How to plant Fall Bulbs – Armstrong Garden Centers

This video is provided by Armstrong Garden Centers. Check out our website at www.ArmstrongGarden.com Checkout our Facebook at http

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Jul 30, Small Blog For Big Organic Gardening

I have so much to write I often don't know where to begin. Well that's my reason for not blogging more frequently.
So I'll keep this quick and simple.

Dry weather doesn't help much, so here's a tip.

Water your potatoes in the evening with a focused stream of water under the leaves. This is most important because hot humid conditions are ideal for potato blight infection.

Secondly, I suggest that you water your cabbage, cauliflower etc... in the morning. Why? Because evening watering will aid slugs and snails on their destrucitve paths.

Always avoid watering during the hot middle of the day.

The harvests are coming in lovely. But we should be thinking ahead. It's nearly time to sow Japanese Onions in trays to plant out in autumn. And soon I will be sowing Spring Cabbage.

Check my recently added page on crop rotation to see how they could be fitted in.

And if you haven't ordered any seed potatoes then now's the time if you don't want to miss out on a harvest of fresh new spuds for Christmas. See my page on potato bins and potato varieties.

Well, there's loads more to write - I'll come back soon and blog it.

Happy Gardening :)

Perfect Tips To Prepare Your Chrysanthemums To Bloom in Fall

If you have hardy chrysanthemums (those that survive the winter), you can encourage more blooms and fuller plants by cutting off the buds, or the top growth where buds would soon form. For chrysanthemums as well as many other plants and shrubs, cutting off the top of a stem encourages the plant to grow two [...]

Perfect Mid-Summer Gardening Tips

Summer is a time to trim back on many of our backbreaking physical activities and enjoy and gather many of the fruits of the gardening labor. This season’s hot, dry weather has slowed down plant growth and, in many cases, allowed some pests (e.g., fungal diseases) to get a foothold with the high humidity weather. While [...]

Geoff Lawton and Permaculture Soil Science

www.permacultureplanet.com – This is a short trailer for Geoff Lawton’s fantastic new DVD “Soils”. For more information about Geoff including how to purchase the full length DVD, please visit; http

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Creative Outdoor Lighting Enhances Visual Appeal of Your Garden

Creative garden lighting concentrates on subtle schemes that create atmosphere and enhance the planting, garden features, and architecture. Suitable lighting serves many purposes. A garden that has been “designed” – one with focal points, structured layout, good planting and a sense of perspective are more likely to bring out the best from lighting design but any [...]

Trying To Keep Up With The Garden Slugs

Over the past few years I have been growing zucchini and had to deal with slugs eating the flowers or blossoms before they started growing zucchinis. I tried a few of the home remedies but nothing seemed to stop them.

Then, just last year I tried Slug-B-Gon and that seemed to do the trick right away. We had a rather dry late spring and summer however this year, 2011, we have had rain. Way too much rain for me, although the garden, once we were able to get it planted, is loving it.

The problem this year is that anything I put out to get rid of pests is washed away in just a day or two.

I guess I will just have to keep re-applying Slug-B-Gon until it stops raining so much. The stuff I put out is moldy in just a couple of days. Just not enough time for anything to dry out before it rains again.

I tried the beer in a saucer but it just gets replaced with rain water in a few minutes.

Our home garden is an organic garden so I don’t want to resort to anything that’s not really green or organic.

Anyone know a more effective way to protect my zucchini from these little slugs, I just can’t seem to keep up.

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Green Garden TIPS: Growing Sunflowers

Patrick the Green Gardener shows you how to grow and maintain Sunflowers. In this short video you will learn simple tips about Sunflower cultivation, maintenance and the benefits of having Sunflowers in your garden. If you would like to follow the Green Gardener’s daily activities please join me at: http

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What Clothing To Wear When Bird Watching

Whenever you’re doing things it’s really better to be geared up for best results. It’s always better to be prepared, especially when your out there bird watching.

Are you a birdwatcher or a birder?

The birdwatchers do their bird watching for fun. They’re rather fond of the birds and enjoy taking pleasure in bird sightings.

Bird watchers do their observation without the need for anything more than a pair of binoculars. That would be me, just enjoying watching them go about their daily activities.

I find bird watching to be very relaxing. I even do a bit of bird watching right from my work from home office windows. Our backyard has birds flying around and chirping all year long, even in the winter months.

The birders are usually quite serious about the birding and don’t usually just want to observe. They have the need to discover and share that knowledge they gain from birding.

Birders tend to study every movement of the species of birds they encounter. They’ll even go the extra mile to find new territories to find more birds to study.

As a bird watcher I tend to just wear my normal clothes but birders tend to get dressed so that they don’t draw too much attention from the birds they observe.

Geared Up

The standard needs of an individual involved in bird watching are usually their binoculars but a spotting scope can be most useful, particularly the kind with tripod, notepad wherein to keep their journal and field guides.

A lot of birders would have a camera as well but today cameras with video are so inexpensive that more and more birders are carrying video cameras to share what they see.

A bird watcher like myself requires a field guide as I just enjoy watching birds but haven’t learned enough to know where to find them or even what they are called once I find them.

My brother is more of an artist than I am so he always brings his drawing pad, it’s a birder’s best friend. He takes lots of notes as well.

Birding is a great way to get away from day to day life for a while and enjoy the lives of these little flying creatures that come in so many varieties.

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The Farmer’s Market: 5 Tips on How to Sell!

Image by John Loo via Flickr

Selling at a farmer’s market involves more than just plucking your tomatoes from plant containers and taking off. Consumers will usually go to the most attractive and affordable booths to buy their produce. Rather than be left with baskets of wilted lettuce and mounds of bruised apples, read these tips for effective farmer’s market sales:

1. Know what you’re talking about.

For a non-foodie, it is intimidating to go to a farmer’s market and see produce that you either don’t recognize, or have no idea how to prepare. Know how to prepare what you are selling; if you have your Aunt Florence’s recipe for zucchini casserole, then offer that as an incentive to your shoppers. If there are special directions, such as allowing the produce to ripen in a brown paper bag, make sure that your customers are aware of that, as well.

2. Clearly label your produce and have printed information is possible.

Write the name of the produce and the price on both sides of a 3×5 card; if you can find a picture to tape to the card, it will ease any confusion and make your stand look more professional. Make several for each item that you sell, as the wind can blow them away, or they can fall while customers are rummaging through your wares. Additionally, if there is any information that your customers need to know, such as the location of your farm, other farmer’s markets you sell at, and so forth, create a flier and offer it to your customers.

3. Price your food reasonably.

Farmer’s markets have a reputation for having better prices than grocery stores. This is because the customer isn’t paying for the transporting of produce, packaging, etc. Be careful not to sell yourself short, and make a profit, albeit a modest one. Price produce at a few grocery stores and some stands at your farmer’s market, and find a median price. Don’t undercut your competitors too much, or your customers will question the quality of your produce.

4. Make things convenient for your customers.

Customers at farmer’s markets are frequently laden with multiple bags, children, strollers, etc. With this in mind, make things as easy as you can for them! Have plastic bags for their purchases, arrange your produce so it is easy to reach and sort through, keep your area clean and free of debris, and anything else you can think of. First impressions are important, and will affect your chances of repeat customers.

5. Be generous!

Tempt your customers’ tastebuds to boost the likelihood that they will buy your produce. Bring a grill or electric skillet and roast some vegetables, or slice fresh fruit in front of your customers. Throw in an extra item, or round your price down, all in the name of customer satisfaction. You will end up selling more in the long run.

With the cost of food skyrocketing, and continuing concerns about what may or may not be in food, farmer’s markets have gained immense popularity over the last several years. There are movements for buying locally- and/or organically-grown food, and you can use this to start your own business doing what you are passionate about.

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Moncton YMCA Community Gardens

A few weeks ago I was on my way back home from a fishing trip with my fishing buddy Casey. We were driving up Vaughan Harvey from St. George Blvd heading to Mountain Road and passed the YMCA.

YMCA – Moncton, New Brunswick Off Van Harvey

I had not noticed before but they had a number of small vegetable gardens so the next day I took my walk in that direction to check them out.

This particular YMCA is located at 30 War Veterans Avenue off Vaughan Harvey between St. George Blvd and Mountain Road. You can gain access to the YMCA by turning on to John Street and then make a left onto War Veterans Ave.

I think it’s great for people with a interest in gardening but have no space of their own to have an available community garden so they can enjoy the experience.

I learned from Jamie MacLellan, the Food Centre Coordinator, that they even have a section of vegetable gardens for the Food Bank.

YMCA – Food Bank Vegetable Garden

The first day I was there I met an old fella, Acadian I believe who loves to garden and was even helping out with a few raised bed gardens where those gardeners couldn’t be there as often as they’d like.

He tried to get out of the picture when I asked him if I could take it but I still got him in there, a little. Here is his raised bed garden and it’s looking great.

Friendly Acadian Gardener, YMCA Raised Bed Garden

Next time I visit the YMCA community gardens I’m hoping to see this old gentlemen again and have another chat. He was great to talk to.

I’d like to talk to a few other gardeners as well.

Jamie was telling that this community garden was prepared by some helpful gardeners who took the time to prepare the soil for planting and then opened it in 2008.

Here is a link to the English webpage that says a little about the YMCA community garden but there is also a link on the page if you prefer French.

Sure wish Jenny and I had known about this community garden back when we rented homes and only had a few pots to grow our vegetable garden in.

Great job YMCA

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Orchid Pests will destroy those lovely plants

Orchid pests are aphids, blossom mites, fungus gnats, mealybugs, millipedes, centipedes, sowbugs, scale insects, slugs, snails, thrips and whiteflies.

Jul 6, Organic Gardening - pest control & more

The first Gooseberries are in as my bush 'Invicta' - always my best cropper - was bending over with the weight.

Tips On Organic Pest Control

Carrot Root Fly

This year my garden has an obvious infestation of Carrot Root fly - with the leaves turning yellow.

Unusually this year, I haven't sown spring onions in the carrot rows.
And I sowed earlier too.

Both thinning and weeding has disturbed the ground enough to attract the pest.

The biological control for Carrot Fly called "Grow Your Own" is available to UK gardeners on this link.

American gardeners can find similar

biological controls for familiar pests here.
And check the other biological controls listed there. Natural controls like these are better than chemicals.

Organic Control of Slugs & Snails


The dry weather has kept the slugs and snails down here. But other gardeners have not faired so well.

Where there's a problem you should water the garden in the morning or early enough for it to dry out before nightfall.

Keep the soil finely chopped and remove organic debris. Slugs can be worse under netting or cloches where they are somewhat protected...

Put down a strategically located hiding place for slugs such as a brick or tile. You can then lift the lid and kill them.

When you go out in the late evening by torch light you may find many of the critters out and about. Sometimes it's just one or two creatures that are doing all the damage.

Experiment with Garlic:- 2 cloves squashed into 2L water, & boiled for 20 mins or so. Then made back to 2L & left to steep. Studies at Newcastle University found that larger amounts of Garlic actually killed slugs!

However, the homemade liquid doesn't stick to cabbage leaves... but the smell is pretty powerful.

Beer traps are very effective. I found the cheapest beer which was then Heinekin Premium worked very well - for slugs and snails. Forster's Amber Nectar definitely didn't reach as many of the parts that Heinekin reached.

You can make a cheaper and effective alcoholic solution from sugar and yeast in a sealed container.

Nemaslug is also worth trying if you have a very bad infestation. This has the advantage of killing the small ones and reducing the next generation.


Nemaslug is available to UK gardeners on this link.

American gardeners can find similar

biological controls for other familiar pests here.
There are many other biological controls listed here.

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More To Do:

Keep sowing crops to harvest in succession: Lettuce, Spring Onions, Beetroot, Runner Beans, French Beans, Endive... ... there are many choice varieties for extra flavour.

Grow even more seeds & plants - with the best value for American Gardeners.

Get more variety in your garden below: