Everything to do with your shak.
Winter and the garden is sleeping under a thick blanket of snow,
keeping warm until Spring arrives and calls the bulbs that brighten our
Springtime gardens and ease our snow worn eyes.
You do not have
to wait until Spring to enjoy your favourite bulbs; there is no need to
wait for those splashes of colour to break the monotony of the winter
yard. You can grow you favorites indoors all Winter long.
photo: mewtate/flickr
Right plant right place is a basic gardening rule whether you are
growing indoors or out. What RPRP means is that when you place a plant
where it gets the sun that it needs, receives the water that it
requires and has its roots set in a soil that feeds it, that plant will
thrive.
Indoors you control the soil and the
watering. The amount of natural sunlight will tell you what you can
grow so before you buy a houseplant determine where you are planning to
place it and how much sunlight that plant needs. I have created this hub for more information.
photo courtesy madaise/flickr
peace lilies rooting
I have been reviewing both online and print seed catalogues over the past few days as the snow falls outside. So far I have resisted the temptation to buy anything, mostly because I will probably simply work with the existing perennials this year and of course buy six or so tomato plants.
I could start my tomato plants indoors from seed, which I prefer, but do not have the space, this year, to do so. I prefer starting from seed because I enjoy the process and because I have a larger selection of tomato varieties to choose from, when I buy plants the choice is very limited and I am not fond of limits, the weather poses enough restrictions as it is. But you do what you got to do.
iI am setting up an cacti container garden in my usual seed starting spot but that is a topic for anotehr day.
I visited the Irish Sally Garden blog today and she was also talking about seeds, do drop by.
photo courtesy lollyknit.flickr
Territorial Seed is another company that I have been ordering from for five years and I have been most satisfied. They offer both organic and biodynamic seeds as well as a variety of herb, vegetable and flower seeds.
They have also taken the safe seed pledge:
Safe Seed Pledge
Agriculture and seeds provide the basis upon which our lives depend. We
must protect this foundation as a safe and genetically stable source
for future generations. For the benefit of all farmers, gardeners and
consumers who want an alternative, we pledge that we do not knowingly
buy or sell genetically engineered seeds or plants.
You can sign up for their newsletter or order their free print catalogue. The online catalogue is easy to use.
This falls under the category of balantants elf-promotion but I have set up a social network for natural gardeners.
Natural gardening uses no chemical inputs, builds soil and recognizes
the interconnection between all being.
If you are looking to add lights to your yard this year but want to keep it simple this Outdoor LED Hanging Star from CanadianTire may just do the trick.
Features: $19.99
A stop by As the Garden Grows reminded me about daylillies. I planted about 20 of them in my backyard in Thunder Bay the year we left. They were a gift and I knew that I could not take them with me so I added them to an already flourishing garden.
Daylilies are rugged, adaptable, vigorous perennials that endure in
a garden for many years with little or no care. Daylilies adapt to a
wide range of soil and light conditions. They establish quickly, grow
vigorously, and survive winters with little or no injury.
Daylilies belong to the genus Hemerocallis and are not true lilies. This Greek word is made up of two parts: hemera meaning day and kallos
meaning beauty. The name is appropriate, since each flower lasts only
one day. Some of the newer varieties have flowers that open in the
evening and remain open until the evening of the following day. Many of
these night blooming plants are delightfully fragrant.
courtesy flickr/hal990
I first discoverred Terra Edibles 5 years ago and have been buying their seeds ever since. They have an online and a print catalogue which are well produced and easy to use.
Our
many varieties grown as certified organic are identified with a "CO"
beside their name in the catalogue. Although not all the seed we sell
is grown here or is certified organic, the seeds we offer are produced
organically, are open-pollinated, and are non-hybrid varieties which
means you can save your own seed for the next year’s planting.cherry tomato
courtey flickr/ndrwfgg
There are several seed companies that I rely on each year, not only do they have great catalogues but websites that are informative and easy to use.
Over the next while I will review a few of these, starting with Richters. Richters is located in Ontario, Canada and I have been buying seeds from them for over ten years. I have never been disappointed. They have taken the safe seed pledge.
The Safe Seed Pledge is a seed
industry initiative to protect the
seeds and plants we humans depend on. Richters Herbs is
proud to be one of the first to sign the pledge.
Richters has been growing and selling herbs since 1969. Our first catalogue dedicated to herbs
came out in 1970. We have lived, worked and breathed herbs ever since.
flicker/ddfreyne
dill
Still no gardening catalogues and the snow is four inches deep and still falling.
Ah well, it is a good time to take stock of what was growing last year and review the notes that I made during the season.
One thing that I said I would do is pay more attention to perennials this year. Well keeping to my word, which I believe is always a wise policy, I stopped by the May Dream Gardens blog. The article about delphiniums is worth a read.
