Gardening

July is the month that the garden starts to come into its own. Since everything has been planted and had at least a few weeks to grow, it’s easy to see the potential that the garden has. The plants may still be small, but at least it is the first month that the garden really starts to shine. Not only that, but some items can be harvested by now – usually herbs. Of course, this also means that there are only about 2-3 months left of the growing season. It sounds crazy since it only just began, but that is one of the downsides toRead More →

The start of the garden season officially arrived in June. Where I live in Northern Ontario, our average last frost date is mid-June, which means it’s safe to plant after that day. Now, there are exceptions to this, as some plant varieties do well with frosts and cooler temperatures. Even though I got an early start to the garden this year, planting as early as March – though it meant bringing those plants in every night for almost three months – June is when the vast majority of the garden was planted. Now that the planting is complete, I thought I would share a JuneRead More →

May is not the typical time to start a garden in Northern Ontario. However, there’s not much typical about this year. Gardening is one of my favorite things to do during the summer months. Not only does it provide my family with food, but it gets me outside in the fresh air and sunshine. Gardening is also a fantastic way to keep in shape, especially during the early stages when prepping the area and planting time. The May 2020 garden is an unusual but welcome sight. Spring is a good opportunity to spend some time in the garden, admiring the plants coming out of theirRead More →

The garden season is over. It always seems to sneak up on me. One moment, it’s June and the seeds are going into the ground. Then in the blink of an eye fall has arrived and the last of the plants are clinging to life.  The final weeks of the gardening season are always a blur of frantic harvests, steady weeding and then prepping everything for winter. This garden overview will cover my struggles, triumphs and general thoughts on the 2019 gardening season. 2019 garden overview This was by far the most unusual year for the garden. Normally, we have fairly wet and cool weatherRead More →

Just like that, the garden season has ended. As quickly as it started, it has finished. That is all part of gardening in Northern Ontario. The season is short and generally speaking, on the cool side weather-wise. Yes even with these factors to contend with, it is possible to have a garden. It merely takes some work and dealing with a bit of a learning curve. Even a beginner gardener can manage if they put in the effort. The October garden doesn’t have much to offer in Northern Ontario. The growing season has ended, though a few stragglers still grow. October garden update What’s leftRead More →

September is coming to a close. It’s crazy to think that the month is nearly over. I feel like it only just began and suddenly it’s almost done. This month saw several shifts in the weather. First, it was fall weather, then summer returned for a week, and then fall was back! While I love fall, it does signify the end of the growing season for us. The weather this month had a strange effect on the garden, as many plants started to die off and then rejuvenated with the warmer weather returning. In the end, the garden is coming to an end. This gardenRead More →

With August coming to an end, it means that the garden is that much closer to being done. It seems early, however, where I live it’s simply a fact of life. Our gardening season is fairly short, especially given that we live in a cool climate. However, this year seems to be the exact opposite of that which has created a number of challenges over the past few months. That being said, while some parts of the garden are struggling, others are doing phenomenally. Gardening can be such an unpredictable hobby, but I thoroughly enjoy the challenge. This garden update August 2019 will cover howRead More →

July is coming to an end, which brings us further into the gardening season. This year has been quite different from previous years. Though the gardening season was a bit late due to cool weather, now we have the opposite problem. Most of July was unseasonably warm and dry, which really stunted the growth of a lot of things. It also meant a lot more watering to keep the garden going in the initial crucial growth period. This garden update July 2019 covers what has been happening in the garden over the last month. Garden update July 2019 What’s growing well Of all the thingsRead More →