Garden Wisdom Blog

One of the factors that most influences the germination rate of seeds is how they are stored. Like the plants that produce them, seeds come in all sorts of forms and sizes. They are also variable in their longevity. Since seed packets often contain more seeds than might be needed in one season, it’s important for gardeners to learn how to store seeds. Vegetable seeds that are considered “long-lived” include the Brassicas (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, collards, kohlrabi…) the chicory group (endive, escarole, radicchio), cucumber, kale, lettuce, melons, mustards, peppers, radish, rutabaga, sunflower, tomato and turnips. Stored correctly, these...

The Biodiversity Blend provides the widest, most diverse combination of flower types in any of our wildflower blends. There are flowers to tempt every sort of pollinator, but particularly butterflies, wild bees, and hummingbirds. Several species are included that produce edible seeds, so they will continue to nourish songbirds and other critters long after their colour has faded. This mix of perennials and self-sowing annuals is intended to demonstrate one of the foundations of organic growing — that biodiversity begets biodiversity. In diverse systems, plants grow healthier and wildlife is enriched. Basil Ocimum basilicum Bishops Flower Ammi majus Blue Lupin...

All kinds of pumpkins can be used to cook with to make this, our best pumpkin pie recipe. The best ones have the least interior fibre. We baked pumpkin pies after our 2018 squash trial using Galeux d’Eysines – and they were GOOD. Before you can use your pumpkin as an ingredient, it needs to be rendered down from a big orange fruit into usable pumpkin puree. One pumpkin will produce quite a lot of puree, so work in batches, and simply freeze any leftovers. We like to pour leftover puree into ziplock bags, which can then be stored in the...

Too spicy to be a marmalade, and too sweet to be a chutney recipe, this mash up is a sweet and savoury relish or pickle that celebrates the flavour of bulb fennel. It is very easy to adjust the spice level by adding the chili flakes gradually to taste, or to omit them altogether. For even more kick, finely chop some fresh chilies into the mix. Ingredients: 2 fennel bulbs, outer leaves removed, finely chopped (1cm dice) 1 apple, peeled, cored, and finely chopped 1 medium size onion, finely chopped 15mL (1 Tbsp) olive oil pinch of salt 30mL (2...

Garlic has been used as both food and medicine since at least the 25th century BC, around the time that the pyramids were being constructed at Giza, Egypt. In his Ecologues, Virgil writes all about garlic being consumed by ancient Greek and Roman soldiers, and it is was grown in England by the mid-16th century. This is curious given the modern English attitude toward garlic. As late as 1997, Dr. D.G. Hessayon warned in his bestselling book, The Vegetable & Herb Expert: If you are a beginner with garlic, you must use it very sparingly or you will be put...