Niki Jabbour - The Year Round Veggie Gardener

My Ignored Garden

2013-06-09T17:50:00.002-03:00

Lovin' the kale!

I've been stealing as much time as I can to work in the garden, but I still have plenty to do! It's amazing how quickly 2000 sq feet fills up.. This year, I've got a few crops that I've never grown before or haven't grown in years - quinoa (new), amaranth (years ago), chickpeas (years ago) and giant limas (new) to name a few. Some of those crops seem to suck up a lot of room! Plus, one of my soon-to-be tomato beds is still full of spinach and kale. The cool/wet weather has prolonged their harvest and I'm trying to use up the spinach as fast as I can (spinach/feta pizzas, pasta with garden asparagus and handfuls of shredded spinach, etc.), but I have a hard time pulling out the blooming kale as the bees are loving it so much! Who knew that such small creatures could make so much noise! They go crazy in the golden blooms..

Here's a few photos from Friday and today.. yesterday was a total washout with the 70 mm of rain we received, but I just snuck up before dinner and put in 3 more 'Fairy Tale' eggplants.. yum!

Blue skies, golden kale

Where did you come from?? This popped up
on the edge of the veggie garden.

The bees love the catmint too..

Catmint, mache and garlic..

Planted for 2 1/2 weeks now and these little plants have
quadrupled in size!

Hello sunflower.. where did you come from?

I love the chive blooms.. so cheerful!

It's almost tea time! The chamomile is
starting to open.

Book Review - Maritime Fresh by Elisabeth Bailey

2013-06-07T17:22:00.000-03:00

Ok, let me start by saying that I'm slightly biased.. I have met Elisabeth Bailey on a number of occasions and she also joined me on the The Weekend Gardener radio show last summer and will do so again this Sunday. She is an avid gardener, as well as being a talented food writer and through our conversations I have learned that she is passionate about growing and preparing local and homegrown food. Plus, she's a hoot!! (Sorry, the Maritimer in me had to say it!)

In 2011, Elisabeth's first book, A Taste of the Maritimes was published by Nimbus Publishing. I immediately bought a copy and can honestly say that it is now well speckled and splotched with the results of my cooking! I loved it so much that I've also given it as a gift on - at least - a handful of occasions. Therefore, I was very excited when she told me last autumn that she was working on a new cookbook.. We discussed recipes and I shared a few of my own using garden ingredients.. so imagine my surprise when I picked up her latest book - Maritime Fresh - and saw that she actually mentioned me!! So cool..

Anyhoo, I am asked at least twice a week what I do with all my garden veggies. 'Eat them' is my usual, semi-sarcastic answer.. and many folks have told me that I should write my own 'from the garden' cookbook.. Listen, I'm an OK cook, but I'm no food writer! :) That's why I'm grateful for Elisabeth's books..

Maritime Fresh divides itself by various garden vegetables, fruits and herbs. So.. if you have just found yourself picking a few bushels of beans, flip to page 32 and make her Bean and Cheese Burritos (and then bring me some, they are divine!).. or what do you do when all 20 of your broccoli plants are ready to harvest at once? How about some Broccoli Jack Soup (page 52) and then freeze the extras for autumn.

Does dad love to garden or cook? Check out Elisabeth's book and tune in to The Weekend Gardener on News 95.7 FM in Halifax (www.news957.com) this Sunday to ask her your questions on cooking from the garden - 11 to 1 pm - and her segment will be from noon to 12:30.

Today on The Weekend Gardener!!

2013-06-02T08:40:00.005-03:00

Some of my new Proven Winners plants.. I will blog about
this soon too!!

Just up drinking tea and getting a few notes together for today's radio show.. It's been crazy hot for the past few days, a nice change from the crazy cold/wet weather that we've had for weeks.. It's amazing how a few days of sun will really make plants grow!! I promise to do a chickpea post soon (my plants are almost a foot tall!), but for now, here's a glimpse of today's radio show:

Jane Rostek will join me to offer a preview on the upcoming and super popular, YWCA Over the Garden Gate garden tour that takes place Sunday June 9th.. It's the 21st year for the tour and tickets are available at FRED, Halifax Seed and a few other locations. I have seen a few of the gardens on the tour and they are AMAZING!!

Then, Robert Baldwin, plantsman extraordinarre, and the owner of Baldwin's Nurseries will be in studio to talk plants!! From shrubs to trees to perennials, Robert will talk favourites, deer-resistant and whatever else our listeners want to learn about. I encourage you to call in with your questions and comments!! 1-877-801-8255

Also coming in studio today, Jayme Melrose, project co-ordinator for the Common Roots Urban Farm in Halifax. She's bringing in Sara Burgess, the farmer for the project and Rob McNeish, a volunteer. We'll find out what's happening at the farm, about their new community garden plots and how you can volunteer!!

Hope you can join us!! 11 to 1 pm Atlantic time (10-noon EST) on News 95.7 FM in Halifax, News 91.9 FM in Moncton and News 88.9 FM in Saint John or listen live anywhere at www.news957.com.

Today on The Weekend Gardener!

2013-05-26T08:07:00.003-03:00

I LOVE this book - and I have one to give away on today's
show!! Call w/your questions & comments 1-877-801-8255

Today on The Weekend Gardener.. it's going to be a busy action-packed show!! (action packed?) .. whatever.. All I know is that we're going to have fun and I hope you can join me.. 11 to 1 pm Atlantic time (10-noon EST) on News 95.7 FM, News 91.9 FM and News 88.9 FM or listen live anywhere at www.news957.com

Sunday May 26th:

Beckie Fox, the editor of Garden Making magazine to chat about their outstanding new issue.. (Canadian bred roses, haskap berries and the Garden Making On Tour cross-country garden tour!!)

Karen Chapman and Christina Salwitz, the authors of Fine Foliage: Elegant Plant Combinations for Garden and Container.. (http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/fine-foliage-elegant-plant-combinations/9780985562229-item.html) A seriously excellent book!

David Baldwin, local apple and pear expert to chat about growing these fruits in the Maritimes. Best varieties, pollination, pruning, trouble-shooting and more!

Trish Fry, Manager of the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens! We'll check in about their upcoming events and what's in bloom!

Finally, Angelique Reddy from the YMCA Moncton to talk about their new Community Garden Expansion..

Gardening in the Rain!

2013-05-23T13:35:00.000-03:00

I've been waiting for a break in the weather to get more seeds and seedlings in the ground.. but since I don't see any sun in the 5 day forecast, I've decided to get out and plant anyway! The lack of sun makes it rather difficult to properly harden off and prepare my tomatoes, peppers and other seedlings for 'real life' in the garden, but when (if!) the sun does come out, I'll just toss a row cover overtop the plants for a few days to get them used to the bright yellow thing in the sky.

Ok, lunch break over.. time to get back to the garden.. I have more kale, celeriac, kohlrabi, more onions (where to put them!), parsley, leeks, 2 apple trees and 3 more highbush blueberries.. and I should probably cover some of the garden with a row cover since my deer fence is down.. ack!

My 2014 Proven Winners plants arrived
yesterday - in the rain of course.. They're
now on my front porch de-stressing
from their Fed-Ex trek. Once I've take the
boxes apart, I'll take more photos and
preview some of these soon-to-be-released
beauties!

Unlike me, spinach loves this crappy weather..

I've got baby kales popping up all over the pathways of my garden beds..
Time to dig up and share!!

Hmm, probably shouldn't have left these Kossak kohlrabi
seedlings sitting in the garden for 3 days in the rain and in
a tray with no holes.. Opps! They're rather waterlogged.

Planting lettuce.. started these beauties inside
in a plug flat and have now planted them
in a checkered pattern with a lovely
red leaved variety.

Red leaf lettuce ready to plant.. dirty fingers!

Lettuce planted - check! Next up comes my heirloom
Italian endive.. this endive makes an
excellent cut-and-come-again crop.

Tomorrow - The Weekend Gardener Returns!

2013-05-18T15:46:00.001-03:00

Holy smokes, I can't believe tomorrow is the kick off to Season 7 of The Weekend Gardener.. Season 1 doesn't seem that long ago, but here we are 6 years later! I've been working hard on our 2013 line up (feel free to comment with your guest/segment ideas) and tomorrow offers some old favourites as well as new guests! Tune in live from 11 to 1 pm Atlantic time (10 - noon EST) on News 95.7 FM in Halifax, News 88.9 FM in Saint John or News 91.9 FM in Moncton. Or listen live online at www.news957.com.

I'm also please to announce that we'll have podcasting this year, so if you miss an episode, they will (finally!) be available online after the show!

Here's tomorrow's lineup:

11 to noon - I'll welcome back local expert Cathy Oulton from Bloom Greenhouse and Garden Center in Halifax to talk new plants for 2013 as well as some of her favourite woody shrubs and trees. Cathy and I LOVE to answer questions, so I hope that we'll have plenty of callers during this segment.

noon to 12:30 - Joel Karsten, the author of the excellent new book, Straw Bale Gardens will join me to talk about his unique and productive techniques.. I love this book - and have 2 copies to give away to listeners! - so I can't wait to talk to Joel.

12:30 to 1 pm - Best-selling and award-winning author, speaker and journalist Sarah Elton, whose book Locavore took Gold at the Canadian Culinary Book Awards, was named one of Amazon.ca's top 50 books of 2010 and is a David Suzuki Foundation Book Club pick! She'll join me again to talk about her brand new - but already best-selling - new book Consumed: Food for a Finite Planet, which made the national best-seller list in its first week! A must-read!

I'm hosting #groundchat!

2013-05-09T16:39:00.000-03:00

If you're on twitter, join me tomorrow at 3 pm Atlantic time (2 pm EST) for #groundchat, a weekly discussion on topics that pertain to soil and soil health. To participate, just go to Twitter at the start time and add the hashtag (#groundchat) to all your tweets.. and search for that hashtag and you'll be able to follow the discussion, ask questions and make comments.

Additional details about #groundchat can be found here, and it's hosted by the always awesome (and fellow Canadian!) Cristina da Silva.. She and I, along with a few other garden writers shared a panel at the recent Garden Writers Meeting at Canada Blooms in Toronto. Cristina is also the blogger behind The Real Gardener and I was thrilled to finally meet her in person at Canada Blooms..

My visit to #groundchat tomorrow will focus on crop rotation and how that can affect soil health.. and how to keep soil healthy and productive when you are growing year round. Hope you can take part!!

All Season Growing Workshop - Tomorrow in Tantallon

2013-05-03T15:43:00.002-03:00

Transitions St Margarets Bay is hosting an all day workshop tomorrow at the Tantallon library from 10 am to 5 pm. If you want to learn more about using season extenders like mini tunnels, cold frames or unheated walk-in polytunnels, as well as what are the best veggies and herbs for a cold season harvest, this event is a must!! For more info, click here

Just released - the cover of my next book!

2013-05-02T16:15:00.001-03:00

To celebrate this, my 499th post, I am very exited to share the cover of my next book with you.. I was thinking that perhaps I should wait and make this my 500th post, but I'm too impatient!! :)

So, without further ado, I'm pleased to introduce Groundbreaking Food Gardens! (coming to a bookstore near you in Dec/Jan).. Preorders are now being accepted in the US here and Canada here.

As the release date nears, I will give you previews of some of the AMAZING designs in the book - I can say that without ego as 72 of the 73 designs were created by experts from North America and beyond. The contributors include fellow bloggers, garden writers, home gardeners, professional horticulturists and a whole bunch of awesome food gardeners who are as passionate about growing veggies, fruits and herbs as I am.

Nova Scotia Plant Sales - 2013 Edition

2013-04-29T16:22:00.001-03:00

Ok, my head is swimming! So many plant sales, so hard to keep track of when/where/who! I've started a list of the upcoming plant sales in the Halifax area and beyond.. and if you have any to add, please comment below.. I highly recommend checking out some of these sales - great varieties and great prices. An easy way to add new plants to your gardens and an opportunity to talk to some experienced gardeners who are happy to answer gardening questions!

Plant Sales:

UPDATE - Here's another one that has come in since yesterday.. and see the comments below as well.

2013 SPRING PLANT- SALE

AT "THE WILLOW GARDEN"

#407 Old Maryvale Road, Antigonish Co., NS
Saturday, May 18th & Sunday, May 19th, 10 AM - 4 PM

Look for: Perennials, Azaleas, Rhododendrons, Shrubs, Peonies, herbaceous & Tree, Specialty Trees, Begonias, Flowering Dogwood

For INFO on the availability of specific plants contact us by e-mail: willowgarden_ns@hotmail.com

Happy Gardening from Bill & Sharon Wilgenhof

(Niki's Note - If you are in the area, you definitely will want to get to the Willow Garden sale.. seriously amazing gardeners with extensive knowledge and wonderful plants)

Native Plant Sale (Support pollinators!) - Saturday May 4th, 9 am to noon at the Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens, 32 University Ave, Wolfville, NS. More details here.

Atlantic Rhododendron & Horticultural Society Annual Plant Sale - Saturday May 11, 1 to 3:30 pm at LeMarchant-St.Thomas School Gym at 6141 Watt St, Halifax. One week prior to the sale, a listing of the plants (many unique and rare!) will be listed on their website.

Dahlia Society of NS Annual Plant Sale - Saturday May 4th, 9 am to 3 pm or until sold out. At Micmac Mall, 21 Mic Mac Drive, Dartmouth, NS

Fall River Garden Club Plant Sale - Saturday May 25th, 9 to 5 pm at the Waverly Legion on Rocky Lake Road.

Rare and Unusual Plant Sale - Saturday May 11th, 1 to 4 pm, Farmers Market in Annapolis Royal, NS which is across from the wharf in downtown Annapolis Royal.

Halifax Westmoor Horticultural Society Annual Plant Sale - Saturday May 25, 9 am at St. John the Baptist Parish Hall, 26 Purcell's Cove Road (indoors!).

And more from the Nova Scotia Association of Garden Clubs website on plant sales:

May 11/2013, the Nicholsville Garden Club will be holding its annual plant sale and exchange in the Nicholsville Hall (413 Victoria Rd. Nicholsville, NS) from 09:30 a.m. till noon.

May 11/2013, the Great Village Garden Club will be holding a Giant Plant Sale at 10 a.m.at the Great Village School gymnasium.

May 11/2013, the Valley Gardeners will be holding a plant sale at the New Minas Fire hall on commercial st., New Minas.

May 18/2013, the Wilmot Garden Club will be holding its annual plant sale at the cornner of Stronach Mountain Rd and Highway #1 in Wilmot, NS from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.

May 18.2013. the Bedford Horticulture Society, will be holding its annual plant sale at Scott Manor House, Bedford 10 am

May 23/2013, the North Sydney Garden Club, will be holding a plant sale at the Cape Breton Exhibition, Regent St, North Sydney at 6:30pm.

May 25/2013, the Bible Hill Garden Club will be holding a plant sale at the Bible Hill Fire Hall, 69 Pictou Road in Bible Hill from 8 a.m. till 12 p.m.

May 25/2013. the Musquodoboit Valley Weeders will be holding a plant sale at the Halifax County Exhibition grounds from 10 a.m. till noon.

May 25/2013. the Village Garden Clubs will be holding a plant sale at the Rawdon Gold Mines Community Hall from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

May 25/2013. the Country Garden Clubs will be holding a plant sale at the Elmsdale Fire Dept. from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

May 25/2013. the Stewiacke Valley Garden Club will be holding a plant sale at the Upper Stewiacke Fire Hall from 10 a.m. till noon.

May 25/2013. the Dartmouth Horticultural Society’s Annual Plant Sale will take place at St Peter’s Church Gymnasium, 5 Crichton Avenue Dartmouth, on Saturday May 25 at 9:30 am. As this is a very popular event come early.

May 25/2013. the Dartmouth Eastern Shore Annual Plant Sale will take place at the Lions Club, 89 Chezzetcook Rd. 10am till noon

June 01/2013, the Hilden Garden Club will be holding a plant sale at the Hilden Fire Hall from 8:30 a.m. till noon.

June 8/2013, the Stewiacke Garden Club will be having a plant sale at the Royal Canadian Legion, Stewiacke from 8-11 a.m.

June 15/2013, the Westmount Garden Club will be having a plant sale at 100 Parkwood Dr. Sydney River at 8:30am

Sunday in the Garden

2013-04-28T12:54:00.002-03:00

A few of the seeds I'm planting today.

Ok, this is going to be a super short post, but one that I will expand on soon.. It is gorgeous outside - sunny and 15 C in my backyard and I'm digging, weeding, seeding and sighing. So nice to be finally in the garden. I would take post photos of my progress, but the sun is so bright, the colours are very washed out, so I'll wait and take some more later in the afternoon when it's not so glaring. I hope you're getting out in your own garden today as there is plenty that can be planted now - salad greens, turnips, beets, peas, carrots, kale, kohlrabi, onion sets, etc.. I keep my row covers handy for those night when the temp dips, but for now, the extended forecast is mild and sunny..

Back to the garden.. just came in for a quick water break, but wanted to share these photos.. :)

A 3 by 4 foot bed of Rocky Top Lettuce Mix
from www.rareseeds.com It's a new mix for me
and I can't wait to start picking salads!

My latest blog post for Proven Winners

2013-04-24T11:24:00.000-03:00

One of my favourite new container plants is
Superbells ^{^®} Lemon Slice. It looks
good enough to eat! (but don't, not
edible!) :)

The long-awaited arrival of mild spring weather has given me 'garden brain'.. I can't think about much except all the plans I have for this year - new shrub/perennial beds, a deer-proof fence (is that even possible?!) and a pot-scaped deck with a mad tangle of annual flowers, herbs and veggies. I'm also keeping a sharp eye out for unused or old items that I can 'upcycle' into fun and functional garden pots.. read all about it in my latest blog post for Proven Winners - click here!

Also, tune in to Information Morning on CBC radio 90.5 FM tomorrow morning (Thurs, April 25th)) at 6:45 am to hear Part 1 of my chat with Margot Brunelle on growing seeds. Part 2 will air Friday at 6:45!

And one last reminder that you can still register for my FREE online seminar with Horticulture Magazine. It's tomorrow at 2 pm ET (3 pm Atlantic) and you can pre-register here.

A Peek Under My Grow-Lights

2013-04-23T16:42:00.002-03:00

Ah it's spring.. and the space below my grow-lights is quickly filling up. Well, truth be told, it's already filled up and I have so much more I want to plant! The gardeners lament, eh? Book and magazine deadlines as well as work travel delayed my seeding (and blogging - sorry!), but I'm happy to say that I've caught up and I have flats of tomatoes, peppers, onions (my latest obsession) and assorted other seedlings happily growing in my basement. In fact, Margot Brunelle from CBC radio was here this morning poking around my seed lights and chatting about the pro's and con's of growing your own plants from seed. Tune in on Thurs and Friday of this week to CBC's Information Morning for my two segments!

I've got a lot of variety beneath my seed racks - about 2 dozen tomato varieties, 6 heirloom onion varieties, 6 cucumbers, 4 gourds, some herbs and flowers, and even quinoa! I bought my Cherry Vanilla quinoa seed from Baker Creek in the US, but they don't have a photo of the plants on their website, so I found this one if you're curious. I don't expect to actually get a huge quinoa harvest (or even a modest one) from my 2 dozen plants, but I am excited about how ornamental they are. Spectacular spires of cream and pink flowers.. Can't wait!

If you're in Halifax, join me tomorrow night at 7 pm at the Keshen Goodman Library in Clayton Park for my free talk on growing veggies and herbs in pots/pallets/and more! Plenty of easy ways to grow some of your own edible plants this year.

And, this Thursday at 3 pm ET (or 4 pm Atlantic time), you can join me for a fun and visual webinar at Horticulture Magazine on growing food year round. Space is limited to 1000 and you can sign up here!

Here's a sampling of what's under the lights..

Quinoa.. my first attempt.. The plants were spindly
at first (my fault), but have thickened up nicely.

Can't wait to follow the progress of the quinoa.
I may even try to grow some in containers.. anyone
tried that?

Some of my beloved tomatoes.. Sungold, Costoluto Genovese,
Persimmon and more!

The low position of the light helps keep the plants compact and
well branched.

Zaatar.. a staple in our house. I make manouchie (a Lebanese flatbread
spread with olive oil and spice) for breakfast at least 3 times a week. I grew
this about 5 or 6 years ago, but it was time again to grow some of our
own. The flavour is outstanding when compared to store-bought zaatar
spice mix. See the tiny plants.. Potential!

Giant Kossak Kohlrabi from Halifax Seed.
A new offering from our local seed company with huge stems
- up to 8-inches in diameter and perfect for fresh eating, stir-fries
or whatever! The seedlings are nice and stocky and I'm going to replant again
in early July for an autumn/winter crop.

Zinnias! C'mon, who doesn't love old fashioned annuals.
Last summer our garden welcomed dozens of Red Admiral
butterflies on a daily basis and they loved our zinnias.

Purple kohlrabi - a smaller version than Kossak and a family
favourite. Quick growing too - ready in about 4 weeks from
transplanting.

The Spring Ideal Home Show - Seminar Schedule

2013-04-05T09:00:00.004-03:00

It's HOME SHOW weekend!

JOIN GUEST SPEAKER NIKI JABBOUR WHILE SHE DISCUSSES:

No Garden? No Problem! - A dynamic and inspiring talk on how to grow vegetables and herbs without an in-ground garden. From pots to pallets, window boxes to wine boxes and hanging baskets to salad tables, Niki will offer a wide range of fun and easy ideas on how to add more homegrown food to your landscape.

Fruits, Berries and Beyond! - In this visual presentation, Niki will profile some of her favourite fruits and berries for the home garden, focusing on low maintenance and easy to grow crops like highbush blueberries, haskap berries, strawberries and raspberries.

Seminar Times

Friday 7:00pm - “No Garden? No Problem!”

Saturday 1:00pm - “Fruits, Berries and Beyond!”

Saturday 3:00pm - “No Garden? No Problem!”

Sunday 12:00pm - “Fruits, Berries and Beyond!”

My latest blog post for Proven Winners

2013-03-27T13:56:00.003-03:00

The weather looks quite mild this weekend with temp's rising above freezing - finally, a hint of spring! For a bit more spring inspiration, check out my latest blog post for Proven Winners - all about hanging baskets.. click here to read more!

Connecting at Canada Blooms 2013

2013-03-20T13:44:00.001-03:00

I would be rather remiss if I didn't post about one of my favourite days at Canada Blooms - The Garden Writers Association annual meeting. Yes, there really is a garden writer association and I've been a member for well over a decade. It wasn't until August 2011, when I attended the annual 4 day symposium in Indianapolis (my first!), that I really felt connected to my peers. Since then, I've really enjoyed these annual get-togethers that allow us to share, learn and network with each other. Here are some images of my favourite Canadian garden writers from this past weekend! There were many more folks I wanted to get photos with - next year!! :)

The awesome Liz Primeau (in middle) and Tara Nolan with me. Tara
is the editor of www.canadiangardening.com and the
associate editor of Canadian home Workshop magazine. Plus, she's
a load of fun!! Liz is well known as one of Canada's most respected
and knowledgeable garden personalities and was the founding editor
of Canadian Gardening magazine. Her most recent book is
In Pursuit of Garlic.

Ellen Novack and Dan Cooper, the authors of the 2012 book,
Gardening from a Hammock. They've also been guests on
my radio show and are so incredibly enthusiastic about
gardening. The book is a must-read.

Liz and I!! She is a hoot!!

Helen Battersby (who with her sister Sarah), are the bloggers behind
the wonderful blog, Toronto Gardens. She joined me
for a panel discussion about garden writing and social media.

Tara, me, Liz and Beckie Fox, the editor of the excellent magazine,
Garden Making. She too was an editor of Canadian Gardening
magazine, so I'm the odd man out! Surrounded by Canadian
Gardening alumni!

Steven Biggs and me! Steven's most recent book
is Grow Figs: Where You Think You Can't and he,
along with Ken Brown, organized the GWA
meeting.

Little me between Ellen and Dan! I need higher
heels!

Canada Blooms - Part II

2013-03-19T08:57:00.005-03:00

Over my two days at Canada Blooms, I'm sorry to say that I didn't see everything. It wasn't for lack of trying, but there is just so darn much to see! I have plenty of photos to share, but today I thought that I would focus on some of the smaller vignettes.. the smaller gardens.. the smaller floral displays.. the smaller interesting corners of the show that drew my attention. Don't worry, grander gardens are to come, but for now, I hope you enjoy these images from Canada Blooms 2013!

Talk about a magic carpet ride! I love the
combination of the narcissi with the vibrant
cut flowers.

This was the view directly across from where
I was book signing. And what a charming
view it was! Note the detail of an actual
spring garden - glorious rock garden perennials
tucked beneath the wheelbarrow, bulbs
in full bloom, trees just budding out. Loved it!

A closer look at the wheelbarrow..

And I thought I was having a bad hair day!
It was backlit, so the entire 'hair' was just a-glow.

Is it a pallet garden? Not quite, but a
clever knock-off.. 7 tiers of shelves for
a tidy, no space vertical garden. Available
commercially.

A water element included in the Sherdian Nurseries
100 year anniversary garden. A fire-reel from
around 1913 that poured a continuous stream of water onto the dense turf.
Gorgeous! It's hard to see, but there are blooming
clematis on the wheels of the reel.

A living portrait - sedums make an eye-catching vertical
statement in an aged picture frame.

Who's ready for a nap? This looks like a soft
bed for a rest! Note the painting above
the bed is an abstract landscape design. Very cool!

This wall was made from very thin rough wooden planks
that were then filled in with cement. An
interesting idea for an unattractive wall or fence.

A little bit of the booth for Garden Making magazine!

A doghouse with a living roof. How cool
is that?

Canada Blooms 2013 - Part 1

2013-03-18T09:49:00.003-03:00

I am back!! Just arrived home last night from Canada Blooms and I was blown away by the incredible gardens and the enthusiastic gardeners! I've got a LOT of photos to share.. but thought I'd start (sort of) in the actual order of my experiences at Canada Blooms.

This past Friday, March 15th I gave a talk and then did a book signing.. Sorry, I have no photos of my talk, but here is one of the book signing. It was a blast and I was able to connect with some of my online gardening friends as well. I did arrive a bit early for my talk so that I could spend an hour or more wandering around the show and snap some photos. Unfortunately, I couldn't live-tweet as there was no wi-fi (what??) - not even in the media room (what??). Anyhoo, I ended up posting/tweeting some photos at the end of each day.. Many of which I will share below and in my next few posts.

This really was a fabulous kick-off to spring and I'm ready to get planting.. which leads me to ask, "Why is it -27 C today?".. brrr..!! Here's hoping spring arrives darn soon. Until then, it's time to keep seeding indoors - more tomatoes, onions, eggplants, peppers, parsley, leeks, etc. etc. etc..

Look - I'm in the middle of the sign!!

Me at the Toronto Botanical Garden (TBG) booth signing
my books! Thanks to Jenny of the TBG for snapping a
photo!! Look closely and you'll see my book
behind on the shelf!

The TBG booth - it was PACKED with people
so this was my private corner.. Love the aged
wooden desk where I did my book signing.
Check out the blackboard - I signed
books right after Mark Cullen!!

A sampling of some of the many books they offered to
the visitors of Canada Blooms - love Teaming with Microbes,
Gardening in a Hammock, The Compost Gardeners Guide, The
Canadian Garden Primer.. and more!

I can't escape Amanda Thomsen of 'Kiss My Aster'!! Not
that I'd want to.. both Amanda and her book are hilarious,
informative, zany and just plain awesome. (I believe
that word was actually invented to describe her.)

I didn't know Ellen Zachos new book had been
released until I noticed it beside my book
signing table.. LOVE Ellen and love her new
book. Very unique and packed full of
solid info and gorgeous photos. I've been waiting
about a year for this book!

Last glimpse at the great job the folks (including the wonderful
Paul Zammit) do at the TBG booth. It's incredibly charming
and a great place to poke around, assuming you can
get through the crowds of people who also want to
poke around the booth!!

Many many more photos to come of Canada Blooms 2013!

Canada Blooms!

2013-03-15T10:51:00.002-03:00

I've just arrived in Toronto and will be heading to Canada Blooms in a few short hours. I'll be tweeting photos from the show and hope to post some here as well later today.. If you want to check out details of Canada Blooms, just click on their website.

Spring - The Countdown is On!!

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An overall look at a few of the Halifax Seed seed racks..
Spring is here!!

Yep, we're just over a week away until the 'big day', when we can officially celebrate the start of spring. Personally, I've already got a bit of spring fever and have started celebrating early. This Friday I'll be at Canada Blooms in Toronto talking about Year Round Veggie Gardening, but I've also been inspired by my recent visit to the Halifax Seaport Farmer's Market and I may have 'accidentally' stopped into Halifax Seed this morning. Oops! But 'tis the season and it's such a fun place to visit.. I may also have 'accidentally' picked up a 'few' packets of seed..

I will be live tweeting and blogging about my Canada Blooms adventure this Friday and Saturday, but for now, I thought I'd share a bit of spring with you! To follow my tweets on Canada Blooms or my random garden musings, click here. For facebook, click here.

Owen Bridge, the owner of Annapolis Seeds sharing his
wares at the farmer's market.

Owen's new seed packets, with art from one of his talented friends.

I perused the seed racks at Halifax Seed this morning - they
have some wonderful new varieties, including pattypan zucchini!
Love these prolific and pretty summer squash.

More of their new varieties - many from my book!
Including Vit corn salad, Broccoli Raab, Kossak Kohlrabi,
a spicy mix microgreens (generously filled packets),
Green Wave Mustard, Baby Boo pumpkins and
Jack Be Little pumpkins. LOVE it!

Always a classic - Bright Lights Swiss Chard. One
of the best edibles for edible landscaping, flower borders,
pots, veggie gardens, cold frames, etc.

I grew these petunias last year - Fusables Silk N'Satin. This is the time
to plant them indoors now!! Gorgeous HUGE flowers in
bold and vibrant colours. Very easy to grow.

And look, Halifax Seed shares the local seed-love by
carrying a rack of Annapolis Seeds varieties. This
pole bean is a favourite of Owen Bridge.

Drool.. amazing light racks for starting seeds.

Cloches! Great for protecting early clumps of
salad greens and kale, or tender tomatoes, eggplants
and peppers from frost. Also, note their sign - a
Fruit Tree seminar tomorrow!

These are what I use to start my seeds. Trays with
cell packs are an efficient use of space and can be
reused or recycled at the end of the season.

A new cosmos! The experts at Halifax Seed (Carla and
Margie) tell me this is a top seller. I love Cosmos, but haven't
tried this new one. Compact and great for attracting
pollinators and beneficial buggies to the garden. Plus
you can cut the flowers for long-lived bouquets.

One more squash - an heirloom favourite of mine!

Look Ma, it's my book! Just 3 copies left and now
freshly signed. Oddly enough, the Backyard Homestead
beside my book is a wonderful book by my book editor,
Carleen Madigan.. weird, eh?

Just harvested - A handful of winter cold frame carrots..

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Blomidon Nurseries tomorrow!!

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Join me tomorrow at Blomidon Nurseries at 1 pm - Sat, March 9th - for my fun talk on growing veggies and herbs in pots, pallets, windowboxes, and more! For more info, click here.

Call Blomidon for info and to pre-register if you get a chance. Last year this talk was filled as space is limited..

Hope to see you there!

The new look of Annapolis Seeds

2013-03-02T19:19:00.001-04:00

For the first Saturday since Christmas, I was able to get to the Halifax Seaport Farmer's Market this morning.. in a word, awesome! The best part? I got to connect with Owen Bridge of Annapolis Seeds and check out his new seed packets. Love the design! Plus, one can get lost in the range of heirlooms seeds - especially tomatoes that he now offers. He also told me that his website - Annapolis Seeds - now takes online orders for the first time, which has made life much easier for both him and his customers. Here are a few photos from today..

One of Owen's new seed racks packed with
his wonderful wares.

Owen answering questions!

Owen's new seed packets and displays.

Owen's offering the Reisetomate - see my photo
below!

Yep, this is a single tomato fruit!

So many heirloom tomatoes, so little garden space!

Other images from the farmer's market - love
this bunch of garlic..

Still a variety of winter crops available.

My latest blog post for Proven Winners!

2013-02-27T09:48:00.000-04:00

I love writing my monthly Proven Winners blog for a number of reasons. First, there are the fabulous folks that I get to work with, including my fellow bloggers, but I also love the opportunity to write about ornamental plants. In this blog, my books and most of the magazine articles I write, I typically focus on the edible side of the garden, but with Proven Winners, I get to explore a variety of techniques, ideas and plants bred for pleasure - colour, texture, form and more! In my latest Proven Winners blog post, I share the concept of colour echoing to bring harmony to a garden. Read all about it here.

Grow a Farmer! Time to apply is running out..

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Less than one week left to apply to ACORN Organic ‘Farm School!’

February 21, 2013

Sackville, NB – A notice to those green thumbs, or aspiring green thumbs, who are seeking more information about agriculture before making an important decision: do you want to farm?
Surely, if you haven’t yet had the experience, you may be trying to imagine what it is like to live and work an organic farm. Or perhaps you're already looking even further ahead to visions of managing your own farm. These dreams are pleasant enough, but you may be feeling hesitant about making a commitment, as you don’t feel like you ‘know- enough’ just yet.

Let’s face it, not many of us grew up on a farm, or even near a farm. Not only that, but likely our parents didn’t either. This means that for anyone interested in pursuing an agricultural career, there’s a huge generational gap in farming knowledge, which in years past, used to be passed on from generation to generation. Given that farming can be such a challenging profession–one requiring business management and mechanical skills, for example–all in addition to a basic understanding of general farm skills (like harvesting), while you spend your days working with (or against!) the forces of Mother Nature. Indeed, these days, it’s tough luck finding a one-stop-shop for all of the training you need to feel successful as a farmer, on your own, or with others.

And this is precisely what has inspired a local agricultural non-profit organization, the Atlantic Canadian Organic Regional Network (ACORN), to collaborate with a selection of Maritime-based organic farms to develop the first regional farm school: the Grow A Farmer Apprenticeship program. Pairing applicants with a dedicated and dynamic ‘host’-farm–ranging widely in style and scale of production–the Apprenticeship Program is catered to people who want to gain real, curriculum-based farm skills. The program is a 7-month apprenticeship guided by a curriculum that covers everything from production techniques for vegetable growing and soil, to broader topics including the more ideological origins of organic farming and the next steps to take forward as ‘growing farmers’.
Needless to say, it’s comprehensive, and bound to connect any new grower with a strong and unified network of other new and long-standing organic farmers and stakeholders in Atlantic Canada.

“Many of us don't have the natural experience of growing up on a farm or knowing of a mentor to guide us,” claims John Quimby, of Dunn Creek Farm, “but every successful farmer is mentored during his or her development be it via grandparents, parents, a wise friend, a learning course, or hard-earned experience–these are the guides that have brought every one of us to the hands-on skill-development of planting, growing and managing a farm,” he continues. “Susan (my wife) and I are no exception. That's the reason for this program. That's the reason we support it.

With the growing demand for sustainable local food, we also need to ‘grow more’ organic food producers in our communities. The Grow A Farmer Apprenticeship program guides potential new agriculture entrepreneurs to realize their farm dreams, through hard-earned, practical and educational experience.

For full details, please visit www.growafarmer.ca. Applications are available on the program website at www.growafarmer.ca/apprenticeship/. Scholarships are still available to applicants with limited means. ACORN strongly encourages interested participants to apply by the deadline: March 1st, to secure their placement for the full season! There are also 4-month summer positions available for student applications.

About ACORN
Since 2000, ACORN has been the key organization for information on organic agriculture, eating organics, and connecting all the parts together in order to advance the local organic sector in Atlantic Canada.

For inquiries, please contact:
Lucia Stephen, Program Coordinator 506-536-2867 or 1-888-322-2676 lucia@acornorganic.org