megram - Index

megram - 55JunOttawa - Index

selection of Garden Art available at numerous stores. The
selection list is almost endless. Gazebos, benches, tables and
chairs, birdbaths, pots, urns, rocks, stone mosaics, steppingstones,ornaments
like birds,animals,chimes — and even creating
your own art with rocks — can make your garden feel
welcoming and personal.You might even consider giving Dad
a piece of garden art for Father’s Day this year.
June to-do list
Finish planting annuals and perennials.
Dead head flower plants that require this type of pruning.
We are very fortunate to live in a country as
bountiful as Canada and there are times when we all
take this privilege for granted,but perhaps remembering
the following Indian proverb will help us put our
relationship with the earth in perspective:
Treat the earth well; we do not inherit the Earth
from our Ancestors, but instead borrow it from our
Children.
References
Ecoholic – When You’re
Addicted to the Planet
Adria Vasil
Random House
ISBN 978-0-679-31484-4
Canada’s best resource for practical
tips and products that help you do your
part for the earth.You will get the dirt
on what not to buy and why, and the
dish on great gifts, clothes, home supplies and more.
A good website for numerous gardening ideas and
information is www.canadiancountrywoman.com.You
should also check out www.growarow.org and
www.davidsuzuki.org.
Plant and Row, Grow a Row is a program I
have mentioned in other articles I feel strongly about
helping and supporting our local community organizations
make a difference in people’s lives.If you are like
most vegetable gardeners,we plant more than enough
for our immediate family, neighbours and friends, so
why not think about giving some of your produce to
groups offering meal programs or to local food banks?
We have enough to share with those who are finding
themselves struggling to put food on the table for their
family. Please put yourself in their situation and reach
out! Check out www.growarow.org for further details
on starting this program.
A book you may be interested in purchasing is
Ecoholic – When You’re Addicted to the Planet,Your
Guide to the Most Environmentally Friendly
Information, Products and Services in Canada.This
is a book with practical tips for each of us to do our
part for the earth.
June 2008 • 55 • Fifty-Five Plus Magazine
Mulch your gardens to help retain water and shade
plant roots.
Prune early flowering shrubs that have now finished
blooming.
Continue weeding. Doing a little weeding each day
cuts out several hours you may need to spend at one
time to keep on top of weed growth.This is especially
beneficial if the weather is wet.
This is a good time to take houseplants outside as they
thrive in the change of venue.
Enjoy all your gardening efforts!
Irene Morton, owner of Earth Spirit Garden Care, is an
avid gardener, spiritualist and traveller who lives in
Kingston.
Go Green
Be your own natural plant doctor.This information
can be found on David Suzuki’s website at
www.davidsuzuki.org.
Home remedies for common gardening ailments
Black spots on roses: Mix one tablespoon
(25 ml) of baking soda in one quart (1 L) of
water,add a dash of mild liquid dish soap to act
as a sticker-spreader, and spray your roses
every week to 10 days.
Aphid infestation: Spray the plant’s leaves
with a mixture of soap and water. A strong
spray of plain water from a hose will often be
sufficient.Also, try planting chives and garlic to
repel aphids. Planting a variety of plants confuses
the pests and keeps them from settling in
your garden.
Mulch: Mulch preserves moisture, eliminates
weeds,and keeps the soil surface cooler,which
benefits earthworms, microorganisms and
plant roots. It also repels pests.
Weeds between paving stones: Common
salt dissolved in boiling water (2.2 pounds or 1
kg of salt to 1.8 gallons or 8 L of water) will
help control a weed outbreak. A water and
vinegar solution also works!
Caterpillars, aphids and flies: Some home
gardeners use oils from lemon,lime and orange
peels to keep these pests from attacking valuable
plants.
Diversify your garden. Pests flourish in gardens
with a single type of plant and no weeds.
Remember that most bugs do little or no
harm in the garden. In fact, most are beneficial.So
before you try to control or eliminate an
insect, first determine its effect on your garden.