February, 2009

In This Issue:

The Canadian Garden Primer

Mark's Choice Product of the Month

Canada Blooms

Friends of Second Marsh

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Robert Louis Stevenson said, “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.” As we wade through the deep freeze that is a Canadian winter, I am reminded that spring is not all that far away when I look at the list of seeds that need starting this time of year.

Some of the favourites that you should consider sowing right now include pansies, impatiens, geraniums and petunias. It is too early to sow your veggies just yet, but stay tuned; I will let you know when as the right time approaches. (Hint: keep an eye on my blog at www.yahoo.ca)

All of the aforementioned seeds need to be sown on the surface of the soil [i.e. not buried] and moistened. Then place a barrier over them like a couple sheets of newspaper to keep them moist and in the dark until germination [except the impatiens which like light to germinate]. A hand held spray mister full of tepid water is very handy for small projects of this nature. Just give the surface of the soil a squirt every day to keep them moist and water more thoroughly from a watering can when the soil becomes dry.

A sunny window [south or west facing] is best. Or artificial lights, set about 12 cm. above the surface of the soil. As the seedlings mature move the lights up, keeping them about 12 cm. from the top most leaves all of the time.

If you are using a florescent light fixture to grow your seeds under, keep in mind that the light is strongest in the middle of the bulb. So, move your trays of seedlings around every few days to share the highest intensity between them.

If you see any of your new seedlings beginning to wilt it most likely is one of two things: over watering or damping off. Either way, cut back on the watering, allowing the surface of the soil to dry slightly between watering. If your young seedlings collapse at the main stem at the surface of the soil, spray with ‘No Damp’ to prevent further damage. And remember to cut back on watering.

Improving the air circulation around the plants can help a great deal with mildew problems. A small fan can work wonders in this regard.

Go into your local hardware store or garden centre to look over the offerings of new seeds for ‘09. Take your time and be sure to read the instructions on the back of the packages. There you will find the cultural information that is so important for seed sowing and the cultivation of the plants later on. Take special notice of the light requirements of each variety and think about your own yard when you make your purchases.

There are tons of great seed ‘catalogue’ companies in Canada. Stokes seeds, McFayden, Dominion Seed House, OSC, and Veseys all come to mind. Look over their offerings on their websites – most of them provide ordering capabilities there. Or order the catalogue and buy your seeds the old fashioned way.

Garden Import is an excellent ‘specialty’ catalogue that offers some seeds but more importantly one of the finest selections of summer flowering bulbs on the continent. The proprietor, Dugald Cameron, literally searches the world for the unusual and exceptional. I know Dugald well – he has been a great supporter of the Toronto Botanical Gardens for many years. He wreaks with integrity – so you can be sure that he would not offer a plant or product without standing behind its performance in your garden.

Back to seed starting for a moment – one of the fastest growing trends in the gardening business is that of growing our own vegetables. This, I believe, is a response to the interesting economic times that we live in and it is a reaction to the complex, computer generated world that we immerse ourselves in day to day. Nothing like getting your knees dirty after a hard day at the computer.

When you are ordering your seeds – or buying them off the rack at your local retailers’ – keep in mind that many of your favourite veggies and flowers grow BEST from seed that is sown directly into the soil. If you have never tried this, I encourage you to do so. It is fun, satisfying and the results will often surprise you.

A short list of flowers and veggies that I always grow from seed sown directly into the soil [even though I can often buy the pre-started plants locally] includes: peas, beans, corn, squash and pumpkins, carrots and flowers like nasturtiums, morning glories, zinnias and cosmos. A more complete list is available on my website at www.markcullen.com.

All of this talk makes spring seem just a little closer. Even if it is only 5 minutes closer – it all helps to get the gardening juices flowing, right?

Just remember, regardless of what Robert L. Stevenson says, there are no failures in the garden. Only composting opportunities.

Keep your knees dirty,

Mark Cullen
Merchant of Beauty
www.markcullen.com

My new book is off the press! The Canadian Garden Primer, An Organic Approach is now shipping to stores.

This 208 page gardening book covers the gambit. Intended to inform the novice gardener and serve as a useful reference in the ornamental garden and vegetable garden, it also provides guidance to the lawn enthusiast.

This book features colour photographs of Canadian gardens and "how-to" sequence photographs to illustrate steps required to create a natural thing of beauty in any yard. 208 pages, hard cover, over 400 pictures and lots of useful text.

I recently found another use for the Mark's Choice hand-made corn broom. It is perfect for sweeping away a light dusting of snow.

The finishing touch to a perfect landscape is a cleanly swept walkway, patio, deck and driveway, and here's the best tool for the job! Boasting a handle of clear ash (also used to make many baseball bats), this hand-made, Canadian broom is built to sweep clean regardless of how light or heavy the job. The fine fibres on the outside pick up dust particles while the heavy all-natural materials on the interior of the broom move heavy stuff without repeated 'sweeping'. Store your new Mark's Choice broom out of the weather and off the floor in your garage or tool shed, using the leather tether to hang it on a nail. Guaranteed to provide years of reliable service!"
(Home Hardware item# 4515-279)

Exclusive to Home Hardware.

Celebrate Canada at the 13th Anniversary "Canada Blooms" March 18-22, 2009 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, South Building.

Canada Blooms: The Toronto Flower & Garden Festival invites you to visit a paradise bursting with six acres of glorious gardens in full bloom, more than 100,000 square feet of green thumb shopping and much, much more at Canada's largest and most prestigious flower and garden festival.

Denis Flanagan and I will be speaking each day of the show at 11:00am on the Celebrity Stage. We will talk about What's New at Canada Blooms and help you plan your trip through the gardens.

I will be in the Indigo/Chapters booth each day from 11:00am -noon, signing copies of my new book. I will also speak on Saturday, March 21 at 1:30pm in room 801.

The title of my presentation is 'Respect Your Mother', spealing of Mother Earth, of course. We will have fun with it and you might just learn a few things that will save you money, make your garden look better and help to save the earth one plant at a time.

Visit www.canadablooms.com for more information. Hope to see you there!

You’re invited to Come Explore Second Marsh.

(Image provided by Kevin Arbour, volunteer)

The Second Marsh Wildlife Area, in combination with McLaughlin Bay Wildlife Reserve, has approximately 10 kilometres of hiking trails. It is one of the few remaining wetlands contained within a large urban centre. Its scenic pathways wind through a dynamic setting of marshes, woodlands, meadows, swamp, thickets and barrier beach. This ecosystem supports a rich and diverse wildlife community. Birders flock to the Second Marsh every spring to see various bird species and in April the rare Little Gull makes its annual appearance to the delight of visitors. Friends of Second Marsh invites you, your family and friends to come explore this hidden natural jewel located on the north shore of Lake Ontario in Oshawa.

Our 2009 schedule of guided hikes and events is available online. Please take a look and join us for an outdoor adventure. Also this year, in celebration of Earth Day, we are holding our 5 th Annual Fundraiser, the Second Marsh Social Dinner & Silent Auction on Wednesday, April 22. Please join us for an evening of delicious food, a great selection of auction items and special guest, internationally renowned author and speaker, Kevin Callan.

(Image provided by Kevin Arbour, volunteer)

Friends of Second Marsh is a non-profit environmental organization dedicated to the protection of Second Marsh, other Great Lakes wetlands and our natural heritage system. We operate programs throughout the year to educate, inspire and motivate our participants to become good environmental stewards. We rely on financial and in-kind donations to allow us to carry out our work throughout the year. Please support our work and consider making a donation.

If you have any questions, please contact the Friends of Second Marsh office at 905-723-5047 or visit our website, www.secondmarsh.com, to learn more about Second Marsh and what we do.

For more information, refer to Mark's best selling gardening books — or tune into CanadaAM every Friday morning at 8:45am on CTV. If you have a specific question, simply search Mark's Library at www.markcullen.com.