tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32211065125303045172024-03-08T05:26:21.433-04:00Gardeningbren in Nova ScotiaGrowing adventures in an organic South Shore Veg and Flower Garden on Canada's East CoastGardeningbrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709940044197929905noreply@blogger.comBlogger234125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3221106512530304517.post-36029961084910924352017-04-27T20:36:00.000-03:002017-04-27T20:37:40.759-03:00Blue Spring and Vultures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Since rebuilding the raised bed, the temps dropped considerably so things slowed down outside. But under the grow lights inside, tomatoes, eggplant (aubergines) and peppers are growing well. They will not get put outside until the ground warms up, and only God knows when that will be. But the good news is, two days of light rain and the garden has certainly perked up! The little blue flowers of Chionodoxa are covering one bed, and other bulbs are putting on growth; seeing this is always a spring tonic don't you agree?<br />
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Pulmonaria blue ensign above, is blooming at the same time; the Cornus mas Redstone is a wet blur of yellow!<br />
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The Captain vacuumed the lawn...you know what I mean? He used the lawnmower to suck up all the bits of debris from tidying the beds and what winter left behind under the snow. No grass to mow but surprisingly he said there were three bags full, just like when he does mow, so that is a lot of debris isn't it.<br />
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Usually we broadcast pelletized lime over the 'herbal' lawn after the vacuuming, and a little fertilizer to keep it from totally being covered with what is normally referred to as weeds. My son said once, how he loved the fact that our lawn was covered with natural growing plants; plantain, dandelions, moss, bluetts, clover etc. I took that in stride, continuing to be envious of the perfect lawn, but that is never going to happen around here. Plantain was never much of a problem when we had hares in the woods. They would happily much away and it really was their preferred lawn food. But we haven't seen a hare (hide nor hare))) for a long time. They were the reason we put chicken wire around the vegetable garden, at the bottom of the pickets, extending it down into the soil surrounding it.<br />
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There's been lots of bird traffic at the feeder; blue jays, goldfinches, purple finches and sparrows along with the usual bossy crows. The robins came to feast on the sumac cones and I've never seen them eat those seeds. However, one of the most exciting bird sightings happened late on the 21st of April when two turkey vultures landed just above the back garden and stayed the night. For any southern folks this would likely make you chuckle, to think we would be excited about this, but it is still considered a rare bird here in Nova Scotia, Canada. I was able to get a few photos as well. You can just see the second one to the right, with it's red head, behind the tree tops.<br />
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A good drizzle is falling out there now, and the temperatures are at twelve degrees C. so I know, those baby germinated choy, radish, lettuce, arugula, beets and chard are doing their happy dance, hoops uncovered, feeling their own spring joy, grateful to see spring arrive, as I am.Gardeningbrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709940044197929905noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3221106512530304517.post-77907905121769150812017-03-27T13:08:00.000-03:002017-03-27T13:08:25.662-03:00Spring In Progress<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It was time! The two raised beds, where we overwinter or start our early crops, were rotting. Seven years..who would have thought they would last that long.<br />
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The Captain was prepared, cut all the boards ahead of time, and we got down to business. The rot was even worse than we imagined.<br />
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Our weather is still very cold, so we felt sure, once the sides were extracted, the earth would stand frozen, alone and unsupported, like a beautiful chocolate cake. That is pretty well what happened as you can see below. Soil on the sides crumbled a bit, and well you know how things go...there was a modest miscalculation caused by the decrepit state of the raised bed. And, we forgot about the wire at the bottom to keep out the rodents, and so, it did go as planned, except we forgot some things.<br />
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Originally we had lined behind the boards with plastic, mostly to keep the soil from washing out between the wood. Yup, we forgot that too... We got up to speed pretty quickly, and although the wire has to be retrofitted, surprisingly it went along fairly well, until <strike>we</strike> I got tired and cranky.<br />
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Supervising is a tough job! One bed done, now for the back one. Maybe this year..maybe not. There are always jobs in the garden, it's just making time for them I guess, and that is often the problem. Making the time. Just do what you can, don't get too bogged down. The intention was and always has been, for it to be a joy in our lives.<br />
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I closed my eyes and thought of the first day of spring. Did you celebrate? It was a beautiful sunny day here on the south shore; a perfect day to be invited out for lunch, to raise a glass with an ode to the season recited capably by another guest. So dear friend, you knew exactly what to do when you found that forgotten bag of tulip bulbs in the shed...craft a centerpiece. Thank you so much for making it happen. Happy Spring Everyone.<br />
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Gardeningbrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709940044197929905noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3221106512530304517.post-80780938790593167392017-03-06T12:38:00.000-04:002017-03-06T12:38:20.595-04:00Out And About<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The ice has moved out of the bay for now, hopefully for good. Out on our recent walk, the gravel roads frozen like concrete, hurt your eyes blue sky above, we noticed a neighbouring home having a second floor built above it. We always referred to it as 'the pink house' but likely we will have to give it another name soon. The construction workers have had great weather to do this, with very little snow this winter.<br />
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While the temperatures were practically balmy when I wrote my last blog, we recently dipped to well below zero, cold winds making it feel bitter. But, during that warm balmy time, seeds were planted in the raised bed with the Lexan cover. It did not take them long to germinate and hopefully, they will continue to do well.<br />
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Knowing the weather was going to 'dip' this past week, they were covered with another layer of insulation I call Fleece or Reemay. This comes in different weights ..ours is a medium weight. But it does the job, keeping little germinated seeds alive under the white blanket and over that, the Lexan cover. Arugula, radish and spinach sprouted but not beets so far. As a wise gardener once told me..."think of that raised bed as an outside refrigerator"..and I do. It will keep the greens chilled to perfection until the days lengthen even longer and they put on more growth. We are going up to seven degrees on Wednesday so will remove the Remay and if needed, will prop open the cover as it does get very warm about one in the afternoon in that raised bed.<br />
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Looking back to last year's photos, it was remarkable to see no snow. In fact, on the 20th, we had fluffed up the beds, and had everything ready to plant. I am doubtful we will this year, but you never know.<br />
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Our neighbour's Witch Hazel is in bloom (mine is not but that's another story) and I notice the little Daphne that is native to Nova Scotia is wanting to open so signs of spring are appearing daily. I could do without the constant coo coooing of the Mourning Doves at crack of dawn though. No crows looking for nest material so far, but I have seen on the warm days, the chickadees and squirrels pecking and chewing on the maples for the sweet sap. It won't be long now and Nova Scotia gardeners will be in hyper mode!<br />
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<br />Gardeningbrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709940044197929905noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3221106512530304517.post-70570261311318377822017-02-18T21:29:00.002-04:002017-02-18T21:29:41.163-04:00My First Seedy Saturday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Even though our local South Shore Nova Scotia area celebrated its eleventh year of bringing gardeners and community together, this actually was the first "Seedy Saturday" I have ever attended. Well it was quite an event!<br />
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One of the tables set up by the sponsor <a href="https://helpingnatureheal.com/">Helping Nature Heal</a>, offered home gardeners the opportunity to share freely their extra seeds from plants grown themselves, or seeds they might have too much of. So, over the last few days..sorting..measuring.. sifting and shaking.... little baggies got filled, labeled and sealed.<br />
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The tiny broccoli seeds were the worst to separate from their dried pods but with a little crunching, smashing and forcing, they finally tumbled through the strainer, and were packaged up.<br />
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The vendors were all local! How wonderful is that. Six years ago you would be hard pressed to find folks who were seeds persons growing, packing and selling locally, and now we have quite a few wonderful, exuberant, exciting youthful people with such commitment to community .....grateful is a word that cannot be overused!<br />
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A soup lunch was offered..shared in the same family spirit of kindness and goodness ... joy germinated everywhere! And to top it off, the guest speaker was Niki Jabbour, who has done so much to promote <a href="http://yearroundveggiegardener.blogspot.ca/">Year Round Vegetable Gardening</a>, her first book is a number one seller at Amazon. The presentation today was on seed starting and I noted, there were few questions as the power point gave step by step direction, with huge encouragement on how to begin this 'scary business' of starting your own seeds.<br />
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The above means, weeks before last frost.<br />
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Note the Cucamelon (sometimes referred to as Mouse Melon) on the list above. This has been getting a lot of interest and there was one vendor selling them today, packages going quite quickly I noticed.<br />
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Yes the soup was fantastic, yes the speaker was fantastic, yes, the seeds men and women were wonderful, and yes, the buzz and frizzle in the air was electric but I will tell you what this gardener loved the most. I loved seeing all the many children that attended with family or friends, the future shining in their faces. If today was a cell pack full of spouting seeds, lets just say the growth was phenomenal...that happens you know, with fertilization, handfuls of love and mutual respect measured exactly right.Gardeningbrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709940044197929905noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3221106512530304517.post-41082983447019938952017-02-11T16:19:00.003-04:002017-02-11T16:24:45.473-04:00Wintery February<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We are finally getting some snow! One nor'easter after another to be exact. Where we live, on the south shore of Nova Scotia, very near the sea, the winters can be cold and long. But, that doesn't always mean we will have lots of snow and we can have 'dry' winters when not enough precipitation has fallen. The last Nor'easter was Thursday, dropping just enough of the white stuff to make me feel hopeful, we won't be struggling with lack of water from the well come summertime. Many people last year had their wells run dry, first time ever. This prompted me to wonder about groundwater levels, and the relationship with weather in the late winter and spring months. I am far too lazy to make the effort to research just so you know. However, I was pleased to read a piece written by the author <a href="http://www.bloomsbury.com/author/katherine-swift">Katherine Swift</a>. (If you haven't read her books, have a google.... I love her writing). The author had contributed to a British Garden magazine noting a dry February was thought to be a particularly bad sign referring to old rhymes about 'February fill dyke, be it black or be it white'. So even though, it is tough going some days, local roads icy underneath and covered with snow, and more shovelling on the horizon, I am trying to be grateful for these February storms and not grumble.<br />
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On a positive note, the snow is happily keeping the garden warm, nestled under its soft pillowy blanket. The mice are probably making 'runs', scurrying at ground level a foot or more down, to and from the sleeping beds, gathering lost seeds, and eating whatever they can find I expect. In the spring, when the snow does melt, the evidence is quite clear, as there are many mouse highways across the lawn where they have run so many times, the grass is flat and poor.<br />
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For the first time in many years, I did not extend the garden season inside the picket fence, choosing instead to give it a rest. Also, the two raised beds which are about thigh high, (above photo) have not been planted/extended either. However, one of them, the one with the Lexan cover, can be seeded very early as it acts not just as a raised bed but also as a cold frame. (One of the wisest choices we ever made was building this.) A gift of "Celtuce" seeds arrived just the other day and this is definitely going to be one of my 'something new this year' to try. Not sure I am up to the task but am intrigued by it's growing requirements and the fact that one eats the stem more so than the leaf. I did note one can make a pesto from the leaves but really, this most unusual lettuce grown more for its stalk has me hoping to succeed. Below are the packets that arrived from our local Nova Scotia seed producer Annapolis Seeds. Excited!! If they can grow these plants here in Nova Scotia, gathering the seeds to share with us, then surely there is hope for success.<br />
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Meanwhile, the kitchen is fragrant with the smell of what appears to be the largest hyacinth I have ever nurtured in my life. Grocery store bought, when it was only just pushing itself out of the pot, this harbinger of spring entices memories of days soon to come, while the seeds promise a bounty yet to grow.<br />
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Onion seeds have sprouted under the lights downstairs...oh how I love fresh grown from seed onions. I can tell the difference, yes I can!<br />
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They are as crispy as an apple when you pull them fresh from the soil, and although this variety, White Wing, is also a keeper, mine never make it that far. White and glossy with their green grey stems, Onions are as beautiful as any hyacinth!<br />
<br />Gardeningbrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709940044197929905noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3221106512530304517.post-58887089682180370282017-02-06T12:18:00.001-04:002017-02-09T17:04:37.952-04:00A New Year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Do you get that thrill? The clock trips over, a New Year begins and within a day, you are planning your garden. Seed catalogues splayed out on the table, while visions of primroses, daffodils and tulips are dancing in your head. Peas, lettuce greens, broad beans slipped from their pods.... pumpkins, potatoes and tomatoes. Positive thoughts bubble and rise to the surface, when they could just as easily burst thinking of the fence pickets that need 'doin' or the raised bed that's half rotten. The clean up in spring is sure to set your wrists back a month if you aren't careful. No, we won't think of that as I sit with my dear catalogues, stars in my eyes.<br />
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Did I tell you about the seed order I put in to Johnny's Seeds in Maine last year? Well, with the sinking Canadian dollar, and Johnny's being in the United States, the exchange rate snuck up on me unexpectedly. I wasn't thinking!! Then Canada customs got in on the act putting a $30.00 duty on the shipment. I could not justify the added expense, and so the order was returned. Johnny's were so good about it...so kind. If I order this year, it will be below the customs penalty duty. Seeds, I always thought, were part of our free trade agreement but, I guess not. Best to buy local! <a href="http://www.annapolisseeds.com/">Annapolis Seeds</a> have always been super so maybe this year will put my order there and buy local.<br />
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So what are the highlights of your seed orders this year? I read recently that we might keep in mind when we order seeds, three things. Order what has always worked for you and grow that because you know you will succeed with it. Order something new, something that will inspire you and make you excited to watch it grow and perhaps in a while it will turn out to be something you can't possibly go without growing. Thirdly, grow something fun, or do something fun with your seeds. Plant a garden with your children or grandchildren, or maybe a fairy garden by your back door for little visitors.<br />
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Looking back through photos, reminds me what worked and what didn't. You forget, you know.....so having a blog or having photos to rely on, jogs the memory. I won't be without a sprouting broccoli this year called <span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Piracicaba
Broccoli. </span>Not only did the bees love the blooms, and it grew to an enormous height, but, it kept sending out little florets all summer and fall, always tender, always delicious. That was my 'new' for 2016 , an unexpected gift of transplants from a garden friend. My 'new' this year...well I am not sure yet what that will be. But I will be sure to let you know dear readers. Spring is just..only just, around the corner.<br />
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<br />Gardeningbrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709940044197929905noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3221106512530304517.post-15214086280281872802016-07-10T18:35:00.000-03:002016-07-10T18:36:38.204-03:00Blessed Rain and Garden Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The last weeks of June and the beginning of July brought some pretty scorching temps here in Nova Scotia. "No outside fires" banned across the province which was a shame (but necessary) as we do enjoy our little back yard firepit. At the end of a day, especially if we've been tidying up in the garden, we burn debris and reward ourselves with a glass of wine or whatever. You can just see the flames off to the left above, the garden lush after the downpours. Refreshed with mushroom compost, cutting a good 'edge', the beds look smart this time of year.<br />
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Finally, the roof on the Summerhouse shed is finished and although a big job removing the old windows we are pleased. You can compare with the last blog post in which the shed looks very broken. Thanks to our neighbour Quentin for helping out!<br />
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So what's growing in our Nova Scotia zone 6 garden right now? Had my fill of lettuce and salad greens..enough so that most are pulled out and composting. No guilt, no guilt, no guilt :( But the peas have come on strong and one variety in particular is prolific. Golden Sweet Pea is not only beautiful and glowing, the see-through pods are buttery, and delicious. They are my favourite ever ever ever! Dill and garlic scapes and a few green peas add to the bowl.<br />
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The blooms of the Golden Sweet Peas (seeds available at Baker Creek or Johnny's seeds) are a bi-color pink and purple fading to blue when finishing. Awesome!<br />
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If we want a side of salad greens right now, we use the thinnings of baby beets, baby leaves of chard, the inside new leaves of kale, tiny garlic scapes just forming, tiny flowers off the Egyptian Walking Onions, (above mentioned peas) any and all herbs that would enhance the side, served (we like) with a stronger dressing as you would on a Caesar salad.<br />
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There is a carrot we tried this year called Nelson, an F1 from Johnny's Seeds in Maine and it too, has been prolific and tasty. Not as sweet as some, I will admit, but a great success, and carrots can be so fussy I find.<br />
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No strawberries this year sadly, as the bed was five years old and so not really producing. Next year perhaps, a bed devoted entirely to berries and I will cover them like a grown up gardener would do so the chipmunks and squirrels don't get them first. But, that means finding the plants for sale now. Red currant bushes are loaded and they will satisfy almost as nicely but it isn't the same, you know. We have four shrubs of red currant, planted way back. Oh gosh, I can't believe it was sixteen years ago. Have we lived here on the south shore of Nova Scotia that long!! Apparently so as I just asked the Captain and he says seventeen years ago.<br />
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And that leads me to admit, we took out the lilac bed and yes, we will forever mourn grubbing out 'Beauty of Moscow' the lilac we loved the most. Sadly, the forest grew a lot taller in seventeen years than anticipated and the whole planting had become sad..just sad, tired, leggy and shady. It is surprising how beautiful the burning roots and branches smelled last night. Made me even sadder though.<br />
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This spring and summer was especially more difficult regarding <strike>weeds</strike> unwanted seeds. For the first time in a few years there was very little compost to spread on the beds to freshen them early on when the weather turned warm. So, I bought some, but too late realized that lovely bucket of compost had been left uncovered from the year before and OMG, the unwanted seeds that sprouted. I guess I can be thankful there were no invasives in there, and hopefully only annual unwanted seeds but I guess time will tell. Let that be a hard lesson learned because I tell you there is nothing sneakier than a clump of couch grass hiding in a bed of carrot fronds.<br />
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The rain continues thankfully but please don't let the tomatoes get blight, please don't! I can live without lettuce greens, carrots, peas and more, but I can't live without tomatoes.<br />
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<br />Gardeningbrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709940044197929905noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3221106512530304517.post-82342471475315091362016-05-30T16:44:00.000-03:002016-06-01T10:19:15.931-03:00Weekend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It was only a matter of time before the roof windows in the summerhouse started to fail. First, they leaked just a little bit. Then, gradually the drip drip got worse and worse, and then...last winter a heavy branch fell smashing one pane to bits. Up until then, I had thought the glass was industrial and would shatter if broken. So it was quite a shock to see the shards of glass one morning, on the floor, absolutely everywhere. And so, their days, from that point on, were numbered.<br />
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"Sunny for three days and no rain" the forecast said. Do you know, I think the meteorologists take the weekend off because until it starts to rain, the forecast doesn't change. This wet surprize, of course, delayed everything! Quickly, plywood was nailed over the openings and a tarp over that. How I will miss those sunny bright days, looking up at the sky when potting or puttering. Doesn't it look dark inside. Maybe when the new tongue in groove is put in place and painted white....<br />
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But heh, the greens and the garden are in utter heaven! However, I didn't pay attention to my own mantra..grow only what you can eat and share. Even the succession plantings are catching up to the first plantings. Arugula has been composted twice now because of wanting to go to seed. Thinning little Tom Thumb lettuce has helped to allow their sweet lime green heads to form and I must admit, this is my favourite lettuce. A butterhead with a nice crunch, perfect with a creamy dressing. This lot needs a little more thinning heh!<br />
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Another spectacular lettuce this year was Red Deer Tongue. It remains green at the bottom when it is intensely planted but if transplanted out properly, with space between the heads, the intensity of the red is incredible. This also makes a great ornamental.<br />
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"Lighten up, enjoy the garden and make time to relax" I tell myself. Almost June when the fairies and Gnomes arrive. For some fun, especially if you have children visit, why not plant up an old wheelbarrow, perhaps something safer than this old rusty thing. We tucked in a nasturtium, and a sign that says "Welcome to the Great Outdoors" and wouldn't you know it, a little gnome showed up just last night!! He wouldn't let me take his picture but you can just see his tiny Green hat if you look closely. Maybe he thought it was Heligan in Cornwall but no I said, there are three white spheres there, don't you know. ;-) <br />
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Oh..the rain stopped! Time to pick some supper greens..and reds. Thanks for reading.<br />
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<br />Gardeningbrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709940044197929905noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3221106512530304517.post-54478673848032350982016-05-09T16:23:00.001-03:002016-05-09T16:23:30.166-03:00May GiftsContinuing with the theme of giving, and gratefulness....a man with the kindest eyes came to visit on Tuesday. We met only once before, two years ago, after he contacted me about my quince posts here on blog. Realizing he lived nearby, an invite to visit his orchard was offered; the highlight for me was to visit his quince tree!<br />
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"Would you like a quince tree I grafted" he emailed not long ago...and also, by the way, "a small Chicago Fig". Quince trees are not readily available in the nurseries near where I live, so you can imagine my delight.. utter joy upon receiving two gifts of promise. May I introduce to you dear reader, the newly grafted and newly planted Portugal quince. Ta DA<br />
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It actually had two enormous blooms when delivered but these we removed. How I hope and pray it thrives. (clear direction has been offered on making this possible) At present, because we could still have a cold night, or a visiting nibbler, there is a steel cage around it and around that we place fleece. Will there be roasted quince in my future? I hope so!<br />
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As for the Fig....it's getting the in and out treatment, and will for a week or longer, until I am convinced it won't drop its leaves in the cold. But as a new fig mother, this is a learning experience. Chicago Fig, welcome to your new Canadian home.<br />
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Swollen buds are everywhere, anxious to feel the warm spring sun and rain. An Eastern Redbud species waits to be planted. Three new challenges for an old gardener like myself, wanting to TRY rather than not try.<br />
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The handsome Chestnut 'Briotii' is also about to unfurl it's leaves. Later, its red candles will glow.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">"Better than Vegas" I say!!</span><br />
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Gardeningbrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709940044197929905noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3221106512530304517.post-82463875262319862402016-04-26T15:43:00.000-03:002016-04-26T15:43:41.026-03:00Find Your Joy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Spring came to Nova Scotia in one big blowing swoop. Warm windy day after warmish cool day, the weather held. Here on the South Shore, it nursed the bare ground awake, encouraged blossoms to open, charmed the heart and mind, restored the soul. Although Witch Hazel 'Diane' has been the first star to shine the past few years, it was the native Nova Scotia Daphne that truly stole the show. You only see it in retail nursery shops on occasion and often, expensive but mine was a humbling gift, a multibranched fist of sticks from someone who knew the value of what she was offering. I did not! So every spring, I bless my dear Ms. Vicki, breathe in the deep purple pink Daphne's, sweet modest scent and thank God there are good, dear, kind and thoughtful people in my life. Because, you know, we can sometimes forget their blessings on us and how even if they are far away now, or not with us anymore, the gifts they gave make the difference in a life full of moments.<br />
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The bees were captivated and equally grateful to find the blooms. Oh to hear that buzz again after so long. A sound you miss, but don't realize until you hear it again.<br />
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Four years ago I was offered another stick...a single rooted branch of something called a Cornus Mas "yours for only five dollars" sold as a fund raiser. Thanks to Ms. Niki this amazing stick has grown into a five foot tree in so short a time, even the giver was amazed. Not only is Cornus Mas covered in deep yellow spring flowers, they will turn into dark red fruit which, if the birds are kind, I will get to try later in the year. If the rabbits stay away from the bark, which they can't seem to do regarding the Witch Hazel... this tree should grow into a beauty.<br />
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Then, there is the gift to myself, from the garden. Branches of the Quince Japonica, that tried and true early blooming shrub of all farm houses and quaint gardens are cut and blooming ahead of time, in the kitchen. Our well water must contain something that keeps the blooms very pale as they should be deep pink or orange, but for some reason, they are on the pale side, forced inside. Maybe that is just the way it is and no fault of the water at all. But oh the joy, the gift of just being in the same room with blooms to favor your eyes.<br />
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So even with a troubled heart, or a worrying soul, there are gifts all around us I suspect, that sometimes, we forget to see. Our eyes can grow dim in beauty, when in fact, every bloom has a story...every tree, every berry. Find your joy, as they say.Gardeningbrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709940044197929905noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3221106512530304517.post-26373493330601359222016-02-11T11:13:00.000-04:002016-02-11T11:13:04.693-04:00Sometimes Its Just the Little Things<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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SPRING IS just around the corner and each day, ignoring the foot or more of snow we have, my eyes are on March. Here in our area of Nova Scotia, we were blessed with a day full of sunshine at the end of January. Most of the snow had melted in that interlude since Christmas and it was actually really WARM. Well, nine degrees warm ;-). Protected in sheltered spots the soil was soft, damp and rich with the scent of spring. Gathering eager little bulbs, showing points of green, the sun beating down on my back, has to be one of the most lovely individual pleasures of a gardener. These were mostly snowdrops and that little blue flower that seems to be the star of early beds, "Glory of the Snow". They came to visit one day and never left.<br />
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The above were photographed last spring, but those tucked in the little pots on that warm January day, are doing quite well also. "Woodie" is doing a great job protecting them.<br />
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You might notice the beautiful hand thrown vessel in front, which was made by fellow <a href="http://gzandco.blogspot.ca/">blogger GZ</a> . When I saw it on her Etsy shop I knew it would be perfect for my well being. In fact, it has a twin. Second to a garden, I love ceramic pots, but then, they are both of the soil and happen to go joyfully hand in hand. Gathering sea glass is another natural pleasure.<br />
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I look more to my garden for joy than anywhere else. Always something to do, and never a dull moment. Honestly...never a dull moment.<br />
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May I share with you something that is niggling at the Captain and I. The fence pickets are rotting at the bottom and all getting rather shabby. Definitely in need of a new lick of stain and perhaps some replacement. But...we have been thinking about removing the garden as it is, and doing a low raised bed arrangement that is still welcoming and will still have some bones (structure) in the winter months. Not sure we've got it in us this year as it would have to happen (begin) soon. But he did bring his BIG measuring tape home from work, .....and I am trying to find a large piece of graph paper, .....and I do have an idea of what we'd like which involves galvie. If you don't hear about this again, you will know, it was a no go. )))) For now<br />
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<br />Gardeningbrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709940044197929905noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3221106512530304517.post-17388829166563403992016-01-31T20:09:00.001-04:002016-02-01T21:06:49.197-04:00Just a Few Words<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Dear mom</b>, she never cared too much about gardening. It was dad who had the green thumb.. just more work for her, having both hands full with us kids. Bless her. What to do with "all those tomatoes" for instance. Surely that thought came to her one blistering hot day in late August thinking of the job ahead; canning the back garden harvest. That summer day is my earliest and most vivid tomato memory.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">A lady</span></b> from church came by to visit and Mom, generous as she always was, but going a tad overboard, gave her the whole lot from the garden. I mean every single one of dad's cherished red tomatoes. I don't think she really meant to give it all to our visitor but, caressed with encouragement she just, got carried away. Well you could have lit a match and no more fireworks could ever erupt from that house then when dad arrived home from work! I smile now at the unfortunate memory but some days, when I am here working in the kitchen trying to 'put by' as they say, I feel perhaps mom had a good idea there. (Sometimes fireworks are worth enduring, if you don't have to can tomatoes ;-) By the way, I did speak up to mom and the church lady that dad 'won't be happy' in my quiet be a good little girl voice...and the lady with her three bags full did have a glimpse, just a tiny glimpse of guilt on her face, but only for a moment...then she walked out the front door like a queen...the 'tomato queen'.<br />
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Life is turning to a new normal here. Most of dad's old seed catalogues, given to me decades ago are read year after year. As for the new catalogues of today, they've been poured over, penciled and stuck with fluttery sticky notes. Needless to say, that first list is the "I want all of it" list. After that, is the "smarten up Brenda" list. But soon, the orders will go in and soon, we will start our own tomatoes and the new growing year. Never to be like any other year before; a new beginning built on the past, including its loss.<br />
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You see... mom passed away days before Christmas eve, so you can imagine what it was like saying goodbye to the matriarch of our family who LIVED for Christmas. Her generosity was overwhelming, all of her life. "Do good and be kind". Those words would sum up my mother's life. Someone recently said to comfort: as long as that person lives in you, they are not gone, nor are they forgotten. I do feel her there, inside, in my heart and mind, and although she doesn't respond to my questions, my pleas or my jokes, she is there. Thankfully.<br />
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Magnolia blooms are asleep, warm in their furry pods. Witch Hazel 'Diane' has been feasted on, but the rabbits own the garden too, and the birds and the squirrels. We must provide for the littlest among us. Hope, and promise, the words and value of spring shared recently <a href="http://pondside1741.blogspot.ca/2016/01/hope-and-promise.html">here</a>. We must have hope and there is promise. For now, that is what sustains.<br />
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Linked to dear friend Pondside.<br />
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<br />Gardeningbrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709940044197929905noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3221106512530304517.post-43877924227474769512015-11-03T11:40:00.000-04:002015-11-03T11:43:01.909-04:00Of Cabbages and Things<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As the garden winds down preparing for winter sleep; the oak and beech around us begin to drop their leaves, floating ever so quietly, blanketing the ground. The dogwood trees are especially lovely, their leaves turning a beautiful purple, fading to red and finishing so slowly they cling until they can hold no more. Their red berries have been snached away by squirrels, chipmunk and crows so it's usefulness in our garden landscape serves many purposes.<br />
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This is my favourite time of year. The robust earthy smells of composting, the crisp cool air reminding us winter is but weeks away, the hurt your eyes blue sky that only autumn seems to display and often, days full of the sound of wind and rain..."time to sleep, time to sleep".<br />
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Over the years we've noticed how much more purple we see in the garden especially this time of year. Purple Cabbage is one vegetable garden plant that has not performed really well in the past, and yet other brassicas do alright. But I couldn't resist a few six packs of transplants last spring and in they went. Was the secret this year, a long wet winter and short spring? The result has been a grand harvest.<br />
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We forgot how crisp and sweet, cabbage can be when it has been touched by frost, and shredded for slaw or braised with apples, sultanas and malt vinegar. A sprinkling of caraway seed is a nice addition.<br />
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Even on overcast days, the autumn colors glow; a good time to re-evaluate the bones of the garden. This year, we've made some tough decisions about what should go and what should stay. As I prepared to put my bulbs in, I felt I had lost my initial vision of a perennial bed surrounding the veg garden. Grasses had morphed into monsters, baptisias were failing, bee balm that is work year after year and this year, totally out of control....needed attending. So while the weather holds time to get the shovel, rake and barrow out, and get dirty. Well, at least there will be a nice rustic cabbage soup waiting for me after a long day if I make it before I go out ;-).<br />
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<br />Gardeningbrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709940044197929905noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3221106512530304517.post-42584682851389835502015-09-14T12:50:00.002-03:002015-09-14T13:53:40.346-03:00Busy Summer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you are still out there friends and fellow bloggers, and I do sincerely hope you are, thank you for sticking with me over the summer break! It's been a great harvest season so far and more to come. My high-five cherry tomato this year has to be a variety called <a href="http://all-americaselections.org/winners/details.cfm?WinID=501">'Jasper'</a>. Sweet candy in clusters; we're still picking. It's a sprawler, so if you try this next year, be aware of that. But it is highly resistant to blight being an AAS winner and so far, so good!<br />
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Don't think I gave an update on the animal watering trough we filled with soil and planted with tomatoes, nasturtium and chard. It has done very very well and it looks pretty awesome in the front yard when you drive up. Would be a perfect solution for anyone physically challenged as in reality, it is simply a raised bed. Chief finds it very accessible as well and you know he loves his cherry tomatoes ;-)<br />
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The trough is not totally full of compost and has a drain hole to one side at the bottom which has worked well to keep the plants from being waterlogged. Yes it sprouted some weeds but they were soon covered over by the rapid growth which from first photo to second was only five weeks.<br />
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Most years, I am on top of garden weeding and harvesting, but the winds have changed in my life and there is too much to be done and hard to keep up. I no longer stress as before, and take more time to enjoy the fruits of our labour....and heh, if we don't get everything eaten or processed, it makes compost. <br />
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Off to my neighbours to get a load of dry seaweed and pine needles for the garden paths which are getting too compressed. As a senior gardener, I imagine I am looking towards more raised beds in my future but until then, it's carry on as usual. But remember to stop and smell the roses! Here's Vavoom in all her sweet scented glory.<br />
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<br />Gardeningbrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709940044197929905noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3221106512530304517.post-79819501900992806832015-06-02T14:43:00.000-03:002015-06-10T14:32:23.365-03:00Rainy Day Musings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We've jumped ahead soooo quickly since my last post in early May! It's a spring I can't ever remember experiencing before. The PJM Rhododendron bloomed along with the Magnolia. Early tulips opened with the daffodils; the cherry and plum tree are a flutter of blossom; close on their heels are lilac and Red Chestnut. Finally, days are warm enough to sit out and relax listening to an anthem of birds and bees. At least two blue jay families have set up home nearby, also two crow families but sadly, the one tiny male hummingbird distinctive by his slight size, has not convinced a female to join him in matrimony. He tries his heart out, swooping on his dare devil flights up and down, but I guess, we will just have to wait and see.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ignoring his attention!</td></tr>
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The beds are almost finished having their spring tidy up, but I am a little perplexed by a fern in the side bed. That's the photo in the header and if anyone would like to give an opinion on this unique scape (there are four or five of them) half deep green with the top almost white. I would appreciate that.<br />
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The tomato plants have grown well and we are glad we waited a few weeks longer to start them inside or they would be far too leggy. The're just about the right size now, so managed to get ten in the ground before our three days of rain set in. The rest will have to wait.<br />
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I've written before about our experience with <a href="http://gardeningbren.blogspot.ca/2012/08/beans-and-blight.html">late blight</a> about four years back and how we lost so much of our tomato crop. So, with guidance and suggestions from <a href="http://www.nikijabbour.com/">Niki Jabbour</a> and other blog friends, we are planting our so far faithful, Sub-Artic Plenty and new this year, Mountain Merit, Oregon Spring, Torento and Jasper. These should all crop early. Mexico Midget has always taken a long time to germinate but there was no success from the seeds this year, started inside, and out. Very hardy against late blight I might add. I love that little tomato and so does our puppy Chief, so we hope to get some reseeds from the garden itself. My original packet came from <a href="http://nctomatoman.weebly.com/garden-blog">The Tomato Man</a> via Niki...thanks you guys.<br />
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The raised beds with the lexan cover and sheet plastic cover, have kept up with their greens supply so we have not had to buy any so far. Even the radishes plumped up well this year.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Todays Rainy day Photo</td></tr>
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I was so looking forward to the lovely dwarf cosmos I planted in the back raised bed and boy did it germinate well. Did you ever notice how much it looks like dill? Well we had a good laugh over that, as it was not cosmos in the raised bed at all. My foggy memory seems to think someone advised to plant dill when it is cooler and I must have thought, why not give it a try in the raised bed and plant it out if that works. Well, it did germinate. So you might try that if you find you can't grow dill as I had very poor success with it in the past.<br />
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The herbs are a wonderful addition to our salads now, along with the green garlic and baby Egyptian onions. Lots of zing along with the mustards and radish. But on rainy days, I don't feel like a crisp salad, so, we make a pesto out of whatever is going, with the usual cheese, nuts and oil, tossed with a bowl of pasta and a squeeze of lemon...hot and comforting.<br />
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Here's to a warm, wonderful June and a warm smile from Johnny Jump Up and his orange Pansy friends.<br />
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An update...the fern is full of spores and is called an Interrupted Fern! Only the mid area carries the spores which after being distributed, that part of the frond falls off, leaving top and bottom and no middle. Interrupted!<br />
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<br />Gardeningbrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709940044197929905noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3221106512530304517.post-76498659068219203752015-05-05T12:27:00.000-03:002015-05-05T12:27:04.190-03:00Busy busy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The garden crew of two have been busy. We took down the monster maple by the house, moved the Hamamelis 'Diane' and congratulated ourselves on a job well done! SMILE <br />
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I am surprised Diane came into bloom before the winter daphne <span style="background-color: white; color: #545454; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">(</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6a6a6a; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">Daphne mezereum</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #545454; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">)</span>. The latter is native to Nova Scotia and smells divinely sweet but is a plant for the poison garden. Here is a photo from last year. Even though it is poisonous, the cedar waxwings strip the berries when they are ready.<br />
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Deciding to take the curves out of the long bed and edge a straight line was not taken lightly. Maybe we've bitten off too much, as there are spots to be filled now, but surely it will look better when the trees are in bloom. Don't you think, this time of year its good to make a few changes, just to give us a perk and make the garden interesting. That is, if you have help. You see, this is the time of year when the Captain is busy with boats. Boats that must be put in the water, repaired, painted...and floats that must be repaired, made safer, this and that to be hauled out, perhaps an engine installed in another boat. I might get an easy job out of him when he returns at the end of his work day, but he sure is earning his supper on the weekends!! He does most of the grunt work, I do the supervising. Works for me! But edging the beds, that's my job and I love it.<br />
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Here are the tools I use. Have had them for many years but still going strong. What can I say....I'm and edger.<br />
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So calming and uplifting to see the bulbs coming out of the ground, rediscovering that inner peace the garden brings to the heart and soul. We have a hot day here on the South Shore, best get out there. Happy Gardening!<br />
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<br />Gardeningbrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709940044197929905noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3221106512530304517.post-3847144377794509622015-04-24T13:01:00.000-03:002015-04-24T13:06:03.062-03:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Spring begins when? Not on the day the calendar says it does but on the day I see Mr. and Mrs. Crow gathering materials to line their nest. Or when the first Osprey flies overhead, finally back from the long journey south. It's when you can leave the window open and awake to the joyous sound of birdsong, robins claiming their territory and listen happily when rain showers fall, melting the last of the snow. That's when spring begins for me.<br />
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In the garden, Hamamelis 'Diane" has been in bloom for at least a week, but you know, I didn't even notice it. Poor thing, deep in a snowbank, it was awake and calling me, and I missed it's unfurling. But it still has brightness and is the only plant blooming in the front yard. There are many images out there for this variety, some much deeper red than ours, but I bought it as "Diane", thinking of a dear friend of the same name. Have you ever done that, perhaps in memory of someone you love?<br />
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Years ago, growing up in Cape Breton, when my little brother was about three, he and dad planted a flowering crab apple tree in the front yard. I can still remember that day, Philly with his shovel, and both of them watering that little stick of a tree in the ground. Although we lost Philly at a young age, that tree meant we never forgot him. It grew and bloomed it's heart out every year and we were happy for it. But, when my dad knew he was approaching the end of his time here on earth, much to the sadness of my mother, he took the tree down. I've perplexed over that for some time, but believe somehow, he needed to say goodbye to that tree before he said goodbye to us. We will never know. But I do think a gift of a tree or plant in someone's memory or their name, is thoughtful and honorable. I know Diane was pleased about us planting the Hamamelis.<br />
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Spring smells like damp soil and seeds sprouting under the grow lights downstairs. The delight of seeing little tomato shoots while saying quiet prayers they don't succumb to damp off is a reminder of a hopeful harvest to come. As I have written before, late blight is a trouble here in our Nova Scotia garden, so I start varieties that fruit before the blight arrives or varieties that are highly resistant. Thanks to suggestions from garden friends, and faithful performers of the past, this year we are again growing Sub-Arctic Plenty, and new to us: Torenzo, Mountain Merit and Jasper (seeds to try from <a href="http://www.nikijabbour.com/">Niki Jabbour</a> with thanks). Oregon Spring is also new to us, but Mexico Midget which has done well in the past, still has not germinated. With our long winter, this is the first time I delayed starting tomatoes.<br />
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Thankfully, the Lexan covered raised bed, has kept much alive through the winter. Spinach, Purple Wave Mustard, surprisingly, tiny Tom Thumb lettuce and arugula.<br />
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Most of that was harvested for salad, but now, all the seeds planted in the raised bed on April first, have germinated.<br />
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In the back hooped raised bed, leeks are in and growing (indoor starts) and today, the peas are going in there as well. These are dwarf Peas so we'll see how they perform. It is ten degrees in the back yard. Warm by my standards!<br />
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Ahhh Spring! You were late in coming but nature heralds your arrival. The nests have been lined, the Osprey has arrived, seeds are germinated, and beds are being readied.<br />
<br />Gardeningbrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709940044197929905noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3221106512530304517.post-52944472020462631962015-03-28T14:47:00.000-03:002015-03-28T14:47:14.492-03:00Still Waiting for the Snow to Go<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Just in under the wire for a March post. It's been difficult dealing with our winter weather this year here on the south shore of Nova Scotia. Homes and businesses have had roof collapses with the weight of it all. Very sad. We had a collapse of the cold frame Lexan cover but the Captain came to the rescue and it's back in place. March 2014 we were picking spinach but not this March!<br />
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It will be interesting to see how this growing year ahead preforms, having deep snow so late in the season. Will blights and bugs be affected for the worse or better I wonder. The forest animals are having a difficult time, especially the deer who have found the deep snow a hardship. The hares seem to be doing okay as we often see their prints in the snow but I hate to think of the damage the mice are making in their tunnels deep below at ground level. As I write, flakes are falling but everyone here is hoping, this is winter's last hurrah. Please let it be so. I am putting on weight, not working in the garden ;-)<br />
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An anonymous commenter suggested trying Oregon Spring tomato because it is reliably early and cold tolerant, similar to my Sub-Arctic Plenty. Thank you whoever you are! The leeks and onions started in February have been transplanted to bigger containers and are happily growing under lights. Just that simple pleasure changes the gift of a day for the better. Sifting through the seed packets I try to decide what goes into the raised beds first....spinach, broad beans (dwarf variety), some of the leeks, scallions and mixed greens.<br />
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This year I'm going to put more annual flowers in the vegetable garden. For ages, we always had cosmos, marigolds and volunteer flowers growing where they were not expected. I loved the wildness of it all, and realized I miss that look and feeling. "Mini cosmos blend" grows to 20 inches sounds outstanding and also, a taller 31" called Snow Puff. "Breathtaking, fully double flowers in pure white" from <a href="https://www.westcoastseeds.com/">West Coast Seeds</a>.<br />
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Old garden magazines are keeping me inspired and doing some hateful spring cleaning keeps me out of trouble. Let's hope today is the last day shoveling snow and instead, we'll soon be spreading compost! Gardeningbrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709940044197929905noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3221106512530304517.post-66344722195111417102015-02-23T13:56:00.000-04:002015-02-23T13:56:34.337-04:00Only Six Days Left in February!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's not that <b>this</b> February is so bad, there's just so much snow and it won't stop. I'm trying to remember what past years were like. Definitely not the weather we've had this month. The roof is so thick with snow, I turn my head when I see it. What is that passage, "don't worry about anything, just pray about everything". I am trying not to worry.<br />
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Looking back at February photos in other years, we've had ladybugs flying all around inside the summerhouse. It was just lovely, heartwarming. "Spring is on it's way!" The days were getting longer. Anxious to get out and do what ladybugs do, they would be thick on the windows.<br />
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........But no sign of them yet.<br />
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However the peas for pea shoots have sprouted, and the Opal Basil I started, to cut for micro greens, have as well.<br />
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The onions have been slow, but not the leeks. I think I am going to bite the bullet and get a heating pad for seed starting. Does anyone have good luck with theirs?<br />
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Meanwhile, I plan to take another ceramics course from <a href="https://marlabenton.squarespace.com/playing-with-clay-workshops/">Marla Benton</a> in Mahone Bay to help me get through this month. If I can't harvest peas right now, I can make them! Hopefully the next few will be an improvement. So difficult to know how glazes will react. There's room for more if you are interested.<br />
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<br />Gardeningbrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709940044197929905noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3221106512530304517.post-66933862331972752052015-02-15T17:25:00.002-04:002015-02-15T17:25:59.354-04:00Spring Thoughts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Outside</b>, the snow is almost at the top of the garden gate, but inside, seeds planted a few days ago, are warm and cosy. The earliest packets opened are leeks and onions although, generally I don't start onions as we have Egyptian Walking Onions, perennial in their own way. But every spring I regret that decision especially last year when I bought some <a href="http://www.johnnyseeds.com/p-6707-ailsa-craig-exhibition.aspx">Ailsia Craigs</a> from a local vendor in Tantallon. He was kind enough to share the variety name and I await the seeds. You know how you read some onions are so sweet you can eat them out of hand, well that's how I felt about those Ailsia Craig Onions apparently named after a perfectly round island off the coast of Scotland ;-). But, as I had some New York Early and Northern Lights leek seed, the urge to plant now prevailed. They are on their way to sprouting.<br />
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This dead part of winter is when I crave fresh green pea shoots so I've started a pot of those as well. As I've written about how I do this, you might want to go to this older post of mine <a href="http://gardeningbren.blogspot.ca/2011/03/growing-pea-shoots.html">here</a> if you are interested to try. When they sprout and grow a bit, will post a photo. Although I am trying to be a bit more frugal with seed buying this year, a trip to <a href="https://www.halifaxseed.ca/">Halifax Seed Company</a> is always in order, especially when friend blogger <a href="http://canoecorner.blogspot.ca/">Marguerite</a> comes over from Prince Edward Island. It's our go to place to enjoy and share together, when we can make it happen. So here's what jumped into my pockets and before anyone says anything about the packet of squash and my plan to not grow any this year...in my defense I have to say, it is considered a compact variety. Well we will see about that heh!<br />
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The excitement builds with the handling of every packet. Are those Northern Lights leeks really going to be that blue? And will the peas really be ready in three weeks? Where will I put the Sunshine Squash now that I've committed to growing it?<br />
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If you have the same snowstorm today we are having, and winter is getting you down, down, down.....think Spring green thoughts and maybe enjoy getting your seeds out, and your hands dirty inside where it's snug and warm.Gardeningbrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709940044197929905noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3221106512530304517.post-88668484629212462182015-01-28T17:04:00.000-04:002015-01-28T17:04:09.964-04:00October Memories<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Reading through all the seed catalogues this time of year, it's easy to get a bit overwhelmed. The first list I made, "the wish list full of want" totalled almost one hundred dollars. Oh my! Get a grip Brenda; be rational and stop daydreaming. Definitely over budget for our small garden! One thing I do know is, there won't be any pumpkins growing in the garden this year; took up way way way too much room. Mind you, they did produce and I am very grateful to have enough cured to get through the winter. The same with the Carnival squash above...too much room, although I am sure you will agree, they are delightfully beautiful, each one with different markings, and sweet to eat. Trouble is, I sometimes see the fruits of our labour through an artists eye. "Oh, just think how beautiful that would look growing up the bean wall. You know... we gardeners are great dreamers! We have to be.<br />
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Autumn light here in Nova Scotia, is crisp, clear, and luminous. There's that window in the season where all in the garden shimmers in the sun, and reflection and moods of darks and lights along with the earthy smells of the garden touches your very soul.<br />
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Hearty soups are coming out of the kitchen to warm us on those coolish evenings; bonfires are lit to burn the garden debris; the smoke drifts over our hill, down to our neighbours. The last swims are done, the last of the short sleeve tshirts and sandals put away. The seagrass has turned to gold.<br />
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Now back to paring down that seed list and ordering what does well, and behaves more modestly than those pumpkins of last year. Wish me luck.Gardeningbrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709940044197929905noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3221106512530304517.post-2757592967809452902015-01-19T16:52:00.000-04:002015-01-20T12:46:34.788-04:00Flashback to September<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Going through old garden photos reminds me what did well, what didn't and what we couldn't get enough of. Three top the list: tomatoes, beans and garlic. We have success with garlic in our garden, and even planting it in the raised bed cold frame in March last year, by September, it was ready to harvest. It's the first year I tried that, because I didn't get around to planting it in October 2013. The scapes below grew from Susan Delafield. Big thick cloves under the soil, a very tall scape, and a sculptural beauty in the garden.<br />
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As for the beans, seen behind the garlic above, well you know we built that back trellis especially for beans, and in fact, call it the bean wall. But the last few years, I find I cannot put seeds out too early because they get eaten, rot or get nabbed by the crows, mice or squirrels. Now, if I get them started inside, growing to about eight to twelve inches, and then plant out, all seems to be fine. Last year was a bit of a bust and in disgust, after planting three times I didn't want to buy any more seeds. I found a jar of organic dried beans in my cupboard, all different varieties, and so, I pushed them in the soil and hoped for the best. Well of course, some were climbers and some were just shrub but they gave a huge harvest and we had our fill. So the bean wall looked a little sparse in some places as you can see.<br />
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Tomatoes are probably the hardest plant for us to grow. For years we were trouble free, 'coasting' as one might say. Oh the bliss of it all. Then we were hit by late blight a few years back and that was the end of that. We now almost exclusively grow Sub Arctic Plenty, which doesn't mind a chilly spring, and gives us loads of tomatoes before the season of late blight. We also grow climbing Mexico Midget, chocolate cherry and sun gold which all seem to sluff off the blight. Plentiful, tasty and resilient are good hallmarks to aim for in a garden year after year and referring to old photos I find, are a great reminder.Gardeningbrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709940044197929905noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3221106512530304517.post-25451267749776779382015-01-14T15:16:00.000-04:002015-01-14T15:16:10.576-04:00My Get Up and Go<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In the words of Pete Seeger "my get up and go has got up and went". Since August I've ignored the blog because I had lost my motivation and enthusiasm for writing. "Take a break" some of my friends advised but it seemed the more I was away from writing, the less inclined I was to go back to it. "What more can I write about that I haven't already written" I thought. Am I missing the point...why did I start the blog? That reason was based on keeping a journal for me to refer to, and to share my experiences growing our garden on the South Shore of Nova Scotia, Canada. Along the way, I met some wonderful people; the garden was photographed and published in two magazines and also a book. Who knew that could happen simply by making connections, sharing with others what is very personal, our own garden and what it means to me, to our family. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdNQt4a6f7g">Pete Seeger</a> continues to sing, "but in spite of it all, I'm able to grin, and think of the places my get up has been". It has been a wonderful, and truly fulfilling joy, this blog. So, readers, I am loath to give it up.<br />
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The new year has begun with optimism. Last year was a difficult one but now, I am happy to say, or at least hopeful in saying, my Get up and Go, is improving. There's always something to write about when you have a three to four season garden. Even now, with snow on seedheads left for birds, beans that were never harvested and memories visited when looking at the bird bath not brought in, but forgotten, it is a beauty to behold.<br />
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Outside, the sun is shining so bright, the sky is 'hurt your eyes blue' and the snow is covering every seedhead and branch; fencepost and leaf.<br />
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But I know it will awake before I know it, and meanwhile, I will start growing pea shoots in pots, sprouts in a jar and plant Egyptian onion bulbs on the window sill to snip the fresh green growth. I will find primroses in the shops to brighten my January, and later, cut forsythia to force. And yes, I've written about this all before but perhaps that doesn't matter. Perhaps, what matters is that writing brings back the joy it always did, and to just put bum to chair and "write something for Heavens Sake!"Gardeningbrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709940044197929905noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3221106512530304517.post-17724602736566215812014-08-26T14:38:00.000-03:002014-08-27T13:40:52.967-03:00Reds in the August Garden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My favourite red in the garden...tomatoes! Finally, they are ripening and we are enjoying juicy open faced sandwiches for lunch most days now. The last few years I've stopped growing a lot of the heirloom varieties we loved because of late blight. Now, I grow early cropping bush types like Scotia, which was developed here in Nova Scotia and Sub-Arctic Plenty was has an interesting history. Developed in the 1940's to provide the US Air Force stationed in Greenland with fresh tomatoes, it has a unique ability to set fruit early under cool conditions. Good news for me. I do have a few cherry tomatoes, like Tumbling Tom in a container, and a good size Mexico Midget which was never touched by the late blight in years past, so I grow that also. The fruit are the size of blueberries and packed with flavor.<br />
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The weather has changed, with the clear skies of autumn, and cool overnight yet quite lovely and hot the last few days. So the other reds that are in the garden, in the flower beds, are looking very handsome and give the eyes a real boost. Crocosmia has survived three years now, only marginal where I am (Zone 6), and this year its outdone itself. The hummingbirds are enjoying it also, as their preferred flower, Scarlet Monarda has just about finished.<br />
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There's another plant in the flowerbed that is a long bloomer and also marginally hardy here so it doesn't become invasive. It is Persicaria Firetail and although not tomato red, it is another plant that makes the August and September garden glow.<br />
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We are eating beans, both the French Filet and the climbing, white Blancoma and red Cylinder beets, carrots and a fresh crop of arugula and mixed greens...perfect for those tomato sandwiches! Overdid it with the pumpkins, Acorn squash and Blue Hubbard squash, which is climbing over everything even the asparagus that's gone to fern. Rather wild looking here right now. The deer visited one night so we lost a lot of the leaves on the trellised beans but they are recovering. Sigh...where did August go?<br />
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Gardeningbrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709940044197929905noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3221106512530304517.post-29252880072923583222014-07-14T11:40:00.000-03:002014-07-17T21:36:37.237-03:00Mid July Already?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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June disappeared. It almost seems it didn't arrive, and then came July with sunshine, warmth and a hurricane reminding us to not get too comfortable. The robin and chicks windvane took a beating but we think we can fix it. One of the industrial windows in the roof of the Red Shed cracked and so we will have to work on that as well....likely remove it although only one of the triple panes are broken. So far, it's been quite a ride into summer.<br />
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Every year in a garden, is different. I can depend on insects eating my germinating beans until the first week of July and then, they are left alone. There are other things I can depend on as well, indestructible rhubarb will uncurl from the soil, plantain will grow in the lawn, and clover will blanket the rest. Chipmunks will eat at least half of the tulip bulbs after they have died back and that one and only night we forget to bring in the bird feeders, the raccoons will saunter through the yard keeping us awake as they scream and fight over the seeds.<br />
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This year, another wet but cooler year, has seen a leap in the perennial bed that surrounds the vegetable garden, especially in the front.<br />
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What should be a pleasing mound of perennial geraniums, daylilies and baptisia, is simply a solid wall each plant fighting to gain dominance. It looks a bit too messy for me, so perhaps some division is in order. Certainly a good grooming. What I've also noticed this year, is a bloom growing on our Yucca! Now we have not seen a bloom for at least four years so there's no telling what a new garden year will bring.<br />
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As for the veg garden, well we are getting lots of peas right now, although the hurricane did it's best to lay them low. Put in bondage they are happy again.<br />
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The weather has been very good for the lettuce varieties but I must say, Tom Thumb lettuce has to be one of my very favourite, tolerates high temperatures when mature and resists bolting better than larger varieties. These below need thinning.<br />
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Thinking an old packet of Dwarf Blue Curled Kale from 2008 wouldn't germinate but not willing to waste the packet without trying...well we have had great success. As it was in the raised bed and covered, it's grown quite well and only now are we starting to see a few green caterpillars on it.<br />
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All and all, it is shaping up to be a good growing season here in our South Shore Garden in Nova Scotia. Soon our thoughts will be turning to what to plant out mid August for fall crop, extending the season in the raised beds. Better yet though, fingers crossed no blight...we should soon have ripe tomatoes. How wonderful that will be.<br />
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Happy Gardening!<br />
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<br />Gardeningbrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709940044197929905noreply@blogger.com11