Niki Jabbour - The Year Round Veggie Gardener

Oops, I did it again!

2012-05-25T16:04:00.000-03:00

Look Ma, I'm on a sign!

Just got back from my talk at Blomidon Nurseries and may have accidentally done it again.. came home with more plants! What can I say, I'm a sucker for a well grown plant! Thought I'd share some of the photos I snapped today before and after my talk.

Tomorrow, I'm off to Moncton to the Southeastern Farmer's Co-op from 11 to 1 pm.. Can't wait!

Love love love sweet potato vine and this one is gorgeous!!

Another deep hued sweet potato vine. I know that I blog for PW, but that doesn't
change the fact that I love these in my pots!! (I will never endorse something that I don't LOVE)

Flats of Red Russian kale seedlings - a fabulous veggie for a 4 season garden.

I was ridiculously excited to see Cheddar cauliflower at Blomidon!!! I have never
seen this offered before in transplant form. It produces glowing orange curds that are
delicious and loaded with vitamin C! (I may have bought a few packs.. where to put them?)

Heirloom tomatoes - Cherokee Purple, Black Cherry, Green Zebra, etc.

Was so excited to learn that their asparagus, rhubarb and many of their
berries are LOCALLY GROWN! Hardy hardy hardy..

I resisted, but was very tempted to add these beauties to
my new berry patch.. Kind of regretting not getting
them now.. sigh..

Drifts of purple and white alyssum. A great plant for under tomatoes and edging veggie
beds as they smell great, look pretty and attract beneficial and pollinating buggies.

I really wanted this! Imagine it at the end of a pathway lined in lavender or catmint
or boxwood or... well, you get the idea. What a perfect destination for a pathway.

Fiberglass pumpkins. They look small in the photo, but the big ones
are HUGE (but not too heavy).. they are about 2+feet tall.. I think I need three of them
in various colours and sizes..

Another shot. Loved them so much.

Busy Weekend!

2012-05-24T15:11:00.000-03:00

Another busy weekend coming up and I thought I'd post a few of my events.. Hope to see some of you there!

Friday - 10 am to 1 pm - Blomidon Nurseries in Wolfville for an informal garden Q & A, lecture on growing veggie and another Q & A in the veggie section.. I will try not to buy too much!!

Saturday - 11 am to 1 pm - Southeastern Farmer's Co-op in Moncton, NB. Book signing and garden Q & A

Sunday - The Weekend Gardener radio show from 11 am to 1 pm on News 95.7 FM, News 88.9 FM and News 91.9 FM or live online at www.news957.com

This weekend on the show:

Steven Biggs - Author of the brand new book, Grow Figs - Where You Think You Can't
Ellen Novack and Dan Cooper - Authors of Gardening From a Hammock. This is a really unique Canadian gardening book!
Jean Ann Van Krevelen - Author of Grocery Gardening and social media expert! Jean Ann will join me to talk about how gardeners are connecting and learning on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest
Peter Cantley, Loblaw's garden guru will offer a preview of some of the unique new plants for 2012

Seedy Observations

2012-05-23T16:09:00.000-03:00

I've been waiting for a day like today for over week.. It's time to get more seed in the ground - carrots, swiss chard, beets, lettuce, Asian greens, and so on, but after three hot sunny days in a row during the long weekend (no complaints!!), the soil was a rather dry. Plus, I didn't want to be out watering twice a day, so I've been biding my time and waiting for rain. Yesterday it rained. A lot. Today, it's drizzly, cloudy and perfect for seeding. I just put in rainbow swiss chard, red salad bowl lettuce and three packets of carrots before the sky opened up again and the rain began. Now, I'm a bit drippy, but at least I got a few things planted.

I always find it interesting to open up different packets of seed from different seed companies. Sometimes you end up with way too much, while other times, there is barely enough for a small patch. I end up ordering many of my seed packets in bulk so that I have plenty of greens and roots for our year round harvest. Here are some of my carrot seed packets and being a total nerd, thought I'd count just how many seeds were in each packet. Here is the results:

McKenzie Seed, Creme de Lite F1 - I've grown this before from another company and we really liked the sweet flavour, but there were 27 seeds in this package. 27. That was enough for 2 tiny rows and that's assuming that all the seeds germinate. Carrots are notorious for being pernickety for germination, so I typically count on about 3/4 germinating.. That will leave about 20 carrots for $2.49.

Pumpkin Moon Seeds, Carrots Variety Mix - This is the tiny packet on the left and is from a local company in the Annapolis Valley. According to the label on the back, there are 7 types of carrots in the packet and I counted 109 seeds for $3.00.

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Carrot Cosmic Purple - One of the larger heirloom seed companies, Baker Creek has a wide assortment of veggie seeds.. This is a stunning carrot that has a unique sweet-spicy flavour. The packet had 312 seeds and sells for $3.00.

Ok, enough counting! The rain has stopped again and I need to go plant my bok choi. And my beets. And my beet and chard braising mix. And arugula. And...

What are your thoughts on seed packet contents..?

Tomorrow on The Weekend Gardener!

2012-05-19T21:13:00.003-03:00

The Weekend Gardener - May 20th

Big show tomorrow! Join me from 11 to 1 pm Atlantic (10 to noon EST) on News 95.7 fm, News 91.9 fm and News 88.9 fm - or if you're too far away, just go to www.news957.com

We're going to talk bugs - slugs, red lily beetles, cabbageworm, potato beetles, butterflies and any other critters you want to discuss - with Ingrid Hoff, expert from www.gardenseast.ca magazine! (Plus, we'll give away a 1 year subscription to this awesome magazine!)

Also, Bev McPhail from the HRM gardens will join me for a preview of their upcoming open house and tell us what we can expect to see in the local city gardens.. (hint - more veggies!!)

Marie Iannotti, the author of the great new book, The Beginners Guide to Growing Heirloom Vegetables will join me to talk veggies!! (love her new book - we'll have one to give away if producer Meghan can pry it from my hands)

Finally, we'll also find out about pallet gardening in the Maritimes with the experts at www.offthewallurbangardens.com!

Hope you'll join us too..

After the show, I'll be at Bloom Greenhouse and Garden Centre from 2 to 3:30 pm talking veggies in pots, taking your garden questions and signing copies of The Year Round Vegetable Gardner.. Come say hi!

Post #401! A spring garden tour (not my garden!)

2012-05-16T21:09:00.002-03:00

A magnolia in full bloom and rock garden perennials.

I had the amazing privilege of visiting one of the province's loveliest gardens early last evening.. I had a guided tour, but can honestly say that I was so dazzled, many of the exact species have left my brain (perhaps the gardener can help ID some of these plants in the comment section of the blog..?) But, I really wanted to shared these springtime images with you so that you can see what is blooming in my region this time of year. I keep seeing fellow gardeners from warmer areas posting photos of roses, peonies, lilacs and more.. we may not have these plants in bloom quite yet, but I'm in no rush. Especially with gardens like this..

(Also be sure to check the end of this post for some upcoming garden event info!)

Fritillaria (sigh) and white arabis

A bit dark (sorry, used my iPhone!) photo of
hellebore and white arabis. Loved the combo!

An early blooming clematis

Look closely.. see all the marsh marigolds in bloom?! Great idea for
a damp and boggy spot in the garden. Do you also see the homemade wooden
bridge at the centre of the bog..?

A close up on the right side of the bog.. with all those Marsh Marigolds
you can hardly see the water!

Seriously gorgeous.. ferns, marsh marigolds, iris..

Hello! A species of veronica I believe..

The terraced garden in mid-spring..

A dwarf form of Jacob's ladder..

Another type of veronica..

Butterflies magnolia - MUST HAVE!
Look at the centre of the bloom.. amazing!

Another image of Butterflies magnolia.. the blooms look like wax..

Was so dazzled, I forgot the name already.. (help!?) It's already been
blooming for three weeks with no sign of slowing down!

Two Upcoming Garden Events (you won't want to miss!):

May 19 - Garden Fair in Chester Basin, Nova Scotia from 9am-noon. Plants, products, services and “free stuff”. Aenon Baptist Church parking lot, across from Post Office in Chester Basin. Contact Myra (902) 273-2000 myra484@eastlink.ca

June 02 - Basin Gardeners Association Plant Sale at Louisiana Pacific Union Hall, East Chester. 9am-noon.

May 24th - Lunenburg and Area Garden Club Plant Sale. 3 Green Street, Lunenburg from 8 am to noon.

Growing Figs in the North - A Guest Post by Steven Biggs

2012-05-15T08:58:00.000-03:00

Don't you love the cover of Steven's book??

I'm thrilled to introduce this guest post by Steven Biggs, a Canadian garden writer and speaker who co-authored the best-selling No-Guff Vegetable Gardening and has just released his brand spanking new book, Grow Figs: Where You Think You Can't. It's good. Really good. And if you have any interest at all in these incredible fruits, this is a book you will want to have. Steven is a self described 'Fig Pig' and I first met him (in person) last summer at the Garden Writers annual convention in Indianapolis. Before that, he'd been a guest on my radio show talking with his co-author Donna Balzer about No-Guff Vegetable Gardening and just a few months ago, we met up again at Canada Blooms where dozens of Canadian Garden Writers took part in a fun and informative lunch.

Garden friends, may I have the pleasure of introducing you to Steven Biggs:

STEVEN BIGGS

It’s May and my fig trees here in Toronto, here in a fig-unfriendly garden zone, are leafing out. More importantly, the first crop of figs—the “breba” crop—is underway and should be ready in July. Yum, I can’t wait! (The second crop—the “main” crop—ripens in September and October.)

If you live somewhere where figs don’t survive the winter— in a fig-unfriendly garden zone—you might already have seen neighbours growing figs. If not, have no doubt: You can grow figs in coldish climates. It takes a bit of effort to protect them from extreme cold…but not much.

DID YOU KNOW that a fig tree overwintering indoors needs no more care than a potted houseplant? Actually, it needs less, because the fig goes dormant in the winter.

Figs WANT to go dormant. They drop their leaves after the first frost. That means we can keep them over the winter even if we don’t have a bright, hot greenhouse. While they’re dormant, they don’t need light or much heat. Contrast this to lemon trees, which demand a sunny window or a greenhouse in cold climates!

In fig-unfriendly zones you can often overwinter fig plants outdoors too. Over the winter, the ground remains warmer than air, which is why the technique works. The most well-known method of keeping a fig tree outdoors over the winter is burying it, and you’ll find more information about that approach on my website, www.grow-figs.com.

The Bloomin' Veggie Garden

2012-05-14T13:25:00.000-03:00

I really love this time of the year. Every day brings new things to plant.. yesterday, I had a few hours to toil in the garden and managed to dig under a deep layer of aged manure (oxen poop this year!) and plant 15 assorted tomatoes (just the tip of the iceberg!), 4 more ten-foot long rows of peas (super sugar snap), about a dozen types of lettuce, banana potatoes, celery, onions and more.

And, as I worked, I was serenaded by the lovely buzzing of the bees and pollinating insects who were going crazy in the leftover clumps of kale/mizuna/mustards/tatsoi/mache from last winter that I allowed to flower. The main reason that I leave these plants in the garden when they are past their eating prime is so that they early bees and other pollinators have something to sustain them if no other sources of pollen are available. I didn't get a chance to take any photos yesterday, so I just wandered up to the garden now (deadlines be damned!) to take a few photos (with my iPhone, hence the occasionally blurry image). Aren't these gorgeous?? Plus, they make nice cut flowers on the windowsill..

A 5 foot by 4 foot clump of mizuna and mustard in full bloom!

Look close.. do you see the hardworking little guy mid-photo?

Another pollinator on the top right hand side..

Red Russian kale in full bloom. Love the purple stems, green leaves and bright yellow flowers.

Red Russian kale - the immature buds are eaten like broccoli. Yum!

Here's a photo of one of the immature buds. Enjoy raw or steam/stir-fry as you would broccoli.

Mache is also in bloom. I will let a few plants go to seed and sprinkle them everywhere for a bumper crop of mache next fall/winter.

Redbor kale.. sorry for the blurry buds, I tried to get a clear shot! Gorgeous colour.. spinach in behind.

On a completely unrelated note, Alice at Ouest-Ville Perennials gave me this handy Dartmouth-made tote
a few weeks ago when I went down to West Pubnico and lectured on year round veggie gardening. Locally made and
incredibly handy (we really gave it quite the workout the past few days). I have to say that I'm very impressed! Here's a link if you're interested - Veggie Harvester Bag

The Weekend Gardener Sunday May 13th

2012-05-12T22:34:00.003-03:00

Join me tomorrow (Mother's Day Sunday) from 11 am to 1 pm for The Weekend Gardener.. I'll be joined by:

Peter LePierre and Pat Langley of Home Harvest Kitchen Gardens!

Crystal Godfrey, the designer behind Secret Gardens by Crystal will talk container gardening! From crops in pots to non-stop blooming annuals for your window boxes and containers.

Beckie Fox, the editor of Garden Making magazine.. she'll preview their summer issue, which hits stores on Monday, May 14th and we'll talk fertilizing roses, marigolds and tilling versus no-tilling..

Debra Prinzing, the author of The 50 Mile Bouquet.. Debra will share some of her favourite cut flowers and we'll chat about the rising trend of local flower growers..

Can't wait! Listen live on News 95.7 FM, News 88.9 FM, News 91.9 FM or live on www.news957.com

Plant Sales and Plant Contest!

2012-05-09T08:52:00.000-03:00

About 1/3 of my veggie, herb an annual
flower seedlings.. yikes!

Tis the season for plant sales. From driveways sales of potted up hosta and daylily divisions to the slightly more diverse sales offered by garden clubs, every weekend in May seems to bring more plants to the ever-increasing pile on my front porch. Currently in that space, there are literally hundreds of hardening-off seedlings nestled beside rhododendrons, witch hazel, hydrangea, alliums, coleus, herbs, raspberries and more. And, with a handful of plant sales this weekend, I know that resistance is futile and that pile of plants will continue to grow.. So, here are a few of the upcoming plant sales, along with one of my book events taking place this Saturday in Berwick!

The Atlantic Rhododendron and Horticultural Society:

Sat May 12th, from 1 to 3:30 at Le Marchant-St. Thomas School Gymnasium (6141 Watt Street) in Halifax. This is a BIG sale.. not only will there be a good selection of rare and unusual (as well as common) rhododendrons, azaleas, evergreens and more, but some of the members will be selling divided plants from their own gardens. Arrive early! Members will also be on hand to answer your gardening questions and offer advice.

Annapolis Royal Rare and Unusual Plant Sale:

Sat May 12th from 1 to 4 pm at the Farmers Market by the Wharf in Annapolis Royal. Plant lovers will find this sale worth the 2 1/2 hour drive. There will be a range of merchants including Bunchberry Nurseries, Gardens North Seeds, Baldwin's Nurseries, Ouest-Ville Perennials and over a dozen vendors in all.. Arrive early, but the fun doesn't begin until 1 pm!

The Year Round Vegetable Gardener Book Signing and Q & A:

Sat May 12th from 1 to 2:30 at The Briar Patch in Berwick. Bring your gardening questions and come say hi! There will be copies of my book for sale and plenty of veggie seedlings, perennials, trees, shrubs, annuals and more to tempt you! I know I'm in trouble.. just hoping they have an Empress Wu hosta for me to buy.. And a kousa dogwood.. and some blackberries.. and...

Also, don't forget to scroll down and check out my last blog post about the Proven Winners contest! It ends in just 2 days!! Enter to win a copy of my book and a preview box of Proven Winners plants that won't be available to gardeners for a whole year! Good luck!

BIG Contest!! Win a copy of my book AND a box of not-yet-released Proven Winners plants!!

2012-05-04T10:52:00.000-03:00

Ok.. big contest and I've been sitting on it for over week waiting to share it with you! Many of you know that I blog monthly for Proven Winners (see the PW badge on the right side of my blog to read my posts). They have been kind enough to put together an amazing contest that where the winner will not only win a copy of my book, The Year Round Vegetable Gardener (2012 American Horticultural Society Book Award Winner - sorry for the plug!), but also a box of preview Proven Winners plants that won't be available in garden centres until 2013!! Seriously exciting for any plant lover.

Contest Details:

Contest runs from May 4th until noon PST on May 11th, 2012

The preview box of new Proven Winners varieties may include Superbells^® Lemon Slice Calibrachoa, Senorita Blanca^® Cleome, Luscious^® Berry Blend Lantana, Blushing Princess^™ Lobularia, Supertunia^®Watermelon Charm Petunia and Colorblaze^®Marooned Coleus. DROOL!!

The winner will be announced by 5 pm PST on May 11th.

Entering is simple! Just ‘like’ the Proven Winners Facebook page and/or my Facebook page and then return to the Proven Winners blog post (here) and leave a comment saying you did so. You can enter up to two times. The winning entry will be chosen at random. Oh, and this is a multi-blog contest, so be sure to visit the other participating blogs to learn more! Check out the end of the post for a list of them all.

Here are the participating blogs of my fellow Proven Winners bloggers (love these ladies!):

www.punkrockgardens.com

http://www.cowlickcottagefarm.com/

http://reddirtramblings.com/

http://www.kissmyaster.co/

http://www.jpetersongardendesign.com/

http://www.northcoastgardening.com/

http://www.gardenertofarmer.net/

http://www.thedandelionwrangler.ca/

http://insidestorey.blogspot.com/

GOOD LUCK!!

Seed Potatoes and Odd Bits

2012-05-01T16:09:00.001-03:00

I really need to stay away from garden centres and places like Halifax Seed! I popped in this morning after I recorded my show promos for The Weekend Gardener (can't wait to hit the airwaves this Sunday!) and 'accidentally' bought some onion sets, seeds, gladiolas and dahlias. Forgot to get my raspberries though! Obviously I was overwhelmed! :)

On the way home, I picked up the seed potatoes I had ordered from Hope Seeds - so exciting! I've been hearing about Pink Fir Apple Fingerlings for years (said to be one of the best tasting potatoes), so am thrilled to finally have 1 1/2 pounds to plant this spring. It has an extremely high yield, is resistant to blight, produces vigorous plants and the elongated tubers are soft pink with golden yellow flesh. Excellent roasted or steamed!

Caribe is a purple skinned, white fleshed potato that has become a family favourite for us, so I always plant plenty of this pretty spud. It's very high yielding and we typically harvest all summer long for a non-stop supply of new purple potatoes. It's a NB potato that was bred in 1969.

Belleisle is new to me, but according to Hope Seed it is a super dry potato that is perfect for baking or roasting and was bred in NB in 1958! It has buff, netted skin and white flesh.

I don't have any yet, but I do plan on getting some All Blue potatoes as well. They did fantastic for us last summer and the deep purple skin and flesh is incredibly dramatic and delicious. They make excellent baked french fries that everyone gobbled up.

Lee Valley Seminar Update - This Sat from 10 am to noon I'll be at Lee Valley in Halifax for a talk on growing crops in pots. I'll also cover pallet gardens, potato towers, bagged gardens, salad tables, vertical wall gardens and much more.. tickets are very limited.. I hear there are only a handful left, so if you want to come, call them asap to book your seat!

Time to plant my peas.. I'll try to post soon about whether soaking really helps speed up pea and bean seed germination.. as well as touch on the usefulness of coated seeds - love my coated lettuce and carrot seed!

I'm dreaming of summer.. baby potatoes and onions roasted or sautéed together!

The Weekend Gardener Returns this Sunday, May 6th!!

2012-05-01T08:40:00.001-03:00

We're bacccckkk!

Season 6 of The Weekend Gardener kicks off this coming Sunday from 11 am to 1 pm (Atlantic time, which is 10-noon EST) on News 95.7 FM, News 91.9 FM and News 88.9 FM - or, if you're out of range, you can listen live on www.news957.com.

I'm just about to head into the studio this morning to record the promos for the first month of shows and I can tell you that it's going to be a good season! Amazing, interesting, knowledgeable guests! Giveaways (who doesn't love a good giveaway??)! All that and more (do I sound like a radio host??) :)

To jump start this season, I've dedicated the first show to our amazing Maritime gardeners. Jodi Delong will be joining me to talk about her books, extremely popular blog and the new website for gardeners that she launched a few months ago. Also, I want to find out her favourite plants and a few gardening secrets! This is a great opportunity to call Jodi and I with your gardening questions.. don't be shy!! We love to talk gardening.

Then, Cathy Oulton of Bloom Greenhouse and Garden Centre will share some of the exciting new plants for 2012. From trees and shrubs to perennials and container plants, we'll cover it all..

Finally, Aaron and Anna from Sweet Valley Herbs in Keswick, NB will talk herbs. What are the top culinary herbs (hello, basil!) as well as the more decorative ones like lavender and hyssop. We'll talk about garden and container growing as well as how to use your herbs. Love herbs and these guys are fantastic!

Did I mention that we'll also be taking your calls?? 1-877-801-8255 is the number to call on Sunday 11 to 1 pm.

Hope you'll join me!

Protecting your garden from frost - a Canadian Gardening article

2012-04-30T19:33:00.002-03:00

A mini hoop tunnel - a quick way
to protect newly planted veggies from
frost.

Earlier this month, I had a lovely chat with garden writer April Demes.. she was working on an article for Canadian Gardening magazine and it's now been published and she just e-mailed me the link. To read the article, click here! She was kind enough to include me (and the many mistakes I've made over the years! Bunny slippers and sheets!) in the article, along with a few of my photos from The Year Round Vegetable Gardener.. great article and great advice. Thanks April! :)

Upcoming Lee Valley Seminar

2012-04-28T18:53:00.000-03:00

Photo from Off the Wall Urban Gardens

Saltscapes weekend is cruising by! I've spent the past two days giving lectures on growing edibles and extending your season.. just two talks left tomorrow and then I'll begin preparing for my next event, which takes place at Lee Valley in Halifax next Saturday from 10 am to noon. Pre-registration is required, as space is limited. Last month, my Lee Valley seminar covered the basics of veggie gardening as well as year round veggie gardening. On May 5th, I'll tackle the fun topic of Crops in Pots (click on the link to be directed to the seminar details and registration info). I'll offer ideas for the top crops for containers, combining ornamentals and edibles in pots, fun ideas for pots, as well as innovative ways gardeners are using their vertical spaces (walls, fences, arbours, etc.) to grow edibles (pallets, shoe bags, gutters and many many more!)

Saltscapes Weekend

2012-04-26T06:48:00.001-03:00

Jodi speaking at last year's expo (www.saltscapes.com)

Well, it's Thursday and I've been busy this week with book #2, magazine deadlines and getting ready for my talks this weekend at the Saltscapes Expo. For the complete speaking schedule for Saltscapes, click here. Everyone tells me how much fun this event is, so I am looking very forward to my first time at the expo. Plus, Jodi Delong and Michelle Muis will also be giving garden chats, so in between my own talks, I hope to take in theirs.

Oh yes, I also have been shovelling plenty of poop this week, planting peas, sweet peas, kales, lettuce, kohlrabi, scallions, and much more.. I love spring!

Update on the non-existent deer fence.. after much research and talking to some experts, I decided against electric (too many neighbourhood kids). Sigh.. so, I will go back to netting, but will certainly reinforce it with some extras defences.. they've been nibbling my chives and spinach, so it's time to get the barrier up. Hopefully this weekend!

See you at Saltscapes!

Ouest-Ville Perennials Update!

2012-04-22T21:11:00.000-03:00

What a fantastic time today at Ouest-Ville Perennials in West Pubnico, NS.. the rains held (mostly) off and it was fabulous to talk to such enthusiastic gardeners (Ann Jones, who puts together the great magazine, Scotia Gardener, Paula Smith, Neil LeBlanc Jr - the worm poop man! and many many more) Such a great turn out - thanks to everyone who came by this afternoon for the book signing, veggie growing Q & A, cookies and coffee! Also, a huge thanks to the wonderful team at Ouest-Ville Perennials, including Alice, Margie (and everyone who I am forgetting to name in writing this so quickly!) for so generously hosting me today. It was a fantastic afternoon and I can't recommend the nursery enough for any plant lover - whether your passion is perennials, grasses, annuals, veggies or roses.

Neil and I admiring his poop - does that sound weird??!? Worm poop!

Some of the Ouest-Ville Perennial gang and me!

Ouest-Ville Perennials

2012-04-22T09:08:00.002-03:00

It's a bit drizzly today, but I'm just getting ready to head down to Ouest-Ville Perennials for my 2 to 3:30 book signing and veggie garden Q & A.. Can't wait.. Hope to see you there!

A Vertical Pallet Garden

2012-04-18T15:43:00.002-03:00

Pallets are perhaps the biggest micro-trend in the gardening world at this time. Photos of gorgeous gardens made from recycled pallets are all over pinterest and Facebook. Yet, it all started a few years ago when the popular garden blog, Life on The Balcony, ran a photo of a pallet garden on a small space deck. Since then, clever gardeners are finding many ways to turn pallets into productive veggie, herb and strawberry gardens, as well as grow ornamentals like sedums, nasturtiums, pansies and dwarf grasses in between the slats.

Yesterday, a press release was sent out announcing a new company in Halifax - Off the Wall Urban Gardening which aims to create and supply ready-made pallet gardens for new veggie gardeners or those with very little space. Read the details below and check out the photos sent to me by co-founder, Robert Cervelli.

Off the Wall Urban Gardening serves new market for

high-density gardening solutions

April 17, 2012, Halifax, NS -- So, you’ve got a 6^th floor condo balcony and you want to start growing some of your own food? Impossible you say? Nothing is impossible for “Off the Wall Urban Gardens,” a new business in Halifax focused on high-density urban gardening solutions. The new company specializes in helping people surmount the obstacles of growing food in small spaces, like balconies and small yards.

Three innovative entrepreneurs have sourced an impressive array of small-footprint gardening solutions for urban growers. Co-founder Robert Cervelli says, “Our most popular product is a vertical garden, custom-built like a wooden pallet which stands upright and is filled with potting soil and seedlings of the customer's choice. It requires only two square feet of floor space but yields the garden equivalent of ten square feet.” The vertical garden is one of many solutions offered to the rapidly increasing demand for high-density urban gardening.

“There are many reasons people increasingly want to grow their own food – but basically it boils down to having fresh, organic, sustainably grown food literally on your doorstep,” says Co-founder Robert Ziegler. “Several products can be filled with a variety of herbs, salad greens and vegetables while other products, like the Potato Condo, provide a simple way to grow a single crop – in this case potatoes – in a very small area.”

Delivery and installation can be included with each order. “We are used to elevators and carpeted hallways, and do whatever it takes to install our ‘ready and growing’ vertical solutions,” says Co-founder Lennart Krogoll, “People can potentially reduce their food bill by up to $400 over the season, and they can enjoy a ‘zero-mile-diet’.”

The company offers personal consultations, an urban gardening blog, raised-bed installation and mid-season replenishment transplants for extending the harvest season from April through November. They source locally grown, organic transplants only. Additional information can be found at their website: www.offthewallurbangardens.com.

Seedling Update, Part 3 and Clumsy Gardener

2012-04-17T10:33:00.002-03:00

I love my seedlings.. I love visiting them each morning, watering them, giving them a boost of fertilizer, repotting them and simply just gazing upon their green loveliness. Ok, enough of that, but I really do enjoy growing most of our garden veggies and herbs direct from seed. I also have to admit that I'm rather clumsy and in my haste to move my baby lettuce and endive seedlings out from the lights and onto our shaded front porch a few minutes ago, I tripped up the steps - no, not on a toy or other item, but rather over my own two feet. Graceful.

So, I have now spent 10 min repotting the little seedlings, which will be fine I know, but annoying. They're watered to ensure their roots settle back in and I stuck them out on the porch as planned. Sigh.. Anyway, to sum up my update, all is growing so incredibly quickly! Even my geraniums - a sample from McKenzie Seed - are growing fast (check out their glossy green leaves below!)

The basil is also growing quicker than usual and the tomatoes will need to be repotted this weekend into 4-inch round pots. Luckily I have a few huge stacks of pots in the garage and a new bale of potting soil. I can't explain why my seedlings are growing quicker than usual - perhaps it is the new fluorescent light bulbs? The basement is rather cool - about 15 C and it tends to slow down growth a bit. But, as a side benefit, it also tends to make my seedlings stronger and stockier. I am also using a new fertilizer - given to me as a sample at Canada Blooms - Orgunique Tomato & Vegetable 3-1-4 liquid food. I've given the seedlings 2 doses of the food so far, about 12 days apart. I'll keep you posted on this new-to-me product.

Anyhoo, whatever the reason, (knock on wood) so far things look great.. now, if only the weather would co-operate!

Geraniums in the foreground, basil to the back and right.
'Garden Leader Monster' Tomatoes (another sample from
McKenzie Seed) are to the right beside the geraniums.

So excited about growing geraniums from seed.
Grown in containers and window boxes, they evoke thoughts of
European cobblestoned streets...

Basil!! Three types.. this is about half of my basil plants, over
100 in all! Can't you just taste it??

Opps! Lettuce and endive take a nosedive.

A-frame Trellises

2012-04-16T10:42:00.001-03:00

One of my gardens about 5 years ago. The A-frame trellis
is on the right.. love the hose down the pathway! :)

I was asked recently about my A-frame trellises, which I use for an assortment of vining veggies. We use them to support the vigorous growth of cucumbers, climbing types of summer squash, gourds (with very heavy fruits), baby pumpkins (baby boo and Jack-b-little), pole beans and more.

They're built, very basically, from 8-foot lengths of 1 x 2's and the finished trellises measure 8 feet long and once placed in the garden with the 'feet' sunk into the earth, are about 6-feet tall. Before I put them in the garden, I do run lengths of twine vertically up and down the trellis so that tendrils have more bits to grasp for climbing. You could also attach chicken wire or another type of mesh. There are many designs on the internet for these types of structure, but I wanted ours to be large so that they would fit the garden beds. Here's an example of one with chicken wire. I find it easier to harvest if the 'holes' of the chicken wire are big enough so that my hand fits through.

An old photo of some of my first A-frame trellises. Simple, but
effective. Takes about an hour to make one.

Ours have stood up rather well and each one lasts about 3 years and costs around $20 to make. In the partial shade of the vines, underneath the trellis, we grow cool season veggies like spinach, lettuce and arugula. No wasted space! By giving these greens shelter from the hot sun, this allows us to grow them in mid-summer when they typically would bolt quickly.

Although I love my simple trellises, I think I will go more heavy-duty this year as 2 of them collapsed in a hurricane last autumn - mind you, they were rather heavy with gourds! There are so many fun designs out there that I thought we'd experiment a bit more with vertical veggies.. I had great success last summer with my Trombetta climbing squash from Renee's Garden. The flavour was outstanding - nutty, with hints of artichoke (which I LOVE) and although production wasn't up to normal standards because of the wet, cool summer, we still harvested a handful of long, trumpet-shaped fruits from our 2 plants.

Great book.. full of easy ways to increase production!

I've also been reading the excellent book, Vertical Vegetables & Fruit by Rhonda Massingham Hart (Storey Publishing, 2011) (Full disclosure - Although I haven't had the pleasure of meeting Rhonda, we've chatted via e-mail and I'm pleased to say she has provided an amazing garden plan for my next book, Edible Garden Plans). Vertical Vegetables & Fruit has given me new inspiration to keep growing edibles up and I love so many of the clever ways she details in her new book - growing in bags, trellising, growing a personal salad bar, shoe bags, window farming and so on. I am hoping to book her for The Weekend Gardener radio show when Season 6 starts in just a few weeks.. I'll keep you posted!

Overwintered Kale

2012-04-11T08:35:00.000-03:00

It was a lovely spring day yesterday, so I actually snuck away from my computer and did a bit of garden work. 'Bit' might be the operative word, but it was invigorating to dig some shredded leaf mould into the veggie beds. I also took note of my overwintered kales.. I tried to overwinter them in three ways: Some were planted in the open garden with no winter cover, others under mini hoop tunnels covered in 6 mil greenhouse poly and finally, the rest were just tucked under a medium weight row cover that was laid directly on top of the plants. All kales in this casual experiment were Red Russian and planted around the same time last year (mid-July). Here are the results!

Under the mini hoop tunnel, this plant is now sprouting
4 to 6-inch long baby leaves. So tender and prolific. Little
winter damage.

Under the medium weight row cover
this kale is also in very good shape.
Little winter damage and plenty of
4 to 8-inch long leaves. Not as many leaves
as the mini hoop tunnel kale.

Lastly, the unprotected kale. We didn't have much of
a snow cover to insulate it. There is a lot of winter kill, but
also a lot of new growth. It was the hardest hit, but will still
offer several months of harvest before it goes to seed.

Ok, not a kale, but this bok choi overwintered
under the medium weight row cover too.
Hardier than I thought and it's just starting to
bloom - yum!

My spinach that overwintered under a mini
hoop tunnel. I keep the plastic on top only to
keep the deer out. The ends are opened for
air circulation. I should just toss a row
cover over the bed to thwart the deer.

Super Seedy Sunday

2012-04-10T09:36:00.002-03:00

This coming Sunday, April 15th is Super Seedy Sunday at the Halifax Seaport Farmer's Market. I will be there at 9 am giving a brief talk on some of my favourite fall/winter veggies and spotlighting a few of my top season extenders, concentrating on those used at this time of the year (row covers, cloches, etc).

Below is a description of the event, which runs from 8 am to 4 pm. Copies of my book will also be for sale!

Hope to see you there!

There will be seed and plant vendors, a pot and tray recycling table, information space for community projects like community gardens, local foods, free seed exchange, and a table to bring unwanted garden, tools, books, and other equipment for sale. In addition there will be hourly workshops or lectures on year round gardening,composting, the Common Roots Community Project and more.

How Many Cukes Does One Need???

2012-04-09T16:55:00.002-03:00

Cukes from left, Lemon, Armenian
(botanically a melon) & Garden Oasis

I am loving this time of the year. I know it's cold. And damp. And cold. And we woke up to 10 cm of snow yesterday morning, but the seedlings under my lights keep reminding me that it's spring and soon the garden will be a tangle of homegrown veggies. Plus, we're still harvesting mache, mizuna, mustard, arugula and spinach from the cold frames. I will be cleaning them out in the next few days so that they'll be ready for some fresh crops. I'm a bit late this year, but that's ok. The lovely thing about gardening is simply finding your own rhythm and having fun. This has been a busy year for me and the garden has unfortunately been a bit neglected in recent weeks.

But my seedlings! Oh, so exciting.. I just moved some Rainbow lacinato kale, Ragged Jack kale, Baby Jade Chinese cabbage and lacinato (aka, dinosaur) kale outside to begin the hardening off process. Today they're in the shade, but over the next 5 or 6 days, they will slowly be moved into more sunlight until I tuck them into the garden in about a week. I'll keep a row cover handy in case of unexpected cold nights, but they're all cold tolerant, hardy veggies that thrive in the cool temp's of spring. I could also move them to a cold frame to shelter them until they're ready to go to their permanent garden location. Or, cover them with a mini hoop tunnel until the weather is more settled.. So many options for a year round veggie gardener!

I also seeded another 4 flats - 5 types of zinnias from Renees Garden, a few more tomatoes (a bit late, but I couldn't resist!), more kohlrabi, over a dozen types of lettuce, a few more gourds and way too many cucumbers! How many cukes does one need?? Well, apparently, I need a lot! We grow all our cukes up A-frame trellises which keeps the fruits clean and straight, helps prevent disease/insect problems and keeps their rampant growth under control, allowing us to grow more food in less space.

Here's a brief rundown of my cuke list for 2012:

The lovely Lemon cucumber. Our family favourite!

Lemon - Our family favourite, this is an amazing little heirloom with rounded, light green, maturing to yellow fruits. Harvest when they are still light green though for the best quality! Plants are heavy producers and the 2 to 3 inch long fruits are excellent and never bitter. I could go on and on, but I'll just recommend that you try them yourself!

Crystal Apple - A new acquisition from Hope Seed, this is an heirloom variety that is very similar to Lemon, but it has white spines, not black. I don't think the flavour will be much different, but I'll keep you posted!

Suyo Long Japanese - Strongly recommended last spring by Owen Bridge, the 20 year old owner of Annapolis Seeds, so I had to pick up a packet. We loved them! Growing up to 16 inches long, these cukes produced a good quantity of crispy, sweet fruits that will curve if grown along the ground, or hang straight if allowed to climb a trellis. We trellised ours and picked them when they were about 8 inches long - the impatient gardener couldn't wait any longer!

Garden Oasis, almost ready to harvest!

Tasty Green Japanese - I've been growing this hybrid for a number of years now and have found the plants to be both reliable and productive. The fruits can grow up to 10 inches long, but we tend to pick them before they reach that point. They don't need peeling, are bitter-free and the flesh is sweet and crunchy.

Garden Oasis - A mid-east hybrid, this is the type of cuke sold in six-packs at the grocery store for big $$$, but they are extremely to grow at home. Each plant will bear dozens of glossy fruits, that are best picked when just 5 to 7 inches long. The productive plants are also very disease resistant.

Melonie - Thanks to NB gardener Pete, I have also planted 6 Melonie cucumber seeds. This is a rare, unusual variety with eye-catching striped fruits (dark and light greens stripes) and is said to have a mild, sweet flavour. Looking very forward to this one!! For a photo, check out this link - Cucumber Melonie

More Lemon cukes - and my hand. Typical Niki photo!

Armenian - We've been growing these melons for a handful of years and I think that the above mentioned Melonie is going to be very similar. Marketed as a cucumber because of its shape and cool, mild flavour, these really are tasty. Because they are botanically a melon, they do best in a hot summer (good luck with that!) and they can be hit or miss.. last year was a miss, but the year before, we were swimming in them! Sigh.. Definitely worth a try.

Little Tyke - Another new one for me, I was just given a sample of this seed from a local company and asked to give them some feedback. From what I understand, the plants are extremely early - often just 35 days from planting and bear a bumper crop of petite fruits that are most often used for pickling. That isn't going to happen - no pickling skills (yet!) - but I think we'll still enjoy these fresh from the vine..

What are your favourite cukes??

Just call me, Rock Star!

2012-04-05T21:54:00.001-03:00

Was just informed that while I was in Toronto for Canada Blooms last month, the Toronto Star newspaper did a little write up on a handful of the speakers at the show - including me.. Their description of me gave me a big giggle, so thought I'd share it! :)

• Niki Jabbour, for instance, is not well known in these parts, but in the Maritimes she is a rock star. Known best for her weekly radio show on News 95.7 in Halifax, she just recently published her first book, Year Round Vegetable Gardening. Jabbour represents the incoming generation of gardeners and she shares a passion for growing food. I have often said that the surging interest in vegetable and fruit gardens is driven by young women, many of them new mothers with a genuine interest in the quality of the food that they are feeding their kids. Listen to Jabbour at 1 p.m. on Friday, March 16 in the Blooms Garden Solutions room.

Seedling Update and Random Bits!

2012-04-04T10:46:00.003-03:00

It's been almost 2 weeks since I started 6 flats of seeds indoors.. Tomatoes, peppers, basil, parsley, geraniums, petunias, gourds, giant pumpkins, onions, leeks and so many more.. Due to some work travel, I was a bit late this year for some things, but it never ceases to amaze me just how fast seeds germinate and the plants grow! My onions are now 3 inches tall and need to be trimmed back with scissors (we toss the trimmings into scrambled eggs - yum!). The tomatoes are entering the 2nd leaf stage and the Chinese cabbage (Little Jade, a new dwarf variety from Renee's Garden) is ready to be hardened off and moved to the cold frames!)

Just popped down to the basement, where the temperature is a steady 15 C and a fan keeps the air circulating 24/7. Blowing air can help prevent a host of problems, but it also toughens up the plants, making them sturdier, stronger and more ready to deal with the 'real world' once they are moved outside.

Here' s a peek under my lights on this cool and cloudy Wednesday, along with a few other photos from the past week!

A photo from the Spring Ideal Home Show last weekend.
Finally, a company that sells quality cold frames! For
contact info and pricing, check out Nova Tree Company. So exciting!

Paul MacPhee of MacPhee's Landscaping Services. Paul is also
the current President of Landscape Nova Scotia!

Retail Sales Manager, Jackie from Blomidon Nurseries! I had
a great time speaking there last month and will be back again on
Friday, May 25th from 10 am to 12:30 to speak on Year Round
Veggie Gardening and do an extended Q & A session!

A GIANT pumpkin seedling from garden friend, Pete. You
can't buy seed like this! He sent me some from a 1200 LB
pumpkin! This baby is already 5 inches tall and I have 4 others
that are quickly catching up.

A peek under the lights - look how things have grown in
just a few days. Plus, I have more to start - zinnias, cukes,
zucchini, more gourds/pumpkins, etc.

Ragged Jack Kale. Love that the true leaves are so 'raggedy'
and divided. You can even see the purple centre vein already.

Another photo.. gourds, kale, tomatoes, onions and more!

Portuguese Kale from Renee's Garden. Huge flat
leaves grow 18-inches tall. Heat tolerant with a mild,
sweet flavour. Can't wait!

Last, but not least, my Little Jade seedlings. I'm not sure who
likes Chinese cabbage more - me or the slugs? But, I gotta
keep trying. These seedlings are only 12 days old and
will be moved to the cold frames by Monday I hope after a
few days of hardening off.