Your online resource for garden information, ideas and advice.
April in the Garden!
March is almost behind us, spring has officially arrived, and it's time to start playing outside again. Here's a few thoughts on what we can achieve in April.
As the month starts to warm up, rake, thatch, overseed and fertilize the lawn.
Check for damaged branches on small trees and shrubs and prune them. Watch for any that might be rubbing together as well, and cut them back to prevent disease.
Start cleaning up the beds, cut back perennials, push in any plants that have popped out over the winter and start adding compost.
If you start seeds in a greenhouse, give it a good scrub to help get rid of any disease that might be lurking and let in more sunlight through the glass.
Think about giving your lawn mower a tune up before you need it and ensure all your garden tools are clean and sharp.
Pansies and violas will be available soon, plant lots! Love the colour.
Watch for those never-ending weeds and pull them out.
Starting from seed....it's Easy Peasie! And now is the time. Read how to start seeds indoors and help keep them healthy.
Chinese Pink Celery
Every year I try one or two new products I've never grown before. One of this year's is going to be Chinese Pink Celery - I happened to come across it while perusing the Baker Creek Heirloom Seed website (www.rareseeds.com).
I've read a number of publications that discuss how challenging celery can be to grow, but this one is shown as an easy-to-grow variety, and better yet - it's bright NEON pink. This one is going to look great in the garden.
Best Squash Ever !
Tried a few new squashes last summer and in my opinion grew the best one ever. It was an outstanding performer with outstanding flavour. And the only squash I plan to grow this year.
Renee's Garden Baby Butternut Squash - Honey Nut.
A petite, light-weight and colourful squash, baby butternut grows "up" perfectly on a trellis or A-frame with no need add supports to the fruit. When they first appear, they dark green and when ready to harvest are an interesting and unique darkish orange colour.
Certainly worth trying and great for any size garden.
Pixie Cantaloupe
This compact, palm-sized hybrid melon
weighs in at roughly 1.5-2 pounds and the
fruit is deliciously sweet and juicy. With
a small seed cavity and plenty of bright
orange fruit, it’s the perfect size for a
hot afternoon snack. And it’s just fun
to grow – even if it does look a little
bizzare when mature.
We were honoured to be part of a documentary on urban agriculture, created by film maker Phil McLeod. Here's the garden - from Spring to Fall...
Is it poison oak or poison ivy? Find out here.
