Gardening in Cold Climates

Alberta Garlic

2012-01-02T11:08:00.000-08:00

Alberta garlic, grown near Edmonton

True garlic lovers crave the freshest bulbs. Much of the garlic sold in stores in Alberta comes all the way from China. Garlic does grow in Alberta, and I have long wanted to grow some. We use garlic in most savory dishes, almost every day. Garlic is a necessity.

The beautiful pungent garlic pictured above is a heritage variety that was grown just outside of Edmonton, not by me, but by an expert garlic grower with years of experience and family tradition. The garlic had been planted in mid to late September the year before and overwintered. It was harvested in mid August and the largest bulbs were saved for replanting. Fresh, it was delicious, cooked it was delicately aromatic. I felt quite lucky to get my hands on a few of these bulbs, handed down for generations, and of a variety that obviously grows well in Alberta. Some we ate, but some we saved for planting.

I planted my heritage garlic in the last two weeks of September in our urban Edmonton backyard garden. The cloves were carefully separated and planted, pointed end up, a few inches deep and a few inches apart in light fertile soil in a raised bed - full sun. Autumn was dry so I watered the bed, and later, in late October, I covered the bed with leaves. Now I am just watching over it - wondering how the garlic will do. A few inches of snow now cover the bed. Garlic.....dreaming of garlic......

Smart Renovation for a Small Kitchen

2010-11-02T23:32:00.000-07:00

........from the garden to the kitchen.....

New layout, attractive cherry cabinets, better lighting, more storage & counter space. Excellent craftsmanship.

Before: Old kitchen. Just hanging in there.

The old kitchen in our '50s bungalow in south Edmonton had narrow countertops, missing doors, and a problematic layout. The stove, fridge, sink and dishwasher were all clustered on one side of the kitchen. The sink was small and we needed more storage and counterspace.

The kitchen measures 12 x 11 feet, and we wanted to make use of every square inch. We hired Edmonton master carpenter and artisan craftsman Mike Giles to design, custom build and install our new kitchen. He did wonderful work, all within a few weeks and with very little disruption.

The work:

1) Replaced cabinets with custom made Shaker style Cherry cabinets, stained in a mid-tone stain made by Mike Giles. Satin nickel knobs from Lee Valley.

2) Increased the depth of the countertops, and the height and depth of lower and upper cabinets by a few inches. Traded floor space for usable storage and counterspace.

3) Moved refrigerator to the adjacent wall and added a countertop and drawers beside the stove, where the fridge was.

After: New peninsula counter. Workspace for two chefs. Fridge moved.

4) Added a peninsula countertop between the kitchen and dining area, to house the dishwasher.

5) Expanded a small closet, fitted with built-in drawers and deep sliding pull-outs.

6) Built and installed Wilsonart Crystalline Onyx countertops, edged by cherry wood, with white laminate backsplash. Looks terrific. Replaced sink with a larger Silgranite sink in "anthracite".

A place for everything

7) Cabinets are fitted with strong pull-outs, corner lazy susans, sturdy drawers, adjustable shelves, interior spice racks. The garbage and compost bin slide out with the cupboard door, from under the sink, and the cutlery drawer is double layered, the top portion slides back.

8) Added dramatic crown moldings, to give ‘height’ to the ceiling, and grandeur to the room. Beautiful woodwork throughout. Arts and Crafts renovation.

9) Replaced the window, upgraded insulation, installed energy efficient lighting, more electrical outlets, upgraded fan over stove. We kept the microwave on the countertop, at a safer height.

Before: a small curtained closet, a broken drawer.

After: built-in pantry, counter beside fridge, storage.

Wilsonart Crystalline Onyx counters with Cherry edging, beautiful woodwork, shelf over stove, substantive windowsill.

Hand crafted beauty, better use of space. Larger counters, well organized storage.

Paper, plastic & bottle recycling, broom, pantry & storage

We love our new kitchen.

Kitchen designed, built and installed by Mike Giles Fine Woodwork, Edmonton, Alberta. 780-463-8127.

Compost

2010-08-10T21:12:00.000-07:00

Feed The Earth

The key to vigorous plants in a vegetable garden is healthy soil. Imagine the plight of those amazing seeds you have planted. Once they germinate, they expand and send out roots. What environment will they meet, hard clay or light, fertile earth? Your crops will be hardy if your soil is healthy. Garden earth needs help.

Add Compost To The Garden

The cheapest (and easiest) way to improve and nourish your soil is to build your own compost pile and add compost, lots of it, to your garden soil every year or two.

Find a spot for the pile directly on the dirt and add leaves, grass clippings, crushed eggshells, tea and coffee grounds, fruit and vegetable scraps, thin layers of ash, weeds and flowers without seeds (stay away from quack grass, too), and handfuls of dirt.

A compost pile needs air and water to help all that stuff you put into it to decompose. Sprinkle water on it during dry spells and stab it with a pitch fork once in a while. We collect leaves from neighbours in the autumn and save kitchen scraps all year. Autumn garden refuse, fallen crabapples, grass clippings all get composted.

We put all of this organic matter, plus a few shovel-fulls of garden soil, in a heap in the corner of the garden and leave it to brew slowly. Every 2 years we dig down into the compost pile and spread several inches of the fully degraded mix onto the garden. The rest goes back into the pile to continue decomposing, with new material added on top. Simple.

Quietly and sweetly composting away in the corner of the garden.

Over time, crops have improved and our soil has become lighter. Seeds can sprout up with ease and roots can spread out. Weeds are easier to pull up and ground is readily cultivated. Earthworms can move around. Water will drain down into the earth but the soil will still hold some moisture. Plants get nutrients from the compost and from the natural clays in the soil.

Father Time and Mother Earth....

So, instead of sending those apple cores and banana peels to the landfil, put them into a small container with a tight lid in the kitchen, and toss them into the compost pile every few days. Then just wait. Let it be. Time will break down these ingredients into a brown, light mix perfect for your garden. In cold climates, wait a year or two for this magic.

(Bonus: anything growing near the compost pile will be robust... see the rhubard beside the compost pile)

Front Yards in Bloom Edmonton 2010

2010-08-05T21:14:00.000-07:00

Edmonton is a beautiful city and each year the front yards of residents are highlighted in a friendly competition called Front Yards in Bloom.

Neighbours, letter carriers and community leagues nominate their favourite yards, this year over 1500 gardens were nominated.

Evaluations are conducted by scores of volunteers.

Enjoy these gorgeous Edmonton gardens, some of the finalists in the 2010 Front Yards in Bloom.

I had the good fortune to tour these beautiful properties. It was difficult to rate the entries because each yard was exceptional.

Congratulations to all finalists, and to all gardeners who take the time to grace our communities with such beauty. Thank-you ! And thanks, too, to the nominators, and all the other volunteers.

The Awards Ceremony for Front Yards in Bloom was held at City Hall on August 12. Dozens of gardeners were honored by several speakers and the best six Front Yards were highlighted (pictured above and below).

The 'top' Front Yard

Hidden Reservoir for Pots in the Garden

2010-07-31T15:52:00.000-07:00

Underneath this pot of impatients is a plastic container filled with water.

Conserve water and keep your flowers well watered. Place a recycled plastic container to catch water under a pot of flowers with 'wicks' that go from the potting mix through the drainage holes into the underground container of water.

Water will drain from the pot into the water reservoir.

Water 'wicks' up into the pot.

Dig a hole big enough for your plastic container to fit under where the pot of flowers will sit. When you pot up your flowers dangle a few 'wicks' (mop strings) out of the drainage holes. The wicks should be placed a few inches into the potting mix in your planter. Fill the plastic container with water and place the pot of flowers over it with the wicks dipping down into the cup all the way to the bottom. The pot of flowers should fit snugly over the watering cup so it is hidden out of sight.

Water reservoir is hidden and mosquitoes can't get in. Kind of pretty, don't you think?

Consider Kale

2010-07-22T19:40:00.000-07:00

Wait! Start up the music at the end, first.....

Kale seeds can be a bit finicky to germinate. Some years my kale seeds don't sprout, other years - no problem. Not sure why. But now adays I always grow Kale in the garden, even if I have to buy a few bedding plants. The garden would be incomplete without kale.

Kale is incredibly nutritious. Sometimes called wild cabbage, kale is loaded with anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatories. It has beta- carotine, Vitamin K and C, Lutien, iron and calcium. When you eat kale, you know you are eating the real thing. Kale is solid, dense and GREEN.

Kale survives after the first frost and gets sweeter, so for the northern Prairie gardener it is an exceptional crop. When other plants in the garden have wilted and died, kale stands tall. October doesn't scare kale.

Tender bits of kale can be added to salads in springtime. Add mature kale to cooked dishes. Break it up and put in pasta or bean dishes. Add it to soups and stews. The Portuguese make delicious kale stews "Caldo Verde". It can be used as one of many greens in the delicious Greek "Horta". This recipe hails from Crete, and we made it with onions, instead of leeks.

Freeze kale for winter nutrition or dry it for snacking, if you have the time. Use the curly top parts of each kale leaf, and return the tougher lower stems to the compost.

Kate and Anna McGarrigle.

Zucchini: Alberta Favourite

2010-07-18T17:45:00.000-07:00

Prairie gardeners love to grow the hardy summer squash called zucchini. In our backyard garden in Edmonton, we grow your basic long green zucchini and another variety called Papaya Pear, which is yellow and....pear shaped.

You can grow zucchini from seed planted directly in the garden, or start your bedding plants a few weeks early and plant out when temperatures are above all danger of frost.

By late July you will have lots of little zucchinis, ready to grill. Zucchinis are at their best for fresh eating when small, so harvest them early and harvest them often.

Grilled zucchini is tasty and light. Great with fish. To grill, cut it in half along the length, and brush it with a little olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and dust the top with cinnamon. Grill for about 5 minutes with the peel side down and flip it over on the flesh side just for a few minutes - directly on the grill. It grills quickly. When the grill marks are evident, turn it at a right angle to make your fancy X grill marks. Serve it hot.

We haven't yet mastered the art of frying the tender zucchini blossoms with the small zucchini attached, but we tasted deep fried zucchini blossoms in Rome.....yummy!

Don't underestimate the lowly zucchini. It is refreshingly delicious and so easy to grow. You can also chop it up and lightly fry it in the frying pan, with a little oil and your favourite herbs or spices.

Recycle 7-11 Big Gulp. Self waterer for planter.

2010-05-30T07:46:00.000-07:00

The plants have grown around and over the Big Gulp waterer.

Some plants, such as Impatients, seem to do better when they have a steady source of moisture at hand. I top off the water supply to a large planter of Impatients with a recycled 7-11 Big Gulp cup (largest size) and domed lid.

The basic idea is to use the Big Gulp cup as a water reservoir inside the planter. Water wicks from the cup to the soil, providing a steady supply of moisture. Here's how.

Use 'wicks' from a mop. Put one end of each of 3 wicks, or so, into the cup. Ensure the wicks touch the bottom of the cup, and then run them up over the sides and out. Invert the dome lid over the cup and add a scrap of landscape fabric to cover the lid and the wicks as they leave the cup. I put a rock in the lid just to keep the fabric stable, while I 'plant' the cup in the planter. Add a few inches of potting mix in the planter and put the cup in, arranging the wicks where you want the moisture to be. Carefully add more soil without pulling the wicks out of the cup. The lip of the cup should sit just above the final level of the soil. Fill the planter with plants and the cup with water. Water from the cup will wick into the soil for the roots. The fabric hides the cup and keeps insects and dirt out of the water reservoir.

The inverted domed lid can be used on larger vessels, like a large yogurt container, if you want a bigger supply of water present for your plants. There you go.

Advantages: steady water supply for the plants, no need to water so frequently, and conserve water since none runs out. Roots will grow throughout the container, not just directed to the bottom.

The 'wicks' are from a cotton mop.

Once the wicks are in the cup put the inverted lid on.

Put the cup in the soil with the wicks hanging out and spread into the dirt.

At the top, see the watering cup, with black landscape fabric to cover the wicks and the cup. Soon the flowers will grow over it. Fill the cup with water and your plants will thrive.

Dill. Grow it from Seed.

2010-04-24T10:27:00.000-07:00

Dill

My approach to gardening is to ‘go with it’ and I don’t like to miss an opportunity that Mother places before me. There are things to eat in the early spring garden that we didn’t have to do anything to get. Nice touch Planet Earth. I watch the garden earth as soon as the snow is gone and the ground is dry, even before we till. We've been eating the wild green onions that grow around the edges of the garden for a few weeks now. Today I am watching for tiny dill sprouts. They give a clue as to the warmth of the soil, for planting. It is a bit too early yet , but soon they will appear. After a few days of growth, I can pick them to eat. These little dill sprouts add fresh punch to salad.

One packet of dill seeds may be all you ever need in your life. This is because dill seeds can be saved from year to year. If you don’t harvest all your dill from your garden, and leave a dill flower head on the ground, it is most likely that next year dill will pop up. It is called dill weed, after all. Grow dill from seed directly in the garden. I wouldn’t bother starting it early indoors, and wouldn't buy dill ‘bedding plants’ because dill will readily grow from seed and doesn't like to be transplanted. A dill plant likes a sunny place in the garden. I especially like to use fresh dill leaves when the plants are young, before they attract bugs.

Dill is bright and beautiful in the garden.

Throw a few dill sprigs into a leafy greens salad, not too many though because dill has a strong flavour. Dill is also a tasty addition to a Greek salad. Add fresh dill sprigs to sour cream to put on top of grilled or broiled salmon. A yogurt dill sauce goes well with a chicken stew. Try a dill dip with your garden carrots.
Update: first dill sprout in the garden noticed on April 30.

Elk Island National Park

2010-04-13T02:06:00.000-07:00

Start up the music after the pictures....

Toadstools at Elk Island National Park, Canada

I was looking through my Alberta pictures and found these toadstool and wild mushroom photos. These were taken on a hike on a peaceful sunny day in September at Elk Island National Park. The park is about a half hour drive east of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

I don't know the names of any of these toadstools, as I know nothing about mushroom identification. I was just surprised to find such a variety. You can't take or pick anything from a Canadian National Park, and I am not suggesting that these, or any wild mushrooms, would be good for eating. But wow, look closely and there is so much to see.

Link to Elk Island National Park

Perennial Herbs for Cold Climates

2010-04-11T13:46:00.000-07:00

Chives

The hardy wild spring onions that grow in the alley are now several inches high. So are the garden chives. These thrive in a sunny spot on the sheltered south side of the house. The chives that grow on the north side have not yet sprouted, as the ground is still too cold.

I can see some new green leaf growth on the oregano and it won’t be long until the French tarragon pops out. There is something happening with the thyme, too. The hardy mint will soon be up and running and will most likely will require taming.

Oregano

These five herbs, chives, oregano, French tarragon, mint and thyme come back year after year in my Edmonton garden. They don’t require much care, either. I plant them in light soils in places that get at least a few hours of direct sunlight each day, and they seem indestructible.

The mint will take over, so you might want to keep it in a pot, or a secluded spot with natural boundaries. Oregano will spread out a few inches and the seeds will sprout. The tarragon too can get quite large in a sheltered sunny spot. All of these herbs will transplant easily. Herbs don’t need much fertilizer and can grow well in poorer soils.

Thyme

If you don’t have these herbs in your garden, someone you know who gardens, might be happy to give you a little clump of each. I would wait until late May to transplant. If you buy them at a garden store, be sure to get the varieties that are perennially hardy for your climate.

French Tarragon

Basil - Easy Herb to Grow From Seed

2010-03-20T15:16:00.000-07:00

By mid-March the tomatoes, basil, kale, sage and parsley are sprouting indoors. I will soon start even more basil herb plants because you just cannot have too much basil.

Grow basil from seed. It is one of the easiest and tastiest herbs to grow from seed. The germination rate is high, and it only takes a few days for the seeds to sprout. I start them in Jiffy 7s, and also sow more Basil seeds directly into the pots they will grow in. Just cover them lightly with a good potting mix and water. The seeds instantly turn a cloudy grey when exposed to water. Sow several seeds together - basil likes its own company, and keep the plants well watered. Once the seeds have sprouted, put the plants in a sunny south window.

The basil plant is very tender and will die if temperatures drop even near freezing. On warm spring days I put basil plants outdoors for a few hours. I find that basil that is lightly buffeted by the breeze produces a tastier, more turgid basil leaf. But, I still grow lots of basil in the greenhouse, and these more tender leaves are great too.

After the ground is warm and temperatures well above freezing, you can sow basil directly in the garden, but I find that lots of bugs and birds also like it. My best outdoor crops of basil were grown under protective cloth covers,which also keep the temperatures warmer and more even.

Harvest basil as it grows and pinch the big leaves off to use. Pesto sauce is delicious when made with your own fresh leaves. Throw this strong sweet but tangy herb into salads and sauces, mix it into dips and dressings. This year, try growing some basil.

Use Your Garden Sage: Try this Tuscan White Beans with Garlic and Sage Recipe

2009-10-25T15:42:00.000-07:00

A delicious, easy recipe with beans, sage, olive oil and garlic. Garlic lovers - rejoice!
In the late autumn garden today, we can still harvest fresh kale and carrots, beets and a few herbs. The sage has survived the freezing night temperatures of late October in Edmonton. I have already frozen bunches of sage for use in the winter. We love sage in a family favourite side dish we call “Tuscany White Beans with Sage“. This is a quick and easy recipe that goes especially well with pork or chicken. Use fresh sage, or sage you have frozen from your garden.

Tuscany Beans Recipe

5-7 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or pressed through garlic press
¼ cup of olive oil
A large handful (3 or more tablespoons) of fresh sage, coarsely chopped
1 can of white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of white navy beans, drained and rinsed
¼ to ½ cup of water
1-2 teaspoons of dried oregano
Salt and pepper

In a big pot that is large enough to hold the 2 cans of beans, saute the garlic and sage in the olive oil over LOW heat for just a minute or two. Add the beans to the pot with the water to make a little sauce. Add the oregano. Heat over very low and simmer for 10 minutes until the dish is hot. Add salt and pepper and serve.

Sage is easy to grow from seed (start indoors) or bedding plants, so be sure to plant some in your garden next spring. Sometimes, I pot up a sage plant to bring indoors for the winter. Due to low light levels in winter, it just barely hangs in there in a south window, but in springtime - out it goes into the garden again.

Sage - what a great herb.

Add some kale.

Make Self Watering Planters. Easy Wicking Containers for the Greenhouse

2009-10-22T19:19:00.000-07:00

Water. That's what plants in the greenhouse need. In northern climes, you need your crops growing all the time. Daylight hours are long but the growing season is short. I top off the water supply to plants in my greenhouse by adding home made self watering systems to my  potted tomato and pepper plants. They get a constant source of water, so they can keep growing at will.

This is easier than you think! The wicking system saves water, keeps the plants growing and happy, and saves time. Plant roots grow throughout the entire planter, not just towards the bottom, so bigger plants can do well in smaller containers.

The basic idea is that you have a separate reservoir of water where 'wicks'  draw water into the soil where the potted plant is growing.

The blue pails in the picture above show an easy self-watering system . These old pails are about the same size, and the light blue pail stacks perfectly into the dark one, with a 4 inch gap at the bottom and top between the 2 pails. In this case, the 'reservoir' of water is in the bottom pail.  I drilled 12 drainage holes in the bottom of the top pail (light blue) and dropped  4 cotton 'wicks' (from an inexpensive mop refill) down from 4 of these holes, to touch the bottom of the dark blue pail, when they are stacked. You can use other thick ropes for 'wicks', just make sure they draw water up.

I drilled a bigger hole in the side of the bottom pail about an inch under the base of where the top pail would sit, leaving a 3 inch 'reservoir' for water in the bottom pail. This side hole is for overflow drainage of the water reservoir- so there is always a gap of air between the water reservoir and the bottom of the upper pail. Knot the wicks at the inside base of the top pail and draw them an inch or two up into the dirt in the top pail, so the wicked water is dispersed in the soil. Fill the top pail with light soil (not potting soil but potting mix- this seems to be important for absorption) and plant your pepper, tomato or plants of choice. Water from above directly on the soil, and/or below-  into the hole in the side of the bottom pail. Make sure there is always water in the reservoir and once in a while, flush it out by filling through the bottom drainage hole to overflow.

The reservoir doesn't have to be under the planted pot - it can be beside it, or even inside it. Experiment! Self watering window boxes, self watering hanging baskets, this is an adaptable watering system. I use plastic containers rated as safe for food to plant in.

Pollinate Tomatoes in the Greenhouse

2009-10-14T18:40:00.000-07:00

Re-use, Pollinate Plants and Increase Yields at the Same Time!

If you are growing tomatoes in your greenhouse, you know that you will increase yield by ensuring that each tomato flower is pollinated. You want every flower to set fruit because you don't want to waste space.

The hobby greenhouse gardener needs to do the plant pollination by hand. I use an old electric toothbrush to pollinate my tomatoes in the greenhouse. I take off the brush part and use the 'stem' of the old toothbrush. You could also leave the brush on and use the back of the brush. Just gently, very gently, touch the vibrating 'stem' of the toothbrush to the stem of the tomato flower, a bit above the actual flower and just for a second or two. Watch the pollen stream out. By observing the flowers carefully, you will see when the best time to pollinate is. Wait until the petals of the flower are slightly curled back. I pollinate around 11 am to about 3 pm, but really anytime that it works for you will do.

This is kind of relaxing and a good excuse to get away alone for a bit. "Oh, I have to go pollinate the tomatoes!"