Garden Wisdom Blog

Carrots can be grown quite densely compared to a lot of other crops. They’re not only good for fresh eating, but they store particularly well for use in the fall and winter — and beyond in some cases. With a little guidance the home gardener can easily learn how to store carrots in the ground, in cold storage, in the refrigerator, and in the freezer. Carrots can even be canned, pickled, and dried for really long term storage. Of primary importance is preserving moisture in the root, and preventing its loss. For cold storage (in the ground, root cellar, fridge,...

Squash (Curcurbita sp.) Of all the vegetable varieties, squashes are by far the most diverse in shape, size, and overall appearance. The sheer complexity of this vegetable group invites growers on a life-long adventure. There are many hundreds of different named varieties of squash (perhaps more types in cultivation than any other group of vegetable), each with its own fascinating history, but there are countless more yet to be developed, as the plants are so easy to breed and prone to cross-pollination.

It’s September, and much of the garden has been put to bed. Heat loving summer crops have all but withered: Sunflower heads have been cut for drying, tomatoes have been picked green and brought indoors, and pumpkins sit bright and orange while the rest of the plants have succumbed to mildew and the season’s end. Now is the time to plant legumes as cover crops, though. Members of the pea and bean family germinate well in the cooler soil of autumn. Plants like clover, fava beans, vetch, and winter field peas are perfectly cold hardy, and will continue growing (slowly),...

Here is a blend of flowers native to eastern North America that are adapted to survive the sometimes shifting weather of the Maritimes, New England, and the St. Lawrence coast. This mix of fourteen showy plants is primarily composed of perennials, but includes the annual Gaillardia. It is sure to create a feast for the eyes and return for years to come. Here is the list of component species in our East Coast Wildflowers Blend: Blue Wild Indigo (Baptisia australis) Brown-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia triloba) Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) Eastern Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) Gayfeather (Liatris spicata) Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea) Indian...

This blend of North American native wildflower species was selected for areas with cold winters and hot summers. The ideal region straddles the Rocky Mountains and foothills, from BC’s central interior to Calgary, and from Jasper National Park down to central Oregon and western Idaho. This cold hardy blend can take a fairly harsh winter, and return each spring to feed wild pollinators and increase biodiversity. It’s composed of 100% native wildflower species. Check out the list of Upland Blend Wildflowers Ingredients: Arrowleaf Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata) Deerhorn Clarkia (Clarkia pulchella) Globe Gilia (Gilia capitata)Lewis Flax (Linum lewisii)Munro's Globemallow (Sphaeralcea munroana)...