Fairy Rings

Fairy rings occupy a prominent place in European folklore as the location of gateways into elfin kingdoms, or places where elves gather and dance. According to the folklore, a fairy ring appears when a fairy, pixie, or elf appears. It will disappear without trace in less than five days, but if an observer waits for the elf to return to the ring, he may be able to capture it.

In reality, in your yard, fairy rings are an ugly pain in the butt. And I know, because we have them. They appeared in our yard after the very very dry summer of 2008 and have reappeared every year since. Here are some resources for you. The most effective, in our experience, is the second suggestion, but it requires a lot of care and attention. Alternatively, you could subscribe to the notion that your yard has been blessed by the dance of fairies. Whatever works for you--best of luck!

Symptoms and signs

Fairy rings typically appear as rings of dark green and fast-growing turf. They may also appear as rings of slow-growing or killed turf. The bands of affected turf are from 4 inches to a foot in width, forming more or less continuous rings ranging from 3 to 200 feet across. In some instances, the center of a stimulated band may contain weakened or dead grass, or bands may have an inner zone of stimulated grass edged with dead or stunted turf on either side.

Mushrooms produced by fairy ring fungus.

The first visible evidence of a new fairy ring is usually a cluster of mushrooms or toadstools. They usually appear at the outer edge of rings in late summer or early fall, during periods of high soil moisture.

Disease cycle

Fairy rings are produced by colonies of mushroom fungi that live in soil and thatch. These colonies obtain food from decaying organic matter and grow outward radially, increasing in size year after year. The ring of stimulated grass is thought to be caused by nitrogen substances produced by the breakdown of organic matter by the fungi. The fungi usually do not attack grass, but sometimes they repel water, resulting in death of the turf due to drought. The causal fungi are spread when fungal threads, bits of mushrooms, or spores from the mush- rooms are introduced into soil under a turf area.

The telltale circle of mushrooms eventually leaves a ring of dead grass. There are plenty of old wives’ tale cures from boiling water, digging, watering, special tools…the list goes on and on. There is no simple solution that really works well. Fairy rings are caused by mushroom fungi; yet there are no fungicides that will control the mycelium, or underground growth of the fungus. Heavy fertilization and watering can help.

Control:

1. Dig it Out: I’ve used this method the most successfully. I call it part of Tam’s spa program. If you are highly energetic, considering exercise, and own a wheelbarrow, you may decide dig out the fairy ring. You must remove the fairy ring turf and soil for 18 inches on both the inside and outside of the ring. The soil should be removed to a depth of at least 2 inches (5 cm) below the zone of the white fungus mat that you’ll discover when you start digging. When removing the affected areas, try to prevent any of the turf or soil from spilling onto healthy areas. Fill the area with fresh top soil and then reseed or re-sod.
2. Drown it Out. The roots of the fairy ring (mycelium) actually repel water, which is what causes the grass to die out. To overcome the extreme drought conditions, use a root feeder or garden fork to punch holes in the fairy ring every 4-6 inches (10-15 cm) apart and 10 inches (25 cm) deep. Soak the holes every second day, if not every day, for at least a month, especially if the fairy ring had progressed to the dried grass stage. Add a teaspoon of liquid dish detergent in a gallon of water to act as a wetting agent to help the water soak into the infested soil. A complete soaking of the area, in addition to a fertilizer application can not only suppress but may even eradicate the fairy ring
3. Wait it Out: Fairy rings will tend to die out naturally when they encounter sidewalks, flower beds and other cultivated areas. Lots of folks extend their flower beds to include fairy ring areas.
4. Duke it Out: I found this one online: Another possible method of eradication is based on the fact that when 2 rings come into contact with each other, they will exhibit antagonistic behavior, which leads to the death of both rings. To take advantage of this natural control method, one may wish to remove the sod in heavily infested areas, cultivate the soil several times to mix the mycelium of one ring with another and then re-seed or re-sod. Really?

Whatever method of control is employed, good turf management practices should follow to ensure re-infestation does not occur. This includes a regular fertilization program in addition to irrigating to a depth of 6 inches (15 cm). Shallow watering should be avoided in all instances.

But there is good news on the horizon. There has never been a cure. Until now, that is. While researching the fungus that causes blackleg in canola, Prem Kharbanda, of the Alberta Research Council, accidentally came across bacteria in a soil sample from central Alberta that not only stopped black leg in its tracks, it also disabled fairy ring.

Prem is experimenting with the bacteria to determine the most effective way to administer it to the soil to kill fairy rings. It will take at least two or three years before the Alberta Research Council confirms their result, and after that, another couple of years before it can pass through the federal government registration protocols.

Dr. Prem Kharbanda is a Senior Scientist with the Alberta Research Council.

(Via Prairie Gardens )

2011 Garden Trends

Mark Cullen, Expert in gardening Home Hardware
www.markcullen.com

Gardeners today have different priorities than a generation ago. The focus has shifted to these three trends: growing your own food, container gardening and growing a great, environmentally responsible garden.

Growing plants from seed is rewarding and economical

With the increased demand for locally grown food, urban gardeners are growing more of their own vegetablesand fruits. March is the month to startsowing many vegetables from seed if you want to harvest homegrown produce this summer. Seed racks in the stores are filled with a great selection this time of year. I recommend that you look them over early in the season while the seed selection is at its best.

Sowing seeds can be as simple or as sophisticated as you choose. A sunny window can provide sufficient light or you may opt for supplemental grow lights.

Mini greenhouses have a humidity dome to help seal in moisture and encouragegermination. This year, try the new Natura®/Mark's Choice® Biodegradable CornstarchPots. They can be planted in the ground to decompose or can be added to your compost pile.

Home Gardener Seed & Cutting starter soil promotes optimum seedling growth. Seed-starting soil mixes areformulated to maximize water retention and provide proper drainage. Growing your own vegetables is one of the fastest growing gardening trends. Icall this the '100 metre diet'. A short listof your favourite vegetables that will grow best from seed sown directly into garden soil in the spring include: peas, beans, corn, squash, pumpkins and carrots.

Growing demand for containers

I have been watching Canadian gardeners for a long time and have observed that we love to plant upcontainers for decks, patios, pathways and everywhere we want colour and plants above the ground. I urge you not to use the same soil you used last year when you plant your containers this year. There is nothing wrong with digging the old soil into your existing garden soil. That's a good idea! The point is, the nutrition was pulled out of the soil last year from the plants you had growing in the container. A container soil mix is specifically formulated for the demands of containergrown plants.Check out my new Mark's Choice® Container Mix. Itcontains some interesting surprises: calcinated clay, which is a natural water absorber, compost and sharp sand, for porosity.

After your containers are planted, add a teaspoon or so of Smartcote® Feed & Forget® fertilizer. I like this stuff because it eliminates the need to mix or reapply fertilizer for the entire season. The granules of Feed & Forget provide a diluted form of fertilizer every time you water, or it rains. It's well named and a terrific concept for the busy or forgetful gardener - which pretty much covers the whole group.

Reduce watering up to 50%

All natural Water Wicks are a Mark's Choice® product that I am very excited about. Each Water Wick tea bag absorbs up to 400 times its weight in water. Prepare a hole for planting, drop a pre-moistened Water Wick tea bag into the bottom of the hole and place the plant directly on top of it. Firm the soil around the plant. Now, as the soil dries out, the plant will draw moisture from the Water Wick. When you water your plants, the Water Wick is automatically recharged with water.

The results: you reduce watering up to 50% and your plants will become deeply rooted from searching for water at the bottom of the planting hole. Each Water Wick lasts up to six months before it composts into the soil. It's important to me that they are made of 100% natural ingredients - even the tea bag, which is hemp! Give them a try! I have used them in the veggie garden, under newly planted perennials and in containers, with great success.

Water Wicks are made in Canada and are a 100% Canadian concept! Environmental awareness is no longer a trend, but a widely accepted part of gardening life. Those of us who enjoy gardening share a love of nature and want techniques that save water, minimize insect and diseaseproblems, enhance the environment and improve our soil.

Long Lost Blog...

Ah, the blog.

I don't work at work, I work at home for the most part (except for payroll). I usually take the kids for coffee most every day and use that opportunity to check in on the baby department and other areas I order for, make notes, and then do the ordering late at night. Sometimes I get emails from vendors in other time zones wondering what the heck I am doing up that late (or else they are up late working too!)

Now that I have 2 kids I find it harder to find time for anything. I definitely operate on a must-be-done and must-be-done-now basis. Obviously keeping the items at the store in stock is a high priority so when I try to stay on top of what's moving and how fast. But at the same time I need to make sure that I take downtime too, and not use every stolen second I get for something work-related.

So the blog has fallen off the page. Sorry. I try to set a bunch of update to happen in advance, so that it doesn't all sit stagnant.

Lately I have really been enjoying my friend Haley's blog (I just love it all). She has started some food blogging which I have a weakness for. I read recipes and dream of making them myself--I have stacks of cookbooks and recipes torn from magazines. The worst thing ever is trying a recipe and hating it, especially if it was a meal (as opposed to a dessert or snack or something.) Recent example--Coconut Chicken Stir-fry. Sounds delish, non? Except it smelled so nasty I didn't even want to try it, I made Jeff taste it first. It was really onion-y and just had an overall bad flavor (and has subsequently turned me off of bamboo shoots for life). The Best is when you find a new recipe you LOVE and you know will become "your thing" and secretly hope everyone loves and raves about and names after you. ;)

In store news, we are redoing the garden centre. Again. We are always redoing something! If we are lucky we will get a bigger Sweetpeas so we can offer more Ice Cream flavors!

In the Baby Department, we have started carrying some hair clips and tutus made by a local Mom. Check them out at Kid Chic Boutique.



Also, I am in LOVE with the new bibs we have. First of all, this bib from Baby Bjorn.


Now, at the local grocery store you can a pelican bib for $2. I own one of them and it's not good. What makes this bib better is it is shorter than the typical bib, so the scoop doesn't get caught on the highchair tray. And it does more than keep your little one clean, it also prevents spills and dribbles onto high chairs, laps and the floor. Extra soft plastic forms a scoop at the bottom, creating a deep catch-all pocket that is also waterproof (no soak-through). Its special ergonomic design is tailored to fit little bodies and includes a soft, adjustable neck closure. Best of all, you can just rinse and use it again. Made of PVC-free, BPA-free recyclable plastic.

The other one I am in love with is the Skip Hop Zoo Bibs.


The adorable bib that tucks into its own built-in pouch. Lightweight and water-resistant with a handy catch-all pocket to keep things neat and tidy at mealtime. ZOO Bibs have a clever tuck-away pouch—perfect for travel or for storing when dirty. Adorable ZOO faces and details are sure to delight baby at every meal, especially with matching bowls and plates (and even backpacks and bath mitts!)

So that's all for now. Badger Sarah to do a posting on our delicious and amazing yellow Alpine Strawberries!

And now a word from Mark Cullen...

Colour Trends in the Garden

There is a growing trend among homeowners to create an outdoor living space that is an extension of their home's interior. One way to transition from indoors to out is to use the same colour scheme throughout. Playing with colour in your garden can be as much fun as painting a picture or creating a colour palette to decorate a room. Claude Monet, after all, said he was "...a gardener first, and then a painter".

My Top 5 Perennial Pink Picks

The first paint colour that caught my attention was 'Pink Tank' from the Beauti-Tone® Simon Chang Trend Colour Collection. This is a vibrant, energetic hue that I would describe as a stunning pink. There are a number of plant blooms with a similar hue that will take this colour from your home to your garden.

Aquilegia - Columbines are available in a wide range of colours. Swan Rose and White Aquilegia feature large rose/pink blooms with a white corolla. Hardy to zone 3.

Buddleia - Butterfly Bush, Pink Delight, has fragrant clusters of deep-pink flowers. You won't be the only one admiring this plant; hummingbirds and butterflies are attracted to the tall, arching blooms. Hardy to zone 5.

Hemerocallis - Daylilies are available in an incredible variety of colours and shades. Varieties closest to the Simon Chang colour 'Pink Tank' include: Cherry Cheeks, Hush Little Baby, Little Show Stopper, Pink Damask and Preppy Pink. Hardy to zone 2.

Sedum - Autumn Stonecrop, Abbeydore, is an upright variety of Sedum that produces tall stems with bright magenta flowers. Elsie's Gold and Mr. Goodbud are also good choices of a bright pink colour. Hardy to zone 3.

Delphinium - New Millennium Delphinium, Dusky Maidens, is a tall variety with rich shades. Blooms feature shades of deep pink on three-foot stems. Hardy to zone 3.

Stainless Steel Garden Tools

Ergonomic, forward tilting handle and centralized foot tread reduce back strain and deliver more cutting power with less effort. Manufactured by Spear and Jackson, an English supplier of garden tools for over 150 years.

Stunning and bold

'Scream Green' is another colour from the Beauti-Tone® Simon Chang Trend Colour Collection that attracted my attention. It is a bold, almost electric green colour that reminds me of healthy grass. What better way to highlight a stunning green leaf than pairing it with the deep tones of burgundy and purple.

Ipomoea batatas - Sweet Potato Vine is a trailing annual plant that seems to grow in popularity every year and is a great choice for containers and hanging baskets. Terrace Lime, Margarita, and Sweet Caroline Light Green feature green/yellow foliage in a lighter shade than 'Scream Green'.

Delairea Odorata - German ivy is an annual plant with an abundance of thick, green leaves. It grows quickly and trails over the sides of hanging baskets. The rich, green colour can be paired with flowering annuals for stunning containers.

Sagina Subulata or Sagina - Irish moss is a low-growing annual plant that grows well between flagstone and patio slabs. The bright green colour is also attractive at the edge of a shady perennial border.

Dark and mysterious

If your colour palette is more the dark and mysterious purple, burgundy red, and deep brown tones, then you will appreciate 'Brazilian Walnut' from the Beauti-Tone® Simon Chang Trend Colour Collection. This is a striking colour that can be found on foliage plants.

Ipomoea batatas - As previously mentioned, 'Sweet Potato Vine' is a trailing annual available in many varieties. It is available in many colour varieties. Ace of Spades, Sweet Caroline Purple, Illusion Midnight Lace and Blackie all feature dark foliage in varying shades of purple/brown.

Solenostemon - Coleus is an annual plant that grows almost anywhere - from bright sun to deep shade. The foliage colour is affected by light intensity. Black Dragon features leaves in deep purple maroon and Wizard Mix has a variety of colours from light green to deep purple. In shaded locations, the deep purple of the Wizard is very similar to the Simon Chang colour 'Brazilian Walnut'.

Weigela florida - This medium-size shrub reaches a mature height of 5 feet. Weigela, Wine and Roses, needs full sun to produce the best colour. It is a striking combination of dark purple coloured foliage with 'Pink Tank' coloured blooms. Deep rosy pink flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies to the garden. Hardy to zone 4.

Tips for growing beets

Beets, with their deep green, red-veined leaves, can be a pretty addition to any garden and are easy to grow. The tops are edible and full of vitamins, and should be picked early in the season for the best flavour. Early or late canning and bunching varieties are now available in red, white and yellow. There are a great number of sizes to choose from, too.

Days to harvest

From planting to harvest: 50 to 60 days. Beets are frost tolerant and can be planted at intervals from early spring until ten weeks before frost is predicted. Do not sow beets in midsummer when the intense heat will damage the seedlings. They must be harvested before the root becomes woody and inedible.

Soil requirements

Beets like a rich, sandy loam with a pH of 6.5 to 7.5. Amend soil with compost or well-rotted manure to ensure it is fertile and well drained. Spread a slow-release general fertilizer before sowing seeds and provide a consistent source of water. Overwatering can cause excessive leaf growth and small roots.

Spacing

Plant seeds to a depth of 1⁄2" (1.5 cm) in spring, 1" (2.5 cm) in summer, and space them 1 to 2" (3 to 5 cm) apart. Since each seed sprouts several beets, thin to 1" (2.5 cm) apart when the beets are 2" (5 cm) tall. Thin again to 3" (7.5 cm) apart when they reach 4" (10 cm) tall. The large Winter Keeper needs to be thinned even more

Current Garden Trends by Mark Cullen

Gardeners today have different priorities than a generation ago. The focus has shifted to these three trends: growing your own food, container gardening and growing a great, environmentally responsible garden.

Growing plants from seed is rewarding and economical

With the increased demand for locally grown food, urban gardeners are growing more of their own vegetablesand fruits. March is the month to startsowing many vegetables from seed if you want to harvest homegrown produce this summer. Seed racks in the stores are filled with a great selection this time of year. I recommend that you look them over early in the season while the seed selection is at its best.

Sowing seeds can be as simple or as sophisticated as you choose. A sunny window can provide sufficient light or you may opt for supplemental grow lights.

Mini greenhouses have a humidity dome to help seal in moisture and encouragegermination. This year, try the new Natura®/Mark's Choice® Biodegradable CornstarchPots. They can be planted in the ground to decompose or can be added to your compost pile.

Home Gardener Seed & Cutting starter soil promotes optimum seedling growth. Seed-starting soil mixes areformulated to maximize water retention and provide proper drainage. Growing your own vegetables is one of the fastest growing gardening trends. Icall this the '100 metre diet'. A short listof your favourite vegetables that will grow best from seed sown directly into garden soil in the spring include: peas, beans, corn, squash, pumpkins and carrots.

Growing demand for containers

I have been watching Canadian gardeners for a long time and have observed that we love to plant upcontainers for decks, patios, pathways and everywhere we want colour and plants above the ground. I urge you not to use the same soil you used last year when you plant your containers this year. There is nothing wrong with digging the old soil into your existing garden soil. That's a good idea! The point is, the nutrition was pulled out of the soil last year from the plants you had growing in the container. A container soil mix is specifically formulated for the demands of containergrown plants.Check out my new Mark's Choice® Container Mix. Itcontains some interesting surprises: calcinated clay, which is a natural water absorber, compost and sharp sand, for porosity.

After your containers are planted, add a teaspoon or so of Smartcote® Feed & Forget® fertilizer. I like this stuff because it eliminates the need to mix or reapply fertilizer for the entire season. The granules of Feed & Forget provide a diluted form of fertilizer every time you water, or it rains. It's well named and a terrific concept for the busy or forgetful gardener - which pretty much covers the whole group.

Reduce watering up to 50%

All natural Water Wicks are a Mark's Choice® product that I am very excited about. Each Water Wick tea bag absorbs up to 400 times its weight in water. Prepare a hole for planting, drop a pre-moistened Water Wick tea bag into the bottom of the hole and place the plant directly on top of it. Firm the soil around the plant. Now, as the soil dries out, the plant will draw moisture from the Water Wick. When you water your plants, the Water Wick is automatically recharged with water.

The results: you reduce watering up to 50% and your plants will become deeply rooted from searching for water at the bottom of the planting hole. Each Water Wick lasts up to six months before it composts into the soil. It's important to me that they are made of 100% natural ingredients - even the tea bag, which is hemp! Give them a try! I have used them in the veggie garden, under newly planted perennials and in containers, with great success.

Water Wicks are made in Canada and are a 100% Canadian concept! Environmental awareness is no longer a trend, but a widely accepted part of gardening life. Those of us who enjoy gardening share a love of nature and want techniques that save water, minimize insect and diseaseproblems, enhance the environment and improve our soil.

Dreaming of Garden Season...

Found this lovely article at Chatelaine.com:

It’s that time of year for me: the time of year when Tim Horton’s Roll Up the Rim is well underway and I start dreaming about what my yard is going to look like.

Now let me clarify—in no way am I a green thumb. In fact, I make a point of, er, annually turning to one of my closest friends to arrange and plant my garden. I’m no prima donna—I’m right in there with her digging up holes, transplanting beautiful flowers, covering them right up. But for the overall look, I leave it up to her to determine the mix of what’s right for my front yard and then we head over the garden centre where I give her my budget and she’s got yard blanche to plan my plot.

Just last week I dropped her an email wondering: what about a vegetable garden this year? I ran it by the family and the kids in particular loved the idea and started dreaming of growing cucumbers, peppers, cherry tomatoes, lettuces, pineapples, apples…. I had to put a stop to it right there and green lit the first three, noting that it’s probably best to focus our ambitions on foods that grow well in our urban Toronto yard. Sorry kids, no pineapples or apples this year. (Can you even grow pineapples outdoors in Canada? Again my agricultural knowledge fails me, but I’m guessing not.)

So with this in mind, I was quite happy to stumble across Michele Owen’s book Grow The Good Life Why a Vegetable Garden Will Make You Happy, Healthy and Wise. I called up this former New Yorker to ask…what is it exactly about gardening that will make us grin?

Q: What’s the connection between gardening and happiness?

A: It’s a 10-ply kind of happiness. It involves all these physical things that have proven to make people happy such as sunshine, exercise, contact with greenery. There are studies showing all these things make people happy. And then there’s the spiritual aspect of gardening too. When I’m out there, I feel this sense of being able to forget myself in the garden, time passes, I’m completely at peace and absorbed in the task. You forget about yourself and your cares and concentrate on the task at hand.

The other thing is you’ll get this sense of connectedness if you start gardening. There’s an incredible sense of community among gardeners. So if you take up gardening, you may well find yourself chatting with your 80-year-old neighbour who you would never have a conversation with her except that she’s been growing vegetables for 50 years and she has things to tell you.

Q: How did you start gardening?

A: I’d lived in New York City for eight years and was dying to get out of the city but I couldn’t really put my finger on why. Then my husband and I moved to a country village and the groceries were so execrable that I realized I had to do something and I started gardening. I think the first time I stuck a shovel into the soil, I thought—oh, this is why I left New York. This is it for me.

Q: If we’ve never gardened before any tips on getting started?

A: Most how-to gardening books are thick with information and off-putting and they don’t give beginners the essential information which is that it’s really easy and really enjoyable. In terms of advice, mulch is key because if you mulch you won’t need to weed much, or water much and you won’t need fertilizer. My other advice is relax and enjoy it. If something doesn’t work, shrug and try something else.

Garden Tips--Water Plants

Garden Tips--Weeds

Garden Tips--Ladybugs

Garden Party!

Please join us for our
Summer Celebration
Garden Party

This Thursday, June 17
5-9 PM in the Garden Centre

with Special Guest Performer
Earl Stevenson

Mix & Mingle
Drinks, Snacks & Doorprizes

Save 20% on all
Trees, Plants & Shrubs

All sales from Sweetpea's during this special evening
will be donated to the
Lloydminster & Area Drug Strategy

See You There!

Earl's cd is available in store or online here

And Now a Word from Mark Cullen

Excerpted from Mark's monthly newsletter. Get your own copy at www.markcullen.com

The Perfect Month for Gardening

Really, is there a better month in the year to enjoy your Canadian garden? All of that fresh new growth is yet to get beaten up by the weather, bugs or disease. The peonies are in bloom, as are the roses and iris. It is the best month of the year to be alive.

Reduce Watering by up to 50%!

I created quite a stir in May when I talked about this fabulous new product on Canada AM with Jeff Hutcheson. Here is the scoop, in case you missed it:

The Flower Growers of Ontario developed a hemp tea bag and filled it with dry alfalfa, corn starch and sea kelp. This combo absorbs 400 times it weight in water in about 10 minutes.

You dig a hole as you normally would, preparing it just so with compost and all of the good stuff. Just before you place your plant in the hole drop the pre-moistened Water Wick into the bottom of the hole and place the plant roots directly on top of it. Now, when the soil dries around the roots of the plant it will draw water from the Water Wick through its’ roots. The plant will sustain itself much longer without watering.

The Water Wick will disintegrate (adding a mild form of fertilizer) to the soil at the root zone within 6 months.

Bingo. Bob is your Uncle.

Most suitable for container grown plants.

Containers.

June is ‘container month’. I have been watching Canadian gardeners for a long time and one observation that I have is that we love to plant up containers in June to spruce up the deck, patio, pathways and everywhere else that you want colour and plants above the ground.

I urge you not to plant in last years’ soil, when you replant last years’ containers. Not that there is anything wrong with putting it on the ground and digging it in to your existing garden soil. Good idea! The point is that the nutrition was pulled out of the soil last year when you had plants growing in it.

New ‘container mix’ is specifically formulated with the demands of containerized plants in mind. Look for a quality brand that you trust. Check out my new ‘Mark’s Choice’ container mix at Home Hardware. It contains some interesting surprises: Calcined clay which is a natural water absorber, compost (like the great British container soils!) and sharp sand, for porosity. The soil to avoid is a very lightweight bag of fluffed up peat. Not a good use of your money and lacking in nutrition for your plants.

Feed and Forget.

After you have your containers planted up add a teaspoon or so of ‘Feed and Forget’ fertilizer. I like this stuff as it removes the need to mix or reapply fertilizer for the entire season. With Feed and Forget (by Plant Prod) the granules of plant food provide a dilute form of fertilizer every time that you water or it rains. Well named, terrific concept for the busy or forgetful gardener (which pretty much covers the whole group).

Roses.

You will get your best show of colour from your roses in the upcoming weeks. As they bloom remember to:

Cut them to bring indoors to enjoy on the kitchen table.

Watch for insects and disease – for aphids use Green Earth Insecticidal Soap and for black spot or powdery mildew use Green Earth Garden Fungicide.

Fertilize - with the new ‘Feed and Forget’ for roses or with a quality granule fertilizer like Green Earth 4-8-4 go to http://greenearth.ca/products/product_e.php?prodID=424 for details.

Mulch your rose bushes with finely ground up pine or cedar bark mulch. This will reduce weeds by up to 95% and watering by up to 70%.

When they have finished blooming it is a good idea to remove all of the spent blossoms which will encourage more flowering later in the summer and early fall.

SaveWater/Save Time/ Save the Environment.

Want to know how to reduce your water bill AND the amount of time that you spend on the end of a garden hose?

Use rain barrels. The water is charged with 30 to 40% oxygen (good for everything that you grow) and it is always warm. Plants like this. Do you like cold showers? Have you ever been told to take one? Keep your answers to yourself and remember that annuals and heat seeking vegetables love warm water. I rest my case.

Mulch. I know – I have said this before. June is just such a good month to put down 6 to 8 cm of finely ground up pine or cedar bark mulch. See my comments re: roses and repeat around the garden.

Soaker hoses. Use a 'bleeding' or soaker hose under your mulch to save a ton of water. You will apply water directly to the roots where it is needed most. Made of recycled rubber. A Mark's Choice product at Home Hardware.

Cut your lawn at 2 ½ inches or 5 to 6 cm. ‘The higher the grass blades, the deeper the roots and the more drought tolerant the grass plants’. Quote me any time.

Water your lawn only once a week or not at all. When you do water apply about an inch at one time: this will ensure that the water has moved down to the root zone. Use the new ‘Mark’s Choice’ lawn sprinkler and reduce watering by up to 1/3. How? The water droplets are pulverized into a mist that moves through the soil more quickly than the droplets from either an oscillating or impact-type sprinkler. Only at Home Hardware.

Remember that all plants like to get on the dry side – about 5 cm below the surface of the soil for established plants. So be careful not to overwater.

Also for June:

Remove the spent flowers of your peonies and lilacs when they are done to maximize blooming potential for next year

Stake your tomatoes with a new aluminum Mark’s Choice Spiral stake. You will never buy another stake and you will never have to tie your tomatoes up.

Remove the suckers from your tomatoes as they mature.

Hot Garden Tip of the Week

36 varieties of heirloom tomatoes arriving tomorrow--early bird gets the worm, we open at 8 AM!

Also check out the area in front of the goat pen for SALE priced Mark's Choice plants!

PS--Don't forget the garden centre is open until 8 PM weeknights until June 4.

Mixing Edibles with Ornamentals in the Garden

By Mark Cullen. For more tips and stories from Mark, visit the CTV gardening page.

For a long time it has struck me that the appearance of a well kept vegetable garden is a thing of great beauty. The straight rows, the glowing appearance of tomatoes on the vine, of carrot tops and bush beans loaded with fruit.

But not everyone agrees with me.

Enter a new generation of gardeners for whom the old rules of gardening do not apply.

Here we have 20 and 30 year olds, some in their first home and with young children and some not: all of them with concerns about the environment and the quality of what they put in their mouths (and that of their kids!).

Today we have this wonderful mixing of edible plants and ornamental ones. In my opinion it is one of the most exciting developments in the gardening industry since the introduction of native plants about 25 years ago.

What grows with what?

First, consider that all plants that produce edible fruit, foliage or roots have some ornamental qualities.

Take a fruit tree for example: an apple in full bloom in late April is just as attractive as many dwarf flowering trees. We don't think of an apple as a flowering tree because it's primary purpose in the garden is it's productivity. Same for cherries, pears and the list goes on.

This photo of a demonstration garden at the Hampton Court Flower Show I England tells a wonderful story: from right to left, note the snap beans, onions, strawberries, young cabbage or kale plants, curly parsley, arugula and finally the Red Sails leaf lettuce.

See the ornamental quality of this planting?

Now you are getting the idea…..

Mark Cullen's Tips for Great Tomatoes

By far the #1 veggie crop in Canadian gardens is the tomato.

And why not - it is no mistake that Heinz has their #2 plant in Leamington Ontario [Pittsburgh is #1 but that is where they 'discovered' the secret recipe too...]

In most of Canada we have loads of sunshine and good soil is not all that far away.

My recipe for a great tomato crop is:

• 1. start with a healthy plant [I trust that you have planting it already...]
• 2. prep the soil with a minimum of ½ bushel [20 liters] of compost and equal amount of top soil, mixed equally in the bottom of the hole.
• 3. plant deeply: up to the fist leaves. Roots will grow out of the stem.
• 4. water well and fertilize with one inch [2 cm.] of finished compost or Green Earth organic 4-6-8 Tomato and Vegetable food.
• 5. continue to water deeply when the soil is dry about 5 cm. down.
• 6. double the tomato crop by getting them off the ground. Stake them as Jeff and I demo in this segment.
• 7. mulch to minimize weeds and watering. I use 6 inches/16 cm. of loose straw. Finely ground up bark also works well.
• 8. apply Bordo mixture in July to prevent early blight. This is very important where a hot, dry August in not a certainty.

As they ripen, pick often and enjoy.

Mark Cullen's Top Garden Trends for 2010

1. Canadians will be paying down their debt - to the soil. As more and more Canadians realize that they cannot draw on the goodness of soil forever, they will be 'giving back' by adding generous layers of organic material including [you guessed it] COMPOST

2. From Garden to Fork. Inspired by the recent trend to eat food produced with in 100 miles, Canadians will be growing more of their own food in their own yards and on balconies- Why? to control what is put on their food [ie. No chemicals], convenience, money saving and honest to goodness wholesomeness.

3. Naturally. Canadian gardeners are discovering -in increasing numbers - the benefits of gardening organically or [at least] in the absence of chemicals. Or at the VERY least the minimal use of chemicals.

4. Heritage Gardening. As more and more Canadians are prepared to pay a premium for 'heritage' or 'heirloom' tomatoes and other produce, they are also more interested in growing what their great grandparents grew...... look for heritage tomato varieties at garden retailers this spring.

5. Water Conservation. Gardeners are acutely aware of water use and are naturally concerned about the limited availability of water in most regions of t he country. Look for an increase in the use of rain barrels and other 'water saving' devices including low pressure water sprinklers and water conserving products like the new Water Solutions tea bags [which I will bring in for a demo]

6. Bringing Nature Home. Gardeners are closely connected to the natural world and are designing their gardens in an effort to embrace the natural world around them rather than insulate them selves from it, as we did a generation ago... as a result lawns will get smaller, native plants will gain in popularity and birding in all forms [including bird feeding] will continue to rise in popularity.

7. Gardeners as Community minded activists. Gardeners are seeing themselves more as a vital part of the community as a whole, with sensitivity to historic attributes of our towns and cities, our public green spaces and the overall beauty of our communities. We will see horticultural societies and individual gardeners give time and resources to partnerships with Historic societies, conservation groups and a growing interest in Communities in Bloom.

8. Smaller is better. As house builders continue to build larger homes on smaller lots, the nature of gardening spaces will continue to 'intensify'. The popularity of dwarf conifers, small flowering trees and growing in containers will continue to grow.

9. Gardening as Therapy. As our population ages there is a growing appreciation for the therapeutic benefits of gardening.... Improved cognitive skills, sharper minds, better memory, lower blood pressure, increased flexibility and overall better health result from the ACTIVITY of gardening, regardless of age.

10. Gardening for the NEXT generation and Gardening for Pets. The emerging generation of gardeners are integrating their kids and grand kids [and even their pets!] into the gardening experience. In an effort to reduce the growth of 'nature deficit disorder' the garden is providing the perfect opportunity to engage young people in Mother Nature's world, right in our own backyards.

And now a word from Mark Cullen...

Excerpted from Mark Cullen's Monthly newsletter, which can be found at www.markcullen.com

“All gardeners live in beautiful places

Because they made them so.”

~ Joseph Joubert

It is the month of May. Time to get serious about the garden.

I don’t quite mean this the way that it sounds: serious is not a word that we should ever attach to the gardening experience. After all, you got into this thing for the fun of it right? May is the month that we really dig in, if a great looking garden is in the plan for this year at all. That is what I mean.

As I travel the country talking with gardeners it is becoming clear to me that the emerging generation of gardeners have some lessons to teach those of us who have been doing this for a time: #1 “There are no rules”

We now mix up vegetable plants with perennials – in the same container! And most every plant that goes in the garden also goes into containers… and most everything that can hold some soil is a container for planting most everything else. No rules.

Where to start: THAT is the question!

Vegetables to plant:

For most of us Canadian gardeners it helps to look at May as two months – early (when frost can still occur) and late (when the threat of frost is much less likely).

Plant in the first half: all ‘frost hardy’ vegetable seeds. There are many that thrive in cool soil and will tolerate some frost once out of the ground.

Radish, carrots, all members of the onion family including spring sets, Spanish onions, leeks and multipliers. Plant peas now, both the ‘snow’ peas and the podded peas, (plus, for the record Sweat Peas), lettuce – leaf, head and bib varieties, cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts (providing you can find someone to eat them). In fact virtually all of the ‘gassy' vegetables can be planted early –like now.

Later, when the threat of frost is no longer a consideration plant out your tomato plants and peppers, seed potatoes, squash, pumpkins and beans. Corn should be planted when the leaves of your oak trees are the size of a squirrel’s ear. If you lack squirrels, come over to my place and help yourself.

Containers.

I have a way to cut your watering down by up to one half this summer. Water Wicks are a new product in the Mark’s Choice line up that I am very excited about. Each ‘Water Wick’ tea bag absorbs up to 400 times its’ weight in water.

When you prepare a hole for planting, drop a pre-moistened Water Wick tea bag into the bottom of the hole and place the plant directly on top of it. Firm the soil around the plant as per usual. Now, as the soil dries out the plant will draw moisture from the Water Wick. When you water your plants the Water Wick is automatically recharged with water.

The results are that you will water much less and your plants will become deeply rooted in their search for water at the bottom of the planting hole.

How do we know these work? We tested them ourselves. But not until the Ontario Flower Growers applied them to over one million potted plants that were shipped to retailers across the country. The Water Wick concept was such a hit that reforestation projects are now using them when planting tree seedlings. We (Home Hardware and I) have the exclusive use of the product in the retail market.

Give them a try and let me know what you think. I have used them in the veggie garden, under newly planted perennials and in containers with great success.

Water Wicks are made in Canada and are a 100% Canadian concept!

The BEST Wheel Barrow. Ever. It took us a while to perfect this one, but the new Mark’s Choice wheel barrow is a winner. I know this because my wife has claimed mine as her own.

It has a generous 5 cubic foot capacity, a low centre of gravity (so it will not tip unless you really try), it is perfectly balanced (the part that we worked on the longest), it has two heavy duty wheels, a thick gage high impact plastic hopper and a comfortable wrap around handle for ‘one handled’ work (so you can hold a beer in one hand and walk a load around the yard with the other!).

Mark's Choice Product of the Month

Mark’s Choice garden soils – at last ! We have been working for 3 years on the perfect formulation of soils for the 3 main jobs that you have around the garden.

Container mix for planting in hanging baskets, window boxes and all other containers. Home Hardware item# 5053-500

Weed Free Lawn Soil for getting grass seed and sod off to a great and fast start. Home Hardware item# 5053-686

Flower and Vegetable Soil , which also contains the very best ingredients for growing all vegetables and flowers in the garden. Home Hardware item# 5053-695

Add color to your condo

Check out this great article on adding color to your condo with hanging baskets

A greener way to control bugs

Mark Cullen’s Greener Way to Control Garden Bugs

Dealing with lawn and garden bugs can be difficult, but more than 95 per cent of the insects in our yards, such as earthworms, ladybugs and praying mantis, are actually helpful to the home gardener.

“I believe we can garden successfully without the use of toxic chemicals, and that includes insect control,” says Mark Cullen, Home Hardware’s Gardening Expert and author of The Canadian Garden Primer. Here are some of the most common pest problems, with Mark’s natural and organic solutions.

Beetles usually attack plants by eating their leaves and laying eggs that hatch in late fall or early spring. Applying dormant spray early in the spring can help kill off eggs before they hatch. Green Earth Dormant Spray is a safe, organically based product.

Aphids are sucking insects common in many gardens. They cause damage such as wilting and growth deformity, but they can easily be controlled with Green Earth insecticidal soap, a natural organic spray with no harmful effects on humans or pets. One spray application should do the trick.

Mark’s Most-Requested Recipe for Ant Control

Mix one litre of water, one teaspoon of Borax and a cup of sugar. Soak cotton balls in the solution and place them in an old margarine container. Punch holes in the lid so ants can get in. Place the containers in locations where you’ve seen ants (out of reach of pets and children). The ants will gather the poison sugar, take it back to the nest and eventually kill the entire colony.

Tasha's Note:

We have lots of customers coming in asking for ant control. Our question is always WHY? People will answer, "Well, I have ants in my yard." Of course you do! That's where ants live! Pesticide commercials have trained us to think that ants are bad and we must get rid of them.

In our opinion, the only reason you should have to get rid of ants are if they are in your home, or if they have built a large nest in your lawn or garden. Otherwise, don't worry about them. A few ants living in your garden ecosystem won't hurt. :)

Turn Organic Waste into a resource

From Mark Cullen:

I can think of many excellent reasons why every Canadian would want to compost: the environment, education, economy, convenience, usefulness and downright rewarding. Composting is a simple way to capture valuable organic resources and recycle them back into the garden. Adding finished compost to garden soil helps to improve soil quality and productivity. Do-it-yourself composting grows in popularity each year as homeowners discover this easy and rewarding process. As we begin a new growing season I encourage you to start your own compost.

Together, you and the kids will learn that great compost begins with many of the raw, organic materials that we eat and enjoy around the yard and ends with the miracle of a valuable resource that is good for everything that you grow in your garden.

Many municipalities in Canada now provide waste disposal for organics. I encourage you to keep the compostable organics for yourself. You will save money by not having to buy quite so much garden soil, you will help the environment by not having the raw material trucked away and you will have fun. So will the kids!

Composters range in styles from containers on rotating stands to large fenced-in areas of the yard. There are a few basic rules to follow when establishing a compost pile:

• - The more sun your composter receives, the faster the raw material in it will break down.
• - It is important to locate your composter near a reliable water source. The organic mixture needs a thorough soaking every couple of weeks during the heat of summer.
• - The best way to accelerate the decomposition of the organic material in your composter is to turn it every couple of weeks throughout the gardening season. Rotating units are great for this. Stationary compost piles will require turning with a garden fork or compost turner. Turning the organic mixture introduces oxygen into the centre of the pile. This recharges the microbial activity of the beneficial bacteria in the compost.

For more website information on composting, please visit compost.org and markcullen.com

Compost

What should be added to the mix for successful composting?

• - Leaves - Chopped leaves break down faster than whole leaves.
• - Grass clippings - Allow clippings to dry before adding to the composter or they just become a mucky mess.
• - Plants and weeds - Add only those plants without ripe seeds to avoid future problems.
• - Old potting soil - The plants and soil from last year that may still be in containers.
• - Kitchen scraps - Fruit and vegetable trimmings, egg shells, tea bags and coffee grounds.

Some things do not belong in your composter.

• - Meat - Not only will left-over meat attract animals but as it rots it risks turning your compost rancid.
• - Dairy products - Cheese and milk, etc. can go sour and make your compost smell.
• - Wood, bark, metal, plastic - Anything that will either not break down in a reasonable period of time or is not organic in the first place.
• - Weeds gone to seed - A great way to infest your garden with the plants you hate is to spread them everywhere in your finished compost. Don't count on your compost to heat up enough to kill these seeds. Few home gardeners have the critical mass or the discipline to turn their compost frequently enough to make the raw material heat up to this degree.
• - Dog and cat waste - Heavy metals are the biggest problem here - not to mention the smell. Stick with the manure of vegetarian animals such as cattle, sheep and horses. Don't overdo it though. Too much of the raw stuff can create an odour that will not endear you to your neighbours, especially in an urban situation.

MORE IN STORE

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