Text and Photos by Rob Danforth
Looks can be deceiving. A little research beforehand and a trial where possible can save headaches and disappointment. Thinking long term and having the patience to wait for nature to catch up to your garden designs is worth the time and effort. We have been reminded often that the lush gardens we have seen in other countries were not created overnight. Some took many years to perfect their designs. For example, early gardens on big estates in England, France, and Italy were once all green or many shades of green as well as different textures – a lot of topiary, but no flowers.
That changed over time to the addition of a few flowers in strategically placed pots, then many flowers for a profusion of colour in clusters, patches, and drifts, and then the addition of ornamental vegetables. Today gardeners are adding edibles to their design (e.g., Ruby Chard or Bright Lights/Rainbow Chard have brightly coloured stems, artichokes add interesting colour and texture, okra and sweet potato flowers are short-lived but worth watching for, all against the backdrop of ornamentals).
Here we see a weed invasion which could have been easily controlled if the gardener had taken action sooner. Weeds are fast growing and will cover bare soil in 2 weeks. Sadly, the bugs are more interested in our vegetables when they are available than in the weeds that they can get any day in the season. Our gardens become a buffet for Bugs.
When planning to garden, it is best to think it all the way through from February dreams to October winterizing. For example, some gardeners plant far more than they can consume and are overwhelmed with food that is growing faster than they can eat it! If one plant is good, then 5 must be better! Zucchini anyone? I have met some gardeners who were dismayed to discover that they did not have an exit strategy: what do I do with this end-of-season potting soil and all this plant debris (e.g., corn stalks)? Some were disappointed to discover that they should have tended to the weeding and the health of their plants more often than just once every couple of weeks.
Ideally, urban plots benefit from attention at least every 3 days (more often if you can manage it) but containers, especially small ones, need a lot of attention since they dry out quicker and there is less plant nutrition available in the small amount of soil. I have seen plots buried in weeds and overgrown plants that could have been tamed, neglected plants riddled with disease, flaccid plants so thirsty that they might not recover, insect devastation in only a week of insect activity, and tomatoes left to rot on the vine if blight or bacteria didn’t get them first. A little thorough planning could save money, work, and headaches. For example, in succession planting, one starts new plants every 2 weeks during May and June, and part of July. Plant only what you can consume, not what fills the space. We are good at filling spaces; any room in your garage for the car?
If for whatever reason you have excess produce, please consider a short drive to a food bank near you – they will be most grateful for a donation of fresh produce for their clients. There are over 112 community food programs in Ottawa. Of course, you could always grow some food specifically intended for the food bank.
A water feature on your property is both an asset and a challenge. Water attracts thirsty critters, birds, and predator insects (e.g., wasps) all of which help with insect control in an organic garden. The gurgle of water and the attractive look of aquatic plants will add to your garden pleasure. However, with every solution there is a price. Water breeds mosquitoes, algae, and pond slime. You may wish to add fish and/or frogs to control the mosquito larvae, and in winter, these creatures will need protection. Algae and pond slim will have to be removed at various times (not a fun job) in the season even with a water pump to help aerate and oxygenate the water – all without the use of chemicals.
Our fountain needed desliming twice a season – an afternoon of meticulous scrubbing and rinsing. However, there are a few beautiful water features (with fish) at Beechwood Cemetery near the main pavilion – in case you would like to stroll alongside an example. It is very restful (no pun here) for the many walkers who stroll by.
This statue reminds me that once upon a time seeds were not planted but simply cast on prepared ground. I watched a gardener do this at a community garden I was advising. His garden was very successful, delightfully disorganized, and very child-friendly. Of course, weeding was a serious challenge. Today we take pains to plant a specific number of seeds in a very orderly arrangement, usually a row, a patch, or a series of pots which make it convenient to weed, water, and harvest.
At home, our garden gets surprise volunteers every year (squash, tomatoes, dill, …) from seeds that overwinter in our compost – seeds that we do not “plant.” They just fall on the earth and thrive without our intervention or labour – nature’s way, sigh!
I hope this was intentional. Too often I have seen “infant” or “toddler” plants positioned without regard for their “adult” size. This has happened all too often with trees that then damage roofs, siding, foundations, sewers, and septic systems. With careful planning – and patience, this is not a problem.
With vegetable and/or ornamental gardens, plant maturity and/or harvesting can be worked into succession planting, rotation planting, and shelter planting (shelter sensitive plants behind others that will serve as a windbreak, a sunscreen, a fragrance fence, or a climbing support).
As promised, here is a bonsai older than I am. This tree, seen outdoors, as most bonsai need seasonal prolonged visits to the outdoors, has had an awful lot of daily tender love and care: watering and fertilizing more often due to the pot size, constant pruning of the needles, branches and roots, vigilance against root rot and malnutrition, and careful inspection for insects and disease not to mention protection from drying winds and unsuitable sun/shade requirements.
I like bonsai, but I am not sure I wish to bequeath it to my children – could be seen more as a curse than a blessing. Yes, I have a tiny new bonsai that I planted this year from a locally sourced kit – and I am told that my bonsai, if it survives, should reach artistic perfection in 8 years’ time. Hmmmmm. If you are interested and you have the time and the inclination, it is a fantastic hobby – standard gardening principles apply, for all the basics; however, it is gardening unlike any other since it involves working toward a design, trimming and wiring the tree to eventually (we are talking years) realize that design, and supporting the tree so it does not suffer from the surgeries and braces!
This is a hotel kitchen garden which provides fresh oranges (biggest and tastiest I have ever had, but not picture-perfect skin – unlike grocery store oranges, some of which used to be dyed orange for eye appeal) and vegetables to supplement the restaurant larder. There is no substitute for freshness, and the guests appreciated the hotel’s extra effort. I did! The closer your garden is to your kitchen, the more you may appreciate it.
A son-in-law of mine had this tool in his garden shed. At first I thought it was ugly, unwieldy, and overengineered! Not at all practical for gardening and the devil to clean after every use. I tried it on the couch grass (aka. twitch grass, quack grass, … – roots travel underground like those of mint) in his ornamental garden.
I discovered that it is very useful for weeding, raking, levelling, ditching, and furrowing. I now own one. Looks are deceptive; action tells the true tale.
However, if you are weeding a large area, I recommend a stirrup hoe (like the foot stirrup on a western horse saddle). It cuts on both the push and the pull strokes and it does spot work when turned on its side. Two community gardeners watched me weeding with a stirrup hoe; by afternoon, they had each purchased their own.
Here is a reminder of history – these garden plots surround a community compound – like a walled apartment block. Inside the compound live a number of families in their own private spaces. Entrances are few so access can be barred or controlled if necessary. Their garden plots are handy as is the security of the compound. This area of China (home of the Terracotta Warriors) had a turbulent history and security was an issue. The city of Xi-an is surrounded by a very high and very thick wall – 2 city buses could drive side by side around the top of the wall – except for the strategically placed watch towers.
Unfortunately, the gardens are not protected and theft and vandalism were possible, as is the case with community gardens all around Ottawa. Everyone I visited had a story or two of theft. At one garden I stopped a gentleman with a pickup truck who thought all was free for the taking. He was not happy with my calm explanation about labour and ownership. At another garden where I worked, someone cleaned out 2 entire plots – one of the gardeners quit gardening because he was so disheartened. Some community garden organizations try to counter this by setting up a “help yourself” garden. The produce that I lost, I dismissed as a donation to the needy – or a libation to the god of nature!
The simplest composter to make is the compost pile. No trench or pit to dig, no structure to maintain, and easy access to add and subtract material at all times of the year. However, piles have the nasty habit of growing larger than was intended, they are difficult to turn over/aerate, water penetration can be a challenge, and compost reclamation means one has to dig into the pile and sort the finished from the unfinished. This is not a problem if the pile is left for a few years so that most of the pile is finished compost like Marjorie the “Trash Heap” and her friendly and inquisitive rodents in the Fraggle Rock TV series. Over the 2 years, you can accessorize your pile by growing squash or pumpkins in the pile – or anything that catches your fancy since a compost pile is a plant and weed super buffet. The greenery will hide the debris. My brother-in-law did just that. I have 3 plastic composters (flip top originals from the city of Ottawa) that I feed all year and every year I get surprise growth climbing out the sides, growth that is larger and more prolific than that of the same plants in my garden.
These grasses look attractive all year, and make a great privacy screen. However, remember that they do expand their territory over time, and the roots are quite a challenge if you change your mind and decide to remove them after a few years. I needed an axe and a lot of digging to break up root systems to move or remove these grasses. The grasses look delicate but the roots are very sturdy and tenacious. It pays to know all that they do before you plant. The Leaf in Assiniboine Park in Winnipeg has a lot of these grasses in the outside display area. They are gorgeous when they are standing still or waving in the breeze.
Past DTE “how to” articles on organic urban food gardening can be found in the resource section of the Senior Organic Gardener’s website: https://seniororganicgardeners.ca/
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