Outside Vs Inside

Spring has definitely arrived in South Western Ontario. Unless you live in a cave, it is hard to ignore Mother Nature showing off her beauty. The other signs it is spring are:

A) I am back working full time in the landscaping industry.

B) I am covered in cuts, scratches and bruises.

C) Every muscle in my body hurts.

D) My finger nails are all broken.

E) My hands are becoming calloused.

F) My nails are stained and dirty most of the time.

G) I’m sporting a rather colourful farmer’s tan, and

H) My house is a mess.

I love Spring and being outdoors in the fresh air and sunshine, working in my greenhouse or in our gardens. I deeply resent every moment I am forced to spend indoors this time of year. Which is why my house is a mess. And it will stay a mess until we receive a phone call announcing the impending arrival of family or friends, or it rains. Whichever comes first. Then, and only then, will we give the house a proper cleaning, tearing through every room in an embarrassed frenzy until it sparkles. Frankly, I’d die if anyone knew about my dirty little secret of ignoring housework in favour of gardening. Should people arrive unannounced, we attempt to confine them to the patio by waiting on them hand and foot. If we make them extremely comfortable outside, they will not want to wander indoors. That’s the theory.

While our guests are luxuriating the royal treatment they receive on the patio (quit laughing!), I usually dash inside to close the blinds (hides the dust and pet hair) and spritz spray air freshener throughout the house. Just in case they need to use the facilities you see. I believe, with all my heart I believe, I have managed to fool every person who has ever paid us a surprise visit into thinking that I am very efficient at caring for our pets, running a house, maintaining our gardens, growing plants in our greenhouse and holding down a full time job. Super Woman does not live here, but don't tell anyone!

Time for me to head out to the gardens. I have shrubs to move, gardens to edge, perennials to divide and seedlings to water. The pet hair and dust can wait.

Ten Minute Garden.com - check it out!

Putting The "Green" Back Into Greenhouses

The horticulture industry is going green by leaps and bounds. The greenhouse industry has traditionally been one of the largest users of chemicals. Surprising, isn’t it? Now, after decades of producing bedding plants and nursery stock with the use of growth regulators, herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, and, disinfectants, the industry is beginning to see the light! Glory be! It took long enough!

In the mid 1990’s when I moved to chemical free growing methods in our retail and wholesale greenhouse operation, the so called experts of the time, told me I was crazy. They insisted that green plants of quality simply could not be grown without the use of chemicals. I didn’t listen to then. Instead I forged ahead with my dream of turning our operation into a chemical free establishment. And, eventually, we succeeded at growing all of our crops without harming the environment (see the article about this challenge under “Chemical Free” in the Petals, Plants, etc on the sidebar). We even switched to an organic based disinfectant to clean the greenhouses and benches.

A decade later, the horticultural industry has jumped on the band wagon and there is great excitement within the trade about green growing. And there should be. Any grower who is attempting to go chemical free will not have any easy time of it. There will be many set backs, many disappointments. But, in the end, they will be thrilled with the results and wonder why they didn’t switch sooner.

When I shop garden centres (I can’t grow everything I want to) I try to find one that advertises their chemical free growing environment. It is not easy finding a “green” retail garden centre. That’s about to change! The way the trades magazines are talking, within a decade, the chemically dependant growers will be a minority. Good news for everyone.

Seed Sowing At My House

It’s time to quit pouting about winter, and the snow, and the cold, and put some springtime in the air. Best way to do that is to start sowing seeds. It will be done this weekend.

But first, the seeding mix and flats have to be brought in from the greenhouse. That means bundling up, trudging through the snow, chipping away the ice in front of the greenhouse door, crawling under the benches to pull the bags of seeding mix out. Easy if they aren’t frozen in place. Then, shifting I don’t know how many pieces of patio furniture, a bicycle, three bales of potting mix and an old cupboard awaiting refinishing, to get at the seeding flats. Hopefully the covers are in the same spot as the flats. If not, more shifting and rummaging about will be necessary. Then, after jamming the greenhouse door closed, I somehow have to lug all those things through the snow and into the house.

Once I get to the house, all the seeding stuff and myself have to make it past one very curious dog and two very curious cats. They will all feel it is necessary to check everything out thoroughly before I can get in the door and get it closed. There goes the heating bill. If the Curious George’s we live with approve, the soil, flats, covers and myself can come into the house.

Then the flats will need washing and sterilizing. The Curious Ones don’t feel they need to supervise that. They do however like to help with the seeding process. All the little envelopes, labels, and pens are quite fascinating to them for some reason. The cats seem to prefer the seeding process to take place on the floor. At least I assume that’s what they prefer since they make a point of batting the envelopes, labels and pens onto the floor every chance they get. The dog just wants to eat the seeding mix and thinks the flats make great chew toys.

Once the seeding sowing is completed with the assistance of a spray bottle of water (for the pets, not the seed flats), they newly sown treasures will be placed gently in the plant stand. The trip to the plant stand is not so gentle when someone decides it will be fun to race Mum up the stairs while her hands are full with the flats she’s trying not to upset. The other two pets want in on that game too, so they join the race.

Finally, I will make it to the plant stand, flats and seed intact. Sort of. But, the plant stand is full of “things”. Like Christmas ornaments, pot-size trellises, a wire rack, a wooden sign and a large, engraved stone. And, a watering can! So, the seed flat must be put somewhere so I can clear the plant stand. Aha! The bathtub! No, the dog sleeps in there (seriously!). On my desk? No, the cats sleep there. The floor is definitely out of the question. So is the computer desk that I haven’t seen the top of in months. Okay, the floor of the closet, and I’ll close the door. Brilliant! Wait a minute, I see the dog and only one cat. Where is the other cat? Sure enough, in the closet lying on the seed flat.

I think I’ll buy my bedding plants this year!

Enough already! As I write this it is -16C. With the wind chill, it is -30C. The sun is quickly setting, and the warmth from the sun that has been pouring through the windows is fading as well. Frankly I am tired of the frost on the windows, pretty as it is. I am tired of bundling up in every piece of outerwear I own just to take the garbage out! I want spring! A petition calling for the return of spring, or the banning of winter occured to me, but who would I send it to? Parliament? Hardly! Mother Nature? Perhaps, but who has her address? Anyone?

So, as I contemplated this week's blog instalment, putting up more pictures of snow, ice and desolation depressed me so much, I couldn't bring myself to do it! Going through all the photos on the computer, I saw the irises and was immediately transported to spring. I thought of their sweet fragrance, their lovely flowers and all thoughts of winter disappeared. Hopefully the photos help will bring some spring to your mind too.

The Plant Killer

As a horticulturalist, it is assumed that I have the knowledge and skill to grow anything. Well, I have a confession to make. I can’t. I am a plant killer. Let me clarify that a little. I am a cardamom killer.

Back in the days of running a retail greenhouse operation, we had one greenhouse dedicated strictly to herbs. One of the herbs we grew and grew well, was cardamom. A friend, purchased a cardamom plant from us. Nearly ten years later, she has that same plant growing happily in her home. A year or so after I left the greenhouse industry, she gifted me with a division of her cardamom. It died. The next year, she again presented me with a cardamom division. It died too. The year after that, the same thing happened. And the year after that, and the year after that and, you get the picture. Once again, this summer, a cardamom took up residence in my greenhouse. It was dead within a week. Two weeks ago, I was presented with yet another cardamom plant. So far, it is still alive, but my conversations with this friend now begin something like “How are you? Is the cardamom dead yet?” No, it isn’t! Is the cardamom jinx over? Not likely. It’s probably just biding its time, lying in wait, ready to strike my plant, destroy my confidence and give my friend the last laugh, again. Excuse me, but am I not the one who spent thousands of hours, not to mention dollars, becoming a horticulturalist? Am I not the one who’s supposed to be able to excel at growing the most difficult of plants? Are my fingers not supposed to be the greenest of the green? So why does my friend succeed at growing cardamom while I fail at it miserably? Where is the justice? I keep reading all the information on growing cardamom indoors and scratching my head. I am doing and have done everything as directed in the growers’ manuals. But, the cardamoms keep dying. I wonder how long it will take this latest victim of mine to succumb here in the House of Cardamom Death?

This friend of mine is successful with goldfish too. Hers lived for years and years and years. I killed seven of them in two weeks. Maybe it’s in the water? Maybe that’s why I can’t grow cardamom? Or goldfish. If I tell myself that often enough……..no, I still won’t believe it. Though that would make sense. But I’ve tested the water, so it doesn’t make sense. Aaaggghhhh!

Is Gardening Headed For The Compost Pile?

Our water feature. Photo on the left is at the beginning of year two. Photo on the right is in June of year three.

Time + patience = great gardens!

As the Horticulture Industries struggle with declining sales, many articles are being written in the trade magazines to explain the changing face of the hobby of gardening.

The experts are blaming it on advancements in information technology and the speed the world operates at now. What they really mean is, gardening is too slow paced to hold the interest of generations X and Y for very long. They have learned to expect instant results and feel gardening should be no different. The Horticulture industry has responded as best they can by offering instant gardens in the form of larger annuals, perennials, mature container gardens and lower maintenance varieties of plants. The people of X and Y apparently have no interest in learning how to garden, but they do want nicely landscaped properties. And they want them now. They do not want to wait three to five years for the plants to mature.

The baby boomers are not blameless in the downward spiral of hobby gardening. As this generation ages, their physical health is declining and with it their ability to garden as much as they once did. They are more inclined to travel or play golf, than garden. As a result their landscapes have been downsized, houseplants dispensed with and the few vegetables they want to grow have been relegated to containers.

The grounds maintenance sector has really taken off as X and Y have little time or energy to care for their gardens and yards. Unfortunately, there has been an influx of unknowledgeable and inexperienced operators that are giving this sector a bad name. That is not helping the reputation of the horticulture industry as a whole. Add to that the influence of the big box stores (see Greenhouse Rant) and it is surprising that gardening survives at all.

It is not all doom and gloom though. What goes around comes around. There will come a time when once again, people will want to slow the world down a bit and experience the peace, learn the patience, hobby gardening brings. Until then, the horticulture industry professionals will run with the consumers as fast as they can, and as fast as Mother Nature allows.

MAY 24th WEEKEND

It’s Here! The May 2-4 weekend. The weekend all gardening fanatics in South Western Ontario wait for. This is the weekend we traditionally plant out and put out our annuals, container gardens, hanging baskets and perennials.

However, Mother Nature’s spirit of co-operation is definitely lacking this year. The nights are still cool to the point of frost, the days are not as warm as we hope for. Today, the sun keeps disappearing behind some rather grey clouds. It is certainly not the kind of day that inspires one to plant out, and rain is forecast for tomorrow (typical for Victoria Day weekend). While I may whine that conditions are less than perfect for spending the day in the gardens, I am very grateful conditions are not worse. Pity those poor gardeners in Saskatchewan who are having snow right now!

Once I finish this article, off to my greenhouse I will go, to begin potting up container gardens. The previous two years, I took a break from container gardens, in part because some of my favourite containers, literally, took a break from me. But that’s another story (see Pets and Gardens article). This year I’m feeling rather greedy and have decided to forego my annual plant sale. Keeping all the plants for myself means anything and everything that will hold soil, will be potted up. I should be done by June 30th. I may be done sooner if I give some plants away. That will only happen if my best friend quits being lippy (Hah! Like that would ever happen!) and my niece ever gets off her motorcycle.

Greenhouse Rant!

It has happened again! Twice! In one day! Not to me, but to complete strangers.

Every spring, out of curiosity, I will visit a couple of the so called “garden centres” the big box and chain stores put up. Every spring I am appalled by the condition of the plants and the complete lack of knowledge the people generally staffing those centres have about plants and gardening. Yesterday, while wandering in disbelief through one of them, (that anyone would really sell such poor quality plants) I overheard a customer asking about a particular plant. The employee proceeded to expound the virtues of this plant. One would think the employee knew what she was talking about to hear the confidence with which she spoke. As the conversation continued, I glanced over to see what plant was being discussed. Much to my horror, the customer was holding a completely different species of plant than employee was talking about. As I listened, the poor customer was being advised to plant it in full sun, that it was drought tolerant, bloomed all summer and required very little maintenance when the exact opposite is true for that particular plant. Then I thought maybe she was discussing another plant the customer was interested in. No, the customer said “Perfect! This is what I need!” purchased that one plant and left.

Later in the day I ventured into another one of those garden centres. A similar conversation was taking place, but this time the employee at least had the species of plant correct. And that was all she had correct. Once again the customer, believing what she was told, purchased that plant and went on her merry way.

The cynical side of me thinks that if a customer is going to go to one of these temporary garden centres and trust the staff, they deserve what they get. Should not the condition of the plants alone be an indication of the level of the centre’s professionalism? On the other hand, the Horticulturalist side of me feels badly for the customer who is being misinformed and mislead. And it makes me feel ashamed for the entire industry, which is getting a bad reputation because of these temporary garden centres.

Here’s where the real rant begins:
I am tired of seeing these large stores putting up temporary garden centres and staffing them with plant-challenged employees pulled from the clothing department or the hardware department or the dairy department. I am tired of seeing truckloads of plants being brought in, sold at prices at, or less than, wholesale (lost leaders), just to draw in customers. I am tired of seeing plants that are neglected, dried out, withered and full of spent blooms and insects. I am tired of these stores luring the customer to visit their centres because of low priced plants in an effort to entice the customers to purchase fertilizer, mulches or hard goods while there. (It is on these items the stores really make their money. If you have noticed, they are never a deal.) Whatever happened to quality? To good customer service? To integrity? In the majority of these temporary spring garden centres, these basic principles do not exist. Management has no qualms about selling a poor product or giving poor advice if it means they can get you to part with your money. If they truly cared about quality, the plants would be well maintained. If they truly cared about good customer service, they would hire knowledgeable employees to staff their garden centres.

To be fair to the greenhouse and nursery growers that supply plants to these places, the plants are usually in good condition when they are delivered. It is not the growers’ fault that they go down hill so quickly. That responsibility lies directly with the management and staff of the stores who seem to know little or nothing about plants and how to maintain them.

I have probably offended some people with this rant, but I cannot be honest with you or myself by keeping quiet about this problem. And I am sure there are exceptions to the temporary garden centre plague. I just haven’t found one yet.
On a final note, Horticulturalists and Nurserymen do not go into their fields to get rich. They chose their professions because they enjoy growing plants. They spend their lives learning their trades and developing their skills to provide you with quality plants and accurate information, which in turn is reflected in your own gardens. The next time you are in a temporary garden centre, look carefully at the plants. Then go to your local greenhouse and check out their plants. I know you will see the difference in the quality. The grower is the plant expert and it shows. The big box/chain stores are experts in marketing. Period. You get what you pay for.

Why Do You Garden?

There probably is no easy answer to that question. The reasons are as plentiful as the gardeners. For some, economics drive them to plant row after row of vegetables which will be frozen, canned or stored for winter consumption. For other people, it is the unconscious need to nurture something, anything. Then there are those that use their gardens as a stress reliever. There is no better way to work out frustrations than to attack a patch of weeds. Gardening is great exercise. Who needs a gym when you can workout by tending your gardens? There is no doubt that gardens add value to your home. A well landscaped property can add as much as thirty percent to the value of your home. Perhaps resale value motivates you to garden, but I doubt that is your primary incentive. I have often wondered if gardening is a way to recapture our childhoods. One can spend the day in the fresh air and sunshine, sometimes the rain, have dirty fingernails, faces and knees. One can get covered in grass stains, and nobody cares. It’s expected we’ll get dirty, just as when we were children and free to spend our summers playing outside.

In my case, it is all of the above reasons to some degree, but most of all, gardening is my addiction. I cannot get enough of it. I work in the landscaping industry all day, then come home and play in my own garden. At home I can be creative and, impractical. At home, I am able to grow the flowers and herbs that I like. If I choose, I can add quirky accents to the gardens such as old doors, iron pulleys, bits of salvaged architecture, twig arches or gates. In my own gardens I can be whimsical or formal and never once have to concern myself with practicalities unless I choose to. At home is where I get to push the gardening envelope as far as possible. Sometimes successfully, sometimes not. How very fortunate I am to have discovered what I love to do, and had the opportunity to make a career, and a hobby out of it.

Whatever your reasons are for gardening, just enjoy the hobby, and, enjoy being a child again!

GO FLY A KITE

It is early February, five thirty in the morning, still dark save for the street lamps and the odd Christmas lights still on around the village. The thermometer is reading a shocking minus twenty-six Celsius. I am sat at the dining room table, with a cup of tea by my side, thermal socks, fuzzy slippers and an old bath robe for protection from the cold drafts in this old house of ours. On a morning such as this, it is difficult to remember the warmth of a spring day or the sweltering heat of a summer’s afternoon. With the gardens hidden under drifts of snow, the only hint of what lies there are the tallest of stems, picked clean of their seeds by the ever hungry birds. Rabbits have tended to the task of cutting back the roses for me. The greenhouse sits silent, empty and cold. At this moment, my mind cannot grasp the wonders of the garden that await the spring. It seems as though winter has always been with us and always will be with us. I believe some therapy is needed. Seed therapy! What better way to ward off winter and all its bone chilling gloom, than to plant some seeds in anticipation of the glorious seasons ahead?

Because my greenhouse is unheated, the seeds must be started indoors. In the dining room to be exact, on an old, three-tiered audio/visual stand we have outfitted with fluorescent lights. The top of the fridge has never worked for me. Besides, my cat likes to sit up there. If additional heat is required for germination, and it will be, two of the tiers will be draped with plastic and a soil heating cable installed on both tiers, will provide all the heat required.


Before I begin planting, the seeding flats (if previously used) will need to be sterilized with bleach and soapy water, rinsed and dried. The seed starting mix will have to be thawed out, so that means a trip through the snow to my greenhouse. I’ll give it a day inside before I attempt to fill the seeding flats, just to make sure it is completely thawed and, this is very important, warmed up. Tomorrow, I can begin seeding and tell winter to go fly a kite!

GARDENING IN MIND

Winter’s wrath is yet again pummeling us with a tantrum of snow, bitter cold and high winds. This is the second day in a row of Old Man Winter’s anger. How cruel this weather seems to the green fingered, as we are denied the ability to pursue our hobby of gardening. If we are to get through these long months of seeming desolation, we must find what positives we can in the winter season: The deep snow is insulating our precious gardens like a protective blanket. The roots of the plants populating our beds will be safe. If the snow ever does melt, we know it will add much needed moisture to the soil and assist the trees in recovering from the summer droughts of the past two years. The bitter cold is dealing with the insect population in the truest form of organic pest control. We should notice fewer insects glutting themselves on the smorgasbords our gardens can become. The endless task of shoveling snow keeps us fit for the gardening season.
During this time of house arrest that winter forces on us, we can dream and plan next season’s gardens. Our imaginations will carry us forward to spring, to summer, where the sun is shining, the days are warm and colour surrounds us.

We think of our gardens, what they looked like last year, what we hope they will look like this year. As we contemplate the changes we would like to make, we set aside monetary restrictions and plan as though the sky is the limit. In the warmer months, when gardening is reality instead of fantasy, we will be practical. The brave of us set these changes to paper as inspiration in the future, a goal to work towards. We may succeed in implementing our dreams, we may not. Perhaps we will work towards them as quickly as a hummingbird or as slowly as a snail. Either way, our time of fantasizing about our gardens is never wasted. At some point in the spring or summer, we will remember the plans formulated during a winter storm and become inspired anew.

WHERE HAVE ALL THE GARDENING SHOWS GONE?


A few years ago gardening shows began to change their formats. The informational genre was being phased out, and replaced with the
“how–to-have-it-done-for-you-in-two-days” format. Now, nearly all gardening programs have taken on a game show like quality. You know how they work – the owners go away for a couple of days, and during their absence, a crew comes in and totally renovates the garden. Sometimes the results are spectacular, other times, hideous and impractical. Now I admit I have entertained the fantasy of having a crew come in and do all the heavy work for me, but what would I learn from that? Would I learn the basic principles of landscape design and construction? No. Would I learn how to select, grow and maintain the plants? No. Would I have the pleasure of saying – “Hey, I did this myself!”? Of course not. I would be able to say “See what I had done for me”. Personally I would derive little satisfaction in that.

Perhaps the lack of good gardening information on television programs is merely a reflection of the hectic pace of life we as a society have embraced. Instant results are required and expected in all other areas of our lives, and sadly that is being reflected in our gardening mentality. Creating great gardens is like raising a great child. It takes time, it takes experience learned in time, and it takes nurturing. Gardening programs seem to have forgotten that. Seldom does one learn from these shows anymore. Inspiration is provided, but no real knowledge that will assist the home gardener to grow great gardens. Someday, hopefully, the television producers will figure out that what viewers want are programs that inspire and inform, not just entertain.