Tucking-In

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The photo above illustrates the early colonization of our newly installed bee hotel for solitary bees.

The pollinator potager project (TPPP) is still in the early stages of pollinator-friendly plant installation and spread, but it's exciting to see the beginnings of nesting activity and the filling of nesting tubes that clearly indicate a few solitary bees have found their way to our experimental bee oasis and roomy hotel.

Elimination of pesticide use in our garden initially made weed and pest prevention more challenging; however, incorporation of mulch has been a helpful compromise. That we've also provided: native plantings, bee baths, spring to fall food sources and mulch-free soil spaces, seems to be encouraging solitary insects to give our developing garden a look-see.

Hopefully, as pollinator-friendly plants begin to fill out and self-seed, more pollinators will find their way to our TPPP Hotel and the tucking-in of future generations will continue.

Growing and Giving

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Wild Columbine Seeds and Pods

Last summer I received a Maltese Cross Campion during a garden tour in our neighbourhood. This spring, I grew three dozen gift seedlings, from seeds collected from the Campion last fall.

This year, I've already collected seeds from my prolific Wild Columbine, the Campion, and my Bellflower. It's strangely exciting, contemplating the propagation of future generations of plant-life.

I'm storing the collected seeds in little clearly labelled manila envelopes, so they stay fresh, dry and organized.

I'm now hoping to acquire some native Milkweed seeds (or plants) as last year's crop was decimated by aphids, and I only produced one small plant from seed, this year.

Likely, I'll find other seeds to propagate before the 2017 growing season is over, to either direct sew this fall or chill and plant next spring. Either method is something to which I'm looking forward.

Next year, I hope to have a variety of seedlings to give as gifts. After all, the growing and giving feel good; and, the good feeling makes both efforts worthwhile.

Deep Root Watering

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Orange Plastic Deep Watering Spike

Shown Separate from Pop Bottle Reservoir

Last year I lost my tomato crop to 'bottom end rot'. This condition, I've learned, is mostly due to lack of calcium, and inconsistent watering.

This year I've made sure to provide adequate calcium; but, as my tomatoes began to flower I started worrying about maintaining consistent water.

I remembered using deep watering spikes, years ago, and discovered that Lee Valley still sells them. Orange plastic spikes (see photo above) with small holes in the bottom, are designed to be used with 2 litre plastic pop bottles.

My husband picked me up a set of six spikes, and I set about scrounging up pop bottles. A Facebook plea produced two replies with offers of empties located in their blue boxes.

Within 24 hours, I had rounded up four clear 2 litre pop bottles, exactly the number of tomato plants I needed to water. I quickly removed the labels, rinsed the bottles out, and then drilled a 3/4" hole in the bottom of each for ease of watering.

With the plastic spikes screwed onto the pop bottles and the spiked bottles pushed into the soil in each tomato pot, deep root watering was begun. Easy-peasy!

The bottles empty at different rates depending on how much sun or rain the pots receive; essentially, I refill each bottle using a funnel and my watering can each morning. The roots don't get over-watered because there are generous drainage holes in the pot bottoms.

With the two remaining spikes and a couple of additionally acquired pop bottles, I'm going to also apply this deep root watering system to keeping my lettuces and strawberries hydrated.

This cost effective (approximately $2 per pot) deep root watering system is, so far, a wonderful help in my garden. Fingers crossed, it will continue to help prevent bottom end rot in my tomatoes as the growing season progresses.

Tour Wrap-Up

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The 25th Anniversary Hamilton Spectator Open Garden Week has just wrapped up, and I have to say that it was a wild, wonderful, wish-fulfilling, week-long ride.

My husband and I have been working on our front & side garden transformation since the summer of 2012, although it's been a plan of mine for a number of years before I met Doug.

Slowly and methodically, Doug and I - with the help of hired and donated help - gradually rid the front and side gardens of grass; installed a flagstone patio and border wall; and filled the open spaces with trees, foundation plantings and perennials.

Last year I invested in a more sustainable strategy and added more pollinator friendly natives and non-natives. This year I branched out again with the addition of fruits, vegetables and herbs.

Spurred on by our discovery of last year's Hamilton Spectator Open Garden Week tours, I'd determined that our pollinator potager would be ready to share for this year's 25th Anniversary; and, share we did!

Our gardens had just been listed on the tour schedule when I received a call from Hamilton Spectator Garden Writer, Rob Howard, asking for permission to tour and photograph our gardens for a feature article. The delightful profile with inviting photos appeared in the newspaper the morning of our first open tour date, and it certainly encouraged turnout.

We had 22 individuals/groups of people sign our guest register the first evening, and the numbers climbed to nearly 75 visitors over the four days we were open.

Though we'd already joined the ranks of the tillers of the earth - people who embrace getting their hands dirty, marvel at watching seeds sprout and grow into sustenance and beauty, and enjoy sharing knowledge and surplus - Doug and I hadn't recognized the significance until other gardeners shared their thoughts with us, including:

• Love the ingenuity! Adding the vegetables is a wonderful idea. The bees and butterflies are very thankful - Cynthia

• You have done a great job with your front yard! Very Unique - Darlene

• Love it, enough shade & sun, and no grass - Patti

• Thank you. What a lovely welcoming garden. Looks & feels so inviting - Mary Lou

• Lovely peaceful garden! We love the pollinator plants & your ideas, especially the plastic domes over the new plants & veggies! - Tracey & Jerry

• Thank you for opening your paradise to us - Yasmeen

We were unprepared for the visitor turnout, bowled over by the sincerity and appreciation shown by strangers with a common passion, and pleasantly surprised by the encouraging notoriety generated by the two-page feature in the local paper.

While writing this garden tour wrap-up, I asked myself two important questions:

1. Would I do it again? Answer - Definitely, even without the unexpected fanfare, and

2. Did we see other gardens on the tour? Answer - We certainly did ... quite a few, actually; and, we came away with great ideas, seeds and a plant, given freely to us by other generous gardeners.

Sometime during Open Garden Week, Doug and I discovered a joyful spirit of camaraderie with other gardeners and lovers of gardens that we hadn't expected; and, as first-time participants, we became part of a worthwhile endeavour, much bigger than our own little gardening experiment.

Choosing Delight

Mattie-Belle
Holding One of our 
1st Red Pontiac Spuds

When our Red Pontiac Potatoes had finished flowering, grand-daughter Mattie-Belle and I decided to have a look to see how the seed potatoes were developing.

We rooted thoroughly through the soil, only to harvest four meager red-skinned potatoes. It was a little disappointing for me, although the tops had not even started to wilt yet.

Mattie-Belle, on the other hand, was delighted with our initial harvest. She rushed into the house to wash off the dirt and had already taken a bite out of the smallest potato - "the baby one," she said - before I'd even had time to replace the soil in the pot.

The potatoes tasted delicious with my dinner the next evening, so I remain hopeful we'll enjoy more home-grown potatoes as the season progresses. At this growth rate, though, the total number of new potatoes we ultimately harvest may not even outnumber the seed potatoes from which I grew them in the first place.

If the final potato count is small, my plan is to mirror Mattie-Belle's harvest philosophy - After all, choosing delight over disappointment makes good gardening sense to me.

Spectator Special

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Photo: Barry Gray
The Hamilton Spectator

Today, Doug and I were fortunate enough to have our front and side gardens featured in the Hamilton Spectator GO section. Rob Howard, Garden Writer for the Spectator came to see us early Sunday morning; and his photographer, Barry Gray, took lovely photographs on Monday afternoon.

Rob skillfully captured the appearance, usefulness, and overall impression of our perennial pollinator and Potager (kitchen garden), making it look and feel so inviting that readers couldn't help but want to come for a visit; and Barry illustrated Rob's words about the beauty and whimsy of our garden in ten evocative photos.

Linked here, is the Hamilton Spectator article, "Masters of the art of full frontal gardening," with accompanying photos. 

Doug and I are thrilled with the final result and positive response. If you haven't already seen today's paper, we hope you'll enjoy reading the Hamilton Spectator special feature, attached above, for yourself.

Open Garden Week

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Our Pollinator Potager Garden Project
Ready for The Hamilton Spectator
2017 Open Garden Week

Doug and I are pleased to announce that our front and side gardens are listed on this year's 25th anniversary Hamilton Spectator Open Garden Week Tours.

Our gardens will be open to the public for viewing on:
July   5th - 5 pm to 9 pm
July   7th - 5 pm to 9 pm
July   8th - 9 am to 2 pm
July 10th - 5 pm to 9 pm

Please join us for a tour of our pollinator friendly potager (kitchen garden) project, that features: shrubs, perennials, annuals, fruits, vegetables and herbs; and includes a water fountain, flagstone patio and tranquil seating amongst trees.

We'd love to see you!