Niki Jabbour - The Year Round Veggie Gardener

2016-02-19T13:05:00.000-04:00

Um.. hi.. are you mad at me? I've been hiding for awhile now finishing my next book (check!) and giving any blogging love that I have to the website I own with a few of my favourite gardeners - Savvy Gardening. I swear that I will be a better blogger in 2016.. the manuscript of my book is now done and I'm in heavy planning mode for the photography that will take place this spring, summer and fall. The release date is 2017.. so we've got plenty of time.. edits begin soon too.. and I'm planning a garden expansion this spring! I need more space for the photography (at least that's what I'm telling myself) :), but I also need to change things around a bit.. revamp, rejuvenate and renew.. and I'm so excited about it.

Anyway, just wanted to touch base and let you know I'm still here.. I just had to re-focus on the book.. I hope all is well in your worlds and your gardens.. and guess what? Spring is almost here.. can't wait!!

All-America Selections Update - The Osteospermum's are in bloom!

2015-07-10T15:42:00.000-03:00

Three months from seeding, my Osteospermum's 'Akila® Daisy White' have begun to flower, and what a beautiful sight! As I blogged before, this was the first time I've grown Osteospermum from seed and I was surprised just how quick and easy it was - considering how expensive these plants are at the nursery ($4 to $7 each). I planted 12 seeds and got 12 plants.. I shared a few, but most were planted in containers on my super sunny back deck, where the first flowers emerged yesterday.

This year I've had the opportunity to grow plants that are All-America Selections winners, including this gorgeous annual, and write about my experiences with these tried and true plants that are grown and evaluated in test gardens across North America. This variety was a national winner in 2014 and for good reason! It's quick to bloom, producing large, daisy-like flowers that are held above tidy foliage, and will continue to push out fresh flowers until autumn.

So far, this plant is getting two thumbs up from me!

All-America Selections Update - June 2015

2015-06-30T08:48:00.003-03:00

Remember this? Back in mid-May these seedlings were tiny!

Now that summer has finally arrived, I thought I'd offer a quick update on one of my container gardens that featured past and recent winners from All-America Selections.. keep in mind that EVERYTHING in this container was grown from seed (by me!) that was started in late March.. Ideally, I should have started these a month earlier, but I was busy and it just didn't happen! :)

Nevertheless, these plants have proven to be extremely easy - and quick - to grow and I am anxiously awaiting bloom time (a week?).

Here's the recipe I used for this container:

- Three Dianthus, Interspecific 'Jolt Pink' F1. This is a 2015 AAS winner that will soon produce very big and showy electric pink flowers. (They're the plants with the long, narrow leaves)

- Two Geranium 'Pinto Premium White to Rose' F1. I have to admit, that I am very excited to see this geranium flower. The plants produce large 5 inch blooms that open white, but mature to deep pink, giving the plant a pretty two-toned appearance. Beautiful foliage too - a plus!

- Two Osteospermum 'Akila Daisy White' F1 - This is the first time I've grown Osteospermum from seed, and I honestly was expecting them to be much slower growing.. Happily, this 2014 AAS winner is speeding right along and will soon be in bloom. I have to note that it was super easy to grow and I will definitely be doing this more in the future - especially as Osteospermum in 4 or 6 inch pots are getting very expensive! The charming flowers resemble daisies with white petals and cheerful yellow centers. Can't wait!

- One Bear Necessities kale - I also grew this new-to-me kale from seed, and it isn't an AAS winner, but I do like to mix my ornamentals and edibles in my garden beds and containers. It has highly dissected foliage and will add a pop of unique texture to the pot. Garden BFF's!

TA DA!! Isn't it looking amazing - so lush and green.. Blooms coming soon - see all the buds
on the Osteospermum? Excited!

Container gardening with Crystal Godfrey

2015-06-26T15:30:00.000-03:00

A big crowd gathered as Crystal created a waterfall
container at the entrance to the Halifax Public Gardens.

Last weekend we celebrated National Gardening Days here in Canada, and I spent a good portion of the weekend at the Halifax Public Gardens. Tough life, I know!

Saturday was a perfect day and I had the opportunity to give a seminar in the bandstand in the middle of the gardens - definitely an incredible setting for a seminar!
Crystal Godfrey, who owns Secret Gardens by Crystal, a local container gardening and garden design company, also gave a talk that day and I was so inspired by her, I wanted to share some of it with you..

To find out more about Crystal, visit her website here. Facebook page here. Twitter here.

During her seminar, Crystal created a beautiful planter!

Love the combo of foliage and flowers!

Her booth was filled with dozens of large and small
containers with all manner of plants. Certain
pots were even planted to be bird,
hummingbird, or pollinator friendly.

This wheelbarrow was an edible food garden with peppers,
blueberries and plenty of herbs.

Love the variety of containers!

And the colour contrasts! Talk about eye-popping!

Crystal often uses perennial foliage plants in her pots. At the
end of the season, they go in the garden.

Perennials, annuals, grasses and more!

Some of her pots had very touchable plants!

Corkscrew rush is a unique plant with a very unusual texture!

After her talk, Crystal created a waterfall planter from scratch.

Planting the first plants - supertunias, petunias, African daisies and more.

Almost done! Don't get soil in the water! :)

The finished planter - and it works! Did I mention it was solar
powered?

Ta da!

Feeding my neglected lawn

2015-06-24T10:06:00.001-03:00

Mid-June 2015 - a nice, very very dense combination of
turfgrass and clover.

Waaaaay back at Canada Blooms in March, I interviewed Mark Cullen for a Savvy Gardening podcast. We got to chatting about some of the new products in his Home Hardware line called 'Mark's Choice' and he also mentioned his new Iron + lawn fertilizer..

I gotta say, my lawn is a bit of a casual affair and it's (purposely) planted with white dutch clover as well as various types of grass to form a resilient and low-maintenance turf. Plus, the bees just LOVE the clover blooms.

I do lime and feed it once a year (sometimes twice if I'm on top of my game), but it's often ignored and left to fend for itself.

In case you didn't believe me about the snow!
A late March view of the front lawn.

Yet, after this past winter that dropped 12 FEET OF SNOW on the front section of lawn (yes, 12 feet of snow), I wasn't surprised that when the snow finally melted in early May the grass looked terrible. It was a patchy, brown/yellow, flattened mess. At that point, I got an email from Mark asking me to test his Iron + and I said 'yes please!'..

The granular feed was applied to the front portion of my lawn in mid-May - once the snow melted - and after a nice hard raking to perk up the compressed grass. It did take a few weeks to start showing results - thanks to a stretch of dry weather, but once we got a few days of rain, fresh, bright green shoots quickly emerged from the turf.

It's now been about 5 weeks since I feed the lawn and as you can tell from the top photo, the grass is the nicest it's been in years! (My hubby is so happy) It's thick, lush and very carpet-like and I still have half a bag left so will now do the lower portion of the lawn so that it can look as good as this section. Thanks Mark!

(Disclosure - I wasn't paid to review this product, but I did receive a free bag to test. Opinions are my own.)

Two weeks post feed - looking very lush with many
new shoots emerging.

Again - two weeks after feeding. Can you see the dew drops?

Available at Home Hardware.

Garden Days have finally arrived!

2015-06-19T13:48:00.001-03:00

Sherry and I kicking up our boots before the
rain began!

With the rain today, Mother Nature isn't being very accommodating, but the wet weather hasn't dampened my spirits in the kick-off to Garden Days 2015!

I started the day with a trip to Halifax Seed (always a good way to begin a day) where I browsed their veggie transplants and picked up a few supplies for the weekend's festivities. They have been very generous in their support for Garden Days and also donated a big box of veggie seeds for me to give away tomorrow at the Halifax Public Gardens, the epicentre of Garden Days events in Halifax (Thank you Halifax Seed!) I'm giving an informal talk at 11 am in the bandstand at the Public Gardens, but will be around from about 10 am to 3 pm to answer questions and chat. (and give away seeds!). Crystal Godfrey, container gardening expert and garden designer will also be in the gardens tomorrow at 1 pm for a talk on putting together amazing containers. However, she will also be hanging out for most of the day to offer advice and answer questions.

As for today, after my stop at Halifax Seed, I then headed downtown to Dalhousie University for their annual 'Boots N Blooms' event. This fun morning encouraged the faculty to come out and help clean up and plant many of the garden beds, as well as a bunch of large containers. Also attending this event was Sherry Chaisson, an instructor and horticultural technician at the Agricultural Campus at Dalhousie University. Sherry is super knowledgeable on all things gardening and will be joining me on The Weekend Gardener in the coming weeks to chat about garden design.

The front of Halifax Seed is looking spectacular - just look
at those alliums!!

'Boots N Blooms' was a well organized event and Sherry and I got to judge the 'Best Wellies' contest and chat with the participants. Check out some of my photos below..

Finally, I made a pit stop to the Halifax Public Gardens, just checking out the gardens in advance of all the activities taking place tomorrow. Hope to see you there! For more information on Garden Days, just head to the website.

Happy Garden Days!

Busy gardeners at Boots N Blooms!

Down & Dirty was the group that won best wellies.. and they had the
best co-ordinating outfits too!

A list of some of the Garden Days activities happening at
the Public Gardens in Halifax.

It's so pretty - even in the rain! You'll find me in the bandstand tomorrow
at 11 am to talk veggie gardening!

Some of the carpet beds are still being installed. What a
cool process!

Cool blues in the perennial borders.

Hot coloured azaleas

I love viburnums.. so much!

My favourite viburnum.. looks like a wedding cake! FYI, it's
V. plicatum var. tomentosum 'Mariesii'

Garden Days 2015

2015-06-09T09:18:00.000-03:00

Garden Days 2014 - The great container garden
contest where local celebrities like Crystal
Garrett from Global Mornings competed for
the top honours! Here I am with Crystal after she
created her beautiful potted garden.

Canada's annual celebration of all things gardening is happening Friday June 19 to Sunday June 21 at dozens of locations across the country. There are almost one hundred activities taking place, including a bunch here in Halifax at the Public Gardens.

As the Maritime Spokesperson for Garden Days, I'll be giving an informal talk on veggie gardening on Saturday, June 20th at 11 am in the bandstand at the Public Gardens, followed by a 1 pm talk on container gardening by Crystal Godfrey. Crystal will also bring her LUSH container art showcase to the Public Gardens and will have a tent set up with plenty of beautiful containers to view or buy.

Throughout the weekend, there will also be guided garden tours, dahlia giveaways, yoga in the garden, planting with pre-schoolers, an herb walk, a Mi'kmaq drum circle, and Woozles will be offering outside storytime for the kids.

For more information about Garden Days - and perhaps details on events happening in your area - check out the Garden Days website.

Garden Road Trip! My visit to Forest Glen Greenhouses

2015-06-04T09:21:00.000-03:00

Peter in the studio with some of the hot new plants for 2015!
(LOVE the new Calibrachoa Aloha Grape Cartwheel)
Look close - do you see the Eugenia topiary beside Peter? It's
that funky spiral!

For the 4th day in a row, yesterday was cold, overcast and drizzly.. and the perfect day for a GARDEN ROAD TRIP, so I headed to Forest Glen Greenhouses in Brookfield, Nova Scotia, a place that's been on my 'gotta visit list' for several years. It's not a retail nursery, but rather, a family run wholesale business that grows the plants for the Atlantic Superstore garden centres in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of talking to Peter Cantley on The Weekend Gardener (Listen here - just click May 31st, 11:30 segment). Peter is the gardening expert for Atlantic Superstore / Loblaws Supermarkets and also spent thirty years as the Vice President of Floral & Garden for the company. It's always a treat when Peter drops into the studio to share the latest and greatest new trends and plant offerings. On his recommendation, I dropped in to Forest Glen Greenhouses and got a personal tour from owner and fellow plant lover, Judy Thompson.

So much to see in the large gutter-connect greenhouses.

The 6 acres of gutter connect greenhouses were jumping with activity as the staff prepared plants for shipping. If I had visited a month ago, every square inch of the operation would have been covered in plants, but even so, there was still plenty to see. Judy and her team plan for months of top quality plants, hanging baskets and containers, so that there is a non-stop supply from spring through summer.

Forest Glen started from scratch about thirty years ago ago and it's been two decades since they became the exclusive supplier for Atlantic Superstore. Judy and her husband Lee began with a series of hoop tunnels, but gradually, the family shifted to gutter connect greenhouses, which offer increased and more efficient growing space. They're also joined by Judy's daughter Megan and her husband Jason - as well as their young son, Noah. They employ about twenty locals, with another ten coming from Ramea, Newfoundland.

Acres of plants supply all the Atlantic Superstore stores
in NS, NB & PEI.

At this time of the year, the space is under production with annuals, container plants, herbs, hanging baskets and vegetables, but soon, they will shift gears and begin planting chrysanthemums for fall, followed by poinsettias for the holidays. ("In November, it's just a sea of red," says Judy.)

Judy also has the opportunity to travel to plant trials every spring and summer, followed by occasional plant hunting trips to Europe. This allows her to help Peter in seeking out new plants for Loblaws that will be tested for at least a year to ensure that they are suitable for Canadian gardeners.

I couldn't leave without asking Judy to share her favourite new pick for 2015. "'Miss Montreal' is a new trailing begonia with two-toned flowers in pink and cream and I am going to use it for all my window boxes." She says she'll pair it with Torenia (wishbone flower) and blue ivy geranium for a low maintenance, but spectacular combination.

My thanks to Judy and Megan for the warm welcome and tour! Now, it's time to get out and plant!

Owner and plant lover, Judy Thompson showed me some of the
new container combinations she is testing.

If you need container gardening inspiration,
look no further! I love this mix of textures,
especially the masses of tiny white
blooms on the euphorbia.

This photo doesn't capture the scale of these hanging baskets!
Each one is about 2 1/2 feet tall and wide and not yet available
at the garden centres, but you'll see them in the coming days.
It's 'Beauvilla Red' begonia, a truly beautiful plant with vivid
red blooms that light up shady decks and patios, and blooms its
head off until frost.

The popular 'Dragon Wings' begonias are also planted in these
sizeable baskets for summer long colour. Again,
these were several feet tall and wide!

Pretty combination of sweet potato vine with Sweetunia
'Moonlight Bay'

Basil pots! The fragrance was amazing..

The big herb pots - chives, basil, parsley and more!

Like all the plants, the herb planters are carefully spaced to
allow maximum sunlight & growth.

There was colour everywhere..

In the foreground, 'Wicked Mad Magenta Empress' Verbena just pops! Each
bloom is made up of tiny florets in purple-pink and white.

A field of potted creeping Jenny for containers. A jolt of
electric lime-green.

Looking up, there are thousands of hanging baskets in
many colours and plant combinations.

Another fun combination with Calibrachoa Aloha Grape Cartwheel, bidens
and soft yellow petunias.

Packed and ready to go!

So many blooms on the begonia plants.

A closer look at the begonias.

All-America Selections update!

2015-05-27T12:10:00.002-03:00

Viola 'Shangri-La Marina' is a lovely combination of light
blue, dark blue and cream.

It was late March when I received a package of All-America Selections winning seeds - a mixture of veggies, flowers and herbs - to trial and test in my 2015 garden. At that point in the spring, we were in the middle of the seeding season and I was worried that I was starting them a wee bit late.

Happily, that fear was unfounded as it's been eight weeks since I seeded and not only did the seeds germinate quickly, they have also grown at a rapid rate and some of those plants are now flowering! (I'm talking to you Viola 'Shangri-LaMarina', a dreamy viola with light blue petals and and a dark blue face.)

A 2013 All-America Selections winner,
'Cheyenne Spirit' is a coneflower that blooms
in its first year - when grown from seed! I started
a six-pack and they are ready to go into the garden.
Bloom colours include purple, pink, red, orange,
cream, yellow and white - on the same plant!

To quickly re-cap my earlier post (just in case you missed it), All-America Selections is "a non-profit organization, founded in 1932 by Roy Hastings, that promotes new garden varieties judged to have superior garden performance in impartial trials throughout North America." The varieties are vigorously tested across North America (even in my neck of the woods here in Atlantic Canada) and judged by 80 experienced and unpaid experts, such as Dr. Allan Armitage.

When you're flipping through seed catalogues, you may encounter the AAS symbol, which indicates that that particular variety has shown outstanding and superior characteristics. For me, it's always been a sign that a veggie, herb or flower is a 'sure thing', especially if it's a national winner (not just in one dedicated region).

So, to update you on the progress of my AAS winning seedlings, I thought I'd share some photos from this morning. I've been moving some of the veggies and herbs into my kitchen garden (a post on that coming soon), but today I also potted up a handful of containers with these plants. As spring morphs into summer and the seedlings begin to bloom, I'll continue to share images and updates.

Just potted up - my fingers are still dirty! - this large container which
combines Dianthus 'Interspecific Jolt Pink' with
Geranium 'Pinto Premium White to Rose' and
Osteospermum 'Akila® Daisy White'. I've never grown
Osteospermum from seed before and thought it would be a
long process.. but they are very easy to grow - and quick! I also
tucked a 'Bear Necessities' kale in the middle of the pot
to add some height and edible interest.

Another look at Dianthus 'Interspecific Jolt Pink',
such healthy foliage! The flowers will be electric pink -
can't wait!

My geraniums and Osteospermum just before
they were moved to my containers. Again - seed
grown!

I'm really excited about these vigorous petunia seedlings -
'Tidal Wave Red Velour', a national winner with ridiculously
large velvety red flowers.

I thought I'd start and end this post with my
violas - again, this is 'Shangri-La Marina'.
Just tucked 8 into this pot for my front deck.
They started flowering less than 60 days
after seeding - impressive!

... and we're back! The Weekend Gardener returns for its 8th season!

2015-04-21T19:17:00.002-03:00

Throwback! Me and Owen Bridge of Annapolis Seeds when
he joined me on the show in 2011! He'll be back on the air
with me in early May.

Eight seasons. I have no idea where the time has gone, but we have had such a blast these past 7 years that I can't wait to kick off our 8th! The fun begins this Sunday, April 26th from 10 am to noon (atlantic time) on News 95.7 FM in Halifax and 1310 News in Ottawa. But even if you're far away, you can listen live at the station websites and after the broadcast, the shows will be podcast on the same websites. (I also post the podcast links on facebook after each show).

More good news! Mega-producer, Meghan Groff will be back in the control booth once again, reminding me to talk slower (good luck with that Meghan!) and to keep everything on track!

I've been busy booking the first few months of shows and am excited to welcome back favourite guests like Craig LeHoullier (our tomato man!), Cathy Oulton, Owen Bridge, Marjorie Harris, Jessica Walliser, Tara Nolan, Steven Biggs, Crystal Godfrey, Allan Armitage, Beckie Fox, Telsing Andrews, and many many more.. plus many new guests like Shawna Coronado and 9 year old Emma Biggs!

If there are any guests or topics you'd like to hear, please let me know! As always, we welcome your tweets and phone calls during the show. The number to call is 1-877-801-8255 and you can tweet me HERE.

Lee Valley talk this Saturday, April 18th

2015-04-16T12:04:00.001-03:00

Unfortunately, thanks to a bout of the flu last week, I had to postpone my Intensive Gardening seminar at Lee Valley in Bayers Lake. It will now take place this Saturday April 18th at 2 pm.. For more info or to register, just give Scott at Lee Valley a call. A complete description of the event can be found HERE. To make up for the postponement, I'll be bringing seeds to share with everyone!! :)

Hope to see you there!

Seedling update!

2015-04-12T09:48:00.001-03:00

Salvia 'Summer Jewel Red'. Photo courtesy of
All-America Selections

I was late to the seed starting party this year, sowing the majority of my veggies, herbs and annual flowers a few weeks later than normal. Yet, with the rather deep & persistent snow cover, I wasn't worried, as it looked like spring would also be delayed by a few weeks.

Fast forward 2 weeks and everything is growing like crazy under the grow lights.. My basement is cool, which is ideal for encouraging strong, stocky seedlings and a small fan keeps the air circulating with a gentle breeze.

I still have to seed my cucumbers and squash (today??), but for now, I thought I'd share a glimpse of what's growing under the grow-lights. All of these below are new-to-me as I'm trialling a large selection of All-American Selection Winners this year.

How are your seedlings coming along?

These two All-American Selections (AAS) winning basils germinated quickly and I can already see the differences
in the baby plants. Dolce Fresca is more compact, while Persian plants are taller and they have different leaf shapes.

Persian basil is slow to bolt, meaning more basil and less
flowers. But when it does flower, the bees will love
it! Attractive and compact plants.

I don't think I've ever grown dianthus from seed
before, but I do often buy transplants from my
local garden center. This is Jolt, an AAS
winner that has large electric pink fringed blooms.
Side note - I got 100% germination from the seeds!

Dianthus Jolt, photo courtesy of
All-American Selections.

I have grown geraniums from seed before - several times - and I love the European flair they add to my back deck. This is Pinto White, a 2013 AAS winner. New to me though is growing Osteospermum.. I honestly didn't even know they
could be grown from seed. I thought they were propagated from cutting. Germination rates were 90% and
growth has been quick. I'm a daisy girl, so I'm really looking forward to Akila® Daisy White, which is said to be a
non-stop bloomer.

Pinto White. Photo courtesy of All-American Selections.

Last, but not least, here are my salvias! I have three growing
under my lights. The main photo above is 'Summer
Jewel Red', but I also have 'Summer Jewel Pink' and
'Summer Jewel White'. I wish I could grow a flat of each
as I LOVE their tall, breezy growth habit and ability
to entice pollinators and beneficials. Perfect pot plants too!

A sampling of the new All-America Selections winners for 2015

2015-04-04T08:39:00.002-03:00

Every year gardeners look to All-America Selections to discover the best new varieties to grow in their gardens. But who exactly is All-America Selections (AAS) and why do they bother testing and trialling new seeds? According to the AAS, the are "a non-profit organization, founded in 1932 by Roy Hastings, that promotes new garden varieties judged to have superior garden performance in impartial trials throughout North America."

To be considered for AAS testing, plant breeders must enter new, never sold before, cultivars. I've grown AAS winners since I was a teenager, but this year, I have been asked to grow, evaluate and blog about some of the winners from the past five years. So last week, a big box of seeds arrived and I spent a happy hour pouring through the box, choosing what to grow. I ended up starting 8 flats of seeds, selecting a combination of vegetables, herbs and ornamentals. As the spring turns to summer, I will continue to blog about these award-winning plants and update you on their progress, successes and failures.

Here are a few of the 2015 All-America Selections Winners that I'll be growing in my garden this year. To see more of current and past award winners, just visit the AAS website.

Broccoli Artwork F1:

I know you're going to think I'm weird, but sometimes when I'm feeling snacky, I crave broccoli! I'll steam up an entire head, sprinkle it with salt and devour it in mere minutes. Therefore I'm rather excited to try this new AAS award-winning broccoli.

Artwork is a stem broccoli, which means that the central head is just the opening act. After the initial crown is harvested, the plants begin to pump out side shoots for a long harvest of tender, bite-sized florets. The plants continue to produce stem (also called baby) broccoli for an extended period of time and are both heat and bolt resistant. I'm looking forward to testing this in my spring and early summer garden, but I also want to see how it fares for fall and winter harvesting.

Lettuce Sandy:

This is the first lettuce to win and AAS award in 30 years!! Wow, it must be good.

Sandy is a green oakleaf type lettuce that produces tight rosettes of crinkly leaves that are mild and sweet. The plants are resistant to powdery mildew and bolting, which means they won't throw in the towel on that first warm summer day.

AAS suggests growing Sandy in containers and/or the garden, so I'm going to do both to see how it fares. I've already seeded about a 1/2 flat under my grow lights and will try direct seeding it in the garden as soon as the snow disappears (June? July? AGH!)

Squash Bossa Nova F1:

It's great to see such a strong showing of veggies and herbs winning AAS awards in 2015, including this unique and beautiful summer squash. Bossa Nova boasts exceptional flavour and eating quality, but for me, it's the gorgeous fruits that make this a must-grow.

Each elongated squash has a mottled combination of dark and light green skin, which contrasts nicely against the dark green leaves, making the fruits more visible. No more missed zucchinis hiding beneath the foliage that grow to the size of baseball bats!

Basil Dolce Fresca:

Ok, I'm a basil freak. It's my #1 herb and I'm growing about a dozen varieties this year, but Dolce Fresca is the one I'm most excited about.

In growth habit, it's compact, forming a tidy mound that averages about 18 inches tall and 12 inches wide. The plants are quite dense, and attractive enough to be tucked in ornamental beds and containers.

It fills in quickly after each harvest and is also drought tolerant. If you have trouble growing basil, a common complaint among gardeners, consider giving Dolce Fresca a try!

Do you have a favourite All-America Selections award winner?

The Toronto Botanical Garden is on top of garden trends at Canada Blooms

2015-03-25T10:08:00.000-03:00

Award-winning & best-selling author,
Jessica Walliser!

I get a lot of press releases, articles and information packs from garden PR firms, nurseries, plant breeders all telling me what the next great garden trends will be. Often garden trends are nothing more than a sales pitch to promote new plants and products.

Sometimes, garden trends are so apparent that no press release is needed. Such is the case with the #1 garden trend of 2015 - at least according to me! But when I went to Canada Blooms in Toronto in mid-March, it seems that the Toronto Botanical Garden is also on the same page as I am, as their entire gardens at Canada Blooms focused on pollinators.

For years, I've seen this trend slowly building as more and more gardeners realize the important of attracting and supporting the populations of good bugs. My teacher was Jessica Walliser, who first piqued my interest with her book Good Bug, Bad Bug. I still take that book out into the garden when I need to ID insects and figure out what harm - or help - they can do.

Her latest book, Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden (Timber Press) builds on her earlier work and has just been honoured with the American Horticultural Society 2015 Book Award! Woot woot!! Congratulations Jessica! My copy is already quite dog-eared and I'm so excited for the coming season when I can put many of her ideas and suggestions into action in my veggie and new ornamental gardens. You can also read more about bugs, pollinators, etc from Jessica on Savvy Gardening, the website we started with Tara Nolan and Amy Andrychowicz in 2014.

As for the Toronto Botanical Gardens, this was - by far - my favourite spot at Canada Blooms 2015. Their display included a series of pods, which could represent corners of large gardens, small gardens or even condo balconies, with each showcasing pollinator-friendly plants and easy DIY projects for supporting and attracting the good bugs in your garden.

What do you do to attract pollinators and beneficials in your garden?

All about their pollinator playground. An army of volunteers
was also on hand to share their knowledge with gardeners.

Tara Nolan, of Savvy Gardening, was my partner-in-crime as we explored
the pollinator playground.

Pollinator friendly plants - herbs, flowers & more
were included in all the pod gardens to showcase
the diversity available to gardeners.

Master gardeners were also on hand to offer
advice & info.

Like most gardeners, I'm a huge fan of upcycling. Paul
Zammit, the Director of the Toronto Botanical Garden
created a masterpiece with many re-purposed items. He
suggests including simple DIY solitary bee houses in your garden
and planting clumps of bee and butterfly plants.

Um, the TBG also had an amazing store at Canada Blooms. I
may have accidentally bought a few tidbits! SO. MUCH. COLOUR!

There were some great pollinator friendly toys
and gardening kits for kids.

Let's just say I needed a bigger suitcase!

Garden Making magazine was on display in a corner
of the booth.

They were also selling spring bloomers - tempting!

Air plants to help clean the air. In trendy and pretty glass containers.

A living wall pod - great for small spaces. These were beautiful foliage plants,
but imagine a tapestry of lettuces, or herbs! Sigh.

A peek into the garden writers lunch at Canada Blooms

2015-03-23T17:57:00.000-03:00

Last week, I had the amazing opportunity to spend a few days at Canada Blooms. I gave two talks and managed to plan my trip so that it coincided with the Garden Writers lunch. This annual meeting is a great chance for me - especially where I live rather far from most of the other garden writers - to connect with old friends and meet some new ones too! I thought I'd share a peek inside the lunch and introduce you to a few of these fine folks.

Me with fellow Savvy Gardening expert, Tara Nolan, and Steven Biggs,
author of Grow Figs Where You Think You Can't and
his soon-to-be-released children's gardening book,
Grow Gardeners (stay tuned for a podcast interview we recorded
with Steven about this new book)

Tara with Barbara Phillips Conroy (Barbara's Garden Chronicles)
and renowned garden writer, Lorraine Hunter.

Two shining stars! Beckie Fox, Editor in Chief
of Garden Making magazine and Lorraine
Flanigan (City Gardening)

Canada's garden guru, Mark Cullen with Liz Klose, the director
of the Memorial University of Newfoundland BotanicalGardens.

Tara with Susan Poizner of Orchard People and Lise Gobeille,
a well known Horticulturist at the Montreal Botanic Garden.

Sarah Battersby (Toronto Gardens), Rob Howard, Barbara
Phillips Conroy & Kathy Wood.

I had to include this shot too, just so you didn't think Rob was
super serious!! A fun & fabulous bunch!

New podcasts!!

2015-03-22T09:22:00.002-03:00

Mark getting interviewed at Canada Blooms
last week - me sneaking in a photo! :)

As you may know, I'm a co-owner of the website, Savvy Gardening. We launched just over a year ago and the response has been incredible. Along with Jessica Walliser (bug & pollinator expert), Tara Nolan (flower & container gardening expert), Amy Andrychowicz (Budget & DIY gardening expert) and me (edibles expert), we cover a lot of ground.

We've now ventured into podcasts and have started a series of brief interviews called, Short & Savvy. For the first podcast, I chatted with Mark Cullen, Canada's garden guru! HERE is the link to the podcast, if you're interested in taking a listen.

Many more to follow!!

Straw bale gardening

2015-03-20T10:25:00.002-03:00

A straw bale cold frames whose bales will be turned into
a straw bale garden.

A few years ago, I built a straw bale cold frame to house some winter crops. It was a very basic structure made up of 6 straw bales arranged in a square with an old window on top. Come spring, I had planned to break up the straw bales and use them as a mulch in my veggie beds, but then I read about a unique gardening technique called straw bale gardening. So, instead, I used my bales to build a no-dig garden, planting an assortment of veggies, herbs and annual flowers. The result? A fabulous harvest with no backbreaking digging, bending, stooping or weeding.

In his recent book, Straw Bale Gardens (Cool Springs Press), Joel Karsten details his secrets to creating a productive and beautiful straw bale garden. He writes that you need three essential components: 1) At least one straw bale 2) sunshine - 6 or more hours if you want to grow food crops 3) water.

You don’t need a large property to straw-bale garden, and can even use this technique on decks, patios or unused concrete areas, or place them directly on the lawn. The easiest way to arrange the bales is in single or double rows where they are placed end to end. Orientate the rows north to south for maximum sunlight.

Bales are held together with string and when you are placing the bales, make sure the strings are running along the sides and not the top. “Bales of straw are like Humpty Dumpty,” writes Joel. “If they break open you’ll never get them put back together again.” The strings, which are tightly compressing the straw actually help the interior of the bale compost down, making the lovely growing medium for your plants. Between the bales, you can add landscape fabric, straw, wood mulch or another type of material to keep your feet clean and the garden tidy.

Seedlings ready for my straw bale garden.

Before you plant, you’ll need to ‘condition’ your straw bales. “The process of conditioning will take approximately 10 to 12 days - with the exact time determined by the air temperatures,” writes Joel. “This means that the bales will have composted far enough that the bacteria inside is activated and begun to digest the straw, making nitrogen and other nutrients available.”

When it comes to what to grow, you’re only limited by your imagination. Joel recommends erecting wire or string trellises above the straw bales - just like you would in a conventional garden - to support climbing crops like pole beans, peas or cucumbers, or annual flowering vines like sweet peas or morning glories. Rambling vegetables like pumpkins, squash and zucchini respond extremely well to straw bale gardening.

To plant seedlings, dig into the top of the bales with a hand trowel and insert the young plants into the straw. For seeds, Joel adds a one to two inch layer of potting soil on top of the bales for edibles like carrots, lettuce and beans. Keep the newly planted seeds and seedlings well watered. To keep plants irrigated, he recommends running a soaker house along the top of the bales, among the plants. This prevents the need for overhead watering, which can spread disease, but will also reduce water waste.

Have you ever straw bale gardened?

Canada Blooms 2015!

2015-03-17T12:23:00.001-03:00

The view from my hotel room!

Phew! Just back from a whirlwind tour of Canada Blooms in Toronto. It's my 4th year visiting this amazing show, which is celebrating its 19th year in 2015. Can't wait for the 20th anniversary where BIG things are planned!

For me, Canada Blooms has always been the official kick off to spring - even though I flew home just before Mother Nature dumped another 30+ cm of snow on us (sigh) and tonight and tomorrow is another 30 cm (double sigh).. but that's ok as it's just 3 DAYS TO SPRING!!

I still have major seed starting to do and when/if the snow melts, I will have new beds to dig.. don't tell the hubby, but I've realized that I don't have enough garden space for all I want to grow.. therefore, I think some of the nice, sunny, flat back lawn will need to morph into gardens. Who knows, if I gradually absorb the grass, he may not even notice ???

Over the next few days, I will do a handful of posts about Canada Blooms as I took hundreds of photos and want to feature a few of the most outstanding gardens with their own posts. For example, the display created by the Toronto Botanical Gardens was incredible and completely dedicated to pollinators. The #1 garden trend in 2015 (at least according to me!) Stay tuned!

I had the opportunity on Friday March 13th, to have an early morning media tour with some fellow garden writers, like Tara Nolan, who owns Savvy Gardening with me (and Jessica Walliser and Amy Andrychowicz). We did the first Savvy Gardening talk at Canada Blooms, focusing on Garden BFFs: How edibles and ornamentals can play nicely in the garden. It was a great group of gardeners who came out to see us and I hope it will be the first of many Savvy Gardening talks!

The theme of the 2015 show is 'Let's Play', and many of the garden designers created spaces to reflect playfulness, childhood and capture the imagination.

For now, here's a teaser of some of the sights of Canada Blooms 2015:

Walking through the Home Show to get to Canada Blooms!
Not quite a red carpet, but an impressive allee of potted trees, tropicals
and blooms.

Almost there - just a few more steps until we get to Canada Blooms,

Tara Nolan and I did our duty and thoroughly
explored all Canada Blooms had to offer! This is Tara
walking the charming wooden path of the Fairy Frolic garden by
Vandermeer Nursery and Earth Art Landscapes.

According to the designers, the Fairy Frolic garden
was "created with the hope that it will awaken
memories of days gone by, a world other
than our own and a retreat that takes us
back to childhood play."

This was a garden where you had to look very closely.
There were many details that were
only appreciated with careful viewing.

This was my favourite vignette in the garden - check
out the waterfall!

If you have any old tree stumps, logs, etc in your
garden, you might want to consider creating
a little fairy world.

I also loved this 'curious troll', a sizeable display in
the Fairy Frolic garden.

Look who was filming a TV spot in the nearby
Beinenstock Playground - it's Mark Cullen!

This was one of the coolest gardens at the show and
was created by Adam Beinenstock.
It featured a treehouse, with
a double spiral slide - which I tested out, thank
you very much! Not so easy in heels.. :)

Another view of the playground from the other side of the treehouse.
This garden used so many elements that appeal to kids.. there were
water features, chalkboards, trees to climb, slides, toys, etc.

Garden advice

2015-02-06T14:45:00.000-04:00

I was talking with a non-gardening friend last week and she asked me to give her some advice. More specifically, the best advice I could offer a new gardener. Well, that certainly got me thinking and here is what I told her:

Have fun!

Gardening isn’t about competing with the neighbours, rather it’s about creating a space that makes you happy. Whether its a single container of petunias, a personal veggie plot or a large ornamental garden, take pride in what you create and be sure to enjoy the process.

Start small

It’s very easy to go overboard when making your first ornamental or vegetable garden, but remember to start small. If you find yourself running behind and don’t have time to care for your garden, it will become overgrown and weedy and feel like a chore. Your garden should help you relax, not be another item on a ‘to-do’ list.

Feed the earth

Ok, this sounds cheesy, but it’s true. A healthy, low-maintenance garden begins with good soil. Yearly applications of compost or aged manure will feed the diverse populations of microorganisms who live in the soil, who in turn will release nutrients back to your plants.

Work with Mother Nature

Do yourself a favour and grow plants that do well in our region. They will require less fertilizer, water and be more resistant to insect and disease problems. Not sure what they are? Ask at your local nursery, spy on your neighbours garden (not to compare, but just to see what they are growing) or join a garden club.

It’s hard to go wrong with hardy perennials like daylilies, veronica, purple coneflower, yarrow and ornamental grasses. Top shrubs include hydrangea, weigela, azaleas, rhododendrons and rugosa roses. As for trees, I count magnolias, paperbark maple, Japanese maple, serviceberry and Kousa dogwood among my top picks.

Eat (and grow) your veggies

It’s amazing how homegrown veggies and herbs taste so much better than store bought, so consider planting a small vegetable garden, adding herbs to a windowbox or even tucking some tomatoes or bush beans among your ornamental plants. If you have young children or grandchildren, it’s also a great way to introduce them to where their food comes from. Plus, they’ll have fun ‘helping’ tend and water the garden.

My favourite veggies include ‘Sungold’ tomatoes, ‘Lemon’ cucumbers, pattypan zucchini, ‘Emerite’ pole beans and ‘Napoli’ carrots.

What advice would you add??

Five ways to beat the winter blues!

2015-01-23T12:50:00.001-04:00

Happy January!! I know, I know.. I've been neglectful.. full speed ahead on book #3 and a handful of magazine deadlines.. plus a bunch of upcoming lectures! But I'm also so excited to turn the corner on January and start thinking about seed starting.. Soon, I'll be sowing artichokes, onions, leeks and more.. have you started any yet?

Therefore I thought I'd share a few ideas of how to keep your green thumb in top shape throughout the 'deep-freeze' period:

1) Order seeds. Many gardeners prefer to wait and head directly to the garden centers in spring to buy their seeds, but others like to browse through seed catalogues and websites, selecting all or a portion of their seeds and waiting impatiently by the mailbox for them to arrive. Personally, I do both, ordering from my favourite seed catalogues, but also stopping at every single seed rack I encounter (farmer’s markets, supermarkets, garden centers, hardware stores - anywhere!) just to make sure I haven’t missed anything.

The 2015 Halifax Seed catalogue is now
available!

2) And since you’re ordering seeds, start some indoors - At this time of the year, slow growing seeds - like annual geraniums, leeks, onions, for example - can be planted indoors in a sunny windowsill or under grow-lights. I also like to start pansies indoors now, transplanting the cold-tolerant seedlings to my outdoor containers in mid-April for a breath of spring.

3) Pot up some herbs - When I first got serious about gardening, I began with herbs. It amazed me that those little glass bottles lined up on my mother’s spice rack were filled with bits of plants that I could actually grow. I started with the basics - parsley, basil, rosemary and thyme - and discovered that fresh plants tasted (and smelled) so much better than those bottles of dried green flakes. I never went back. Now, I grow a steady supply of aromatic herbs in our gardens, supplementing in winter with pots on our windowsill. Some herbs, like thyme and parsley are super hardy and can be overwintered in a cold frame for a non-stop bounty, but others like basil and rosemary are too tender and must be grown indoors. Also don’t shy away from unfamiliar herbs like lemon verbena which makes a delicious tea or lemony addition to fish and chicken dishes. Discover the range of herbs at the Canadian company, Richters Herbs which sells both seeds and mail order plants through their free catalogue.

4) Force some branches - You know that forsythia shrub sitting in your front lawn - c’mon, we all have one - go outside with a pair of sharp pruners and judiciously clip some branches, choosing those that may have needed a haircut anyway. Any twigs that are damaged, crossing each other or sticking out in an odd way, can be pruned off and brought indoors to be forced into bloom. Look for branches covered in fat buds - flowerbuds - for the best show of colour. Also consider pruning twigs from your other spring flowering shrubs - crabapples, witch hazel, serviceberry, quince and willows. Pop those stems in a vase of water, changing it every few days and within a week or two, those flowerbuds will swell and burst into bloom.

5) Think & dream. Right now, the garden is a blank slate, especially if you literally have no garden. If that’s the case, think about what type of garden you would like and what you’d like to grow - perennials, shrubs, vegetables, herbs? - and how you like it it to look - formal? natural? cottage garden? Get inspired by gardening books and magazines, or take some time and get lost in the countless garden photos found online at Pinterest. If you already have a garden, you may also want to re-evaluate and consider what works and what doesn’t, moving under-performing plants to new areas and making a list of new things you’d like to try.

What are you up to in the garden?

The last hurrah of autumn

2014-11-13T09:08:00.000-04:00

I found this forgotten Black Spanish radish in the garden.
I think I'm too scared to eat it though - it's almost 3 inches
across and will be VERY VERY spicy!

According to the weather forecast, we may get 5 to 10 cm of snow tomorrow.. NOOOOOOOO! Mother Nature has been so kind to us this autumn with wonderfully mild weather and few frosts.

I've been out working in the garden for the past few days, trying to tie up loose ends (and pull random weeds!) before the weather bomb. It looks like today is the last mild day, and I've still got plenty to do like deep mulch the root/stem crops and put up a few mini hoop tunnels in preparation for the (sniff, sniff) snow.

However, I thought I'd first share some photos I took yesterday - Nov 12 - when it was warm enough to work outside in a t-shirt!

Have you wrapped up your winter garden yet?

I've got about 20 celeriac ready for deep mulching.
Most about about 4 to 6 inches across.

Baby beets! Steamed these last night - like candy!

There are still some random blooms for the late bees. This
borage flower was pure perfection.

Plenty of calendula still in bloom. The nasturtiums
gave up last week, but these cheerful orange blooms
fill the gap nicely.

Another..

Can't forget about 'Peppermint Stick' swiss chard!
Seriously a knockout in the garden spring through winter!

I also still have hedges of sweet alyssum. It
just keeps going and going - even under
mini hoop tunnels.

Free download from Horticulture magazine - Great Garden Plants!

2014-10-31T11:02:00.000-03:00

One of the more fun jobs I've had in 2014 has been writing a regular column for Horticulture magazine. I'm happy to say that my column will now continue in 2015! A nice bit of news after the unfortunate demise of Gardens East, Gardens West and Gardens Prairies magazines earlier this month.

Also, because 2014 is the 110th anniversary of Horticulture magazine (they first published on December 3, 1904), they are giving away their Guide to Great Garden Plants: Award-winning Selections for Shade, Sun and Everything In-Between for FREE! Click HERE for the link.

I'm off to plant more garlic.. wondering if 500 bulbs is too many?? Nah!! :)

The last autumn hurrah in my vegetable garden

2014-10-18T10:12:00.000-03:00

This has been an utterly spectacular autumn.. My garden is still frost-free, but I think the party is coming to a quick end as the temperature is predicted to dip very low in just two more days.. ah well, I can't complain as we continue to harvest traditional summer crops like cucumbers, cucamelons, the odd cherry tomato, basil, and zucchini.

I've been a slack blogger lately - sorry! Tied up with book proposals (book #3!), magazine deadlines, and Savvy Gardening, the site I co-own with the wonderful Jessica Walliser, Tara Nolan and Amy Andrychowicz.

I'm especially excited for the launch of our new Savvy Gardening NEWSLETTER this coming Tuesday.. It's looking fabulous and anyone interested in receiving the free regular newsletter can sign up here.

I'm off to give a talk this afternoon in Middle Musquodoboit at 2 pm and then will wrap up my 2014 lecture season on November 1st in Bridgewater, NS. Details to follow.

I thought I'd take a quick second to snap a few photos of my garden before Jack Frost pays me a visit in the coming days.. Hope all is well in your gardens! What are you still harvesting?

So much celeriac - almost ready for winter mulching!

This was a red mustard planted last autumn.. we harvested during
last winter.. then spring.. then it bloomed.. and the
remaining stub came back again! It's now pushing out
lovely rosettes of leaves and blooms along its stem.

I'm also still gathering seeds - calendula, cucumber, and
of course, nasturtiums!

I love the combo of Italian parsley and sweet alyssum. I
toss handfuls of the chopped parsley in steamed potatoes,
in grated carrot salads and in my morning eggs. Yum!
I've got to move a few clumps to the cold frames for winter.

The Pineapple alpine strawberries I grew from
Renees Garden seed are spectacular! They're still blooming and
producing the aromatic fruity flavoured elongated berries.

I get a nice handful every day from my 24 plants. Will be
interested to see how they overwinter.

Here's a seasonal friend - the wooly bear caterpillar. So
fuzzy!!

Overwintering hardy salad greens for March!

2014-09-24T15:17:00.001-03:00

It's time to seed salad greens for a March harvest. Want to know how and what to plant? Check out my latest post for Savvy Gardening!

Frost is coming! Take cover (literally)

2014-09-19T10:42:00.002-03:00

Frosted dinosaur kale

We've been lucky so far.. late Sept and still no frost.. there have been a handful of frost warnings, but tonight, it looks like a frost is imminent. So what's a veggie gardener to do? As I say in the title of this post, take cover! There are a few simple ways to cover your crops and stretch your harvest season by months.

Mind you, if you truly want to harvest into late autumn and winter, you'll need to make sure you pick the right crops. What are the right crops? You'll want to focus on the cool and cold season veggies. In The Year Round Vegetable Gardener, two-thirds of the book is dedicated to the many outstanding crops that can be enjoyed during the cold season with details on how to grow them and how to protect them. For example, kale is a classic cold season veggie, but there are many others - endive, spinach, chard, arugula, claytonia, mizuna and so on. Plus, there are roots crops, stem crops (leeks, scallions) and wonderful, aromatic herbs that can also be protected and harvested all winter.

Now that frost is in the forecast, here are the three ways that I will protect the veggies currently planted in my open garden beds.

A lightweight row cover over Italian parsley

Row covers - These are a very basic level of protection, but can extend an autumn harvest by weeks or even months, depending on the crop. A row cover is simply a piece of lightweight fabric that comes in a range of sizes and weights. A lightweight row cover can be used to insulate against a light frost, while medium and heavy-weight row covers are used for more serious cold protection. Keep in mind that heavier fabrics allow less light to pass through to your crops so if you still want your crops to grow, remove the covers in the morning, replacing them at night or if a frost warning is issued.

A frosted cloche in the autumn garden

Cloches - Cloches have been used for centuries to protect crops. They are an easy way to shelter a few newly planted tomato seedlings from inclement spring weather, but aren't practical for large gardens as venting them in labour intensive. In autumn, I use my stack of plastic cloches to protect late season lettuces, small pepper plants and spicy globe basil from frost. You can also use a milk jug, bucket, or large juice or soda container to make a DIY cloche. If you're only using it at night for frost protection, it doesn't have to be clear. Make a large cloche for autumn tomatoes, peppers, and other mature plants by surrounding a tall tomato cage with a clear piece of plastic. Fasten well at the bottom, but remove during sunny days.

Hello winter mini hoop tunnels! Note the centre
support to help shed snow.

Mini Hoop Tunnels - This handy and easy-to-make structure can be used to shelter winter crops - especially tall veggies like kale, Italian parsley, collards and leeks. Or, overwinter crops for a super early harvest by seeding cold hardy salad greens and scallions in late September - October, and covering with a mini hoop tunnel in autumn. Harvesting of overwintered crops happens as early as March. These tunnels also great for autumn frost protection. I make mine from 1/2 inch PVC conduit that is bent in a U-shape over my 4-foot wide beds. I use 1-foot long rebar stakes to secure the conduit. For winter support, run a length of wood down the centre of the structure to shed snow. If you just wish to autumn harvest, no need for the centre support. Cover with a sturdy clear plastic cover. I use 6 mil greenhouse poly. A mini hoop tunnel will lengthen the harvest season of cool and cold season crops by months

What do you use for frost protection?