We spent yet another weekend – Or rather at least one day this weekend doing some more yard work in order to prepare our garden for winter. This time we were busy putting away things like our solar lights, garden ornaments and trimming back some of the plants that had become overgrown. I also took some time inspecting my rose plants and I cut out any dead branches that I noticed.

When the trees finally start to drop their leaves we’ll gather up some of the leaves and put them on our garden beds as we normally do each year. A good layer of maple leaves on our plants seems to help protect them through the winter.

Most winters we don’t get a lot of snow. Oh we get snow, but it snows, then it melts and we have a week or two of deep cold but no snow cover .. so if the plants are bare and exposed to all that cold it can really hurt them – so at least the deep leaf cover helps. Then of course it will snow again and our garden will have a foot or two of snow on it for a week or two until it melts again and that will keep the plants and ground insulated for a short while .. but the temperature changes the garden goes through through the winter because of our lack of good snow cover yet fairly cold temperatures can be quite hard on the plants if they aren’t prepared in the fall.

Do you put mulch or leaves on your garden beds in late fall to protect your plants over the winter?

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So, this weekend I’m going to be getting out my seedling trays, and then I’m going to go down into the basement and find the two boxes that I keep seed packages and seeds that I’ve picked off of plants from my garden. It’s cool and surprisingly dry in our basement so it’s the perfect place to keep dormant seeds and even plant bulbs or corms like the four Cannas that I currently have down there.

I just have to decide where I’m going to put all my newly seeded trays. I think I’ll probably put them upstairs in our spare bedroom. It faces south so the containers and hopefully seedlings will get off to a good start with lots of sunlight. I do have a couple of grow lights that I can try to dig up out of the basement if I need them, but when I’ve grown seeds indoors in the past they’ve done well in that room without the need of additional lighting.

Have any of you started seedlings indoors for your garden?

I’m glad that we only have 6 weeks of winter left. I can’t wait to get outside and see new plants coming up in my garden beds. Oh and the crocuses! They’ll probably come up in my lawn by the last week of March like they normally do … perhaps earlier this year since we’ve had a fairly mild winter with barely any snow … so far anyway!

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Here in Toronto there’s a ban on pesticide and insecticide use (not that I used them on my garden or lawn anyway as we are fully organic) so for some, it’s become harder to maintain the quality of their lawn.

The best defense against pests and weeds is a healthy turf, so I thought I’d post some lawn care tips that you can do now and in the spring to ensure that your lawn is healthy.

Autumn Lawn Care

Autumn is the best time to apply grass seed, repair damaged areas and thicken existing turf.

If you have weeds growing on your lawn take some time to carefully dig them out of the ground or if you are so inclined apply an appropriate weed killer to affected areas.

We usually aerate our lawn in the fall and late spring. Aeration will increase the amount of air, water and nutrients getting to the soil, which will strengthen grass roots and help create a healthier lawn. We use a simple two pronged tool that we can push into the earth with our foot, but I believe you can rent an aeration machine at your local hardware store.

A great time to fertilize and reseed the lawn is after aerating.

We also cut the grass at least once during this time of year (mower set to 2 – 3 inches) and give it a watering if it’s been dry.

Spring Lawn Care

If you live in a cool area that gets snow or a lot of moisture in the spring it’s best to stay off the lawn until the ground has dried and it’s firm to walk on.

Begin your spring lawn care by raking up dead grass, leaves and any other debris that might have accumulated throughout the winter season.

If your lawn is uneven or has “frost bumps” this is also a good time of year to roll out the bumps with a light roller.

Aerate the lawn – particularly in high traffic area and then apply a slow release lawn fertilizer. You might purchase a fertilizer with a crab grass preventer if that’s been a problem in previous years.

Spring through fall Mowing guidelines

As spring progresses you should apply grass seed either to the whole lawn or at least to thin areas. Remember a lawn with healthy thick turf will have fewer weeds.

Once the grass begins to grow and it’s time to mow it, remember to set your lawn mower to cut at a height of 2 to 3 inches and in the summer especially when it’s hot and dry outside raise the mower another 1/2 to raise drought resistance. Mowing short weakens the root system and gives weeds a chance to compete with the grass.

Mow in different directions and alter the pattern each time if you can. For example, go north-south, east-west, clockwise, counter-clockwise, diagonally, and so forth. This will cut more leaf surface on weeds that may tend to lean in the direction of mowing and may help the grass compete with them. It also reduces soil compaction and turf wear from the wheels.

Sharpen your mower blades at least once a year. Dull mower blades tear-off rather than cut grass blades. The torn leaves give the lawn a whitish caste and may leave it more vulnerable to disease problems.

It’s fine to leave the clippings on the lawn and if you have a mulching mower that will chop up the clippings further as it will speed up their decomposition. During the summer, clippings decompose and return nitrogen and other nutrients to your lawn. The decomposition is slower in cool weather.

Watering your Lawn

It’s best to water your lawn deeply, but infrequently rather than water regularly, but lightly – as infrequent and deep watering encourage deep roots.

Most lawns require approximately 1 inch of water per week. Use a rain gauge, coffee tin or aluminum pie plate to measure if the correct amount of water is being applied. High spots and south-facing slopes will need more water than other areas. Apply less water in shady areas that receive less than 4 hours of direct sunlight daily. Grass under large trees will need more water since the tree roots will consume water and the tree canopy may intercept rainfall.

Early morning watering is ideal as you’ll lose less water through evaporation. Watering in the evening or at night leaves the grass wetter long and can contribute to the development of diseases or fungus growth.

If you have a hot dry spell during the summer don’t be alarmed if your grass browns. It’s normal for it to go dormant during these kinds of conditions. It will come back nicely once the weather cools again.

Hopefully some of these tips will help you have a healthy lawn next year!

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How do you know if you have slugs or snails in your garden?

Well if you notice that your plants leaves have irregular holes in them or perhaps slime trails on the soil and leaves you probably have slugs or snails. You might also see them crawling on your plant leaves in the evening after dark.

Slugs can do a lot of damage to young plants and seedlings. They can literally strip a young plant bare or even eat it down to the ground. You might try cutting a 2 Liter pop bottle and creating a collar to place around young tender plants if you have slugs in your garden as this will help protect them.

Slugs are particularly fond of Hostas and Delphiniums. However having said that I’ve seen them on about half the plants I grow in my garden so keep any eye out for signs of slug damage.

Some tips on keeping slugs at bay

• 1. Stir up the earth in your garden beds in the spring. This helps to expose the slug eggs/ larvae and causes them to die from the exposure.
• 2. Don’t put mulch down until early June (at least here in this Zone 5b area, might be earlier in your area)
• 3. Add used coffee grounds to the soil or apply around the base of plants troubled by slugs.
  • Each year we make several trips to coffee shops and ask for their used coffee grounds. Most will give them away to the public as they are just throwing them out in the garbage anyway. Some will even take a bucket from you and fill it up throughout the day. We add the coffee grounds to our garden beds, especially around slug troubled plants like Hostas and we also add the coffee grounds to our compost container as they help make a rich compost when they break down.
• 4. Crushed egg shells around troubled plants is said to deter slugs as they don’t like crawling over abrasive material. Sand, wood shavings, diatomaceous earth, hair or ash can be placed around susceptible plants as an abrasive barrier as well.
• 5. Copper tape, used wet or dry, is one of the most effective barriers. When slugs and snails make contact with the copper, there is a toxic reaction, similar to an electric shock, which repels them. The minimum width for the copper barriers needs to be at least two inches; slug barriers sold in nurseries are often smaller and should be doubled or tripled when installed.
• 6. Slugs and snails tend to feed at night so you can go into your garden at night and literally pick the slimy slugs off your plants and dispose of them.
• 7. You also might try setting some bait for slugs in shallow containers. A popular slug trap is baited with beer, but people have also tried using yeast, damp dog food (dry pellets), and a potato cut in half.
• 8. You might also try purchasing Nematode worms from a garden supplier. Nematodes also help to keep other garden pests from the garden too.
  • Nematodes aggressively search out and attack slugs. They enter the slugs body through a hole behind their heads (the pulmonary aperture that they breathe through to be precise). Once inside they release a bacteria which stops the slug eating. The nematodes then start to reproduce inside and within 7-10 days the slug is dead. The nematodes continue to reproduce as the body breaks down. This new population enters the soil and searches out new slugs to attack. This is a natural, non-toxic product that is safe for both users and wildlife. The nematodes stay active for 6 weeks so a single dose protects plants when they are emerging in the spring and are most vulnerable.
  • Nematodes can only be used in late spring and summer when the soil has warmed up (to above 5°C). On heavy, waterlogged clay soil, the nematodes can find it difficult to move, so Nemtodes can be less effective in these conditions.
• 9. Use plants that slugs dislike to repel slugs – Ginger, garlic, mint, chives, red lettuce, red cabbage, sage, sunflower, fennel, foxglove, mint, chicory & endive seem to be less prone to slug attack. Plant them around the perimeter of your garden to keep them from infiltrating, and or plant them near troubled plants such as Hosta.
• 10. Make your garden bird friendly by putting out a feeder. The birds might pick off a few slugs while they’re visiting your yard. Also if you have frogs or snakes in your garden they will often eat slugs and other garden pests.

And a bonus tip … Slugs love moisture, so if you want to minimize slugs in your garden keep your garden as dry as possible (without killing your plants), especially in the spring when there are slug eggs in the ground. Dry soil could kill them or at the very least cause them to move to an area that suits them better – ie your neighbors yard. That’s one reason why I suggested turning your garden soil several times in the spring, preferably before your soil temp reaches 5 Celsius, as you will likely expose slug eggs and they will die because they’ll dry out.

As you can probably tell I’m not into using pesticides to get rid of slugs and other bad bugs. in fact here in Toronto they’ve banned most pesticides and herbicides so it’s a good thing I’ve been gardening without chemicals anyway! LOL I have a lot of success with these methods – particularly the coffee grounds, turning the soil and hand picking slugs and snails off my plants and as a result I don’t have too many slugs in my garden beds.

May your garden be slug and snail free this year!

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The majority of Hydrangeas originate from Asia and North America.

Hydrangea Macrophyllia (Mophead and Lacecap) are common in the Atlantic border states. They have big leaves, and their blooms come in colors of blue, lavender, pink and white. Other common hydrangeas are Paniculata or panicle hydrangea (PeeGee and family), Hydrangea arborescens (Annabelle) and Hydrangea quercifolia (Oakleaf). There’s also Hydrangea anomola-petiolaris (climbing hydrangea). You can find this last hydrangea growing on the northern side of buildings. Depending upon which variety you purchase, you could have blooms from Summer to Autumn.

If you’d like to have a garden that almost always has something in bloom, plant hydrangea near rhododendrons, azaleas and or forsythia and you’ll have blooms and color from spring through to fall. I also have my hydrangea growing near a lovely clump of peonies.

Some species of Hydrangea, the Macrophylia in particular, will bloom either pink or blue depending upon the PH of your soil. Acidic soil will produce blue or violet flowers, while a slightly alkaline to neutral soil will give you pink or white blossoms. Hydrangea blooms can range from 5 to 10 inches in diameter depending upon the species.

How to grow Hydrangeas:

• Hydrangeas prefer light to medium shade, although large leafed hydrangeas seem to be able to handle full sun if they are given enough water.
• Hydrangea’s need moist well draining soil.
• Hydrangeas don’t require a lot of fertilizer. A good feeding in the spring is often sufficient. Compost or manure mixed into the soil near the plant will often be sufficient. You might also want to try Liquid Seaweed extract. It’s an organic fertilizer.

Pruning:

Big leaved Hydrangeas flower on old wood (previous seasons growth) so if you must prune only prune about a third of the weakest growth in early spring. Otherwise, prune immediately after your hydrangea has flowered.

You can visit this site to learn more about the proper care of your species of hydrangea. You might also want to visit the Hydrangea Forum at GardenWeb and talk with other hydrangea owners and gardeners.

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Image by J Wynia via Flickr

The process of hydroponic vegetable gardening is different than regular gardening. The vegetables are grown in a liquid nutrient solution. The plants usually have either their root system in an inert medium or are completely submerged in the fluid.

There are several different types of hydroponic gardening systems. There are drip systems, passive systems, the ebb and flow system, an NFT system and the aeroponic system.

If you are using the ebb and flow system, the roots of the plants are flooded periodically with nutrient solution and the plant is able to obtain its nutrients in this manner. This is achieved using a pump on a timer that will periodically pump nutrient solution into the plant containers and allowing the chambers to drain completely. The ebb and flow method typically uses a growing medium of some kind for the plant to root in.

The drip variation uses the pump and timer to pump solution directly onto the roots of the plants on a regular schedule. The excess solution then drips back into the reservoir where it is used again on the next timer interval. This method also typically uses a growing medium of some kind.

In a passive system, the lowest maintenance of all systems, the plants are grown with their roots dangling directly in the growing solution. There are no timers or pumps required for the technique, however, an air pump and air stone are often employed to ensure that the oxygen levels in the solution are sufficiently high.

Aeroponic is a slightly more complicated and advanced method of hydroponic vegetable gardening. The roots of the plants are completely exposed to the air and the pumps are used to mist nutrient solution onto the roots at frequent intervals. Insufficient misting will risk drying out the roots and killing the plant while excessive misting can cause molding. There is no growing medium used with aeroponics.

Finally, the Nutrient Film Technique, or NFT, systems make use of trays in which constantly flowing nutrient solution is pumped over the roots of the plants before draining back into the reservoir. This is another method in which a very regular frequency is required to keep the plants from drying out as there is no growing medium to help trap moisture.

When using a growing medium in hydroponic gardening you can use any number of chemically and nutritionally inert substances, such as coconut fibers, gravel, sand, rock wool or even air. The only additional requirement for a growing medium is that it allow the nutrient solution to drain freely from the container.

Once a method has been chosen and the system is setup, it is critical to ensure that the pH of the nutrient solution is kept consistently in the 5.5 to 6.5 ranges. Anything lower and you risk burning the plant with an acidic solution, and anything higher and you eventually risk burning the plants with a basic solution. In either case the plants will suffer and cease to flourish before eventually dying.

Finally, unless the system is sitting in a location where it can easily obtain natural sunlight, some manner of light will need to be provided. The options, from worst to best and also listed from cheapest to most expensive, are: incandescent, fluorescent, and high intensity discharge lamps.

Getting started with hydroponic vegetable gardening may seem a daunting task but it is fairly straightforward once the basics are learned.

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Do you grow any vegetables in your garden? I do …

Yeah, I know, I’m always talking about my flowers and other plants and I barely ever mention the fact that I also try to grow vegetables in my garden, amid all of the flowers.

Each year without fail I grow tomatoes (I experiment with different kinds each year this year it was Early Girl, Glam and Tiny Toms), cucumbers, beans, peas, romaine and a variety of lettuces or mescalin mix.

My tomatoes did quite well this year, much better than the last few years anyway. Perhaps that was because I grew varieties that matured earlier. I just love home grown tomatoes. Yum.

Tiny Tom Tomatoes

Unfortunately though, my Tiny Tom Tomatoes, Cucumbers and beans didn’t do as well. I grow them in containers on the patio close to the back of the house. I guess I thought that with all of the rain this year that the plants were getting enough water … guess again … they grew very slowly and I think it was because they were too dry overall.

My cucumbers did the worst! They only just started producing tiny cucumbers about two weeks ago! Here’s a tiny one as proof:

Tiny Cucumber

If I’d paid more attention and didn’t just assume that the all of the areas of the garden were getting enough water thanks to all the rain we had this summer then I think my cucumbers and beans would have done a lot better.

I guess I learned a lesson this year. Even if it’s rained, always go out and check the soil to see if it really is moist. Plants growing near the house or under the eaves just might not be getting any water at all!

I hope your veggies did better than mine did this summer.

We are going to get the remnants of Hurricane Ike all day today. We are expecting a lot of rain. I mean the kind that causes flooding … and flooded basements! Our basements always been dry, but this might be the test! Hope my home and garden survive all the water we’re about to have dumped on us!

Gardeners, Plant and Nature lovers can join in every Sunday, visit As the Garden Grows for more information. GTS participants remember to check in at As the Garden Grows each week so that we’ll know you made a new post!

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Here in Toronto the days and evenings are already getting cooler. I know we still might get some nice warm weather, but as I said above it sure seems like winter is just around the corner as it’s usually quite nice and pleasantly warm around here in early September.

Perhaps it’s time to start thinking about maintaining and preparing the garden for autumn? If you do a little bit at a time now, there’ll be less to do if winter suddenly rears up it’s ugly head!

I went searching to see if I could find other sites talking about fall cleanup and autumn garden maintenance and guess what? I found some great articles! So if you aren’t sure where to start in your own garden, take a look at what these authors have to say and you’ll begin to form your own fall garden maintenance plan for your garden.

September Lawn & Garden To-Do List

Now’s the time to be outside to enjoy the beautiful weather while taking care of some of the following lawn and garden tasks for September. Colorful caladiums are hardy in zones 10 and 11 and can be overwintered indoors in colder …

Autumn Maintenance

I am sure we all had enjoyed our backyards at some point this summer, but autumn is the time for garden clean-up! I know it seems like a chore, but it really isn’t. The work you do now, will make for an enjoyable spring and summer. …

September Lawn & Garden To-Do List

September heralds the fall gardening season with cooler temperatures and a first taste of autumn in the air. Zones 1-4 will likely experience a first frost, while warmer zones look forward to relief from the late summer heat and drought …

Fall Cleanup: Best Practices and Tips

Autumn is a beautiful time of year and we should all enjoy it. However, there is still work to be done! A good fall cleanup is perhaps one of the most important steps in preparing your lawn and garden for the spring. …

September Maintenance Tip

It is September, and now what to do? The nights are cooling off, the days are still very warm, and the vegetable garden should needs a makeover. September is a the best time to fertilize your shrubs and perennials. …

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Our plants and trees can gain much needed nutrients when we amend the soil around them with compost.

Here in Toronto we have what is called “Green Garbage”. Those who don’t compost can add their kitchen scraps and a few other materials to their green bins for collection each week. The city then combines this green waste with shredded, and I presume composted yard waste (leaves and plant trimmings and such), and gives it back to the residents of Toronto each Spring on certain days. Residents can pick up compost for their garden at special depots set up in various communities on specific days.

We usually try to pick up a large garbage can worth of the cities compost each spring, but we don’t rely on it as we have our own composter in our backyard.

If you’d like to learn how to set up your own composter why don’t you have a look at these videos.

Backyard Composting

Learn the basics of garden composting. Create some great nutrient rich compost for your garden from scraps and yard waste. Improve your soil the organic way.

Garden Girl TV: Simple Easy Compost Bin

Patti, the Garden Girl, shows you a simple and easy way to make a compost bin for your organic lawn or garden.

So if you haven’t already done so, go ahead and start your own backyard compost bin. Your plants will show you how much they enjoy having their soil amended with compost and your kitchen garbage won’t be as smelly!

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I’ve luckily never had too much trouble with Japanese beetles. Only a few here and there each year, whereas I hear from some gardeners that their roses and other plants are partially destroyed after a heavy infestation of the dreaded Japanese Beetles.

These nasty bugs only seem to be attacking a few of my roses. They love my Morden Sunrise in my front flower bed, and in the backyard they seem to be attacking William Baffin, Jacques Cartier, Climbing Iceberg, Baronne Prevost and Compte de Chambord. Considering how many roses I grow that’s not too bad, however these are some of my biggest roses so the damage is stating to become quite visible.

If your garden has never been attacked by Japanese beetles consider yourself lucky.

Adult Japanese beetles are 3/8 inch long metallic green beetles with hard, copper-brown wing covers. Five small white tufts project from under the wing covers on each side, and a sixth pair at the tip of the abdomen. These white tufts help to distinguish them from similar metallic green or coppery colored beetles.

Adults emerge from the ground in late May or early June. Individual beetles live about 30 to 45 days with activity concentrated over a four to six week period. Beetle numbers begin to decline in late July but some can be found as late as September.

I wonder if our cool June and rainy wet July delayed their emergence here in the Toronto area?

Japanese beetles can feed on about 300 species of plants, ranging from roses to poison ivy. Odor and location in direct sun seem to be very important factors in plant selection. The beetles usually feed in groups, starting at the top of a plant and working downward. While a single beetle doesn’t eat much; group feeding by many causes severe damage. Adults feed on the upper surface of foliage, chewing out tissue between the veins. This gives the leaf a characteristic skeletonized appearance.

I’ve also found that Japanese beetles seem to like eating rose buds and newly blooming roses.

If you don’t have too heavy an infestation of Japanese Beetles I’ve found that the best way of controlling them seems to be literally picking them off the plants and dropping them into a bucket of soapy water where they will drown.

The application of Milky Spore to the soil each year will also eventually kill off the larvae and make the likelihood of an infestation much lower.

There are pesticides that you can use if you have a heavy infestation in your garden. I prefer not to use chemicals in my garden because they often do more damage than good. I garden organically and I’ve found that dealing with pests can be quite challenging in an organic garden. I’m glad that there are always alternatives to using chemicals.

Traps can be used to attract and collect beetles however research conducted at the University of Kentucky has shown that the traps attract many more beetles than are actually caught. Consequently, susceptible plants along the flight path of the beetles and in the vicinity of traps are likely to suffer much more damage than if no traps are used at all. In most landscape situations, use of Japanese beetle traps probably will do more harm than good. If you experiment with traps, be sure to place them well away from gardens and landscape plants.

In previous years I’ve grown Four O’Clocks (Marvel of Peru) beside several of my rose bushes and it’s said that Japanese beetles do not like this plant. Perhaps that’s why I’ve never had much trouble with the darn shiny bugs. I planted my Four O’clock seeds late this year though so the plants likely aren’t mature enough to discourage the beetles.

I also used to grow garlic near my roses as that was said to help ward off Japanese beetles. I don’t grow garlic anymore as I always forgot to pick it!

Have your plants ever been attacked by Japanese Beetles? Have you seen any Japanese beetles this year? How have you handled beetle infestations?

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