You know the stuff…the little grayish-white fuzzy puffballs that suddenly spring up about a week after you plant your new garden seeds.  It blossoms across the surface of the soil and if you have planted your seeds in peat pots, soon the entire outside of the container will resemble one of the guitars from ZZ Top.

So what do you do???

Easy, go buy a bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide…Yup, the same stuff you tried to bleach your hair with back in the 70’s to try and look like Farrah Fawcett.

Add 2 Tbsp of Hydrogen Peroxide to 2 Cups Water.  … Read more...

WOOOO-HOOOO!

I was waiting….and waiting…and WAITING….until finally…THE day arrived.

Planting Day!

Outside the living room window, the dreary gray skies blocked out the sun and  the cold, easterly winds were whipping the branches of my tall Blue Spruce, but inside, it was warm, toasty and with a hot mug of tea in hand, I assembled my cast of characters…

Seed Starting Mix
Potting Soil
Containers by the dozen(s)
Seed packets
Holding Trays
Plant Labels
Watering Can
Garden Journal Notebook and Pen
Paper Napkins

Step 1 ~ and I can not stress this enough…. If you are re-using pots from past … Read more...

Today’s lesson on Gardening is all about Herbs.  Without Herbs, you would be eating food that tastes like baby food  ~ which is fine if you have no teeth I guess…but most of us prefer the food we eat to wow our taste buds.  For this we can thank Herbs.

There are Herbs that are easy to grow.  Then there are Herbs that make life difficult for you.  Worse still, there are Herbs that can strangle your tomatoes and wreak havoc on the neighbourhood ~ ok, just kidding on that last part, but you have to admit it got your … Read more...

T minus 21 Days…

Mark on your calendar March 15, 2013 as THE Day.

Why you ask?

It is THE day I get to play with dirt, peat pots and seed packets…

Because it is PLANTING DAY!

Now I know what your next question is going to be…Why that specific day? Well, because you need to count back 6-8 weeks from the last expected frost date in your geographical area in order to know when to start your seeds….pretty simple eh?

What I have learned the last 2 years growing vegetables and flowers from seeds has been extremely beneficial….like…you don’t … Read more...

YIPPEE!!!!!

They Came!

My seed order that is…now I am all set, I just need some warmer weather to arrive to be able to dive into the dirt, trowel in one hand and pea seeds in another….

Last year I came upon a great website (Mother Earth News) that features a fabulous program that allows you to draw your garden space out on a virtual grid, then plop fruit/veggies or herbs to fill in the space.  You not only get to drag and drop plants in place, but while doing so, it will  tell you what plants get … Read more...

You probably think I am talking about the arrival of beloved relatives, or aliens, or cows…but nope… I am anxiously awaiting the mailman and what he will be bringing me…and I am pretty sure he doesn’t appreciate me pouncing on him everyday when he walks up the driveway.

But I can’t help it.

You see, I ordered my vegetable/flower seeds the other day from OSC (Ontario Seed Company) and of course, I am as usual…incredibly *impatient* to get them.  Ok, impatient isn’t the right word… I am not impatient.  I prefer to think of it as spontaneity.  A joyful, lively … Read more...

Smitten….ever been smitten with something? Not someONE, but someTHING?

Gardening is it for me….
(yeah, yeah, I hear you, here I go again)

But wait!

NOW is the most important time to plan out your garden! 

Regardless of what the weather is doing outside, you can always start a mini greenhouse indoors.  So yesterday I started my herbs in pots, Parsley, Cilantro, Thyme & Basil, mainly for being able to use them earlier and planting a second batch later on in April. 

Today (well, actually it was yesterday, as I always do my posts ahead) I was searching on-line … Read more...