This is a listing of free stuff you can get for your garden. Catalogs, seeds, whatever I could find. Saving you time by putting them all in one place. If you subscribe to posts at the bottom of the page you can have all new posts sent to your inbox as soon as they are posted.
Seed Catalogs
Territorial Seed Company
Park's Seeds
Neseed
Miller Nurseries
Johhny's Seeds
The Cook's Garden
American Meadows
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
Bluestone Perennials
Brent and Becky's Bulbs
Burpee Seeds
Greenmantle Nursery
High Country Gardens
High Mowing Organic Seeds
Jackson & Perkins
Le Jardin du Gourmet
Lilipons Water Garden
Logee's Greenhouses
New England Seed Co.
Peaceful Valley Farm Supply
Raintree Nursery
Renee's Garden Seeds
Richters Herb Specialists
Seed Savers Exchange
Seeds of Change
Thompson & Morgan
Van Bougondien
Wayside Gardens
The best supplier for everything else for your garden.
Lee Valley Tools
Free Seeds
Sunflower seeds
Conifer Tree Seeds
Other Garden Freebies
Free Mulch Sample
Pro Landscape Demo DVD
Proven Winners Garden Idea Book
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Monday, April 21, 2008
Some Useful Gadgets and Time Savers
There is a lot of garden gadgets out there to save you time and space. Some are useful. Some are not.
This is not really a gardening gadget but living in Canada where we get snow, and I hate to shovel, I found this and thought it was pretty neat. It's a snow auger shovel. It has a rotary auger across the blade that throws the snow to the side as you push it along the ground. No need to lift and throw the snow to the side. It's also very energy efficient as it doesn't use electricity, gas or batteries. Just human power, but less human power than a regular shovel.
Have you ever tried to move a large planter that was filled with dirt and plants? Very heavy!! So you try to sort of roll it on it's edge and the planter gets away from you and tips over? The PotLifter is great for moving large pots. It still takes two people to move the planter but the handles give you a very good grip so it won't slip and spill.
Living in Canada we get cold weather. There's no way around it. Having limited garden space there isn't a lot of room for cold frames and greenhouses. This portable greenhouse cover is perfect for protecting you new seedlings from a late frost or getting an early start to the planting season.
The sunlight calculator takes the guess work out of choosing plants for your garden. Just stick it in the ground and set it. Come back in 24 hours and it will tell you if that area is full sun, part sun, part shade etc. It makes a trip to the garden centre much easier as you will know what plants will flourish in that area.
If you have rose bushes you've probably been stabbed and scratched by the thorns. The rose dethorner quickly and easily removes the thorns so you don't get scratched and stabbed!
Most regular garden tools are too big and awkward for container gardening. This tool kit is perfect for anyone who container gardens. It even comes with it's own storage caddy to keep all your tools together so don't waste time looking for and collecting them.
This is not really a gardening gadget but living in Canada where we get snow, and I hate to shovel, I found this and thought it was pretty neat. It's a snow auger shovel. It has a rotary auger across the blade that throws the snow to the side as you push it along the ground. No need to lift and throw the snow to the side. It's also very energy efficient as it doesn't use electricity, gas or batteries. Just human power, but less human power than a regular shovel.
Have you ever tried to move a large planter that was filled with dirt and plants? Very heavy!! So you try to sort of roll it on it's edge and the planter gets away from you and tips over? The PotLifter is great for moving large pots. It still takes two people to move the planter but the handles give you a very good grip so it won't slip and spill.
Living in Canada we get cold weather. There's no way around it. Having limited garden space there isn't a lot of room for cold frames and greenhouses. This portable greenhouse cover is perfect for protecting you new seedlings from a late frost or getting an early start to the planting season.
The sunlight calculator takes the guess work out of choosing plants for your garden. Just stick it in the ground and set it. Come back in 24 hours and it will tell you if that area is full sun, part sun, part shade etc. It makes a trip to the garden centre much easier as you will know what plants will flourish in that area.
If you have rose bushes you've probably been stabbed and scratched by the thorns. The rose dethorner quickly and easily removes the thorns so you don't get scratched and stabbed!
Most regular garden tools are too big and awkward for container gardening. This tool kit is perfect for anyone who container gardens. It even comes with it's own storage caddy to keep all your tools together so don't waste time looking for and collecting them.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Some Pretty Weird Looking.....What??
The above three plants are some of the weirdest things I have found on the internet. The pumpkin looks like it's a fossil from millions of years ago. Those long skinny tomatoes look more like cucumbers than they do tomatoes. I'll bet they make great dill spear pickles. That broccoli looks more like something you'd find growing at the bottom of the sea like some exotic coral, not on the dinner table.
I'm going to share with you some of the weirdest vegetables available today. Planting a few of these in your vegetable garden is sure to get the neighbourhood talking!
The purple peppers look like they'd be more at home in the flower garden than the vegetable garden. The fact that the peppers point up instead of hang down makes them unique. What about those tiny little watermelon? Bet you never would have guessed they were watermelon. Good luck trying to grow those ones square! Visitors to your garden might think they have found a dinosaur egg when they first spot this cucumber. You could have a contest and see which of your guests is able to identify the most of these weird veggies.
Titty Fruit is also known as cow's udder. The fruit on this plant is not edible but I included here as a conversation piece. Bittermelon is a popular Asian vegetable the looks like petrified sweet white corn. The pretzel bean is very easy to grow and tastes great.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
The Unusual Trellis
If you have vines and climbing plants you need something for them to climb on. Here are some unique and unusual things you can use. You might even have a few lying around the house. If not, yard sale season is almost here.
1. The rails off an old crib.
2. A section from an old T.V. tower.
3. An old wooden step-ladder.
4. An old accordion style baby gate.
5. Old-style 10’ mesh satellite dish.
6. Wooden clothes drying rack.
7. Old fishing poles stuck in the ground.
8. Left over piece of lattice.
9. Old style metal tube/bar head/foot board.
10. Wooden chairs with slats and rungs.
Just use your imagination. If there is something for the vine to get a hold of it can probably be used as a trellis.
1. The rails off an old crib.
2. A section from an old T.V. tower.
3. An old wooden step-ladder.
4. An old accordion style baby gate.
5. Old-style 10’ mesh satellite dish.
6. Wooden clothes drying rack.
7. Old fishing poles stuck in the ground.
8. Left over piece of lattice.
9. Old style metal tube/bar head/foot board.
10. Wooden chairs with slats and rungs.
Just use your imagination. If there is something for the vine to get a hold of it can probably be used as a trellis.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
A Vegetable Garden of a Different Colour
We all know that beans are green and yellow, tomatoes are red, cauliflower is white, and pumpkins are orange, right? Why not get your neighbors talking by having a vegetable garden where nothing is the right colour?!
You could start with Royal Burgundy beans and grow purple beans. After two minutes in boiling water they turn bright green, a perfect timer for blanching.
Unfortunately carrots grow underground but Purple Haze will give you purple carrots with a bright orange centre. They lose their colour after cooking. Also grow some Crème De Lite carrots with are a pale yellow.
Say goodbye to white cauliflower and hello to orange and purple. Cheddar gives you orange cauliflower that is very high in beta carotene. Violet Queen and Graffitti will give you purple cauliflower. Violet Queen turns pale green when cooked.
Eggplant is usually dark purple to black so why not grow some Cloud Nine and have white eggplant?
Now for some white pumpkins or ghost pumpkins. Full Moon and Lumina will give you carving sized white pumpkins while Baby Boo will give you tiny 3” white pumpkins. Why not square white pumpkins? But that's an earlier post.
Instead of the common green zucchini why not grow some Goldfinger or Golden Delight and have golden zucchini instead?
As for the tomatoes, for the slicing variety give Lemon Boy a try and have lemon coloured tomatoes. For roma tomatoes try Golden Milano and Tumbling Tom Yellow for the cherry type of tomatoes.
Give Bright Lights a try for the Swiss Chard. Colours include yellow, gold, pink, crimson, orange purple, white and green.
Sugar Baby watermelon is round with a dark green rind, so dark it appears almost black. Yellow Doll is yellow on the inside and New Queen is orange on the inside.
They claim that Veronica is a lime green cauliflower, however I think it looks more like coral and would seem more at home in an aquarium than a vegetable garden.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Fresh Picked Tomatoes in February
Fresh Picked Tomatoes in February
Fresh picked, vine ripened tomatoes in February during a Canadian blizzard? YES, it is possible! Requires no lights, soil or watering. Want to learn more? Read on!
Living in Canada we have a short growing season. It seems everyone with a vegetable garden grows tomatoes. The main problem seems to be what to do with all the green tomatoes at the end of the season. I mean, hey, you can only fit so many of them on the window sills before you run out of space.
We’ve come up with many recipes using green tomatoes, fried green tomatoes, green tomato chutney, pickled green tomatoes, etc.
You can pick fresh tomatoes in February. This doesn’t require any fancy cold frames or green houses, no large (or small) planters, no soil, no watering, no work, except of course picking them.
The only things required are a few elastics, a few nails and a closet or basement. But most of all you have to be heartless! You have to rip the tomato plants out by the roots before the frost gets them. Wrap the elastics around the roots so you can hang them from nails in the basement or closet. Hose off as much soil as possible before bringing them inside. That’s it, you’re done. Except for picking and eating them of course!
This method will work with all types of tomatoes. For the larger tomatoes like beefsteak you’ll want to put something soft underneath to catch any that fall off. This works amazingly well with cherry and grape tomatoes.
You’ll never again pay that ridiculous supermarket price for imported, tasteless cherry and grape tomatoes again. Just go to the basement or closet and pick some!
Fresh picked, vine ripened tomatoes in February during a Canadian blizzard? YES, it is possible! Requires no lights, soil or watering. Want to learn more? Read on!
Living in Canada we have a short growing season. It seems everyone with a vegetable garden grows tomatoes. The main problem seems to be what to do with all the green tomatoes at the end of the season. I mean, hey, you can only fit so many of them on the window sills before you run out of space.
We’ve come up with many recipes using green tomatoes, fried green tomatoes, green tomato chutney, pickled green tomatoes, etc.
You can pick fresh tomatoes in February. This doesn’t require any fancy cold frames or green houses, no large (or small) planters, no soil, no watering, no work, except of course picking them.
The only things required are a few elastics, a few nails and a closet or basement. But most of all you have to be heartless! You have to rip the tomato plants out by the roots before the frost gets them. Wrap the elastics around the roots so you can hang them from nails in the basement or closet. Hose off as much soil as possible before bringing them inside. That’s it, you’re done. Except for picking and eating them of course!
This method will work with all types of tomatoes. For the larger tomatoes like beefsteak you’ll want to put something soft underneath to catch any that fall off. This works amazingly well with cherry and grape tomatoes.
You’ll never again pay that ridiculous supermarket price for imported, tasteless cherry and grape tomatoes again. Just go to the basement or closet and pick some!
What is our fascination with black flowers?
What is our fascination with black flowers? Maybe it’s their exotic beauty. Maybe it's because they are not growing in our neighbors gardens. Most are not actually black but very dark maroons and purples that appear almost black.
With some plants it’s the leaves or parts of the leaves that appear black like Black Dragon coleus whose red, tongue shaped leaves are edged in black. Or maybe the Christmas Pepper Black Pearl whose leaves turn a glossy black at maturity.
While most people have heard of the black pansy Black Jack, the Sorbet series has added the Black Delight which is pure black, and Blackberry Cream which is deep purple with a cream center. As for the Giant Pansies there is Halloween II which is black with a yellow eye, and Black Prince which is true black.
There is the poppy Black Peony which is a fully double poppy in the deepest of reds. The Prado Red Shades sunflower is such a dark red that it appears almost black. This would look really good against a white colored house.
With some plants it’s the leaves or parts of the leaves that appear black like Black Dragon coleus whose red, tongue shaped leaves are edged in black. Or maybe the Christmas Pepper Black Pearl whose leaves turn a glossy black at maturity.
While most people have heard of the black pansy Black Jack, the Sorbet series has added the Black Delight which is pure black, and Blackberry Cream which is deep purple with a cream center. As for the Giant Pansies there is Halloween II which is black with a yellow eye, and Black Prince which is true black.
There is the poppy Black Peony which is a fully double poppy in the deepest of reds. The Prado Red Shades sunflower is such a dark red that it appears almost black. This would look really good against a white colored house.
Square Watermelons and Cabin Fever
Square Watermelon
Have you ever heard of square watermelon? Apparently it’s all the rage in Japan, selling for ridiculous sums of money. At least it won’t roll around in the fridge!
You would have to build the frame out of wood and use thick Plexiglas or other thick, clear plastic for the six sides. The growing fruit would probably break glass. You would also need to put some type of ventilation holes in the box or else the fruit would rot or get cooked in the hot sun.
With the shorter growing season in Canada this concept would probably be better suited to pumpkins. I wonder how difficult it would be to carve a square pumpkin. You could make a really good Sponge Bob Square Pants out of a rectangular pumpkin. Why not make a triangular frame and carve a bunch of cone heads? They’d be sure get win something at the fall fair.
Why not take this concept a little further and grow the perfect peppers for stuffing, ones that don’t tip over? Tomatoes wouldn’t work because the skin is too thin. I wonder if this theory would work with apples.
It’s obviously been a long winter. I think cabin fever has started to set in because I’m actually thinking about trying to grow square fruit and vegetables. We really need spring to arrive quickly!!
Have you ever heard of square watermelon? Apparently it’s all the rage in Japan, selling for ridiculous sums of money. At least it won’t roll around in the fridge!
You would have to build the frame out of wood and use thick Plexiglas or other thick, clear plastic for the six sides. The growing fruit would probably break glass. You would also need to put some type of ventilation holes in the box or else the fruit would rot or get cooked in the hot sun.
With the shorter growing season in Canada this concept would probably be better suited to pumpkins. I wonder how difficult it would be to carve a square pumpkin. You could make a really good Sponge Bob Square Pants out of a rectangular pumpkin. Why not make a triangular frame and carve a bunch of cone heads? They’d be sure get win something at the fall fair.
Why not take this concept a little further and grow the perfect peppers for stuffing, ones that don’t tip over? Tomatoes wouldn’t work because the skin is too thin. I wonder if this theory would work with apples.
It’s obviously been a long winter. I think cabin fever has started to set in because I’m actually thinking about trying to grow square fruit and vegetables. We really need spring to arrive quickly!!
Monday, March 31, 2008
Balcony Crop Circles
Just because you live in an apartment doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy fresh vegetables picked from YOUR very own vegetable garden.
You’ll need a few very large containers. Those large plastic barrels that people use as rain barrels are ideal when cut in half. Put a few drainage holes in the bottom, add a couple of inches of stones and fill with soil. It’s best to fill them with soil in their final resting place because they are quite heavy. You’ll also need to get several bamboo stakes and a couple of tomato cages. You can comfortably fit 6 ½ barrels on the average balcony.
In the centers of two barrels plant one tomato plant in each. About 3” out from each tomato plant, plant a “ring” of radish seeds. These will be harvested before the tomato plants need this space. A further 2” out plant, a ring of chive seeds. About 2 ½” in from the outside edge plant a ring of carrot seeds with 3 oregano plants evenly spaced. Or better yet, go to www.vesseys.com and order their climbing cages that extend up to 6’ in height over each tomato plant. You have now completed your first two crop circles.
Since square footage is limited the only way to go is up. Choose vineing varieties instead of bush varieties. You don’t have to plant cherry tomatoes; you can plant the slicing type. It takes too many cherry tomatoes to make a tomato sandwich and slicing them is a real pain.
Plant the next barrel with Swiss Chard. This is an amazingly versatile vegetable that is often over-looked. You can use the leaves like Romaine lettuce to make Caesar salad, use it the same as you would spinach and you can slice the stalk to use in a stir fry the same as you would use celery. You can even get varieties with brightly colored stalks for added color. As an added bonus it has more vitamins than spinach.
In the next barrel plant three pepper plants evenly spaced. They can be any type of pepper plants you want. Plant some kohl rabi in the spaces around the pepper plants. This is another vegetable that is often over looked. It’s half turnip half cabbage. The bulb forms above ground instead of beneath the soil. You can use a grater to shred the bulbs for making coleslaw, cook it the same as turnip or eat it raw. It doesn’t have the same bitter taste that turnip can sometimes have.
The next barrel we are going to plant with peas. Draw a circle about half way to the center. In the center circle, plant peas seeds about 1” apart in every direction. Using the bamboo stakes make a teepee around the seeds. Weave twine around your teepee to give the peas something to grab on to. Every two weeks plant another ring of pea seeds, adding bamboo stakes and twine as needed.
The next barrel is going to have beans. You can plant any combination of beans you want. Plant the same way as the peas, only space the seeds about 1 ½” apart.
These are just a few ideas of what you can grow in your containers. Since you plants are growing in container you will need to fertilize them every 10 to 14 days. A water soluble fertilizer like Miracle grow works well.
Enjoy a bountiful harvest from your crop circles.
You’ll need a few very large containers. Those large plastic barrels that people use as rain barrels are ideal when cut in half. Put a few drainage holes in the bottom, add a couple of inches of stones and fill with soil. It’s best to fill them with soil in their final resting place because they are quite heavy. You’ll also need to get several bamboo stakes and a couple of tomato cages. You can comfortably fit 6 ½ barrels on the average balcony.
In the centers of two barrels plant one tomato plant in each. About 3” out from each tomato plant, plant a “ring” of radish seeds. These will be harvested before the tomato plants need this space. A further 2” out plant, a ring of chive seeds. About 2 ½” in from the outside edge plant a ring of carrot seeds with 3 oregano plants evenly spaced. Or better yet, go to www.vesseys.com and order their climbing cages that extend up to 6’ in height over each tomato plant. You have now completed your first two crop circles.
Since square footage is limited the only way to go is up. Choose vineing varieties instead of bush varieties. You don’t have to plant cherry tomatoes; you can plant the slicing type. It takes too many cherry tomatoes to make a tomato sandwich and slicing them is a real pain.
Plant the next barrel with Swiss Chard. This is an amazingly versatile vegetable that is often over-looked. You can use the leaves like Romaine lettuce to make Caesar salad, use it the same as you would spinach and you can slice the stalk to use in a stir fry the same as you would use celery. You can even get varieties with brightly colored stalks for added color. As an added bonus it has more vitamins than spinach.
In the next barrel plant three pepper plants evenly spaced. They can be any type of pepper plants you want. Plant some kohl rabi in the spaces around the pepper plants. This is another vegetable that is often over looked. It’s half turnip half cabbage. The bulb forms above ground instead of beneath the soil. You can use a grater to shred the bulbs for making coleslaw, cook it the same as turnip or eat it raw. It doesn’t have the same bitter taste that turnip can sometimes have.
The next barrel we are going to plant with peas. Draw a circle about half way to the center. In the center circle, plant peas seeds about 1” apart in every direction. Using the bamboo stakes make a teepee around the seeds. Weave twine around your teepee to give the peas something to grab on to. Every two weeks plant another ring of pea seeds, adding bamboo stakes and twine as needed.
The next barrel is going to have beans. You can plant any combination of beans you want. Plant the same way as the peas, only space the seeds about 1 ½” apart.
These are just a few ideas of what you can grow in your containers. Since you plants are growing in container you will need to fertilize them every 10 to 14 days. A water soluble fertilizer like Miracle grow works well.
Enjoy a bountiful harvest from your crop circles.
Friday, March 28, 2008
HYPERTUFA
Hypertufa
Hypertufa, sounds like the school-yard bully on a sugar high. It’s actually a substance that you can mix up to make your own garden containers and art.
You’ll need a wheel barrow or very large container to mix the stuff up in. Hypertufa recipe: 17L vermiculite, 17L peat moss, 11L Portland cement, 13L water. Mix the dry ingredients together then add the water. Wear gloves and mix by hand. You can pretty much use anything as a mold for your creation. If what you’re using isn’t plastic, cover it well with plastic sheeting or garbage bags. Apply the mixture around your mold about 5 inches thick, slapping it to remove any air bubbles. Once the mold is covered, stick dowel or sticks into the bottom for drainage. Loosely cover your creation in plastic to keep moisture from evaporating. Mist occasionally the first few days and wiggle the dowels so they’ll be easy to remove. After a week remove the plastic and let it sit for 5 days. Remove the mold from your creation. You can smooth any rough edges with a file or file the base so it doesn’t rock. Remove dowel from drainage hole. Hose off any lime that might have surfaced. Allow to cure for a couple of weeks before planting.
Hypertufa looks heavy but it isn’t. If it cracks down the road you can fix the crack next time you whip up another batch of hypertufta.
I’m making mine so they will fit in my windowsills for the winter. That way I can just bring them inside and still enjoy fresh herbs without having to dig things up.
Hypertufa
Hypertufa, sounds like the school-yard bully on a sugar high. It’s actually a substance that you can mix up to make your own garden containers and art.
You’ll need a wheel barrow or very large container to mix the stuff up in. Hypertufa recipe: 17L vermiculite, 17L peat moss, 11L Portland cement, 13L water. Mix the dry ingredients together then add the water. Wear gloves and mix by hand. You can pretty much use anything as a mold for your creation. If what you’re using isn’t plastic, cover it well with plastic sheeting or garbage bags. Apply the mixture around your mold about 5 inches thick, slapping it to remove any air bubbles. Once the mold is covered, stick dowel or sticks into the bottom for drainage. Loosely cover your creation in plastic to keep moisture from evaporating. Mist occasionally the first few days and wiggle the dowels so they’ll be easy to remove. After a week remove the plastic and let it sit for 5 days. Remove the mold from your creation. You can smooth any rough edges with a file or file the base so it doesn’t rock. Remove dowel from drainage hole. Hose off any lime that might have surfaced. Allow to cure for a couple of weeks before planting.
Hypertufa looks heavy but it isn’t. If it cracks down the road you can fix the crack next time you whip up another batch of hypertufta.
I’m making mine so they will fit in my windowsills for the winter. That way I can just bring them inside and still enjoy fresh herbs without having to dig things up.
Hypertufa
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Spring Is Almost Here
Spring is almost here! It has to be, I saw it on the news the other day! But judging by all the snow still on the ground and what fell from the sky earlier I have my doubts. It's been a long winter in south eastern Ontario. More snow than we've had in 30 years! When (IF) spring finally arrives it's going to be muddy. Everyone is talking about the flooding that is yet to come.
As I sit here with my seed catalogues wondering when I will be able to get out in the garden I'm planning on a late start to the planting season. The soil will be too wet to plant any seeds. Maybe I will plant everything at the usual time but in containers, then transplant to the garden where they will remain until frost puts an end to summer.
We have a saying about the four seasons here; Almost winter, Winter, Still winter and Road construction.
I'm not sure what to think about the upcoming gardening season. A few weeks ago I planted some morning glory seeds to check the viability of them. I put them in a north window because that was the only one available at the time that was wide enough. They now have flowers on them and are covered in buds, although the blooms and leaves are small compared to if they were outside.
Either way, winter will come to an end, hopefully sooner rather than later.
As I sit here with my seed catalogues wondering when I will be able to get out in the garden I'm planning on a late start to the planting season. The soil will be too wet to plant any seeds. Maybe I will plant everything at the usual time but in containers, then transplant to the garden where they will remain until frost puts an end to summer.
We have a saying about the four seasons here; Almost winter, Winter, Still winter and Road construction.
I'm not sure what to think about the upcoming gardening season. A few weeks ago I planted some morning glory seeds to check the viability of them. I put them in a north window because that was the only one available at the time that was wide enough. They now have flowers on them and are covered in buds, although the blooms and leaves are small compared to if they were outside.
Either way, winter will come to an end, hopefully sooner rather than later.
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