Spring Time = Garden Time!

Today my bf and I went to Home Depot for me to get some of my seed starting supplies, and we found these mini greenhouses for $30! So since I brought my grow lamp home from my parents yesterday, we thought it would be great to use to start the seeds...

When we got home, I got the best surprise ever, I have a community garden plot this year again! I was a little heartbroken about not getting into some actual ground, but held hope that I would get a spot, and I did.

The coordinator for the gardens sounds terrific and has some additional seeds to be started... I'm going to visit her on Tuesday to have a look at the collection, and to see my plot. I love how things work out sometimes...

I would like this happy time to share my seeds that I will be starting this year (I'm going completely organic and heirloom this year - thanks Seedy Saturday!):

From the Urban Tomato:

~Una HeartStock - Sweet Cherry Tomato

From Greta's Organic Gardens:

~Oxheart - Tomatoes Pink

~Black Cherry Tomatoes

~Sugarsnap Peas

~Sweet Basil

~Leeks

~Garden Sunshine Sweet Peppers

With Donation to the North York Harvest Food Bank:

~Goldy Double Sunflower

~Kentucky Wonder Snap Beans

Well, that's enough excitement for one day. Hope to see you in the garden soon!

Beautiful, I can grow these in a pot!

Today when I was at the grocery store for steak and sex day, I found some dahlia and lily bulbs... I thought, 'hey, I wonder if I can grow those in containers?' This year I will be a container gardener, extrodanaire... They were $3.99 for two bulbs, so I figured if I couldn't, I'm sure I could find someone to give them too.

After some quick research I found that, yes, I can do these in containers... Which is really exciting to say the least... What to do to grow dahlia and lily's in pots?

~ make sure your pot/container is deep enough for the bulbs if they are bottom growers... also think about how high lily's and dahlia's grow if you want balance

~ keep those containers inside, frost will send them running!

~ nip the tubers to have them grow bushy

~ sun, sun, sun, these babies need to be in a sunny spot by 10am!
~ keep the soil happy and rich, not too much water is required

I have another experiment for my urban garden oasis... Lily's and Dahlia's. Check back often for more information...

Pictured are the bulbs I picked up:

Tango Lily Dot Com

Dahlia Caribbean Fantasy

Tomato Seeds... An article from The Star

The tomato, oh tomato, it's almost time to start thee...

GROW IT

On trend with tomatoes

March 11, 2009

Sonia Day

SPECIAL TO THE STAR

Tomatoes; Lycopersicon esculentum

Brr. It may still be winter, but let's talk tomatoes. Real, delicious, dripping-with-juice tomatoes, the kind you grow yourself. If you want to raise your own this year, now's the time to start.

Tomatoes are surprisingly easy to grow (provided you have a sunny spot) but many neophytes make the mistake of starting seeds too early, in February. Then their little tomato babies get long and spindly and hopelessly weak before the weather becomes warm enough to transfer them outside. Yet in early March, it's different. Sow seeds now and they'll be just the right sturdy size to brave the great outdoors in May. And the result will be more and yummier tomatoes.

To start tomato seeds, use a sterile seed mix (not potting soil) and any container (although for ease I recommend inexpensive plastic seed-starting trays sold at garden centres and Canadian Tire.) Simply sprinkle seed on top of the filled containers, add a smidgen more mix, water, cover, with plastic wrap (or the tray lid) and wait.

Within a few days, little seedlings will emerge. The sight will make your heart soar. You'll also be very trendy. Pollsters predict that with the economic downturn, one of the hottest things in 2009 will be growing our own food. Come spring, herbs, veggies and even fruits are going to start popping up everywhere – in front and backyards, community gardens and on balconies and rooftops.

So stay tuned. In future columns, I'll provide some tips. And in the meantime, start dreaming with those tomato seeds.

Celebrate 25 Years of People Protecting the Seeds

The last little while has been insane-o at work, I don't think I've had time to even review my time at Seedy Saturday, which was amazing. More details to come soon, I hope!

Spring is definitely in the air, with Canada Blooms March 18th-22nd on its way, and warmer temperatures, my daydreams are all about gardening and starting my seeds... I'm hoping to have a weekend soon to start mine!

Anyways, I wanted to post today to promote an event for Seeds of Diversity, they are celebrating 25 Years of People Protecting the Peoples Seeds. They are a terrific organization, and I really enjoy being a member. My boyfriend (I may or may not have forced him to join me) will be there. Details below:

Day and Night Blooms

Day and Night Blooms... well the first of the successful variety.

Beautiful, and something dreams are made of, check out the full article here:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/4949268/First-successful-attempt-to-breed-night-blooming-and-day-blooming-flower.html

The Bromeliad

I didn't know if I should cut the browning stem off the bromeliads we have growing here... Turns out I didn't know much about the bromeliad at all.

These beautiful colourful plants are kinda like an orchid with there long lasting blooms, and they reproduce and have pups... Which after growing awhile will come off their mother root into their own bloom, but not without waiting a long time again. The bromeliad is only beautiful for two or three months, and than she dies... Mother nature sure is wild. They should be treated like a cactus - never have their roots sitting in water...

So, I think I'm going to cut off the brown stem - and wait for my pups :)