The Negative Side of Peat Moss

Some plants come in peat pots and the home gardener can start plants in peat pots or use the Jiffy peat pellets.  The premise is peat pots are biodegradable and it is as well as being a nice soil amendment.  They are biodegradable but my experience like many home gardeners is peat pots do not break down over the course of a year.  They definitely do not break down in the turn over time when using

Snails and Garden Ponds

Small ponds have become a common garden feature.  They create a lovely, natural accent that attracts birds and other garden visitors.  Ideally a garden pond is set up as a small eco-system with plants and fish.  When done properly the pond becomes sustainable in that the plants filter the water while removing nitrogen and providing shade to prevent algae problems.  The fish provide nitrogen for

Nixing the Seed Catalogues

Every year about this time after the main gardening season is over, I take a bit of time to go my notes of what plants did well and new varieties that I would like to try the following year.  Then I set about ordering seed catalogues that usually arrive in the coldest part of the winter so they are a cheery sight!  I keep seed catalogues as garden reference material so they tend to add up a bit.

New Lawn Mower

YardMachines by MTDMay 3, 2010
Five years ago we moved away from cutting our own lawn to a yard service.  This resulted in our lawn being neat and tidy looking even when we were away.  Now if you have been following this blog you will know a lovely green carpet is not my idea of being eco-friendly.  The problem is while gradually reducing the grass it still has to be maintained until it can be

Earth Day 2010

Today is Earth Day 2010 in celebration of Mother Earth.  The day is meant to bring environmental awareness that we need to practice an eco-friendly lifestyle.  It is a celebration of hope and sharing our knowledge with others.  It's a way of teaching our young ones that we have to look after the earth if we want to survive.  Many communities hold special events in celebration of Earth Day.  Many

Controlling Garden Insects Effectively

Yesterday I wrote about the reasons why electronic bug zappers should not be used in the yard or garden for insect control. One of the biggest problems with these devices is the do not distinguish between harmful and beneficial insects. In one evening they can easily kill 10,000 insects effectively destroying the balance in your yard. Less insects mean less insect predators giving other more

A Gravity Fed Self Watering System

Keeping container plants sufficiently watered can be a problem especially on hot days or days you are away from home. I found this great video from a permaculture designer. The balcony garden plants water themselves, using 2,000 year old desert technology. The water travels from a rainwater collection tank through tubing to buried unglazed terra cotta wetpots via gravity then is distributed to

Backyard Chickens (1)

The debate over allowing people to raise chickens in their backyards continues across Canada. There is no hard, fast rules over keeping chickens with some communities such as Victoria, BC and Niagara Falls, ON allowing residents to have backyard chickens while other communities forbid them. Yet other communities such as Toronto, Calgary, Waterloo and other larger centers are still debating the

Weed Control Revisited

I know snow is still on the ground in our area and what a gorgeous sight to behold but soon our attention will be turning to our gardens. This year is going to present a new challenge for us in that we will be doing our gardening in two very different zones. Regardless of what zone you garden in, weeds are an issue. There are a couple of ways to go about dealing with weeds organically.edible

Weed Control

DandelionMay 29, 2009If you haven't seen a dandelion in your yard then you either don't have a yard or your yard is chemically treated. The Ontario Pesticide Ban is now in effect so some consumers are now concerned they will not be able to control weeds in the yards. Round-up® a chemical herbicide that some relied on heavily can now only be used to control poison ivy and you have to sign a

Birds in the Garden

Robin's NestMay 26, 2009It is very important to attract a wide variety of birds to your garden and I have written about attracting birds to our gardens before (here). Ideally at some point you should notice a bird of prey if you are going about attracting birds to your garden in the correct manner. At that point you should give yourself a bit of a pat on the back. What you have accomplished is

Happy Earth Day 2009! A Gardener's Perspective

Today the world celebrates Earth Day 2009. There are many special events being hosted world wide as the world focuses on saving our planet. While Earth Day brings an immediate awareness to our planet's plight, living green is something each and everyone of us should strive for daily. There are so many things we can do daily that do make a difference not only on a personal level but as a small

Politically Incorrect Trees

Over the years certain trees were favoured for quick shade or aesthetics.  However, some of these trees are no longer considered eco-friendly.  Rather than planting one of the trees listed consider planting a more appropriate tree for your planting zone.  If you already have one of the trees listed on your property consider replacing it with a more appropriate tree.Norway maple (Acer platanoides)

Earth Hour 2009 Reminder

Please remember to turn your lights off for one hour beginning at 8:30 PM tonight in celebration of Earth Hour.  Voting with your light switch will create a strong mandate for our leaders to make positive and decisive action on climate change in Copenhagen.  Please vote with your light switch!Happy Gardening!Garden Gnome©2006-2009

Earth Hour 2009

Happy Gardening!Garden Gnome©2006-2009

Watering Tips

Watering can be the single most make or break of gardening. Improper water whether too much, too little or at the wrong time can spell disaster. So here are some of my watering tips most of them learned through trial and error. They are by no means perfect and you will have to adapt to your situation.Timing:I prefer to water in the early morning before the full force of the sun hits the plants