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July 3, 2014
Vol 3, Issue 7
Down The 
Garden Path

with Joanne Shaw
path with shed
Joanne Shaw

Well our crazy spring has come to an end and we can now spend the next couple of summer months enjoying our outdoor living space. Has the soccer craze taken over your home? We enjoyed watching the games outside last weekend as friends of ours brought their TV outside and we all enjoyed their lovely outdoor living space for an evening.  I even lasted for 2 games.  Sorry soccer fans, I am a baseball girl!
    
I also attended the Toronto Botanical Garden Tour again and thoroughly enjoyed the gardens in the Hoggs Hollow area of Toronto. There were a lot of large shade gardens and I was truly impressed how full and varied these gardens were. These homeowners were not letting their large trees prevent them from gardening with interest and colour.

I also noticed the new trend of vegetable gardens being integrated more into the yards. I have included a few pictures of some of the veggie gardens I saw on the tour as well as my expanded veggie garden in pots. Have you thought about adding some vegetables to your gardens? While it is much better to start early, it's not too late to try a plant or 2. You can still purchase plants from the nursery (I'd purchase a larger pot instead of cell packs).  And to give you some good ideas for easy veggies to grow, I hope you enjoy my article this month, "The Best 5 Beginner Veggies".

Please check in on my Facebook page for more pictures from the garden tour as well as pictures of gardens I have designed in the past. It's great to see how gardens grow in. If you have pictures of your gardens you'd like to share please feel free to post them as well.

All the best for July and I hope you enjoy your outdoor living space! 

  

Joanne


Joanne Shaw
Landscape Designer
Down2Earth Landscape Design



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HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW?
TIP
7 Surprisingly Effective Tips For Gardening With Vegetables Organically   

 

1. Start with good soil and amend with compost and/or manure to get everything off to a great start.

2. Choose good healthy plants.  They can withstand a 'bit more neglect' than one struggling at the nursery.

3. It is easy and pretty much the same price to choose organic fertilizers, like worm castings, fish emulsion, seaweed and bloodmeal over chemical ones.

4. Companion planting with garlic and marigolds like our grandparents - because it  still works.

5. Don't overcrowd your garden especially if its small. Read the labels on the plants for desired spacing.

6. If growing tomatoes, pick off the cheaters that grow in each arm of the plant. If you don't you will get a big plant with small amount of fruit.

7. Mulch the vegetable garden too. Like in your flower beds, it helps with weeds and water retention.

*Thanks to friend Dave Banton for some of the tips he uses in his garden.




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

FEATUREARTICLE
Best 5 Veggies For Beginner Gardeners

For some of us it can be hard enough just getting to eat our vegetables (face it, we may be adults but that doesn't mean we have to act like ones) but growing them for ourselves is a whole different ball game. Whether it's a busy schedule that keeps you from being able to devote our full attention to our gardens or simply a curse on every plant you try to grow, it can be hard to get started with growing your own vegetables at home but don't fret because help is just around the corner. Here's a list of the five best vegetables you can start with even if you're still a newbie gardener:

1.    Carrots - They're orange, they're tasty, horses around the world love them and so can you! Being a root vegetable, carrots are safe from the elements so all you have to do is plant the seeds during some cool weather and in a few months (depending on variety) they're ready to pull up, wash off, and bite right into! If you're feeling adventurous, try a different kind than your standard orange carrot.

2.    Peas - Peas go on this list like, well, I'll leave that joke where it is. Peas are easy to grow, especially if you have something they can grow on like a trellis or fence, although you can just use a wire support if your yard or garden bed isn't in an optimal place. Another cool weather veggie, these go great with carrots together in your garden and on your plate in a fresh salad.

3.    Pumpkins - Not just for carving for Halloween, although you can grow that variety if you'd like but there are more tasty options out there. Pumpkins are fairly hardy provided you wait for frost season to be over and they're great for watching grow from tiny flowers into tasty treats. Perfect for planting when you can plan for them to be ready in the fall for October and November for pumpkin pie; you can cook and eat them tons of different ways or just enjoy a healthy, delicious batch of pumpkin seeds!

4.    Herbs - Basil, cilantro, sage, thyme, it's not a Simon and Garfunkel song it's a list of great additions to your garden! Herb gardens are easy to put together and can even be grown indoors in windowsill planters if you've got limited growing space outdoors. Just pick your favorite herb or spice and you'll have it ready to pick and put right into your favorite dishes whenever you want to add a dash of fresh flavor to a meal.

5.    Peppers - Whether you like them hot or mild, you're sure to love them colorful and tasty! Peppers grow in close to the same conditions as tomatoes, making them a great choice for new gardeners to sink their teeth into (depending on how hot they are of course!). Nothing says summertime like a cool, refreshing taste of freshly chilled salsa on a hot summer's day.

You can still purchase plants from the nursery to try a vegetable or two and even if you feel like your green thumb is more like the touch of death all you might really need is a little practice with some veggies that are a little easier to grow. You're sure to find your garden bursting with fresh vegetables of all kinds in no time!


GardenGate
A look through the garden gate...

Vegetable Garden Tour

My vegetable garden:

my veggie garden


The gardens of Hoggs Hollow:

Hoggs Hollow garden

Hoggs Hollow garden

Hoggs Hollow 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
joanne@down2earth.ca
www.down2earth.ca
905.839.1597
905.903.2597