Carrots and Canned Goods

I've been ignoring my garden a bit. I still haven't done the fall clean-up, but it's still technically fall for a couple weeks yet, so perhaps I will get it done. (And my spring bulbs aren't planted either.) But I did wander back there today and was happy to find some lovely carrots that didn't seem to suffer at all from the cold snap we had a few weeks back. That gave me hope (and the start of a great dinner).

The Tofino Community Food Initiative folks have been working hard preparing some canned goods for this weekend's craft fair. Please head on over to their site to see what goodies you can pick up — Sunset Point Pickled Kelp, anyone? — for great Christmas gifts that also support the TCFI's projects. They will be at the craft fair on Saturday only, from 11 to 7.

Now that's a turnip!

I'm doing a bit of historical research for something I'm writing and I came across this, from the Victoria Colonist, June 12, 1911:

Harold Sloman, aged 14, of Clayoquot, had a great day's shooting lately, the bag consisting of 38 duck and 1 goose. Apparently the farming in that district rivals the sport as his mother can show from her garden 2 turnips weighing 53 lbs.

Sorry for the silence here, folks. Just a bit too busy and nothing much but mud growing in my garden. (Well, that's not entirely true. I still have some lovely parsnips waiting for a frost to sweeten them up and some lettuce and a few winter brassicas.) Have you planted your garlic? Now's the time.

Garden Tour is Today!

Sorry for the late notice; I've been away. The garden tour is today, from 11 to 7. Not all of the gardens are open the entire time, so make sure you look for posters in town or go here for more info. My garden opens at 3. Please ignore the weeds!

Annual Garden Tour

The garden tour will be happening again this year, on September 9. We're still looking for gardens. Even if you think yours is too small, too modest, too weedy (like, ahem, mine will be soon), no worries. We'd still like to hear from you. Everyone has great ideas to share. Just leave a comment here if you are interested or email me at toughcitywriter [at] gmail [dot] com.

And there is another pruning workshop at OCN this Monday. Call Trina asap if you are interrested.

Book Your Calendar and Search Your Greenhouse

So I was out rooting around in the garden the other day and thought I'd better take a good look at what was going on in the bottom of the jungle in my little greenhouse. Out appeared two huge cucumbers! That was pretty exciting. I thought I was going to have to wait another month or so.

It's been busy with work, travel, and, yes, the garden so posts have been slight. Still trying to get some broccoli seeds started indoors, but I've probably missed the window. Perhaps if I had Carol McIntyre's winter veggie gardening calendar, I'd be on track! You can order yours now from Trina at OCN. She's only taking pre-orders so let her know now. Price is $16.99 + HST.

Pruning Workshop - Monday

There will be another pruning workshop tomorrow (Monday, July 26). If you want to participate, contact Trina at OCN.

It's been quiet here, but I assume that everyone is busy in the garden. I've been trying to find the room to plant winter veggies and had to sacrifice some huge cabbage that were taking up too much real estate. I've been harvesting broccoli, peas, potatoes, carrots, a few tomatoes, and I still have lots of greens that haven't bolted, which is nice of them. (A beautiful green and red streaked lettuce (forget the name), deer's tongue, which is a beautiful red, and the West Coast Mesclun mix.) They're all still far from bolting. The cascade berries are ripening as are the blueberries and it seems like the rhubarb has stopped sulking after that wet June. What's up in your garden?

Sharesies

I have too many Brussels sprouts and cabbage seedings if anyone wants them. They are pretty healthy, about 3-4" tall so they need to go in soon. Let me know!

Food For Thought

Some food for thought this morning. I enjoyed this read from a prof. of mine and I thought you might like it too. The part about small towns and community is relevant to us, I think. It's an ongoing discussion here. How do we build community and keep people here? Thanks for all you volunteers out there who are trying to do just that. (Now send me some news of your garden. What are you harvesting? What are you planting for winter?)

Time for Winter Carrots, Beets and Other Rooty Things

It's amazing how little time I suddenly have for the blog now that the sun is out (and so is school). More time in the garden, on the beach, at the lake. (And, sadly, at my desk.) I'll do my best to keep it up, but please remember I'd love to see photos and hear stories of YOUR gardens, too. This is for all you wet coast gardeners out there.

If you're going to plant a winter garden, it's time to get more carrots, beets, turnips and other root veggies in. We've started to eat carrots out of our garden, but I started them very early (and under glass). Remember to plant them in well-drained soil. (And if it starts to deluge again, I'd suggest covering them with plastic or reemay to keep the rain off the seeds. The seeds don't like to be swamped. Thanks Trina, for that gardening tip.)

As for the root crop pests — carrot rust fly and cabbage root maggot — here's what Linda Gilkeson suggests:

Take steps to protect this late crop of carrots from carrot rust fly and turnips from cabbage root maggot (they are similar insects, but attack different crops). The late generation of these root pests can attack as late as September and once in the roots, the larvae keep right on boring all winter. Cover the beds before the seedlings come up with floating row covers or use 1-metre-high window screen fence around the bed (most of the adult insects fly below 1 metre). Support the fence on stakes with the bottom edge buried in the soil and allow the top 20 cm to flop outward away from the crop to make an overhang. So the flies zipping along close to the ground hit the fence, fly up, do a loop under the overhang and find they are heading the other way. And of course, make sure there were no carrot family crops or weeds (Queen Anne's lace) in the carrot bed or any cabbage family plants in the turnip bed, before you plant the winter crop. Any root maggots in the soil from a previous crop would be trapped inside the cover or fence with your new crop.

1st Annual Garden Tea

Yup, we had so much fun that we're going to do it again next year. In case you missed it, here are a few photos of the garden tea. The weather cooperated perfectly — perfectly — which was pretty miraculous considering the spring/early summer we've had.


There were lots of hats and flouncy dresses.




Jenn creating her awesome lemon meringue cupcakes. Martha couldn't have done it better.



See what goodies you missed? Thanks to all of the bakers and food prep. crew: Leah, Sarah, Gord, Judy, Jenn, Adrienne and I suspect young helpers, Reed and Chloe.



We were well-prepared for rain with large tents. (Thanks to Alistair and John for those! And also to Smashing Glasses for the tent and chairs.)



Ocea got into the swing of things with her strawberry pants. (Oh, and nice hat on the lady with you!)



The musicians added a wonderful aspect to the afternoon. Thanks to Robinson, Sarah, Sterling and Zina! It was a treat to have you play for us in the garden. We hope you enjoyed it, too.



A fine looking couple...



The scavenger hunt that led to a spot in the Secret Garden was a big hit. (Thanks to Patrice and Alaisha for creating that and also to Ava for all of your help during the event.)



See you next year?

Thanks to the following businesses who donated food, tea or door prizes: Chocolate Tofino, OCN (Ordinary Corner Nursery), Smashing Glasses, Tofino Co-op, Tofino Sea Kayaking, Tofino Tea Bar, the Village of Tofino, and the Wickaninnish Inn.

For more photos, check out Sarah's slide show.

No-see-um Candles

The rain and periodic warmth is not making the no-see-ums disappear is it? Sea Wench's Bugger Off Spray works pretty well, but if you're just sitting around these candles might be nice.

What's your favourite non-nasty-chemical cure?

The Cure for Death by Aphids

(With apologies to Gail Anderson-Dargatz.) I've heard that the aphids are terrible this year. Either I haven't been looking closely enough or I've been spared (for the moment), but I haven't seen too many in my yard. I'll take a closer look. They are a common garden pest, however, so here are some plans for attack:


Hippodamia convergens (aka Ladybugs).
Ladybugs eat the aphids, mate and die within 3 weeks. The larvae look like little alligators and if there is a constant supply of food they will continue to breed and populate your garden.

It's best to release them in the evening so they are more likely to stay in your garden and not fly away. Leah released hers late afternoon on an overcast day into the greenhouse and under cloches.

Garlic Spray
Jenn cooks up a mean garlic spray. Boil whole cloves of garlic, let the liquid cool and spray it on the plants. It will kill the aphids, eggs and will not kill the plants.

Soap and Water
In A Year on the Garden Path, Carolyn Herriot suggests using aphid midges or ladybugs, but also to wash them off with a strong jet of water or spraying them with soapy water or insecticidal soap. She gives two recipes:

Simple Soap: 2 Tbsp. soap flakes in 1 litre of warm water. Apply every 5 to 7 days.

Garlic Oil Spray: 10-15 cloves minced garlic, 2 tsp. mineral oil, 600 mL water, 1 tsp. liquid dish soap. Soak garlic in mineral oil for 24 hours. Strain garlic out and add 600 mL water a 1 tsp. liquid soap. Mix thoroughly and spray on plants.

A few more ideas:

You Grow Girl has a good explanation of both ladybug and aphid biology and gives a recipe for a citrus peel spray as well as other ideas similar to the ones presented here.

And several more from The Cheap Vegetable Gardener.

How do you deal with aphids?

Gardening News from the Past

I've been reading some old newspapers for a project I'm working on and I came across this gardening news from April 5, 1945. It was written by Islay MacLeod who just passed away. (If you don't recognize the name, you still probably knew Islay — she was often seen walking regally down First Street to the Co-op/Post Office etc. in her brilliant yellow beret and vest.) Here's what she wrote in her column Tofino News, that was printed in the West Coast Advocate out of Port Alberni:

Spring has definitely arrived, borne on the wings of a stiff westerly wind. Now with a rattle and clank of tools, the local agriculturalists and landscape gardeners will be able to start tilling the soil and pulling out last year's growth of weeds. Did your squash wilt and die before they had a chance to show their goodness last year? Did the bottom ends of your tomatoes turn brown? Did you white potatoes try to be marbles? Did your cantaloupes taste like pumpkins? Did some unseen pest eat holes in the leaves of your lettuce and beets? If not (though with some exceptions) you must live outside of Tofino's city limits.

Okay so perhaps that wasn't too heartening, but I thought you might find it interesting!

See You Sunday at the Garden Tea

I hope you can come visit my garden this Sunday for a garden tea, a fundraiser for the Community Garden. Enjoy sweet and savory treats, hot and iced tea, local entertainment and garden games.

The tea runs from 1 until 5, with two sittings, at 1 and 3. (Although this is flexible; come any time if it works better.) Tickets are $12 in advance, $15 at the garden gate, $5 for children (10 and under). You can find tickets at Storm Surf, Green Soul Organics, Chocolate Tofino or by contacting me, Adrienne, at ak_mason[at]telus[dot]net or Leah at tofinolocalfood[at]yahoo[dot]ca. (Wheat-free or gluten-free options are available but you need to let me know asap.)

Hope to see you Sunday, rain or shine!

Giving Colanders a New Life

Check this out. That's a mighty pretty enamel colander.

Seed Saving 101 - Lettuce

As soon as we get a burst of hot weather (we will get it, right?), many of our greens are going to bolt and go to seed. I found this great series of videos on seed saving when I was cruising Salt Spring Seeds' site. There are four on saving lettuce seeds: collecting, separating, cleaning and storing.

Do you save seeds? If so, what varieties do you save?

Pruning Workshop - Tonight

Sorry for the short notice, but there is another pruning workshop TODAY at OCN starting at 6 pm. Here's Trina's description:
We will cover some the tips from last time, for those that had to leave early, and of course new pruning tips as well. So if you want to come, give me a call, and again there is no charge for this workshop. Scott also is available to do consultations at your home, as well as for hire to do pruning as well.

Time to Plant Winter Brassicas

It seemed that just as I finally off-loaded all the seedlings I had on the kitchen table out into the garden it was time to start seeding for winter. The challenge is going to be finding a place for all these plants. Some potatoes may have to be sacrificed. Here's the latest suggestions for your winter garden from Linda Gilkeson:

I hope everyone has started their Brussels sprouts by now. We are coming up to the last half of June, which is good timing to start seeds of winter broccoli and cauliflower. Plants should be at least 30 cm (1 foot) high by fall--but I like them even larger than that to get the earliest possible crop next year. People with the warmest gardens can get away with seeding up to mid-July, but don't leave it too late if you are planning on growing your own seedlings.

The way this late, cool spring is going, the beds you thought would be empty in mid-summer may still be full of plants when it is time to plant for winter crops. A couple of ways around this:
-start your winter crops in a small nursery bed somewhere in your garden and transplant them when the spaces open up. After garlic, onions from sets, spring peas and lettuce, etc. are done in July.
-buy transplants later in the summer. An increasing number of garden centres are carrying winter crop plants so this is a better fall-back than it used to be. You still need to be careful when buying broccoli, cauliflower and lettuce for winter to make sure you are being sold suitable varieties (see below).

Varieties with the Right Stuff. Purple sprouting broccoli is the best known of the overwintering broccoli; there are also white sprouting varieties. Extra Early Rudolph (AKA Purple Rudolf) is very early--producing the first harvest in February in my garden this year. They have never been as productive overall as Cardinal (AKA Cardinal Late), which is a much larger, later variety. The last Cardinal plant in my garden is still producing lots of good sized shoots right now. I guess it really likes this weather! West Coast Seeds is also selling a mixed "Purple Sprouting Broccoli Collection" to spread out harvest. For winter cauliflower, Purple Cape has been reliable in my garden for years. Galleon is an heirloom white cauliflower from England of outstanding quality; I have been growing it for the last 4 years and it is my favourite by far.

A pest management note: All of these plants need to be protected from cabbage root maggot. Cover seedlings or seed beds with floating row covers or surround the beds with 1-metre high window screen (allow the top 15 cm of screen to flop over to the outside); the latter works because 99% of the root maggot flies fly less than 1 metre above the ground. When you transplant the seedlings make sure each plant has a paper or cloth barrier around the stems. Make barriers from 6-8 inch squares of heavy, water resistant paper, such as Kraft paper or tar paper, or use several layers of newspaper, even stiff fabric can be used. This year I am using squares cut out of a woven plastic feed bag. From one edge, cut a slit to the centre of the square, then cut a tiny X at the centre, where the stem will poke through, so that you can get the paper fitting very tightly around the stem (the paper lies flat on the soil surface). Anchor the barrier with a couple of pebbles or mulch to hold it in place. Leave in place for the life of the plant.

Tofino Tomatoes in June

Check out Jackie's blog post on Mary (Merry) Bewick's tomatoes. Her plants already have fruit! You're an inspiration Merry, as always.

Plant Markers

I'm pretty much the kind of gal who cuts up an old yoghurt container to make plant markers, but I did find myself eyeing a box of old knives at a second-hand store the other day. Writing on the handle would make a nice, durable marker that will last forever. I passed this time, but still may. (I have friends who use old toothbrushes.) If you are more into aesthetics, though, you may want to check out these free downloadable plant markers from Grow Indie or this wrap-up post from Heavy Petal on plant markers or this way to use pieces of aluminum from pop or beer cans, instructions courtesy Instructables.

Fiddling Around

As you see, I've changed the template for the blog a bit. I always thought the old design crammed the posts together too much and made it hard to find comments, etc. This one clearly separates them, but I'm not all that wild about the colours. If you have any feedback let me know! One day I'll get it customized and fancied up. Have a good day out there. I see clear blue sky.

More on Winter Gardening

West Coast Gardens has a newsletter on winter gardening that is worth a peek if you're thinking about getting one going. (Yes, you need to start thinking about it now before summer has really arrived!)

Compost Workshop

Thinking you should compost, but weren't sure where to start? Here's a workshop, brought to Tofino and Ucluelet by the Raincoast Sustainable Living Program and the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District.

Here's the scoop:

WHEN & WHERE:

Tofino - Thursday, June 17th from 6pm - 7pm, Clayoquot Field Station (in the classroom), Located in the Tofino Botanical Gardens

Ucluelet - Wednesday June 23rd from 6pm - 7pm, in the The Ucluelet Community Centre

COST: Free!

Come and learn the basics of recycling and composting. Find out where our recycling is going and what it is being made into. In addition you will learn the correct ways to compost for both backyard (outdoor) composting and indoor vermi-composting (worm composting). Brenda Fortais, waste reduction coordinator from the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District (ACRD) will be leading this workshop. Please bring all your questions both about recycling and composting to these events. Don't miss this opportunity for a great learning experience!

Bulb Planting 101 for Procrastinators

As a writer I can always find a million tasks to avoid the deadline at hand. (This blog, perhaps?) Surprisingly, planting bulbs at the right time of year never seems to be one of the distractions I get to at the right time — in this case, the fall.

The tendency toward procrastination means I often find myself with a bag full of unplanted bulbs in the spring. Gardening wisdom tells me it's too late and I'll have to wait until next year. This year I decided to ignore that advice and planted them in pots anyhow. Happily, it is very spring-like in my garden (and on the west coast!) at the moment with these pots of tete-a-tete daffodils in bloom. I believe some narcissus are about to open, too. These were planted in pots in March.





So there garden wisdom. It never hurts to play around. I'm off to find a lemon tree.

Hanging Basket Workshop

For those of you in the Tofino-Ucluelet area, there is a hanging basket class with Trina at OCN on Monday, June 14 at 5-ish (Tofino Time and all). Please contact her at ocn [at] island [dot] net (or 250.725.4450) if you are keen. If this time doesn't work for you, let Trina know a time that will.

Building With Bamboo

Owee. What's that big yellow thing in the sky? Oh, right. The sun. What a glorious day yesterday. We had a big 'ole work bee in the yard and my hayfield finally got mowed. It's amazing how such simple pleasures mean so much to a gardener! We'll be in need of a serious massage after the weekend though as we're moving the greenhouse to our yard from our neighbours'. (Thank you Paula and Gibby!)

I've always wanted an arbour or two in our garden. One by Jan Janzen isn't in the budget yet — someday I hope — and I'm not wild about most of the ones I see in shops, so I just fashioned my own with bamboo. All for just a few bucks.



(Sorry, it's a bit lopsided. The photo, not the arbour.) Hopefully by the time of the tea, it will be covered in sweet peas and filet beans.

Here's another idea for building with bamboo — a pea trellis. What have you built with bamboo?

Don't hurt yourselves in the garden this weekend. Perhaps begin and end each day with this.

Field Trip!

When the weather improves (or maybe not, because we could be waiting a long time), we should plan a field trip to this remarkable spot in Clayoquot Sound.



What do you think? We could get a little flotilla together or perhaps charter a boat. Let me know if you're keen.

Teas and Brews 2 - EM Tea

(Thanks to Leah for another great post on garden brews.)

I love fermenting up a good brew! No, I’m not talking beer, but a really beneficial brew for your garden called EM (Effective Micro-organisms). In the 70s, extensive research on the use of EM was done by Dr. Teruo Higa, a professor at the University of Ryukyu in Japan. Now, EM are used all over the world in many different ways!

Effective Micro-organisms occur naturally in the soil, oceans, animals and even us! These mirco-organisms include many species from three different groups — lactic acid bacteria, yeasts and photosynthetic bacteria. All of these microbes work cooperatively and produce hormones, vitamins, amino acids and enzymes that are all beneficial to plants. They also fix nitrogen and carbon and convert toxins to nutrients. In the compost they help to breakdown the material and prevent some of those nasty smells and flies.

EM is effective in any garden, farm or household. Not only can you use this as a spray in the garden to provide healthy benefits, this magic brew can be used around the house. EM can be sprayed onto your pet and their areas (beds, litter), in your laundry and to clean the house. Trina at OCN sprays it all over her chickens’ beds, eating areas, etc. It has even been used in septic systems to control the bad bacteria and smells.

Here are some links to learn more about EM and it’s magical qualities: Naturefarm, Ecorevolution (video), and EM (video).



Making EM Brew

EM brews can be purchased activated (ready to use) or, if you have time, you can brew a mother culture in your home. The latter saves money as the mother culture goes a long way! Both of these products are available from OCN Garden Centre or you can order it online from The Gardener's Pantry.

What you need:
800 ml of de-chlorinated, room temperature water
3 TBSP of unsulphured molasses
3 TBSP of EM mother culture
Clean, airtight container (1- or 2-litre pop bottle and cap) or I use a 1-gallon glass jug and a balloon with a tiny hole in it for a lid.

What to do
1. Mix the ingredients together in the container and place in a warm, but not hot place, out of the sun. I put mine on top of the fridge or on the mantle off to the side. The brew must be kept warm to multiply the microbes and be effective.
2. Give the brew a gentle shake every day and “burp” the bottle (if you haven’t used a balloon with a hole in it). Do this by releasing the cap to let the excess air escape.
3. In about 2 weeks or so (if the culture has been kept warm), the EM should be ready. To ensure that it is ready, pH paper can be used. A pH of 3.7 is best, but anywhere below 3.9 is fine.
EM can be stored for 6-24 months but is best to use within the month. Store it tightly sealed and out of direct sun at room temperature. I make a new batch about every month so I have a constant supply.

Using EM

Garden: EM is best used in the garden as a soil drench as it can burn the leaves of plants if not diluted properly. Use it in the early morning or late evening and preferably just before a rain. (Well, that could be anytime on the west coast!) I generally dilute 1:50 (EM to de-chlorinated water) for soil drench and use it 1-4 times per month on my garden.

Household: For household use (pets, compost, cleaning), I use a strong mix, equal parts of EM and de-chlorinated water with a splash more of EM. A spray bottle is an effective way to distribute all those healthy microbes. I keep a spray bottle handy in the pet areas, kitchen, bathrooms and laundry room.

Let's Pretend

Well, since this weather is altogether too depressing for those of you champing at the bit to get out on the garden, let's engage in a little daydreaming and imagine we live in the Napa Valley or the south of France. Of course we need a lovely, long rustic table on which to have dinner en plein air with a dozen of our friends. No table? No worries. Here's some inspiration from the magazine Readymade (click on image to increase size):

	Look inside >
ON THE COVER: RECYCLED WOOD DINING TABLE

There are lots of pallets kicking around town, in fact I have two in my backyard that I have big plans for, but the plans just might have to change.

Here are the instructions. It would make a great gardening table, too.

Start Planning for Winter

As promised, here is Linda Gilkeson's post on what you need to do now if you are planning a winter garden.

Here is the Get Ready for Winter part:
Do you have all the seeds you need for fall and winter crops? As local garden centres are increasingly tuned in to mid-summer seed demand it has been getting easier to find seeds later in the season. However, in past years seed suppliers have run out of some of winter varieties so don't leave it too late to order seeds.

Right now is a good time to sow the hardy fall and winter cabbage varieties that take the longest to grow (Danish Ballhead, Melissa Savoy, Embassy, etc.). These take a long season to produce large, heavy heads.

Next week is a good time to start Brussels sprouts. I start them the first week of June so the plants begin to form sprouts in late September. This timing avoids the period when cabbage aphids are most active and can really mess up the sprouts. If you have already planted Brussels sprouts, be vigilant in August for the first sign of aphids attacking the sprouts. Blast them out with water and keep the plants well watered (aphids thrive on drought stressed plants).

If you are starting your own plants, you will need seeds for winter broccoli and winter cauliflower ready to sow in mid-June.
By July 1 you will want plenty of carrot and beet seeds on hand for the crop to be eaten over the winter. Other seeds to have for fall through spring harvests: winter lettuce, leaf beet, kales of all sorts, Chinese cabbages, leaf mustards and other leafy greens, Komatsuna, spinach, corn salad.

Coping with the Cool Spring

The rain, the rain. Please make it stop. Tomorrow. It's supposed to be sunny tomorrow.

I'm going to pass on some excellent words of wisdom from Linda Gilkeson's newsletter. (I hope she forgives me, but it's such great advice. You should all run over to your computer and buy one of her books. I have the winter garden book and it is an excellent resource. And sign up for her newsletter, too while you're at it.) Here is some great advice for coping with the very cool spring we've been having. (Note that she's not on the wet coast, so consider that when she's talking about things like tomatoes, melons, cukes, peppers. Sorry, gang, but with rare exception, they're only going to make it out here in a greenhouse or cold frame. Please, prove me wrong if you can explain otherwise! I know some people do grow tomatoes on their decks.)

Cool Spring: As often happens a warm winter hasn't led to a warm spring. In fact, there has been some pretty cold weather this month that will have those who have already put out their tomatoes, beans, corn, squash and other heat-loving crops worrying. Root diseases are the biggest problem in wet, cool weather and if infected, the plants usually die.

If you have plants under cloches or floating row covers they will fare better in this weather. My favourite cloche for individual plants is a gallon milk jug with the bottom cut out. Set it over the plant and push a stick through the handle of the jug to keep it in place. Put the lid or a flat stone on the mouth of the jug at night to keep the heat in and take it off during the day to allow ventilation. For seedlings in beds use floating row covers to warm up the crop (also useful to keep birds from pulling up small seedlings).

If you haven't set out the most delicate plants (cucumbers, melons, peppers, sweet basil), I would wait until next weekend when it sounds like temperatures will be higher. I just gave my seedlings a good dose of fish fertilizer to see them through a few more days in their pots. If you planted beans earlier this month, it might be a good idea to sprout more beans in vermiculite indoors to fill in gaps in the rows. The new seedlings will quickly catch up to earlier sown plants that have been struggling outdoors in cool weather.

Tomorrow, I'll put up her advice on winter gardens. Yup, you read that right.

SoCal Community Gardens

I nipped away a few weeks ago to hang out with my in-laws here (no snickering). While zipping through the madness of Southern California I made my husband screech to a stop on a six-lane highway to take these photos for you of the community gardens in Escondido. Not the greatest photos, but a bit of inspiration perhaps.







And I love the west coast, but wouldn't it be fine to have one of these in your backyard?



Enough rain already.

More on Upside-Down Gardens

Further to this post, visit The Cheap Vegetable Gardener for instructions on how to make your own upside-down planters.

Stubbs (Clayoquot) Island Gardens

If you didn't have a chance to get out to Stubbs Island yesterday then there is still time today. I can't recommend this outing enough even for people who couldn't care less about gardens. It is a treat to be able to visit this private island where the community of Clayoquot once sat. (Clayoquot was here long before Tofino existed. It was the first non-native community in the sound.) Don't miss the enormous rhodos on the trail across the island. They were planted by Betty Farmer and Jo Brydges who ran the hotel there for years. (They are also responsible for the rhodos down by the Mini Motel/Armitage Point area by the Crab Dock.) But, of course since you are probably keen on food gardening, you can also go and drool over their beautiful, and very productive, veggie garden. I pine for raised beds such as these.



Such an ingenious, yet quite simple, design. Love the height of the bed and also the flexibility the rolled plastic "walls" give.







And then there's the beautiful little greenhouse...





And they are growing mushrooms, too...



And, of course, there are lots of lovely details to look at in the gardens...





Boats leave the 1st Street Dock beginning at noon and the island is open until 6pm. After that, you'll have to wait until next year!

Teas and Brews 1 - Aerated Compost Tea

Thanks to Leah Austin for this great post. (Remember, this blog is for all of us, so if you have something to share, let me know!)

Just as we enjoy our tea, so does the garden. We often don’t have enough manure and compost for our entire garden, so compost tea is a great way to spread that composty goodness around. Other benefits? Aerated compost tea:

- feeds the soil beneficial micro-organisms and nutrients
- prevents pests and treats diseases
- improves plant growth

So just what is it? ACT is a “brew” made from non-chlorinated water (rainwater is ideal), high quality compost (and/or well-rotted manure), and microbe food. (Microbes includes bacteria, fungi, protists and nematodes. They enhance the life of the soil and, in turn, your plants.)

Recipe for Aerated Compost Tea

What you need:

5-gallon bucket
4 gallons non-chlorinated water
pump with a minimum of 0.05 cubic feet per minute per gallon capacity*
nylon sock or paint bag
up to 8 cups of compost**
30 mL unsulphured molasses
30 mL liquid kelp
15 mL liquid fish

* Using a ½ - 1 inch diameter hose is best as smaller tubes produce bubbles that break up and kill the beneficial fungi.

** Use great compost — a mix of any/all of worm casings, well-rotted manure, kitchen/garden compost, forest soil and healthy garden soil.

What to do:

1. Add the compost to the sock and immerse into the non-chlorinated water. (If you have to use chlorinated water, aerate it for 20 minutes first, then add the compost sock.)
2. Add the molasses, kelp, fish.
3. Aerate for 12 to 24 hours. This increases the microbes.
4. Strain and foliar feed (spray plant leaves) right away. Spray both the top and the bottom of the leaves. It is best to do this in the early morning or late evening, preferably on a cloudy day or when it is not raining. Strong sun and heat could kill the microbes.

Note: It is important to use the tea right away. It cannot be stored. Once the aeration stops, the microbes start to die off if they aren’t added to the soil.

The tea can be made and fed to the garden every two weeks. It’s a great boost for poor soil and diseased plants.

Seed Starters for Cheap-os (and Recyclers)

Well if that storm last night didn't fully confirm our status as wet coast gardeners, I don't know what will. I am afraid to look in the backyard to see if there is any carnage. I hope your gardens weathered that spectacular Isn't-It-Almost-June? storm.

Let's stay inside for now. I've been saving toilet paper rolls thinking they might be good for seedlings and then, lo and behold, Gayla Trail's second book, Grow Great Grub (also a great read, especially if you are frugal and have a small space; also in our library system) had a little blurb on "Toilet Roll Seed-Starting Cells." So that got me in gear and I transferred some little basil seedlings into tubes of their own and also started some squash and cucumber where they will stay for quite awhile now. (I even made them their own little boat from a juice carton cut lengthwise.)



Depending on how long they have to stay indoors, you may have to transfer these to larger pots before they go into the garden/greenhouse. Gayla suggests teasing the outer layer of paper off, just leaving a thin layer of paper, before transplanting them. I'll let you know how it goes.

And if you are keen to start a winter garden, it's time to think about it now. Yes, now. You might want to start to plan what you'll grow (West Coast Garden seed catalog is a good guide) and order your seeds. I'll do a post on this topic soon.

Upside-Down Gardens

Here's a great article on the merits of growing your food upside-down. If space, or pests, are a constant problem, this might be one solution. There are some great photos for inspiration. (Thanks, Jude!)

Growing for Market Workshop - Sign up now!

You can't rely on Tofino time (as in waiting until the last minute Tofino time, not the magazine Tofino Time) for everything, folks. If you are keen on attending the Growing for Market Workshop on June 6 then sign up now. This poster may be a bit puny, but if you have any questions just leave a comment or email Leah at tofinolocalfood [at] yahoo [dot] ca.

Save The Date - Strawberry Tea

Get out your fancy hats, flouncy dresses, and recipes for mint juleps. On Sunday, June 27th we'll be holding a strawberry tea as a fundraiser for the Tofino Community Food Initiative. If you'd like to help with this event, please let me know. Leave a comment below or email me at toughcitywriter [at] gmail [dot] com.

Pruning Workshop - This Monday!

There will be a series of free pruning workshops held at Ordinary Corner Nursery, beginning this Monday, May 17. A pruning professional will lead the workshops which will be held every 4 to 6 weeks giving you "real time" information on what should be pruned when (and how) throughout the season. You'll also learn how to sharpen your pruners. The workshop is about 1 1/2 hours long and begins at 6 pm. Please call Trina at Ordinary Corner (OCN) ahead of time to reserve a spot. (Or email her at ocn [at] island [dot] net.)

What's Growing in May Gardens

Some of you may be curious to know what is growing or can be planted. Leah let me know what was happening in her garden. What's happening in yours? Fire over an email or leave a comment.

In Leah's Garden, she and Jonathan have:

"Direct seeded carrots (nantes, baby finger and danvers ....didn't use row cover and found that some of the birds were pulling out the little carrot sprigs. weve got tons of seeds so re-planted and will hope for the best.

Planted onions (that I had pre-grown inside the house) and onion sets that we bought. Planting onions around the carrots is a way to prevent the carrot rust fly.

Planted early potatoes...yukon gold.

Planted peas (sweet and shelling), once, twice, three times....birds love the little spoutlets....they look like little worms. They're netted now and seem to be coming up slowly but surely.

Last week we put out the leeks (grown inside first) as well as planted celery seed. I usually buy celery starts but have seen good results here in Tofino using seed so thought I'd try it out. Celery takes a long time to germinate and there are so many adversities ....birds, slugs, etc that starts are desirable. However, the very fragile tap root can be damaged while transplanting starts so direct sowing seemed like a good idea.

Planted lots of edible flowers...calendula, borage, nasturtium. Some parsley and cilantro too.

Transplanted some sunflower seed sprouts. I sprout seeds and grains in the winter/spring and these sunflower sprouts were some that didn't get eaten and just kept growing.

Transplanted another bed of strawberries. Also, planted 3 blueberries this spring.

Planted swiss chard (rainbow and a white stemmed variety ...can't remember the name). We have some pre-sprouted red russian kale babies that we will be transplanting with the chard. The kale sprouts came from a plant that exploded with seeds ....some of the seeds landed inside the greenhouse and started growing on a piece of wet wood. Kale grows anywhere and is the best edible for Tofino!!

In the next week, will be transplanting artichokes (greenglobe & imperial star). Also, we'll be planting under row cover, broccoli (including gai lan, a chinese variety), cauliflower and cabbage. We had terrible army worms and a few cabbage worms last year so hope to prevent with the lightweight row cover.

We've got tomatoes (mostly early varieties and cherries), eggplant, peppers (including jalapeno) & basil inside the house and some in the greenhouse.

In pots I have baby finger carrots and onions and tons of lettuce blends. Can't get enough of them!!

Later this month....gold rush zucchini, gold nugget squash and queensland blue squash (seeds from a friend in Duncan) as well as cucumbers and a cantaloupe (in the greenhouse).

We are going to be intensively growing a number of plants in the greenhouse so will be feeding them heavily (lots of fish fertilizer!!), EM and aerated compost tea."

Here's a short report from my garden:

- Two pots of potatoes are growing well. I can't add any more dirt so once the plant dies back, I'll have an early crop. I also planted two varieties in potato bags and put some directly into the garden. (Can you tell we like potatoes?)

- The leeks, broccoli, artichoke, lettuce starts I began inside are in the garden now.

- Carrots, parsnips, beets seeds sown and I'll keep this up every two weeks for awhile.

- Peas are up and growing well, as are fava beans.

- Other bean varieties (filet beans, for example) are planted inside so they'll be ready to transplant out when the soil warms up.

- The nine-square garden I started over a month ago worked really well and I have great arugula, mizuna, radishes, spinach, lettuce and other greens in that garden.

- Herb garden is sprouting nicely and I planted some parsley and creeping rosemary into that garden.

- The strawberries, blueberries, apples and plums all have/had lots of flowers so I'm hoping for the best. The apple tree has never really produced despite all the flowers so we did get out there this year with a Q-tip, and transferred pollen (we hope) between the two trees. Will report back in the fall! We did put in Mason bees this year, but you certainly can't tether them to your yard and they were released before the flowers were out in force.

All for now. Let us know what you're up to in your garden. Many new (and old ones, too) wet coast gardeners are keen to know what to plant and when as well as what grows well here.

Pothole Gardening

Any frustrated gardeners out there without a plot of land to call your own may want to beautify all the potholes in town. (Please start on the gravel end of Gibson Street.) I read about this pothole gardener in the Globe and Mail this weekend and Joanna sent me this link today. Thanks, Jo! (Make sure you check out the "Sexy geraniums, three for a fiver" video clip from April 18 of the Pothole Gardener's blog.)

Apologies that this post is not directly related to wet coast gardening, but I have an insanely busy week this week and then am away for a bit. So you're on your own (unless someone wants to be a guest poster — hint, hint. I can teach you. It's easy, peasy.)

Dirty Books: You Grow Girl

I thought that title might get your attention. (It might get some creepy attention, too.) I did a post a while back asking people what gardening books they liked and found particularly useful for our region. (There was a good round-up on that post. Make sure you read the comments, too.)

Although not specifically related to this coast, I've found another book that I am really enjoying — You Grow Girl: The Groundbreaking Guide to Gardening by Gayla Trail. There are many things I like about this book, but it appealed to two qualities in particular that I cherish: quirkiness (with a good dose of sarcasm) and thrift. Although it is certainly aimed at the younger hipster demographic (of which I am not) who is likely gardening on a balcony or in a rental, the book is full of practical information and it is well-written, cheeky and funny. This bit, from the introduction, gives you a sense of Gayla's style when she relates how her passion for growing things had morphed into a "Godzilla-sized hobby."

...it was time to pick up a book or two. Boy was I in for a shock. I discovered that there were few publications in any media that appeals to my perspective as a young, frugal urban gardener with no permanent space and only a sweltering hot deck to my name. The gardening world focused on a very specific demographic—older suburban ladies—and I wasn't part of it. Gardening books took it for granted that I had a sprawling backyard and an eager bank account and wasn't it all so deathly boring! Where was the fun, the childlike wonderment, the cheeseball sense of pride and accomplishment? Everything was so hyperperfect, organized and restrained. My plans for world domination were suddenly looking awful meager. I quickly went online to find like-minded individuals and found that even in the world of geeks and freaks there was no space for renegade gardeners to commune. And so in early 2000 YouGrowGirl.com was born.

I found this a great book to flip through and it certainly had me smiling. Trail is funny, but also practical and the book is particularly useful for those who are just getting going in gardening. She also gives instructions for several great gardening projects, from a rustic woven twig fence to a gardening apron ("Not Your Grandmother's Gardening Apron.") (I got all excited to make that apron it looked so nice and then I thought, 'Who am I kidding?' I garden in my ripped jeans, crappy t-shirt and Blundstones and just carry around a bucket of tools. Still, it's cute.) All of the projects are rated by difficulty, from "easy peasy" to "get down and dirty."

Anyhow, I could go on. Need to know the perfect plants for a fire escape?, tips on "Garbage Dump Chic," how to "gussy up cheap containers," plus all the basics from planning, to seeding, to planting and more, then I think you'll enjoy this book. I'm going to buy a copy. Mine will be returned to the library in a few days.

Do you have a favourite gardening book? Share your favourites with us here.

Cats: Round 2

It's been quiet on the cat front in my backyard although a dog has been making regular "visits" to the lawn. And thanks for all of you who contributed your ideas and other pest woes. I'll be doing other pest posts soon. (Ukee readers and others — how do you deal with deer? We've been spared them in Tofino so far.) I am currently preparing a post on my favourite new gardening book that I want to share with you, but for now, here's what Gayla Trail from You Grow Girl (the book and the web site) suggests: Gayla suggests planting plants that cats hate, such as "scaredy cat plant" (Coleus canina) or laying chopped citrus peels or pinecones around the garden. She also says burning frankincense will keep raccoons, cats and squirrels away. (Anyone have some frankincense handy?) She also, very graciously I thought, gives instructions for a garden that your cat (or, in my case, the eight neighborhood cats) could enjoy as their very own. I'm not sure that I'll go that far, but I appreciate that many, many people love cats much more than I do.

Back soon with pics and a review of Gayla's fab. book.

Pest Post #1: Cats

I am feeling a tad grumpy. No, it's not the weather (although that's not great), but it's cats. There must be about 8 neighbourhood cats making regular visits to my yard to peruse it for use as a toilet (or to hunt birds). I say "peruse" it for use as a toilet because I have devised ways over the years to thwart them. But...it takes constant vigilance. I primarily use netting or mesh of some sort, which I lay over the newly planted beds (their favourite). They don't seem to like the possibility of getting their feet entangled. It works for most cats, but some (the young ones I think) are particularly keen at trying to find a spot and tormenting me.



My friend Joanna also suggested cayenne, which I went for one day. Not sure if it made a difference because I used the netting as well. The rain will wash it away, of course, but it might be worth a try in drier weather.



Joanna also sent in some pictures of her methods with these instructions: For those gardeners who deal with cats, short sticks are the best way I've found to keep them out of freshly dug beds. Cedar kindling works well, broken in half and stuck into the soil. Figure out how much space a cat needs to turn around and put the sticks that far apart. Another planting woe, the white-crowned sparrows are around. So watch out and cover those seeds!





I may have to get my daughter's cross bow out next. (It only shoots marshmallows, but it will make me feel better.)

What pests are you "sharing" your garden with and how do you cope?

Lemons, Figs and Olives

Leah passed along Linda Gilkeson's newsletter, which I've posted below. (Info. on subscribing to the newsletter is at the end of her message.) Her posts on "exotics" such as figs, lemons and olives that seem to be working in the warm microclimate of the Gulf Islands got me wondering if anyone out here on the wet coast has tried anything that requires a lot more warmth and sunshine than we typically get? And, if you did, how did it work out? Danielle in Ukee grows lemons in her greenhouse. Is anyone else trying anything? I have heard of people with grapes. I am tempted to try a small lemon tree. Let us know!

Newsletter from Linda Gilkeson:

The spring weather is coming along nicely now and gardeners are planting peas, potatoes, onion sets and transplanting seedlings of hardy greens: lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, etc. I find spinach a disappointing plant when sown at this time of year as it goes to seed after only producing leaves for a month or so. They can't help it--it is the way the plant responds to our rapidly lengthening days this far north. This summer make a note to sow more spinach in August. August sown plants give you a moderate harvest of leaves over the fall and winter and then shoot up lots of big, tender leaves from late February/early March onward. These plants go to seed at the same time that spring-sown spinach does, but after a much longer harvest.

Notes on some interesting food plants:

Foxglove Farm and Garden nursery (Salt Spring), and other local nurseries (try Cannor Nursery in Victoria, Parksville, Abbotsford) are bringing in some interesting food plants:

Lattarula/Italian honey figs: Anyone that has tasted this fig will be delighted to hear that Foxglove now has good looking plants in stock (cultivar is 'Peter's Honey Fig') along with a variety of other figs. It tastes like it was injected with honey in the centre and I have never tasted a finer fig. This cultivar gives a reliable first crop so you will get ripe figs from the end of July through August depending on how warm a site you have.

Tea (Camellia sinensis): The plant from which green, oolong and black tea is harvested. Needs a warm and very protected site, but some people I know of on Salt Spring have been growing it outdoors for several years and it has survived the winters.

Olives: The 'Arbequina' variety has been reported hardy outdoors by several people. Mine got through last winter fine at 800 ft. elevation (it's first winter outdoors). The olives are small, but it is supposed to be a good quality oil olive and is widely grown in northern Spain and colder olive growing regions. Mine has been bearing fruit since I got it three years ago, but at the moment the crop is too small to do anything with. Beautiful leaves though.

Lemons & limes: Not in stock right now, but coming soon to nurseries are dwarf 'Improved Meyer' lemon; also 'Bearss' lime. Very productive little trees! Since I bought 2 small lemons and a lime tree in spring 2007 I have not had to buy a single lemon or lime. They can take a few degrees of frost, but in most of this region they have to be kept in pots and moved under glass for the winter (an unheated greenhouse is perfect). They both set more fruit than should stay on the plant so regularly thin out the fruit.

Goji berries: A crop that is becoming all the rage for health benefits and plants are now widely available. Apparently there is a nursery in Saskatchewan that grows nothing but goji berries for the nursery trade. These are very hardy. I have not tasted the fruit as they are in the nightshade family which doesn't like me much, but people who have seem to like them.
____________________________

Previous messages are archives at the Salt Spring Energy website [www.saltspringenergystrategy.org].

____________________________

For info on my books or to check my schedule for talks and presentations in your area see: www.lindagilkeson.ca


There was more info. on olives in a newsletter from today:

A quick follow up to my previous message: I just found out about this spring's importation and sale of olive trees by the Saturna Olive Consortium. Check out the price list and great olive cultural information for this region at: http://olivetrees.ca

They are selling 3 varieties of olives that have been doing well on Saturna and Pender and in other local areas. These are large fruited Italian olives and may be more reliable producers than the Arbequina I mentioned previously. In any case, the olive lovers among us with a warm south facing site might want to leap on this opportunity. SOC is bringing in a bulk order of trees in 1 and 3 gallon pots. You can order just one tree or larger quantities from them if you want to get into production. They still have quite a few trees not yet spoken for.

Pick up of trees on Saturna will be May 15th and they are also working on scheduling pick-up in Victoria and in Vancouver. They can also ship the trees.

Potato Bags!

If you are short of space or just want to be able to harvest your potatoes one meal at a time, you might want to check out potato bags.



It's a pretty simple design — a heavy duty poly bag with some drainage holes (perhaps not enough) near the bottom. You insert a plastic ring around the top to hold it open and then plant as you normally would, gradually adding soil as the plants grow.



But the nifty part of the design are the several openings that allow you to harvest potatoes without ripping up the entire plant. I've decided to try them out this year so will report back as to how that all works. I wonder how the plant will take to all that rummaging around?

Recycled Greenhouse

Leah sent over these pictures of the greenhouse she is sharing with Jonathan and Denise. Thanks, Leah. (Come on the rest of you. Don't be shy to send in your pictures.) Here's Leah's description:

The entire greenhouse was built by Jonathan from recycled materials. There are gutters to divert water to a catchment system (not showing yet). Here's the front:



This is the side of the greenhouse beside our bench around the tree. This is where we visualize our garden plans, have lunch or just relax. It's so peaceful to garden in the middle of a forest. there's a big pond beside the garden where we get our water and watch the kingfishers fishing!



Here are a few starts resting in the greenhouse before they're planted out in the big garden. Artichoke, shallot, 3 varieties of onion, broccoli, cauliflower, parsley and celery.

Something We Should Be Able to Grow Out Here...

I've had mushrooms growing in a vehicle on the west coast, so we should be able to grow them in our gardens! Years ago, I got a "shitake log" from (I think) West Coast Seeds and, as I recall, it worked quite well.

Is anyone growing/cultivating mushrooms? Let us know!

Here's some inspiration.

Plants & Potatoes to share

I have extra seedlings I'd love to give away to clear up some room. Just leave a comment below or email me at toughcitywriter [at] gmail [dot] com if you've like any of these so we can arrange a swap.

Ready for a nice home: healthy seedlings of Gold Nugget tomatoes, Ichiban eggplant as well as a few Banana fingerling potatoes and Sieglinde potatoes. All of these from West Coast seeds so you can read up on the plants' requirements here.

Road Trip: Hazelwood Herb Farm

We did a big renovation on our house about 10 years ago. Before then, I had quite a nice herb garden established, but it was pretty much trashed. I've been slowly trying to rebuild it over the years — many of the hardier herbs are quite easy to grow here and make a nice addition to flower/vegetable gardens. One of my go to places for herbs and inspiration is the Hazelwood Herb Farm, which is between Nanaimo and Ladysmith.



They have a wide selection of herbs (obviously) that will grow substantially as the season progresses. While you can get many herbs at other garden shops, this has a wonderful selection of things you've likely never heard of. Such as this:



Twickle Purple Lavender. Almost makes you want to buy it just for the name. (It's up there with Drunken Woman Lettuce.) This is also where I got my wasabi plants last year.

All of the plants are well-labelled with information and instructions close by.





Their well-established herb gardens are wonderful for a wander and give you an idea of what the plant will look like once it's released into your garden. They have a small shop with herbal culinary products, teas, cosmetics, pet products, and foods (this was where I picked up a jar of pickled cherries with some sort of herb years ago) and the staff are very friendly and knowledgeable.





The farm is just off the highway south of the Cassidy Airport. Watch for the signs just past the airport (going south, you turn left off the highway). The farm's website gives you all their contact and location information.