Edible Garden Newsletter September 2019

The Edible Garden Newsletter for September 2019 is now available.  Many of us look forward to the fresh sweet taste of Ontario Strawberries that we buy at Farmers Markets or go out to a Pick-Your-Own farm but not a lot of us grow our own.  Our feature article this month walks us through the steps to create your very own Strawberry Patch.  Jerusalem Artichokes provide a beautiful daisy like flower and deliver Sunchokes year after year.  Learn all about growing this interesting perennial vegetable.  Our Bee Line column focuses on a different pollinator in a celebration of Monarchs.  Part 4 of our ongoing Introduction to Soil series focuses on Soil Texture.

Edible Garden Newsletter August 2019

Edible Garden Newsletter, August 2019 is now available.  In this issue, we focus on attraction pollinators and other beneficial insects to our garden.  We start with a tour of the Fletcher Wildlife Garden, located in the Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa right next to the Arboretum.  Another gardener talks about building a simple and easy water feature in her vegetable garden that attracts birds, bees, butterflies and frogs and toads to name a few.  Many people run if they see a Hornets nest but they are another important pollinator and protector from many of the invasive insects that target our gardens.  Finally, we continue our Introducing Soil series with an article on Soil Profile.  Frequently, we are asked "When can I harvest my vegetables?"  We have included a link to our August 2014 Newsletter that describes when your crops are ready and how best to preserve your abundant harvest.

Edible Garden Newsletter July 2019

The Edible Garden Newsletter July 2019 is now available.  In this issue, we are all about growing things in containers.  We describe how to create  Pollinator friendly containers as an additional method for attracting pollinators to your garden.  Also, as many of us downsize our gardens, learn how one gardener still grows vegetables in containers. Gardeners often complain about weeds taking over our garden but in this issue we describe the benefits of eating two prolific weeds--Purslane and Pigweed.  If you grow Plums or Cherries, you may have been impacted by the dreaded Black Knot.  Discover what you can do to treat this problem. Finally a book review of Matthew Biggs book Grow something different to eat.  The butterfly in the above photo found its way to a container on the 9th floor.  A welcome guest.

Edible Garden Newsletter June 2019

The Edible Garden Newsletter June 2019 is now available.  In this issue, we describe how and when to harvest, enjoy and store potatoes, including something we all look forward too, New Potatoes.  Do Potato Towers work? Check it out.  Our Bee Line series continues with information about Honeybees, Native Bees and Butterflies.  Part 2 in the series Introducing Soil describes what components make up soil.  The Herb of the Year for 2019 is Anise Hyssop.  We feature one gardeners experience of growing, and loving this plant.  Finally a recipe for Chive Vinegar.

Ontario Native and Invasive Plants: Friends and Foes

Join us for a one day learning event
Saturday October 26, 2019
8:30 am-3 pm
Kitchissippi United Church, 630 Island Park Drive, Ottawa

An invasive plant is an alien species whose introduction or spread negatively impacts native biodiversity, the economy and society including human health.  Second to habitat loss, invasive species have been identified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as the most significant threat to biodiversity.
The Master Gardeners of Lanark County and Ottawa-Carleton are presenting an all day learning session to help gardeners learn how to deal with these Invasive Plants and learn the benefits to planting Native Plants.  We present a full day of learning with the following speakers:

• Iola Price is the President of the Ontario Invasive Plant council.  She will be describing the Impact of Invasives on our Natural Environment including the social, ecological and financial impact.
• Naomi Cappuccino is an associate professor of biology at Carleton University.  Her current research works to help combat invassive species, using natural population control methods.  She will describe how insects are used to biologically control of weeds and insect pests in the garden
• Trish Murphy--Native Plants.

We will also have two Master Gardener Speakers:

• Julianne Labreche--Lessons Learned after Bee City Ottawa Collapsed in Disorder
• Ankaret Dean--Controversy in Lanark County.

In addition to our speakers we have:

• Displays provided by other groups 
• Silent Auction
• Delicious Lunch.

All this for only $35.  Register now. Individual Registration  Group Registration

Agenda              Printable Poster

Edible Garden Newsletter May 2019

The Edible Garden Newsletter May 2019 is now available.  In this issue, we discuss planting our favorite garden staple, Potatoes.  A current major environmental concern is the amount of plastic that is finding its way into the food chain.  We discuss steps we home gardeners can take to reduce the amount of plastic we bring into the garden.  Finally, our ongoing Bee Line series talks about World Honeybee Day August 17, 2019.  The attached photo is of my Dad, showing off one of his favorite vegetables, a potato. Photo credit Kim Allen.

Edible Garden Newsletter April 2019

The Edible Garden Newsletter April 2019 is now available.  This month, we feature a very rarely grown legume to our part of the world--Peanuts.  It is doubtful that Peanuts will become a cash crop in Eastern Ontario but for those who like a challenge, it is possible to grow them here and even harvest a few.  Swiss Chard is native to Southern Europe and will tolerate heat but it grows best in our cooler climate.  It is not a demanding vegetable and some think it is almost "too pretty to eat".  Our author has also provided information on some of her favorite varieties.  Carrots are another popular vegetable.  While they sometimes seem fussy to start, they grow well here and are one of the root vegetables that are easy to store and in the right conditions can last most of the winter.  We even include a recipe for an easy to make and delicious Carrot Cake. Finally we start a new series on Soil, focusing on the terms we use to describe it.

Fletcher Wildlife Garden Native Plant Sale

The Fletcher Wildlife Garden attracts naturalists, gardeners, school children and birds, bees, butterflies and other wildlife.  It demonstrates how to create and restore wildlife-friendly habitats and garden with an emphasis on using plants native to our region.
Once a year, the Fletcher Wildlife Garden hosts a plant sale that offers hundreds of beautiful wildflowers native to the Ottawa region.  They will help you find the right plant for your yard and encourage you to plant a wide variety of native plants that change from month to month and attracts birds, butterflies, bees and other wildlife.  The Plant Sale and Garden are located on Prince of Wales Drive, south of the Arboretum.
To learn more about the Fletcher Wildlife Garden, visit the Slide Show to the right of this screen.
For more information, or if you have questions, contact Sandy at 613-730-0714 or fletcher@ofnc.ca