Cool Season Crops

Spring temps and drizzly rain means it is the perfect time to be planting
lovely, cold hardy veggies... 

Many who stop by at the greenhouse in March and April are surprised to see 6-packs of vegetables already sitting on the benches, ready to go into your garden beds.

They are even more surprised when I tell them that 'Yes, they can be planted right now' and 'No, I do not cover them up or haul them inside for the nights'.

Is true. Some veggies actually love this crazy April weather and don't even mind a titch of frost. 

Turnips love cool weather! 

These cool weather crops are all planted between February and late April. Quite a few of them dislike heat and will bolt (shoot up a tall centre stalk and go to seed) in hot or dry weather. 

If you were to wait till May long weekend to plant up your broccoli or lettuce 6 packs, for example, you would likely be very disappointed to see them bolt within two weeks time. Some of them truly do not like heat.

Sow radishes every couple of weeks for fresh eating all spring. 

So then, what are these wonderful cool season crops that like drizzle and cool temps but hate heat, you may be asking? Turns out that there are actually quite a few of them...

Arugula, spinach, and (leaf and head) lettuce  - Salad greens that can be harvested until they bolt in the heat. Grow from seed or starter plant, can be succession sown till end of April and harvested through June, or when they turn too bitter to eat.

Beets - Seeds can be sown many times throughout the year. Sow in spring, summer, and fall. Does not tend to bolt in the heat, luckily, but likes to be sown in mid to late April for best results.

Broccoli - Harvest the main head when ready, about 5 inches down. It will then form smaller heads along the stem. Keep harvesting and enjoying until it begins to flower/bolt. Flowers are also edible.

Broccoli raab/rapini/broccolini - Makes lots of small broccoli type heads on longish stems. Harvest regularly to keep it producing as long as possible, dislikes dry soil so water more often as things begin to heat up.

Cabbage - Can be sown now, in summer, and again in fall. Fall and winter cabbage taste fantastic after a frost or two and are never bothered by pests.

Cauliflower - Loves! cool weather, grow in spring and fall, does not thrive in the heat. Plant now and keep moist. When the curds (white head) starts to grow, fold the leaves over it to prevent it from going yellow, harvest a week or two later. Plant some more in fall.

Collards, greens, mustards and Oriental greens, such as Pak choi and Bok choy all love this weather, too, but will bolt when the soil warms up.



Leeks - Plant now and harvest from late summer through till spring next year. Super easy to grow.  

Plant peas now from seed or starter. 

Peas - Shelling peas, sugar snap peas, and snow peas... are all treated exactly the same.
They like to planted early in the year and will go dormant in the summer heat. To keep them producing as long as possible, pick, pick, pick. The more you pick, the more they make. When you stop, they figure that their job is done for the year.

Radishes - Grows fast from seed. Sow a few every week or two for fresh radishes through till summer. They go from seed to radish in 30 days, so are one of the fastest and easiest veggies to grow.

Spinach - Treat like cut and come again lettuces, grow from seed or starter in spring. Id not heat tolerant at all, will bolt as the days get hotter and drier.

Turnips - Grow fast from seed, like radishes. Eat the greens first and then the roots. So easy to grow, and yummy, too.

These guys should all be planted now and will bolt when the hot and dry season arrives. If you wait too long to plant, you will not get to enjoy the fruits of your labour.

Herbs such as Cilantro/coriander, too.

Cilantro really dislikes the heat, prefers to be grown in the damp, cool weather of spring or fall.  

Carrots can be sown from April through early July.

Mid-season veggies love the cool weather as well, are also planted when temps are cool, but not quite as early as the cool season crops (mid to late April here on the island : )

Plant potatoes and onions now, harvest in late summer.

Swiss chard also prefers to be planted now, can be harvested as needed till fall.

Is somewhat winter hardy. 

Brussel sprouts love to be kissed by frost. 

Brussel sprouts, carrots, celery, kale, and parsnips are planted now and can stay in the garden throughout the winter, to be harvested as needed.

They taste better after a hint of frost. Make sure you lift next spring though or they will become woody and go to seed. 

Plant all kinds of strawberries now, as well as companion plants. 

Strawberries will produce this year, alpine types go from seed to berries in just one season! 

Happy growing and sowing! 

Make A Festive Birdseed Wreath!

As we slowly start edging towards the holidays and outdoor decor, my thoughts turn to the birds... quite literally.



It has become tradition for me to make several dozen of these gorgeous birdseed wreaths each winter, at Christmas time. I hang a couple in my own yard, share them with friends, and sell them as gifts to fellow gardeners.

I love the look of these wreaths against my cedar, while birds of all sorts, from Nuthatches to sapsuckers, happily and busily visit them all winter long.

Watching the birds flit around the lovely wreath is one of my favourite things about winter, and most especially during the holiday season.

Here is my tried and true recipe so that you can make your own healthy, lovely birdseed wreath with bird friendly ingredients ... 

To make the wreath, you need will a small bundt cake pan or Jello mold. 

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup suet
1 cup peanut butter (chunky or smooth, birds like either - make sure it is not sweetened with xylitol)
4 cups really good quality birdseed

Slowly render the suet on low heat (heat to melt)
Add the peanut butter, melt it into the suet
Add cornmeal
Add seeds, mix well to coat 

Push the seed mix into the bundt pan and let set overnight. 

Tie a loop of twine around wreath for hanging from a tree, plant hook, or fence.
Add a festive ribbon, if desired.

* If you want a 'peanut topping' on the wreath to make it even more festive, drop some unsalted, roasted peanuts into the pan before filling with the seed mix. Do not use raw peanuts. If you cannot find roasted ones, toss them into the oven for 15 minutes first. 

Additional tip... when the birds start to eat the wreath, they always start pecking on one shoulder rather than evenly all around. To keep the wreath from getting too weak in that spot and cracking, I have taken to adding a ring made out of grapevines into the mold and pressing the seeds all around it.

This ring keeps the wreath intact and yet looks completely natural as they peck around it.   

Alternately, use a mini bundt cake pan and make these super cute wee birdseed wreaths.

Give the birds a very merry Christmas this year, feed them with this natural and organic wreath of goodness.

Happy Holidays! 

Make a Grinchy Whoville Tree

Looking for the perfect porch pot tree? Or table topper? A Grinchy tree is the most perfect thing, for just about anywhere!

Here's how to make your own lovely Grinchy Whoville Tree.... 

Pick out a lovely, soft, and feathery Lemon Cypress in any size that you like. These trees are prefect for this project as they are pliable, yet will fluff right out again after the holiday... plus, they smell yummy and citrusy, too!  

I chose trees in one gallon pots that are about 12" tall, but you can go as big or small as you would like.  

Looking for super cute dinner place card holders, or guest favours? Maybe a cute table vignette? Choose the little 6" trees instead.  

Looking at making a larger one to use as your actual Christmas tree? Or as a colourful welcome by the doorway? Choose one of the taller 3' or 4' trees. Any size of Lemon Cypress will work for this project.   

Tie some stretchy cord or colourful twine into a loose loop at the base of the tree. 

Wind the cord around the tree, tucking in the tufts of greenery as you make your way up to the tip of the tree. Gently begin to lightly bend the tree to one side as you get halfway up. 

Tie off the cord at the top.

Pick out a fun ribbon to wind around your tree. It can be a bright solid in a fun colour, dotted, striped, or like the one in the top picture, one with little bobbles. I chose this candy-coloured, striped ribbon which I thought looked very Dr Seuss-ish. 

Rather than just a knot or tucking the end of the ribbon under itself, make a small bow at the base of the tree to add a touch of whimsy. 

Wind the ribbon up to the top of the tree and finish off with another bow. 

At this time, you could also add a strand of mini lights, especially if it is going to be outside on the porch, or be your main Christmas tree. 

You can also poke in some mini baubles, glittery pom-poms, or pipe-cleaner spirals.  

Add a hook to the tip of the tree to hold a fun bauble. 

Add a festive Christmas ball, bell or star.  

Hide the ugly grower pot by placing it into a pretty pail or flower pot, cover with moss. You can also plant it right into the pot.  

Water once or twice a week, to keep it fresh and happy throughout the holidays. Afterwards, remove the ribbons and such, fluff up the foliage, place pot outdoors, or plant in the ground to enjoy for many seasons to come.  

Happy Holidays! 

Wishing you a very Grinch-tacular Christmas ; ) 

The Best Fall Flowers For The Birds

I so enjoy watching the birds at this time of year, as they flit from flower to flower picking out seeds, then scratch in the soil for any fallen ones, enjoying the natural bounty of fall.

Though you may be itching to take down everything, to clean up all your beds for winter, leave some late season blooms up for a few more weeks yet to enjoy the bird watching. Such a simple thing, yet imparts great joy.

Which flowers should you leave standing in fall? Which flowers are the best ones for the birds? Those with loads of seeds per blossom. (Psst, if you do not yet have these in your garden, you really need to plant some for next year ; )

Black- Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia). The perennial will start blooming in midsummer, adding colour to your garden all summer long, for weeks on end. The daisy like blossoms will look great till well into the fall. When the blooms begin to fade, the seeds ripen, and are a favourite of many wee birds, like chickadees, goldfinches, sparrows, and nuthatches. Leave them standing till the winter rains beat them down.

Blanket Flowers (Gaillardia) - This lovely summer perennial makes large, vibrant blooms that turn into cute little seed puffballs when finished. Easy to grow, pinwheel-like flowers bloom forever in summer, attracting bees and butterflies to your gardens, then feeding the birds in fall.

Coneflowers (Echinacea). This is my most favourite perennial flower. Bees and birds love it, deer do not, is drought tolerant, and the blooms last and last. Each year, it makes more and more blossoms, a stunner in the garden. It is sturdy and does not need staking, is a no-fuss, no muss, easy to care for plant. In fall, the flowers mature, dry and fade, are kinda cool looking, and the birds love to harvest their seeds. 

Stonecrop (Sedum). Tall sedums, like the Autumn Joy above, are super hardy, drought tolerant, deer and bunny resistant, lovely  to look at, and feed the birds, the bees, and the butterflies, too. They can be left standing all season for winter interest in your garden, will continue to look great till spring, amazing as that sounds, while providing the birds with loads of wee little seeds. Groundcover sedums also feed the birds, so leave them all be for now, do clean up in spring rather than fall.   

Sunflowers, of course, are beloved by all sorts of birds. This annual flower provides one of the best buffets for the birds (and the bees, too). Everyone love sunflower seeds! Leave your flowers in the garden for as long as you can. The birds will eat the seeds while the plant is standing. When you cannot leave them any longer, just allow the seeds to finish ripening, cut the heads off, hang from fence posts or place on feeders for the birds to enjoy.

Zinnias are simply loaded with seeds, each flower provides a true bounty for our feathered friends. Zinnias are the workhorse in my kitchen garden. They are super easy to grow, drought tolerant, provide nectar and pollen for all the beneficial insects, attract all kinds of bees and birds to the garden all summer long. The blooms last and last. Leave them standing in fall, the flowers will still look perfect, taking on a vintage look, while providing the birds with their feast of seeds. 

There are a great many other flowers that will also feed the birds, like tickseed, Joe Pye, grasses, mallow, and more... Leave them all standing in your garden as long as you possibly can, try not to be too hasty with your yard clean up in fall. Feed the birds naturally.

All of these flowers also attract and feed bees, butterflies, hoverflies, hummingbirds, and more, during the spring and summer, plus provide seeds in fall.

Happy Gardening! 

Green Shoulders

Do your tomatoes have hard, green shoulders? The tops stay hard, not getting softer or ripening all the way?

Green shoulders are caused by summer like this one, with too much heat and too much sunshine on the actual fruits.

The summer has been super hot, and super dry, on the island, with no rain to speak of since spring. With the these high temperatures and all this sunshine, also comes green shoulders.

For this year, sadly, the damage is done. However, to prevent this from happening next year, offer some shade for your tomato plants. They do not need beating hot sun for 8 to 10 hours. Create some afternoon shade with shade cloth, tall plants, or some kind of trellising. Also, do not remove foliage as the leaves provide shade for the fruits of the tomato.  

The tops will not soften up no matter how long you leave them. Not to worry though, the tomatoes are still edible, just cut off that top part and they are good to go. Eat and enjoy!

Happy growing! 

Wonky Tomatoes

Are you finding some wild and wonky looking tomatoes in your garden this year?

Lumpy, bumpy ones? Tomatoes with zippering or cat-facing? Two or three tomatoes fused together? Or perhaps some with sticky out-y appendages?

You are not alone.

What is the cause of these odd looking tomatoes? Mother Nature, actually. 

It was not anything that you did, it just happens sometimes.

Cool and wet conditions, rainfall, or high humidity while plants are very young, or when they are putting on blossoms, tends to make for weird looking tomatoes a month or two later.

Beefsteak tomatoes, the really big guys, and heirlooms seem to be the most prone to this funky business. I, of course, happen to love to growing heirloom beefsteaks ... double whammy  ; )    

The good news is, they are still absolutely edible and totally yummy!  

  

Sow Your Flower Seeds In Autumn

Get a jump start on spring and sow next year's flowers this fall...

Some flowers will not make blossoms the same year that you sow them, while others simply grow better and bloom sooner if planted in fall rather than in spring.

Here on wet, west coast (Zone 7) we sow seeds in October or November, after the beds have been cleaned, prepped for winter, and the fall rains have begun.

If you are in a zone 5 area, sow your seeds in late September or October, before it snows.

* Please read seed packages and select plants suitable for your area and gardening zone.    

Feed your soil with manure, compost, amendments (if needed) and organic matter before you sow.

Ammi Majus                                                       Lavender

Bee Balm                                                           Lobelia

Black Eyed Susans                                            Love In a Mist

Calendula                                                         Nasturtiums

Columbine                                                        Pansies

Coneflowers                                                     Poppies

Cosmos                                                            Snapdragons

Dianthus                                                          Sweet Alyssum 

Delphinium                                                     Sweet William 

Foxgloves                                                        Sweet Peas

Larkspur                                                          Violas