Garden Journal

Make your own Garden Journal!

Materials:

A journal of your choosing

glue or tape

scissors

plant stakes

something to write with

Remembering what you planted last year or figuring out what works with what can be all too much for your busy mind to remember. So we’ve come up with an easy and fun way to observe your garden by making your own Garden Journal. By logging what you have planted and remarking on each as they grow through the season, you not only learn more about your plants, but its a great way to advance your garden.

First, sketch out the lay of your land (or in this case, the fire escape we are using). Determine when you get the best light, from what direction, and what time. Take a before picture if you can then later, an after shot. Label where you planted each plant and notate the bloom cycles of each. Understanding when each blooms or not can help you design your garden.

Next, save the plant stakes or labels to the plants you have purchased, or the seed packets you used. Most of these include vital information about your plant’s name and needs. If you don’t have these items, go online and research a bit about each.

Remark on when you planted each plant, the conditions it requires, when it blooms, when you fertilized, etc.

What plants are annuals? Which are perennials? Did it come back from last year? Was it happier in more or less sun? Did it thrive better in a container or in the ground?

If you don’t have plant stakes, you can also print pictures from online or that you have taken with your own camera. Go ahead and do this anyway as visuals are a great learning tool!

Keep adding to your journal as the growing season progresses. Include personal anecdotes and discoveries. Be sure to comment on those plants that flourish in the winter months, too. Next year, when you take a look back you’ll be delighted at your accomplishments and revelations.

by:  Tori Sparks

Strawberries

Strawberries are versatile, low-growing perennials that prefer full sun, warm days and cool nights. They can be planted in the ground or containers.

There are a few varieties of strawberry plants: day-neutral, june-bearing and ever-bearing. At GRDN, we have ever-bearing. Despite their name, ever-bearing strawberries are not “ever bearing”, however, they do bear fruit two to three times over the season. Mostly in June and again in late summer or fall. When planting ever-bearing strawberries give roughly 8 inches between each plant. Just remember, a general rule for all types is that strawberries need space. They don’t like to be crowded!

photos by: Lydia Andrien and Tori Sparks

Blueberries

Blueberries offer a unique combination of abundant fruit and striking beauty. A native perennial flowering plant, they are an easy addition to the garden as they are drought tolerant and rarely bothered by pests.

Blueberries prefer acidic soil between pH of 4-5.5. And as they cannot be fertilized by their own pollen, they will produce more and bigger fruit when planted with at least one other variety to allow for cross-pollination. Let the bees work their magic! Fruiting times vary between May – August.

Well, Hello Mosquitoes

Here they come!

And here’s how to make your outdoor experiences more enjoyable:

ThermaCELL Mosquito Repellent

ThermaCELL Mosquito Repellent provides 225 sq ft zone of protection (15x15ft area)
Repels mosquitoes, black flies, and no-see-ums
Up to 98% effective
Odor free
Cordless! No plugs, no batteries
Tested by the US Army
Portable and extremely useful in backyards and patio areas!

and refills!

Eco-Lawn

Good news is, there’s still time to seed your lawn!

And, if you are serious about water conservation, less fertilizers and spending less time mowing, then Eco-Lawn is your solution.

Eco-Lawn is a lawn grass that grows in full sun, part shade and even deep shade! Eco-Lawn’s deep root system enables it to source the nutrients it needs without fertilizers. Since it is highly drought tolerant it requires very little watering, thus the surface soil is fairly hard making it less attractive for destructive beetles to lay eggs.

Eco-Lawn is a blend of carefully selected fine fescue grass seeds developed by Wildflower Farm that create a beautiful deep green grass colour. Eco-Lawn can be mown like a regular lawn or left un-mown for a free-flowing carpet effect.

Eco-Lawn creates a gorgeous lawn any way you choose to go with. Wildflower Farms offers many straightforward solutions to converting your lawn.

  partially mown

un-mown

Herbs Galore

Thyme for Herbs!

In stock we have:

Rosemary

Lavender

Sage

Chives

Garlic

Spearmint

Thyme

Lemongrass

and more…

photo by Lydia Andrien

Spring Flowers

designed by Lydia Andrien

Plant your own Hypertufa

Now at GRDN: Hypertufa is an anthropic rock made from various aggregates bonded together using Portland cement. Hypertufa is intended as a manufactured substitute for natural tufa, which is a slowly precipitated limestone rock; being very porous, it is favorable for plant growth.

Scented Geraniums

Many Scented Geraniums came from South Africa and became the “it” plant by collectors in England during the 19th Century. Scented Geraniums are drought tolerant with a variety of scents as they have the same ability as aromatic herbs to produce chemicals in their leaves.

The fragrance of the dried leaves from a Scented Geranium will keep for a long time. For instance, if you place dried leaves in a canister of sugar, after a week you’ll have scented sugar to use in teas or baked goods.

Scented Geraniums are the excitement of any garden or centerpiece as the delicious leaves are simply irresistible! More importantly…pests hate them!

photos by Tori Sparks

White Rino Begonia

Rare and available in our back garden now:

White Rhino Begonia

*prefers shade      *flowers March thru June

photo by Tori Sparks