Perth Museum Bird Watching Tour

Join experienced birder, Cliff Bennett, as our guide to a Bird Walking Tour on June 4th OR June 11th at the Perth Wildlife Reserve. Lanark County Master Gardeners will talk about local plants that attract birds.  Each tour is limited to a maximum of 25 adults. Tickets are $20 per person and are available in advance at Perth Museum Visitor Info Centre 613 267-1947. For more information see flyer.

Seedy Sunday Perth March 6 2016

Come out to the Perth Legion for Seedy Sunday March 6. Bring seeds to share or come to get some. Free Seeds and check out the Seed Vendors. Gardening Seminars and workshops are available.  Lanark County Master Gardeners will be there all day to answer any gardening questions.  Stop by and say Hello.

Edible Garden Newsletter March 2016

Do you grow the same vegetables year after year?  Maybe this year it is time to grow something different.  In this issue of the Edible Garden Newsletter, we introduce you to some unusual edibles.  Maybe you would like to try some sweet Ground Cherries or how about the perennial Good King Henry pictured above.  Also, stop thinking about Dandelions as a persistent troubling weed and learn about how valuable it really is.  Read all about it in the March Edible Garden Newsletter.

Edible Garden Newsletter February 2016

Edibles on the rise--How high can we go? Save space and grow your plants up.  Transform sterile roofs of high rise buildings into thriving gardens,  Also, what the heck are Cardoon and May Pops?  Read all about it in the February Edible Garden Newsletter.

Seedy Saturday Almonte

Seedy Saturday Almonte on February 20th 9-3 at the Almonte Civitan Hall.  Admission is $2.  Bring any seeds, gardening books and supplies to swap.  Learn about and purchase heirloom, organic, open pollinated seeds and plants.  Participate in presentations on garden extending, hoop house techniques, square foot planting, plant breeding and more.  Stop by to meet the seed, plant and food producers from in and around Almonte.  Brought to you by the Beyond the Garden Gate.  Sponsored by Neighbourhood Tomato with support from Almonte and District Horticultural Society, Mississippi Mills Public Library and Seed Lending Library, Lanark County Master Gardeners, Canadian Organic Growers and Seeds of Diversity Canada.

Winter Seed Sowing

Winter sowing is a fun and easy way to start seeds outside during the winter. Seeds are sown in miniature greenhouses made from recycled plastic containers, and then put outside in the snow and freezing cold. The rest of the work is left to Mother Nature. Once the weather starts to warm in the spring, the seeds will germinate at their own pace, just as in nature. Sounds cool, right? It gets better…

Since the winter sown containers go outside, they don’t take up space in the house. With winter sowing, there’s no need to sterilize seedling flats and trays, you don’t need any special equipment (like lights or heat mats), there’s no risk of the seedlings damping off, and no need to harden them off. Plus, winter sown seedlings are hardier and more robust than seeds sown indoors, which means they have a much higher survival rate. Wow! Are you ready to try winter sowing? Get Busy Gardening has produced this wonderful Step-by-Step Guide. Read more.

Year of the Soil in Review

To kick off 2016, we are introducing a new Web Feature called Sidebar Feature.  This feature, on the right, will contain in depth information on a topic.  Our first feature for 2016 is on

the United Nations International Year of the Soil (2015) in review.  We have collected many of the excellent graphics from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), videos and an interesting and informative Quiz about soil.  Click/tap our new Sidebar feature to navigate the flyout.  Have a look and let us know what you think.

Edible Garden Newsletter January 2016

Why should I start plants indoors?  How do I start plants indoors?  When I started my own tomatoes, they were tall and spindly and flopped around.  In this month's Newsletter, we cover the why's and how's of growing your own transplants.  Also, we have an article from a gardener who grows the best tomato plants that are always the first to sell out at our annual Plant Sale.  Read more