A blog about gardening. Flowers. Vegetables. Food.noreply@blogger.com (GP @ ABloominBlog)Tue, 10 Sep 2024 19:47:18 -0400Blogger http://www.blogger.com62125http://thebloominblog.blogspot.com/en-usnoA blog about gardening. Flowers. Vegetables. Food.noreply@blogger.comhttp://thebloominblog.blogspot.com/2016/08/vegetable-gardening-first-of-season.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (GP @ ABloominBlog)Fri, 5 Aug 2016 15:38:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1747423832392361075.post-765378797275097523 The First Veggies of the Season! I'm pretty pleased with the results, so far, of my new veggie garden and want to show off some of the beautiful bounty I've harvested. I feel like a proud mamma! Summer Squash, Green Pepper &amp; Cabbage Cherokee Purple Tomatoes Indigo Fireball Tomatoes, Zucchini, Carrots &amp; Cucumber Two Ginormous Cucumbers! 0http://thebloominblog.blogspot.com/2016/07/vegetable-gardening-video-update.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (GP @ ABloominBlog)Wed, 20 Jul 2016 11:00:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1747423832392361075.post-6314436640393725723 <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; 0http://thebloominblog.blogspot.com/2016/04/how-to-start-new-garden-where-grass-is.htmlfusion gardengrass removalNew gardennoreply@blogger.com (GP @ ABloominBlog)Thu, 28 Apr 2016 15:16:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1747423832392361075.post-2996283546910857276 From my last post, you know that I want to put some new gardens into my currently all grass backyard. According to the landscape designer's calculations, I will need 21 cubic yards of garden soil to do the entire garden! I can't image moving all that that dirt into the yard by myself. I'm sure hiring a pro to do it will cost a fortune. This is what I'm faced with now. Blah. Need a new 0http://thebloominblog.blogspot.com/2016/04/a-fusion-garden.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (GP @ ABloominBlog)Mon, 25 Apr 2016 19:41:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1747423832392361075.post-4328215773561830002 At last, Spring is here! As mentioned in a previous post, after removing our pool, the backyard is a sea of green grass,&nbsp; While looking for garden ideas, I came across something called, "Fusion Landscaping". &nbsp;Fusion landscaping, or gardens, make use of indigenous perennial plants and bushes. These types of plants require less water and less maintenance than something more exotic. 0http://thebloominblog.blogspot.com/2015/12/vegetable-growing-cheat-sheet.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (GP @ ABloominBlog)Wed, 30 Dec 2015 10:46:00 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1747423832392361075.post-2652972131273130173 Last year, we had our 20' x 40' swimming pool filled in. All of my gardens disappeared too! It was pretty depressing last summer, looking out on a sea of green grass, because that is all there is now. I do not have enough money to hire a landscaper. Therefore, this task will fall to me. Don't get me wrong. I love gardening. But I'm not sure that I'm physically able to haul all the dirt needed 0http://thebloominblog.blogspot.com/2015/12/ontario-1st-north-american-jursdiction.htmlbee Colony Collapse Disorderbee declinebeesNeonicontinoid PesticidesOntarionoreply@blogger.com (GP @ ABloominBlog)Fri, 11 Dec 2015 16:46:00 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1747423832392361075.post-1694543456684082681 It's been a while since I posted. But I'm back! Photo by Steve A. Johnson under the Creative Commons Attribution License 2.0. So, in July 2015, my home province of Ontario voted to reduce acres planted with Neonictids, which I wrote about in my previous post. Do you think my blog post was so well shared and respected that it had an influence? Probably not! But hey, every bit counts. The 0http://thebloominblog.blogspot.com/2014/06/save-bees-ban-neonics-pesticide.htmlban nionicsbee Colony Collapse Disorderbee population declinebeesGMOsNeonicotinoidNeonicspesticidesnoreply@blogger.com (GP @ ABloominBlog)Fri, 27 Jun 2014 19:22:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1747423832392361075.post-5600400092439387833 Some time ago, I wrote a post about the decline of the bee population. At that time, it was not known for sure what was causing the death of the bees, but pesticides were believed to be the culpit. Now, an international team of scientists have firmly pointed the finger at Neonics. This pesticide is used extensively on genetically engineered crops. And it is not just affecting the bees. It 0http://thebloominblog.blogspot.com/2014/06/grow-it-garden-photo-contest.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (GP @ ABloominBlog)Wed, 11 Jun 2014 14:04:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1747423832392361075.post-2669427324810748160 Announcing the Grow It! Garden Photo Contest Are you proud of your garden? Want to show it off? Then this is the place for you! How to Enter Here's the deal. 'Like' my new The Bloomin' Blog Facebook page. Post your photo. Then share your entry with your friends. The photo with the most votes wins! Deadline to Enter: June 24, 2014 The Prize Your reward is the satisfaction of knowing that you 0http://thebloominblog.blogspot.com/2014/05/what-to-plant-now.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (GP @ ABloominBlog)Tue, 13 May 2014 12:58:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1747423832392361075.post-945471112812217255 We've had the branches that crashed on our roof cleaned and branches from trees over our roof removed. We also took this opportunity to have some dead trees and stumps removed from the front yard. As a result, we are left with a garden full of dirt! Though I like that I can put whatever I want, within reason, I am not sure what to do. I am thinking an evergreen or two to the left of the wall0http://thebloominblog.blogspot.com/2014/05/spring-ice-storm-clean-up-begins.htmlclimate changedaffodilsextreme weatherfallen branchesice stormTulipsnoreply@blogger.com (GP @ ABloominBlog)Wed, 7 May 2014 21:54:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1747423832392361075.post-511478756143940682 Weather Extreme This past winter, for the first time in my memory, which is now considerable, we had an ice storm in the GTA. It was eerie and wondrous at the same time. Trees were completely covered in ice. When a breeze blew the branches crackled. They glittered in the winter light. Then the sickening sound of branches breaking under the weight of ice would start. You can watch it here. 2http://thebloominblog.blogspot.com/2014/04/spring-refresh.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (GP @ ABloominBlog)Fri, 11 Apr 2014 15:32:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1747423832392361075.post-8979381023234073954 After a particularly brutal winter, I am inspired to refresh the look of my blog. The image at the top is a picture I took of the muscari that grows in my garden. And I've made the format wider. What do you think? 0http://thebloominblog.blogspot.com/2014/04/announcing-the.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (GP @ ABloominBlog)Thu, 10 Apr 2014 11:58:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1747423832392361075.post-78311132462395469 Now You Can enjoy Gardening News &amp; Tips All Year Long Living in a northern country, I am not privileged to garden all year, and therefore, for several months I do not have original content to share with you. So I have started the Bloomin' News. It is a collection of gardening information and articles from across the web. I hope you find the content enjoyable! Please let me know if what0http://thebloominblog.blogspot.com/2012/06/for-canada-day-lets-eat-local-eh.htmlCanada Dayeat localfruitsgardeningvegetable gardeningvegetablesnoreply@blogger.com (GP @ ABloominBlog)Thu, 28 Jun 2012 06:58:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1747423832392361075.post-774917258205224140 On this Canada Day weekend, I've been giving some thought to what it means to be Canadian. When I was growing up, we were taught how our country was full of natural resources, and how wonderful our fertile lands were. The song, This Land is Your Land, a Woody Guthrie song, Canadianized by The Travellers, always comes to mind when I think of this Land. Now I believe we are in a sorry state. Our 0http://thebloominblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/italian-gardens-sacro-bosco.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (GP @ ABloominBlog)Tue, 28 Feb 2012 14:34:00 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1747423832392361075.post-1890454350436333432 It's the end of February and there's not much in the way of gardening to do here in Canada. So, I watch my favourite gardening shows. They give me my gardening fix, ideas and dreams of gardens I want to visit. "Monty Don's Italian Gardens" is one show that fuels my dreams. Monty focusses on Renaissance gardens in Italy in this four part series. The key to gardens of this style were symmetry and4http://thebloominblog.blogspot.com/2012/01/some-gardening-humour-italian-tomato.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (GP @ ABloominBlog)Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:20:00 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1747423832392361075.post-3557205078338134397 My heritage happens to be part Italian. I had to laugh when I read this: THE ITALIAN TOMATO GARDEN An Old Italian man lived alone in the country. He wanted to dig his tomato garden, but it was very hard work as the ground was hard. His&nbsp; only son, Vincent, who used to help him, was in prison. The old man wrote a 0http://thebloominblog.blogspot.com/2011/07/top-5-tips-for-organic-gardening.htmlcompanion plantingmulchorganic gardening tipsstop snails and slugsnoreply@blogger.com (GP @ ABloominBlog)Thu, 7 Jul 2011 14:43:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1747423832392361075.post-2747522493654387457 My cat, Mini, loves stomping around in my garden! Since the pesticide ban in Ontario, we've all had to learn how to garden organically. I have to say that there are days when I feel like Elmer Fudd - "I'll get you, you scwewy slug!" Or cat, as the case may be. I think the trick is to not expect perfection and to plan ahead. That being said, here are my top 5 organic gardening tips. Mulch - 3http://thebloominblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/save-tulips-for-royal-wedding-or-its.htmlQueen Victoria Memorial Gardenroyal weddingTulipsnoreply@blogger.com (GP @ ABloominBlog)Fri, 22 Apr 2011 13:38:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1747423832392361075.post-6098354790009741440The Telegraph reports that the tulips lining the route of the upcoming April 29, 2011 marriage of Prince William and Katherine, are wilting due to the unusually hot weather. The plan&nbsp; is to dead head the 26,000 tulips found at Queen Victoria Memorial Gardens, unless a way can be found to keep them flowering until the day of the&nbsp; wedding! Horror or horrors! If found this video on 0http://thebloominblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/when-oh-when-will-i-be-able-to-be-in-my.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (GP @ ABloominBlog)Wed, 13 Apr 2011 14:55:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1747423832392361075.post-4933598259052834161It's 3 degrees (C) today and raining. The weekend is not looking good either. Bit of&nbsp; a downer as I wanted to start working in my garden. There's so much to do. Mainly prunning overgrown bushes and "alien" trees that have taken root, before their leaves start. There is one invasive tree that's popped up everywhere. My sister-in-law thinks it's a hawthorn, as it has spiky thorns. The other 0http://thebloominblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/give-yourself-gift-of-vegetable-garden.htmlfresh tomato saucefresh tomatoesgrowing fresh tomatoeshow to make vegetable gardenmake vegetable gardennoreply@blogger.com (GP @ ABloominBlog)Thu, 2 Dec 2010 22:44:00 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1747423832392361075.post-7435767469692281016My friend, Dale D'Souza, decided last Christmas to start a vegetable garden during this past summer. Below is his guest post about his experience making his 15' x 15' garden. It all started last Christmas when a friend gave me a mason jar of tomato sauce as a gift. I love making pasta sauce and decided that I would try to make my own tomato sauce the following year. In the age of 'Google' I 3http://thebloominblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/tomato-plant-prunning-silliness.htmlfresh tomatoesgrowing fresh tomatoesprunning tomato plantsnoreply@blogger.com (GP @ ABloominBlog)Tue, 7 Sep 2010 20:01:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1747423832392361075.post-7700076389575105819My tomato plant obsession continues ... Before Prunning The other day I came across a video showing how to prune tomato plants. I knew that the "sucker" branches at the bottom of tomato plants should be removed. This video, however, says that once your tomato flowers are set, all branches that don't have flowers should be removed. This apparently allows the plant's energy to go to the ripening1http://thebloominblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/what-to-do-with-your-fresh-tomatoes-now.htmlfresh tomato saucegrowing fresh tomatoesSan Marzano tomatoeswhat to do with tomatoesnoreply@blogger.com (GP @ ABloominBlog)Sat, 4 Sep 2010 09:00:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1747423832392361075.post-8149235530332379900Make a tomato sauce of course! Here’s a quick tomato sauce recipe. Into a food processor, put the following: 18-20 of your peeled, and if so desired your seeded, fresh tomatoes 1-2 onions quartered 2-4 peeled garlic cloves 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves 1-2 tbl. fresh parsley Salt and pepper to taste Process all ingredients to puree. Transfer to a pot. Bring to a boil then lower heat to simmer, 2http://thebloominblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/why-ive-not-been-blogging-much.htmlannualscontainer gardeninggardening booksgrowing perennialsOntarionoreply@blogger.com (GP @ ABloominBlog)Fri, 3 Sep 2010 09:33:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1747423832392361075.post-765900839081238909 A Spring Memory - Muscari I’ve not been blogging much this summer. Though I didn’t completely loose my job, I was made into a part time employee.&nbsp; You would think I'd have more time to garden and blog, but no. I’ve been spending my spare time trying to find freelance graphic design/writing/marketing communications work (this is what I do when I’m not gardening or blogging about gardening!)0http://thebloominblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/my-first-crop-of-san-marzano-tomatoes.htmlfresh tomatoeshow to peel tomatoesSan Marzano tomatoestomatoes for tomato saucenoreply@blogger.com (GP @ ABloominBlog)Thu, 2 Sep 2010 15:41:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1747423832392361075.post-264481629258954385Growing the San Marzano Tomato This year I decided to plant the San Marzano variety of tomato. I chose this variety of tomato as they are favoured by Chefs world-wide and are apparently the best when used in tomato sauce. My first harvest of lucious San Marzano Tomatoes I’ve been pleased with the results. I planted four plants and each have yielded an impressive amount of tomatoes with more 0http://thebloominblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/fresh-summer-herbs-are-must.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (GP @ ABloominBlog)Mon, 21 Jun 2010 19:45:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1747423832392361075.post-586197887794381908If you cook, then you'll want to grow a kitchen herb garden. The other night, I whipped up a fresh pesto sauce with the Basil and Parsley I'm growing. Then I made Grilled Peppers with Pesto, from License to Grill by Chris Knight and Rob Rainford. Yummy! Grow your favs! You should grow herbs that you know you'll use. Italian and French cooking are my favourites, so I've planted: Parsley 2http://thebloominblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/zucchini-as-torpedoes.htmlfertilizerG20G20 Summitnoreply@blogger.com (GP @ ABloominBlog)Thu, 10 Jun 2010 18:57:00 -0400tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1747423832392361075.post-3284191560259305510I was telling my DH about the "mere gardening incident". He is not really into gardening but always has an opinion. I don't necessarily pay attention to his opinions, but here are his thoughts on the matter: If you don't identify yourself to whom ever is selling you large quantities of fertilizer you could be &nbsp;a suspect in a bomb plot. Before you know it, the RCMP or CSIS &nbsp;could be on 3