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Dear <<First Name>>,
Harvest is here and I’ve been swamped with Evans cherries and apples. I have dehydrated many batches of both. Dry sour cherries are a special treat, similar to a dried cranberry. Enjoy whatever harvest you are blessed with!
Events
Harvest of the Past - Sunday, September 10
at Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village - Celebrate Alberta’s agricultural roots with a traditional harvest at the Ukrainian Village
Facebook event
12:00 - 12:45 pm Lasagna Gardening - Claudia Bolli
The presentation will include a mockup and photos to show you the technique of lasagna gardening. We’ll discuss the benefits of layering diverse organic materials to create a healthy, productive garden bed starting this fall.
Dig In Horticulinary Festival - Sept 19-23
in St. Albert - Culinary Walking Tour, Bike tours and hands-on Make & Take workshops - visit website for more info and tickets
Saturday, September 23 (9 am - 4 pm) - Make & Take Workshops
All sessions at St. Albert High - 33 Malmo Avenue, St. Albert, AB
11:15 am Microgreens & Sprouts – Claudia Bolli
Composting Workshop – Sunday, October 15
This workshop is a “hands in the dirt” opportunity to learn how to set up a compost this fall and get you on the road to successful composting.
Date and Time: Sunday, October 15, 1-3 pm
Cost: $22
Space is limited and pre-registration is required.
Location: Claudia’s yard, address will be provided after registration; rain or shine
Great Fall Plants for Pollinators
End of August is a time when our yards show signs of winding down - many flowers have gone to seed and some leaves are turning yellow. In an edible landscape, it’s also a glorious time for harvest. The bees and other insects have done a wonderful job pollinating flowers, and we are now reaping the benefits. Let’s not forget that they must continue to forage for pollen and nectar. Having flowering plants until frost is beautiful and provides food for insects such as bumble bees that need enough fuel to overwinter.
So what are the plants still in bloom at this time of year? I had the opportunity to visit a rural property near Spruce Grove, as part of an orchard tour day. Check out some of the great plants Jo is growing.
Monster Swiss Chard
Recently I saw a brilliant Fringe play called Interstellar Elder where planet earth was overtaken and smothered by Swiss Chard. Cryogenically frozen humans are floating in a space ship, waiting for earth to become habitable once more. That might as well have been my Swiss Chard – it’s a monster this summer! I did not do anything different (maybe new seed was helpful) but the regular rain and nice warm weather allowed it to thrive. Noticeably absent has been the pesky Leaf Miner. It often affects leafy greens. You will see curvy trails between the leaf layers, evidence of the leaf miner larva chewing and defecating as it travels around (yum!). The leaves need to be removed and put in the garbage, and it’s helpful to disturb the soil in the area to expose and kill any pupae. Crop rotation is always a good idea as well. Parasitic wasps, attracted by dill and yarrow, can also help with control.
Brassica Flop
You can’t cheat nature! I had too many kohlrabi, broccoli and cabbage seedlings that I tried cramming under a row cover tunnel to protect them from the Cabbage White Butterfly. The plants were too crowded and therefore reached up for light. I had to remove the cover. I had some lovely green broccoli (lots of it right when we came back from holidays Aug 7), but the red cabbage will not make a head. A couple of kohlrabi managed to fatten and produce. I do have some interesting Purple Flowering Broccoli from West Coast Seeds. This is a bit of a monster plant as well, but the idea is that it will produce small clusters for broccoli until hard frost. I have had a few spears so far and hope the space they take up will be worth it. Lesson learned - give plants the proper amount of space.
Happy Harvest!
Claudia Bolli, Wild Green Garden Consulting, www.wildgreen.ca
If you would like help with your plans, please contact me for a consultation or design, claudia@wildgreen.ca.
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