June 1, 2019
The resilience of a garden It never ceases to amaze me how our gardens work and deal with the tremendous variability in weather. Yes, we had a lot of cool weather and rain this spring, but the weather changes and things start to grow and catch up. It happens every time, without exception. June 10th is the historical frost-free date…
May 1, 2019
A new gardening season is finally here As I walk along the south side of my house I can see lots of flowering bulbs starting to grow. Crocuses are the first ones I see blooming each year, they are small but a welcome sight. Daffodils and hyacinths grow well and are a very colourful and reliable choice. Tulips also grow…
April 1, 2019
A new gardening season is finally here We made it through another PEI winter and it’s just wonderful to see spring. In addition to annual vegetables, there are many other perennial plants that grow well in PEI and would make a good addition to your backyard garden. If you are relatively new to gardening, it would be a good…
March 1, 2019
Planning an apple orchard I am lying on the ground in a sheltered area where the snow has melted and the ground has dried some. It is a south-facing berm near my home in PEI and I have sweet cherries planted nearby. I can see the cloudless blue sky above and the bright sun feels so intense on my face.…
February 1, 2019
Warmer days are ahead…really they are! It is a balmy -19°C and I just returned from a walk to get some of that fresh, clean, PEI country air. Ahhh. As I heard the crisp and crunch of snow underfoot near that little fishing shack on the river, I observed a very lively squirrel navigate the branches of the trees with…
November 1, 2018
Sunset on this Season Well folks, with November here, the sun is setting on this gardening season. I expect many of you have your garden all cleaned up. You may wish to cultivate the garden now, especially if you have applied some limestone and/or manure. This does increase the chances of wind erosion so you could spread straw on your…
October 1, 2018
The last of the harvest Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Wow, what a fantastic season we’ve had. I find it hard to believe October is here. This is the last month to harvest from the garden. There are many things to do now, and more to do to prepare for next year…yes, now is the time to plan. Winter cabbage and turnips…
September 1, 2018
Reaping the fruits of your labour Ahh, September is a great month for your garden. There is more and more bounty to be harvested and it is the last big month before things start to wind down for the season. If you have more than you can use, pick a basket of your excess veggies and pass them on to…
August 1, 2018
A month of harvesting and preserving begins August is a great month in the gardening calendar because it is usually the first month you see significant harvest from your garden. Beans and peas will be at full harvest. Cucumbers will also come in droves. It is important to pick these vegetables regularly once they are ripe, as they can become…
July 1, 2018
Nurturing your garden Once you finally get to the summer weather in July, the planting is complete and you can concentrate on helping your veggies grow. It is important to continue to keep ahead of the weeds. If you planted too much, which is easy to do for both new and experienced gardeners, you may find weeding difficult. If so,…