Neighbours talking over the garden gate has long been a tradition. They share gardening tips, complain about the weather and pests yet are ever eager to discuss their gardens. That is what I had in mind when creating this blog. So stop by my garden gate to find out the latest happenings in my garden.
Happy Gardening!
Garden Gnome
"All my life through, the new sights of Nature made me rejoice like a child." ~ Madame Marie Curie"
Looking back on 2010 we did nothing but battle adverse growing conditions. The problem is battling these types of conditions can be rather difficult. A dry growing condition can be compensated by extra watering, irrigation and shading but a too wet of a growing condition if difficult to battle. Raised beds help somewhat but traditional row gardening is at the mercy of the extra moisture. There really isn't much adjustment available for temperatures.
Raised beds get a bit warmer quicker and stay warmer longer extending the growing season somewhat. Shading can help protect against high heat while covering the garden beds or using mini greenhouse protection can help protect against frost. For the most part though, in normal home gardening growing conditions adjusting for temperature is still rather hit and miss.
When adverse growing conditions hit, the best you can do is hold on tight, do what damage control you can and hope for the best. That's one of the things that makes home gardening so much fun!
All garden pools regardless of their size are constructed pretty much the same way. You can use a rigid, pre-formed black pond liner or black pond liner however if you want to save a bit of money you can use a pre-formed kiddy pool. Ideally the pond should be at least 3 feet deep at its deepest but if over wintering fish the pond should be deeper. The pond excavation site should be leveled which is very important when using pre-formed liners. Pond constructed with pond liner should be leveled then lined with old rug material or sand to cushion the bottom somewhat. Once the liner is in place water is added, smoothing out the liner as the pond fills. Filtration and water movement is added then the edge is naturalized with rocks and vegetation along with the pond planted. Floater plants are added and finally the fish. Our experience was it was better to add fish a good week or so after the water had time to age. Here's a video outlining how to set up a garden pond. Enjoy!
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 the plants while keeping beneficial algae under control.
New pond owners often introduce fish too quickly to their garden ponds, before beneficial algae has a chance to form and the water age a bit. The solution for many is to add a few snails to the pond because beneficial algae is mistaken as being needed to be controlled. This is the wrong solution. Beneficial algae should be control through water filtration and shading of the pond. I refer to the beneficial algae as pond patina. It's a light coating of algae on the pond sides that does not cause the pond water to turn green. String algae is a bit more difficult to control. It should be manually removed. If the water turns green, knock down the algae by adding a bit of cornmeal or the contents of a package of grape koolaid mix. The grape koolaid provides immediate shade that causes the algae to die back a bit. The grape koolaid is also an effect way to control pest birds like grackles that frequent the pond creating another problem - snails!
Snails are going to happen in the pond which is one reason you should not introduce them. Snails are generally introduced into ponds naturally on the feet of visiting birds. Snails are beneficial BUT they multiply too fast blocking intake lines and filters. Any snail die down will cause additional problems like bacterial build-up and water souring. If (really when) you notice snails have been introduced to your pond, keep a close check on the snail population level. As soon as you notice snails in your pond you need to start doing a bit of scooping and do no ever, ever, ever release the snails to the wild!
Snow is bombarding part of southern Ontario like you would not believe. London had received 71 cm last report and it was still coming down. The problem with snow is some of it has to be moved in order to carry on with daily living unless of course you are able to hibernate for the winter. Snow has a lot of benefits though. It is a great insulator and wind barrier. Instead of piling snow from the driveway on each side consider piling it in your garden where it will protect from soil erosion, insulate the garden bed and provide extra moisture for the spring.
Gardening seems so far away with winter setting in and the holiday season upon us. That brings me to the never ending question of real verses artificial Christmas trees. Hands down I am on the real Christmas tree even though we have used an artificial Christmas tree for the past 5 years. Now here my reasoning.
When we moved to our last house we bought an eco-friendly fiber optic artificial tree that lit up using one halogen light. At that time my allergies were running amuck and my asthma was far from being under control. That is precisely the time to not introduce allergens from a real Christmas tree. This year we are not putting up the artificial Christmas tree other than the ceramic one using a CFL but we do have plans for a real Christmas tree.
Real Christmas trees are grown on farms as a cash crop. Until harvest the trees add oxygen to the air while filtering the air making it cleaner. The trees can be used for home heating in a wood stove or wood fireplace by removing the branches while the branches can be composted. Those are a few eco-friendly reasons to use a real Chrismas trees. At the same time buying a real Christmas tree is supporting local growers making for a stronger community economically.
I am a wife, mother and grandma who enjoys the many aspects of homemaking. A variety of interests and hobbies combined with travel keep me active. They reflect the importance of family, friends, home and good food.
