MODERN MARVEL: HOME GROWN FOOD |
As we write this, mere days before Canada Day, July 1st, we are finishing off the last of our home-grown strawberries. This is a marvel. Why? Because Mark planted them last May and had no expectations of harvesting much of anything for two years. Nature had other ideas.
The plants grew long, aggressive runners, which put down roots, produced an abundance of strong young plants, which flowered to beat the band, attracted myriad pollinating insects in late May this year and produced several dozen quarts of fresh, juicy, unbelievably sweet fruit. Sunshine in a triangular puff, with freckles and a green collar.
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Now, if you take one home-grown strawberry in one hand and a perfect, monster of a strawberry from the supermarket come, say, February in the other, how do they compare?
You know the answer. The strip-mined variety that was treated with “we don’t really know what” pesticide or preservative and travelled we cannot calculate how many kilometres by diesel truck to get here is, after all the effort, tasteless as a mouthful of snow by comparison to the strawberry that you grew yourself.
We mention this as the local raspberry season is just around the corner, then the vine-ripe tomato season which, with any luck, will produce for up to 12 weeks. The peppers, cucumbers, French beans, beets, garlic and, (well, the list is inexhaustibly long) food that we can grow in our gardens and balconies will be ready for harvest.
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Which reminds us that Canada Day is here. Canada Day: fireworks, bbqs, friends, family, citizenship ceremonies, community gatherings. Maybe a parade. A celebration of our heritage, our collective wealth and, one hopes, a coming together of the many cultures that knit the fabric of our country.
We think Canada Day also signifies something else: the beginning of Home-Grown season. When the last strawberries remind us that this is the thin edge of a season-long wedge of garden fresh food from our home and native soil.
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We are reminded that this is the Year of the Garden. The year when we plant something red to celebrate our great country.
Canada Day also reminds us of the many great public gardens and parks that enhance the quality of our lives. Why not take some time early this summer to discover some of the gardens and parks in your community? Or take the time to travel to some of the great horticultural attractions in your province? Check out Canada's Garden Route Map.
A mere google search will reveal numerous gardens that are open to the public, some of which you may never have heard of before.
We are doing just that and in a coming newsletter we will report on what we have discovered.
One thing for sure, when we visit public Canadian gardens, we experience the diversity and wealth of Canada in ways that we have not experienced before.
Happy Canada Day!
Mark and Ben Cullen
Merchants of Beans and Beauty
Btw, look for our mid month food gardening newsletter, delivered free to your inbox.
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Prune evergreens, especially cedars and cedar hedges. Now is the time to do it.
Clean up spent flowers, such as peonies that are all partied-out from their wild show late-June. Cleaning up fallen petals not just looks better, it prevents moisture and disease from propagating at the base of your plants. Removing spent lilacs will also help them bloom more prolifically next year.
Fertilize your lawn if we encounter a cooling and wet trend in the weather. Otherwise, hold off until mid to late August.
Clean your hummingbird feeders and hang them out. A clean feeder is essential for the health of these remarkable birds.
Stake tomatoes to double your harvest by improving airflow and light penetration.
Apply bordo mixture to tomatoes to prevent early blight. Once every 2 weeks all summer.
Feed container grown plants like petunias and geraniums with 20-20-20 water soluble plant food every 10 days to 2 weeks. All summer.
Look for our July 15th Food Newsletter in your Inbox.
Control weeds (before they get out of hand!)
Hand water young plants that are not getting enough rain. Water deeply and less frequently to drive roots deep and help the plant become more drought tolerant.
Mulch with finely ground up cedar bark mulch to reduce watering by up to 70% and weeding by up to 90%. 5 to 7 cm thick.
Relax: find that chair or lounge that you placed in your garden. Read a good book while surrounded by your own nature.
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Host Andrew Applebaum speaks to gardening expert Mark Cullen about being a Member of the Order of Canada, hitting the soil with the 7th generation of Cullens, maintaining ‘brand’ integrity, building Markham’s Eco-Sandbox, why you need to ‘think like a fish’, and his positive experiences with David and Sharon Johnston, Ed Mirvish, Mel Lastman and Frankie Flowers!
*** also available on ALL other podcast platforms!
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With thanks to the Globe and Mail. |
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MARK AND BEN IN THE TORONTO STAR |
We write a weekly column for the New In Homes & Condos section of the Saturday Toronto Star.
In case you missed it, these are the exciting gardening/environment columns we wrote in June.
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BIRDS IN FOCUS:
House Wren
By: Jody Allair
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Over the past week I’ve had several conversations with people telling me about their backyard House Wrens. If you’re lucky enough to have a pair nesting near your house, be prepared for lots of song, drama and many, many nests. Here’s a segment I wrote a few years ago about why you should pay more attention to these amazing birds.
At this time of year spring migration has just about wrapped up and most birds have settled in for the nesting season. Our backyards, neighborhoods and local parks are now filled with the sounds of songbirds proclaiming territories and attracting mates. But there is one bird who can arguably lay claim to the title of champion of the backyard dawn chorus—the House Wren.
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House Wren
Photo credit: Yousif Attia
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What the House Wren lacks in colour, and size, it makes up for with its explosive song, personality and smarts. House Wrens can be found across much of southern Canada from late April through October and is particularly fond of backyards and urban parks, provided there is a good amount of shrubs and tree cover. House Wrens are cavity nesting birds that will regularly use nesting boxes.
One interesting life history adaptation of these birds is that they will construct dummy nests in cavities throughout their territory and will even evict other birds from their nests in the process! These dummy nests act as way of reducing competition from other birds and is a defense mechanism for hiding a nest from on looking predators. House Wrens will construct nests in tree cavities, holes in buildings, and even obscure items like watering cans and discarded shoes.
With House Wrens being such a conspicuous backyard nester, you have a great opportunity this summer to become a Citizen Scientist and help Birds Canada monitor the health of bird populations by taking part in Project Nestwatch. You can learn more about this fun and educational program by visiting: https://www.birdscanada.org/bird-science/project-nestwatch/. Good Birding at Home!
Jody Allair
Director, Community Engagement
Connect with me on Twitter at: @JodyAllair
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HARROWSMITH MAGAZINE – Feature Recipe
Raspberry Salad
This Peppery Greens and Gorgonzola Salad with Raspberry-Honey Vinaigrette is summer on a plate! The peppery flavours from the greens mix with the tartness from the raspberry vinaigrette, the crunch from the sunflower seeds, and the richness from the gorgonzola cheese. Enjoy!
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Don’t miss an issue of Harrowsmith’s gardening, cooking, sustainable living and DIY tips. The summer issue is on newsstands now and features the sweet joys of country living including easy summer recipes, how to build a farm gate, DIY planter ideas, and the best (and most fragrant) cottage garden plants from Mark and Ben Cullen & so much more!
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