Edible Garden Newsletter November 2017

The Edible Garden Newsletter November 2017 contains an Ode to the Chokecherry in an article about Progress and Regress on the Prairies and how much of the native fruit species and fruiting hedges have been plowed under to make way for mega farms.  We learn how the factors that affect taste of vegetables and fruits are many and intertwined.  Finally see how an Allotment Garden can ease the transition from life on a large rural country garden to a high rise condo.  All of this in the November Edible Garden newsletter.

Edible Garden Newsletter October 2017

Edible Garden Newsletter October 2017 focuses on growing Currants, shrubs and fruits that are as beautiful as they are edible.  We also look at a popular garden myth, the use of Epsom Salts to improve plant vigour.  Finally, we discuss the value in growing plants from Heritage Seeds.

Edible Garden Newsletter September 2017 ***Repost***

The Edible Garden Newsletter September 2017 features an article that evaluates the favourite Heritage Tomatoes of the eighty the author has grown over the past 15 years.  She discusses tomato terminology and describes the history behind that particular tomato.  Bees are all the buzz in Horticultural circles and this month we describe various ways you can get your garden Bee Certified.  Finally an article on the Legacy of the Three Sisters.

Edible Garden Newsletter September 2017

The Edible Garden Newsletter September 2017 features an article that evaluates the favourite Heritage Tomatoes of the eighty the author has grown over the past 15 years.  She discusses tomato terminology and describes the history behind that particular tomato.  Bees are all the buzz in Horticultural circles and this month we describe various ways you can get your garden Bee Certified.  Finally an article on the Legacy of the Three Sisters.

Edible Garden Newsletter August 2017

Edible Garden Newsletter August 2017 travels way back in time to visit the Monastic Gardens from the 1100's.  We travel around the World in 80 plants with a review of a book by that same name.  Love spinach but don't like how it bolts as the weather heats up, then learn all about Malabar Spinach.  Finally, our 3 part Drought Buster series wraps up.

Edible Garden Newsletter July 2017

The Edible Garden Newsletter July 2017 continues our series on Drought Busters. This month we focus on Berms and Basins. Given the patterns of weather we are now experiencing--excessive rainfall alternating with drought and heat, we need every trick we can devise to create resilient gardens. Learn about tricks and tips to keep weeds under control. Plant once and harvest many times using "Cut and Come Again" vegetables. Finally our pollinator series continues with the Prettiest Pollinator.

Edible Garden Newsletter June 2017

The Edible Garden Newsletter for June 2017 A resilient gardener must prepare in advance for hot dry summers.  Over the next three issues, we focus on drought busting solutions.  This issue concentrates on your garden topography.  We also explore the history and usage for four perennial herbs.  Finally, our pollinator series continues with a not very popular pollinator and introduce a way you can become a backyard scientist.

Edible Garden Newsletter May 2017

The Edible Garden Newsletter May 2017 encourages gardeners to look at weeds, not as a dreaded chore but as a tasty and nutritious addition to your diet.  Most weeds are best picked and eaten when they are young and tender.  Now is a great time to start your pumpkins.  They are an amazing and tasty addition to your garden and come in many shapes, sizes and colours.  Finally, maybe it is time to give Salsify a try.

Edible Garden Newsletter April 2017

The Edible Garden Newsletter April 2017 focuses on starting seeds and growing vegetables that are adapted to cool starts.  We take you from starting a few seeds through to Vegetable gardens that have the real "Wow" factor.  We show you how you can avoid laying out big bucks for plant starting equipment by using  items from your recycle bin and even how to make soil blocks so you can avoid pots completely.  Finally, we continue our Pollinator Series with an article about Spring Plants for Bees.

Edible Garden Newsletter March 2017

The Edible Garden Newsletter for March 2017 is full of information.  In this issue, we talk about where Carrot seeds come from and how you can grow and collect your own carrot seeds.  Our summers are either rain every day or long periods of drought.  Learn how to create a water efficient garden.  You too can grow cherries in Eastern Ontario.  We also continue our Pollinator series with a brief article on Hummingbirds as pollinators.

Edible Garden Newsletter February 2017

Edible Garden Newsletter February 2017 As any gardener dealing with the vagaries of weather and pest infestations can tell you, our natural world is a complex system! Repeating or cyclical patterns make it a little easier to understand. Cyclical events in nature range from daily cycles of light and dark to millennia-long cycles in the tilt and wobble of the earth, which affect how much sunlight and heat reaches our planet. The study of these cyclical events in nature, their causes and relation-ship to other natural phenomena, particularly weather and climate, is called phenology. We also introduce a new, ongoing feature on pollinators.

Edible Garden Newsletter January 2017

Edible Garden Newsletter January 2017. The New Year is a time to make resolutions about improving our lives. Gardeners, too, want to improve our gardens. In this newsletter, the Master Gardeners from Ottawa Carleton and Lanark County share their New Years Resolutions. Maybe some of those resolutions will apply to your garden. We complete our series on herbs by demonstrating various methods for drying and storing herbs. Happy New Year to you.

Edible Garden Newsletter December 2016

The Edible Garden Newsletter December 2016 continues with our feature on How to Garden All Year Round.  We also help bring the taste of the garden with an article on Fresh Herbs that includes information on growing and using herbs.  Finally, as Christmas is approaching, we have included recipes from the cookbooks of our own Master Gardeners.  Hope you enjoy.

Edible Garden Newsletter November 2016

The Edible Garden Newsletter 2016 demonstrates ways gardeners can do what they love all year round.  We also start a new series demonstrating different methods of preserving herbs, this month focusing on freezing them.  Finally, for the frugal gardener, how long will your surplus seeds last and how to test if they are still viable.

Edible Garden Newsletter October 2016

The Edible Garden Newsletter for October 2016 --October is a prime time for creating new garden beds.  This month's newsletter is a "how to" on using recycled materials to create beautiful and useful garden beds.  It encourages you to grow the Thanksgiving favourite herb, Sage and helps you find ways to fight the dreaded Asparagus Beetle.  Don't forget that October is also the month to plant Garlic.  Want to know how?  Revisit the October 2014 Edible Garden Newsletter.

Edible Garden Newsletter September 2016

The Edible Garden Newsletter for September 2016 focuses on the wonderful world of Squash, both winter and summer.  Winter Squash is a delicious and nutritious vegetable that can be stored and used almost all winter long without any elaborate storage processes.  We also share our Love of Lavender, an exotic plant that is beautiful and delicious and introduce you to the ancient, myth filled world of the Dragonfly. Read more

Edible Garden Newsletter August 2016

The Edible Garden Newsletter/August 2016 introduces us to a new concept, Plant Guilds.  Plant Guilds take Companion Planting to the next level explaining how trees, shrubs and perennials can combine to improve the growing of all.  The Siberian Iris is a member of the Wet Meadow Guild that also contains Dogwood, Chelone and High Bush Cranberry.  Learn how to protect your cabbage family plants from the White Cabbage Moth.  Finally a review of Frankie Flowers new book "Food to Grow".  Read more

Edible Garden Newsletter July 2016

The July Edible Garden Newsletter goes off the beaten track and goes foraging in the Yukon and Eastern Ontario.  Learn more about Mason Bees and join bees and butterflies to discover the joys of Agastache.  Read more.

Edible Garden Newsletter June 2016

This month, we visit the members of the Allium family--onions, garlic and more. Learn all about another Edible beauty, Nasturtiums, and read a review of the movie Symphony of the Soil.  Finally a reminder of some excellent water sharing techniques.  Read more.

Edible Garden Newsletter May 2016

Beautiful and delicious--that's what Edible Ornamentals are all about.  Learn how to grow and use both Pansies and Bloody Sorrel.  This month, we are including a book review of "In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto" By Michael Pollan. Finally, we round out the issue with an article about the dreaded Leek Moth that is attacking our Garlic and Onions across Eastern Ontario.  Read more