Protecting Your Garden During Extreme Weather

If you live on the Eastern Seaboard, then you know that the past week has close to unbearable with the extreme heat.   While the heat is hard on us, it is also hard on our gardens.  Here are three things you can do to help protect your investments - time, money and your ecosystem:

1.  Water at the Right Times 

Don't waste water.  Your plants, your neighbours and in some cases your pocketbook will thank you.  Watering in full sun is a waste all-around. Most of the water evaporates before reaching the plant. In some cases it might even promote the burning of leaves.    Water first thing in the morning or early evening after the sun has started to descend. The morning is really the best however. If you can manage it, do then.  Watering in the morning helps avoid mold, mildew and pests.  

Lily from Back Garden

More Lilies from Back Garden

2.  Deadhead 

Be sure to remove all dead flowers and leaves.  This will keep the area clean and tidy and less desirable to pests.  It will also make it easier for watering.  The path will be quicker for the plants to absorb water if the debris is removed.

Garden:  May 

Garden:  July (Rhubarb relocated)

3.  Weed 

Another important component to helping your garden thrive, is weeding.  Keep the competition for water and nutrients at bay by weeding frequently. 

Hosta - Back Garden

These are three easy way to help your flower and vegetable gardens thrive in hot temperatures.  What would you recommend?  What are your top three?

(remember for those reading this via email, you can get the full experience by visiting my blog:  http://athomeatevergreencottage.blogspot.ca/

Raised Bed Gardening

There are many reasons and benefits quite frankly to using raised beds in gardening.  The beauty of thinking about gardening at this time of years is that you can begin to plan for raised beds.  For example, will you use them for flower beds or for your vegetable garden? Or both?

I think that they are great in both cases!  However, at present I am only using a raised bed for my vegetable garden.  So, what is so great about a raised bed vegetable garden?  Here are my favs:

1.  Your growing season is longer.  Because the bed is raised the soil warms up sooner and therefore you can plant sooner!  You get a head start on the growing season.  Sure, you might need to cover the tender plants some nights, but that is not really a big deal when you think about the bounty you will get.

2.  It is a lot easier on the back!  If you are like me and have the occasional bout of back issues, you know what I mean.  The fact is you don't need to strain your back to prep, plant, weed and/or pick your just rewards.  

Isn't this just a great, clean look?  I wish this were my garden, but it is not.  Image compliments of Gardeners Supply Company.  Check them out at gardeners.com

3.  If you have a few raised beds you can use mulch or stone between the beds to create walkways that keep your feet clean when working around the gardens.  And better yet, when it is raining you can still get to parts of your garden without getting muddy.  So, if you want that tomato or some herbs, you can keep your feet nice and clean.  No mud.  

4.  Another important point for me was improving the quality of my soil.  I have a lot of clay in my soil and by doing a raised bed, I was able to drop in fresh new soil that I was then enable to enrich accordingly.  Much better for my veggies and ultimately those that consume the goodies.

5.  It is also easier to weed a raised bed garden and I would dare say that there are less opportunities for weeds to take hold.  A win win as "they" would say.

6.  While I have a decent sized garden - 8'x12' - having a raised bed also means that I don't need to till.  Sure, I give it a really good soil turn and feed the soil in the spring, but that is it. Much simpler to do and no worries about maintaining and storing a tiller.

While there are many options for making raised beds, I used these joiners from Lee Valley to build my veggie garden.  They are super easy to use and are adjustable to make 90 degree corners or other angles you wish. Simply get your untreated cedar and get started.

7.  Finally, I find that raised beds just look nicer.  There is something about the crisp lines, the visual height that is added and the bounty that overspills the walls.  I love the look.

This is by no means and exhaustive list.  There are many other great reasons to have raised beds.  I would love to hear how others are using raised beds and what benefits they see in using them.  After all, one of the great joys of gardening is the sharing of the bounty and the knowledge that we all have.

Planning Your Garden

Yes! It is Time to Plan Your Garden

I know. I know.  I know that you are thinking that I am crazy to be thinking about my garden on December 31st.  Some would say that I should be planning or preparing for New Year's Eve and the bash that ensues.  Ya, been there done that..and it was fun.  These days I think about other things...more long-term stuff.

Instead, this morning I drooled over my garden photos from this past summer and looked at garden magazines. Oh and yes, prepared for guests coming this afternoon for holiday cheer and lovely munchables...but I digress...

The real story here is I AM planning my gardens and you should be thinking of it too.  Never mind that this last snow storm has completely covered my "raised" vegetable garden.  There is still evidence that there is "something" beneath the white blanket though, and that always gives me a warm feeling for garden planning.

So, come the end of December or early January my mind does drift to the warm and hot summer days when daylight is long and all the sounds of summer are both intoxicating and relaxing all at the same time.  So, a planner at heart and through education and experience, I do what comes naturally.  I plan my garden.  This is a first draft, but probably a good one that I will likely stick with.

In addition to the raised bed, I also am an avid container gardener.  I learned years ago that in order to have lettuce and peppers, I couldn't put them in the garden.  They were just too tempting to the various types of squirrels that I have.  Container gardening has been the way to go.  

So, are you planning to garden this summer?  If so, what will you plant?  Will you stick to containers or plant in the ground?  Or, will you do a combo like me?

Let me know your plans.