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Dear <<First Name>>,
I hope you are enjoying the longer and warmer days. Have you noticed warm it is now near a sunny window? Outside, that heat can be a problem for trees – check out the article about sunscald, other tips and spring Workshops and Free Talks below.
Sunscald – Winter Damage to Trees
Protecting your trees from wildlife damage is an important fall activity but what you might not realize is that trees can also get damage from winter sun and fluctuating temperatures. Now is the time to protect your trees. Learn more here
Winter Composting
Home-made compost is the best way to cycle kitchen waste back into your landscape to enrich your soil with nutrients and beneficial microbes. It’s also the best way to ensure it’s free of plastics and other unsavory materials. Composting does not have to be complicated (you can certainly become rather sophisticated at it eventually!). Check out my blog for some basic suggestions to encourage you to start now and to continue throughout the winter.
Growing Microgreens - Thoughts about Plastic Containers
We had a great turnout at the recent Microgreens and Sprouts workshop in St. Albert. Here is some of the feedback: "It was fun, interactive and very informative, and it made me hungry :)" from Dave G. "It seems very do-able even for someone who does not have a green thumb. I really appreciated all the tips and tricks. I loved seeing all the sprouts and greens. All the options sparked my imagination. Really informative. Claudia really knows her stuff" from Tanja B.
While the majority of the feedback was positive, a very valid concern about the use of plastic was brought up, so I’ve given this some thought here. The workshop included suggestions and options for growing containers, including recycled containers you may have around the home. I have been growing in empty pie plates, in clay saucers and also in many kinds of plastic containers. I have used organic salad mix containers, sour cream and other shallow food containers. These work well because they are not too large and it’s easy to poke some drainage holes into them.
However, I certainly agree that we should minimize the use of plastic in general for environmental reasons and that we want to minimize the contact with food to plastics for health reasons. Plastic food containers have a code on the bottom that provides some information about what’s in it and how safe it is to reuse it. You can find a guide here with the handy memory aid: “2, 4, 5 keep yourself alive”.
When it comes to microgreens, you can grow them in glass dishes or in crockery or pottery, provided the glaze is food safe. The main challenge is that this container will not have drainage holes, and therefore you will need to practice maintaining moist, but not soggy potting mix or other grow medium. I look forward to including more examples of microgreens grown in non-plastic containers next time I offer the workshop.
For more info and tips for reducing plastics in your life, visit Beth Terry’s site
Seeds for Spring!!
You can purchase vegetable, herb and some flower seeds at the upcoming Seedy Sunday on March 19 at the Central Lions Seniors Recreation Centre, 11113-113 Street from 11 am to 4 pm. I will be there with a table – please come say hello!
Here is also a list of small seed companies in the prairies. For other Canadian seed companies, visit www.seeds.ca. Our local garden centres are also restocking.
Alberta
A'bunadh Seeds
Broadview Farm
Casey's Heirloom Tomatoes
Eagle Creek Seed Potatoes
EarthApples
Harmonic Herbs
Wildrose Heritage Seed Company
Manitoba
Heritage Harvest Seed
Lindenberg Seeds Ltd
Mandy's Greenhouses
Sage Garden Herbs
Saskatchewan
Mumm's Sprouting Seed
Prairie Garden Seeds
Wild Green Workshops and Free Talks
Urban Food Growing Workshop Series at St. Augustine Church and Sunshine Community Garden
- March 14: Container Growing
- April 11: Preparing Your Garden – Soil and Seeds
- May 2: Extending the Season for Longer Harvest
- May 16: Transplanting and Garden Care
- June 1: Garden Companions, Bugs and Weeds
Discount for multiple classes
Registration and more info
Grow a Self-Watering Bucket Garden - March 11 at 12:30pm
Seedy Saturday in Stony Plain at the PERC building, 5413 51 Street, close to the Multicultural Heritage Centre. Check out the other speakers as well.
Ideas for an Edible Front Yard - Thursday, March 23 at 3:00 pm and Saturday, March 25 at 2:00 pm
Edmonton Home and Garden Show March 23-26, at Northlands. In past years, I have received tickets to give away. Please email if you are interested and I will confirm.
Intro to Permaculture - Monday, March 27 at 7:30 pm Central Lions Seniors Recreation Centre, 11113 – 113 Street
Urban landscapes can be functional ecosystems that contribute to our health and prosperity. Permaculture offers concepts and practices to turn low-diversity, degraded landscapes and monoculture lawns into places that produce food and habitat for beneficial insects and wildlife. Claudia will present a (very!) brief overview of Permaculture, a design method that encourages us to build fertility and abundance.
Edmonton Horticultural Society
Sincerely,
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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