down2earth banner
February 22, 2013
Vol 2, Issue 2
Down The Garden Path
with Joanne Shaw 
Greetings!
Joanne Shaw
It's February and it still looks like winter outside and I for one am happy about that! It has been awhile since our gardens and lawns were treated to a good winter of precipitation. Although I have to admit that I am not enjoying my new hazardous activity of trying to walk the dog on the icy sidewalks... please salt your sidewalks everyone. I do like seeing the clean white of the snow versus the brownish green of the dormant grass.

I am always unsure of what to write about during the "garden off season".  I always want the articles to be timely and of interest to my readers. After reading an article in Garden Making magazine I learned more about the 2009 pesticide ban and realized this issue was not going to go away any time soon.  I also thought about how the ban has started to slowly affect the gardens I design. Looking back on this past season I have really started to see a trend of people creating more living space and garden space and foregoing their lawn altogether.  I wonder if it will continue? Let me know what you think; are you ready to give up your lawn?

The season of garden shows is upon us. A few dates to note:
If you are interested in attending Canada Blooms, send me some winter pictures of your garden and I will get you 2 free tickets to Canada Blooms!       

Joanne Shaw
Landscape Designer
Down2Earth Landscape Design



 Pinterest


Like us on Facebook


Follow us on Twitter




 
In This Issue
HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW?
FEATURE ARTICLE
A LOOK THROUGH THE GARDEN GATE
TIP

How To Safely Use Dormant Spray As An Effective Preventative Treatment   


On the topic of pesticides one of the best practices is prevention. By using Dormant Spray we can prevent problems from happening and us having to worry about things throughout the growing season. Dormant Spray is an environmentally friendly preventative treatment that kills overwintering insects (such as scale and mites), insect eggs and diseases, on certain hardy landscape plants.

It is a combination of 2 natural products, Horticultural Oil and Lime Sulphur and needs to be applied when the plants are still completely dormant, before leaf buds have started to swell or show any sign of green. This fluctuating and spring-like weather we have been having might prove challenging to find a perfect day. Purchase it now to have it handy for that perfect day!
dormant spray kit
Choose a day between February and March when the temp will remain at 0 degrees Celsius or above for a minimum of 24 hours, low wind and no rain or snow in the forecast. Spray in the morning so that the plant will be completely dry by evening.

Common plants that will benefit from a dormant spray application are Fruit Trees, Roses, Euonymus, Crab Apple and Honey Locust Trees, and ornamental shrubs like Highbush Cranberry and European Snowball.

Dormant Spray kits are available in your local garden stores now.  Read instructions for further directions.


**********************************
For more gardening tips and informative articles, visit my Newsletter Archives page!

 

FEATUREARTICLE
Do You Really Need A Lawn? This Will Help You Decide!

After reading an article in the current Garden Making magazine* regarding Ontario's 2009 ban on cosmetic pesticides, it's obvious the debate between pro-pesticide and anti-pesticides will continue for awhile. As will the concern, not only for our personal lawns but for the many parks and public lawns that we have grown used to being beautifully green, manicured and weed free.

We can manage to maintain our own property by manually pulling out weeds by the root if we have time and are physically able. But what about the green spaces we have grown to love and that are meant for people and children to play on? No city or municipality has the budget for this type of weed control.  I think we need to accept that the weeds are here to stay and as a trade off know that it is best for the health of our children, pets and even wildlife going forward.

What exactly is a pesticide?  It is an umbrella term that includes many different products that, as Health Canada puts it, target any "injurious, noxious or troublesome insect, fungus, bacterial organism, virus, weed, rodent , or other plant or animal."

Insecticides kill a bug when it ingests or touches the product. One of the greatest home owners concerns regarding the use of insecticides is grub control. The most effective environmentally safe tool available to us is Nematodes. They are microscopic parasitic worms that eat the grubs below the surface. They also eat weevils, cutworms and sod worms.

Herbicides fall into 2 groups:

Selective Herbicides, when used properly, kill specific weeds and leave other plant material alone. Corn gluten is an environmentally safe pre-emergent herbicide which kills the seeds from weeds.  It won't damage the lawn or soil because it is non-toxic. It can be effective against crab grass and dandelions as well as reduce the germination of curly dock, knotweed, lambs quarters, pigweed, and plantain. Its biggest down fall is that it also attracts rodents who love to feast on the corn. If using, apply immediately after purchasing, don't store it for future use.  

Non-Selective Herbicide products kill anything green it touches. High grade vinegar or acetic acid is an environmentally safe option useful for weeds between pavers and is as effective as removing manually.

What does all this mean for those who just want a low maintenance yard? Well it does mean more maintenance and maintenance with some environmentally safe but less effective products.

What other options do we have? I'd like to think that more garden and no lawn is a reasonable trend of the future. I know this sounds counterintuitive to low maintenance but believe it or not gardens are becoming easier to maintain that lawns.

The key as usual is a planned, better designed garden which involves planting the right plant in the right spot. It also means more hardscaping (larger walkways and patios allow for greater living space) and a good coverage of mulch.  

Here is a great example:
Summer 2008. Full-size garden installed to replace existing lawn.

In 2008 we removed the existing yard from this home and installed this walkway and full-size garden to replace a lawn and applied a generous covering of mulch to help with weed control and water retention.  Plants are spaced well for future growth. The homeowners (really good friends of mine) are not gardeners and were busy with their 3 daughters and therefore wanted a low maintenance solution to their front yard. This is a well traveled street and many thought we were crazy.

Here it is the following spring:
Spring 2009.

And an unbelievable 2 years later in 2011:
Summer 2011.  

And covered in snow in February 2013:
Winter 2013.

Aside from watering the hydrangeas when they have wilted on a very hot week, a good pruning of shrubs once a year and an application of mulch every other year, there has been no further maintenance required.  They also have no grass in their back yard.  Their only regret with the front is not doing the boulevard which continues to be a challenge.  Although I think we will tackle that soon... hint hint!

Doesn't this sound nice? Take a look below at the Through the Garden Gate section for more pictures of other lawn free spaces I have designed. Is it your turn this year?

---------------------------------------------------------------

*Source: Garden Making magazine, Spring 2013, pages 59-62, The Great Pesticide Debate.


A look through the garden gate...

Alternatives to a lawn...

Narrow lawn between
homes, turned into garden.

 

Low maintenance garden
with rocks.

 

Patio replaced back lawn off
of deck.
 

 

   

Deck and lawn removed for new patio and hot tub area.

 

   

 

Lawn removed around existing patio...

 

   

...and turned into garden.

 




 

Joanne Shaw is the owner and operator of Down2Earth Landscape Design. A graduate of Ryerson University in Landscape Design, Joanne has 15 years experience in designing gardens and a decade in landscape and related business, both for her own clientele and established local nurseries.

CONTACT
Joanne Shaw
Landscape Designer
Down2Earth Landscape Design
[email protected]
www.down2earth.ca
905.839.1597
905.903.2597