer, in less space. And I need to start now. Thankfully, this winter I will have my polytunnels, so I am hoping to eat fresh food from the garden all year long. If I have too much, I can share with family and friends which is a good problem to have. If I don't have enough, I may be paying more or not getting any at all which is a different kind of problem all together. In some ways, me growing my own food will leave more for other people as well. People who don't have the ability or space to do so.
I encourage you to consider planting fruits and vegetables this year, if you don't do so already. You can plant in your beds and borders. You can even add fruit trees in containers. Grow vertically on structures and trellises to give yourself higher yields in smaller spaces. You can take small steps to provide yourself and your family with more to eat, therefore improving your food security. You may be practicing social distancing or voluntary self-isolation. What better way to spend it than outside in a garden?
Reflection
This post probably doesn't have the same cheery, lighthearted tone as my previous ones but I think it reflects how I'm feeling at this moment in time. We will come out of this ok. Hopefully as many people as possible will come out of this ok. We all need to take responsibility in this, for ourselves and for each other. We are in this together. Let's flatten the curve. Let's make sure that there is enough for everyone. Let us all be good human beings during this time which is testing us all. This is also a time of reflection; thinking about what is most important to us and recalibrating our priorities in life.
Stay tuned for my next post, in which I will make recommendations for things to plant to get you through the possibility of a food shortage.
First of all, wow. I did not expect to be writing something on this topic right after the launch of my blog. As I have stated in my inaugural post, I have been aiming for self-provision rather than self-sufficiency. About three days ago, the wheels in my brain were turning and I feel like I am going to have to push closer to self-sufficiency. Seeing image after image of grocery stores cleared out and people hoarding food, I started to get an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of my stomach. My own local shops were clearing out as well. I bake nearly all of our bread and baked goods, but our stores were out of flour and so was I. I started to think about what the grocery stores would look like in a week. A month? Three months? Six months? Yes, supply chains for retail stores have reserves in place but at what point do they become impacted as well, if at all? It would be naive to not expect a cascade effect from today's circumstances. I have a number of questions racing through my head. I have a family to feed and care for. People around the world have very real concerns about their job security, food security, healthcare access, and economy. At this point, things are likely to get worse before they get better.
What is "food security"?
Food security is "the state of having reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food" (lexico.com). This is something that we usually take for granted. We usually go to a presumably stocked grocery store, with our list in hand, to buy the things we need and we know we can afford. But what if those foods are no longer available? Or affordable? Those are questions that we should have been asking ourselves, not in this past week, but perhaps the past decade or more. It was nearly ten years ago when I went to see a speaker talk about food security and how truly precarious it may be. The food and agricultural industries are changing, supply chains are changing, and our climate is changing. Our circumstances that we are living right now may affect our food security. Are you ready?
The mystery of what happens next
We are all doing what we can to keep our family well during this challenging time. Hopefully you are not participating in the hoarding (and especially reselling!) of much needed supplies right now. I want to make sure that my family will continue to be able to eat good, healthy fresh food in the coming months. This situation at hand is dynamic and lends itself to a lot of guesswork. One of my concerns that I feel I have some control over is food security. I have the skill and experience to supply my family with fresh, stored, and frozen foods. I worry in the coming months that food prices will increase and availability will decrease due to operational and labour disruptions. I am not the only one predicting this. Furthermore, travel restrictions will impact harvesting labourers as well.
Planning for the unknown
My perspective on gardening and 'micro-farming' has taken a bit more of a serious tone. While I would usually plant things based on trying new foods or things that require fussy care, I am now shifting my efforts to family staples and vegetables that can be prepped to store for longer periods. I am already thinking toward fall and winter, yet it is only March.
Right now, I want FIVE things 1) reliable harvests, 2) trouble-free crops, 3) long harvest periods, 4) heavy yields, and 5) storability. I want vegetables that freeze or can be stored for long periods in root cellars. I have not forayed into canning, but maybe that is something that I might want to consider as well. In the event that I grow too much, I can share with family and friends.
I recently shared that I am working on a sizable front-yard foodscaping project. I currently have no front beds or lawn. Now I am rethinking the proportion of the edibles which I will include this year. Maybe I need to dedicate more space to berry bushes, squashes, and cut-and-come-again crops? I am back to the drawing board in some ways, but I'm going to have to commit to a plan quickly as we enter our prime growing season. I have two of my DIY polytunnels fully planted and I am currently using the third as a greenhouse for starting some cool weather seedlings. I have been furiously sowing seedlings indoors as well. I have planted trays and trays of everything from broccoli to tomatoes.
The thing about food is that it is not instant. Ingredients are derived from crops, which take time and resources to grow. If you miss a window of opportunity to plant a crop at the specific period of time during which it optimally grows, you may have missed the opportunity for the entire year to grow it. You need to start planning now to ensure that you will be able to grow in optimal conditions to ward off bolting, pests, disease, and other considerations.
My priorities have changed. I want to grow more, for longer, in less space. And I need to start now. Thankfully, this winter I will have my polytunnels, so I am hoping to eat fresh food from the garden all year long. If I have too much, I can share with family and friends which is a good problem to have. If I don't have enough, I may be paying more or not getting any at all which is a different kind of problem all together. In some ways, me growing my own food will leave more for other people as well. People who don't have the ability or space to do so.
I encourage you to consider planting fruits and vegetables this year, if you don't do so already. You can plant in your beds and borders. You can even add fruit trees in containers. Grow vertically on structures and trellises to give yourself higher yields in smaller spaces. You can take small steps to provide yourself and your family with more to eat, therefore improving your food security. You may be practicing social distancing or voluntary self-isolation. What better way to spend it than outside in a garden?
Reflection
This post probably doesn't have the same cheery, lighthearted tone as my previous ones but I think it reflects how I'm feeling at this moment in time. We will come out of this ok. Hopefully as many people as possible will come out of this ok. We all need to take responsibility in this, for ourselves and for each other. We are in this together. Let's flatten the curve. Let's make sure that there is enough for everyone. Let us all be good human beings during this time which is testing us all. This is also a time of reflection; thinking about what is most important to us and recalibrating our priorities in life.
Stay tuned for my next post, in which I will make recommendations for things to plant to get you through the possibility of a food shortage.
Author
A zone 8a gardening enthusiast!
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