In This Issue:
Good News
Reflecting on History
Things To Do This Month
Anything is Possible
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I have good news: we have rounded the corner.
With February upon us there is a temptation to batten down the hatches even tighter as the wind blows and snow continues to pile deep [or it continues to melt and then return as it is in Southern Ontario].
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Good News
The good news is that we are gaining almost a minute of daylight at each end of the day every day.
The good news is that it is time to sow early seeds of petunias, impatiens, and geraniums and start your tuberous begonias - which have arrived at your local garden retailer.
The good news is that it is Valentine's Day in 2 weeks: the best excuse to bring flowers into the house whether they are given to you or not. And to make someone happy by giving flowers, whether you are in love with them or not.
The good news is that our social-gardening-calendar is filling up [see the list below!]
The good news is that Canada Blooms is only 6 weeks away - the biggest horticultural event on the continent - in Toronto March 15 to 24.
The good news is that we are closer to the first day of spring.
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Reflecting on History
I have been rummaging through some of my late father's files lately, looking for some pictures with historic significance.
I found one of him, standing in front of our family tree. It is a Little Leaf Linden, located in front of the Hockey Hall of Fame in downtown Toronto. He planted it in 1959 when the building belonged to the Royal Bank. The tree was part of a larger landscape that is all gone now, sacrificed to urban infrastructure like sidewalks, curbs and a right turn lane for cars.
This tree is a survivor, however, and I treasure the picture and my memory of taking Dad to a Maple Leafs game the night that I took that picture.
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Trees For Life
Activity with Trees For Life, the urban tree coalition is picking up these days. Last week we completed our first ever Trees For Life Summit where Robert Burton, the Mayor of Oakville, Ontario hosted as the honorary chair for the day.
A fine group of 25 distinguished 'influencers' came together to noodle just how we are going to 'double the urban tree canopy' across Canada. Private foundations, not for profit tree planters, politicians and a hand full of private citizens with a keen interest put their heads together.
The results of the Summit will become public in a short while, along with the launch of a website and a campaign to raise awareness of the benefits of urban trees. Stay tuned. I promise to keep you apprised.
Dad would be proud to see the progress that we are making to date. He planted, after all, a few thousand trees in the City of Toronto, and the surrounding area, in his time. One might be tempted to think that it was all for profit. Ask anyone who is in the gardening business and you will get the same answer to that question: laughter, mostly.
Gardening, like farming, is not something that you choose to do primarily for the money. It is a higher calling that brings societal, economic, environmental, and health/wellness values with it. When we are lucky [and work hard, as my Dad would remind me] the money can be ok. Considered a bonus.
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Things To Do This Month:
February is a great month to begin warming up your gardening muscles: the ones in your head as much as the physical ones. Here is your To-Do list for February:
- Check your overwintering dahlia tubers to make sure that they are healthy and firm, ready to plant in pots next month.
- Start tuberous begonias. In shallow growing trays lay down about 2 cm of peat moss. 'Screw' the tubers into the peat with a gentle twist, concave side up. Cover the bulbs with peat but just barely. Water and keep in a warm place and put a transparent top on the tray. A sunny window works and so does the top of the refrigerator which radiates heat from the back.
- Make a plan of your vegetable garden or a list of the vegetables that you wish to grow this summer. Take a trip to the garden retailer and peruse the seed racks. Fresh seeds are now in and the selection is at its best. Come spring you will be busy with other things in the garden and there is no way that you are going to take your time with this job. I know that I don't. I place my orders with the seed catalogues too. We are blessed in Canada with a wide range of seed suppliers.
- Check out your indoor tropical plants. If roots are growing through the drainage holes in the bottom and if surface roots appear it is time for an upgrade in pot size. This is a great time of year to do this as most tropical plants are still dormant but they will begin to grow in late March through April - just in time to put down new roots in a new pot. Go up one pot size only.
- Tropical plants: check for insects. If you see something flying away as you brush against your Ficus benjamina, apply Green Earth insecticidal soap every 2 or 3 days until you have it under control.
- February is a month of heavy, wet snow. When that occurs be sure to use a corn broom to brush the excess snow off of your cedars, junipers: any plant that bends under the weight of the stuff.
- Enter my amaryllis contest on my Facebook page. We love sharing your stories and photos! And I love giving away Mark's Choice vegetable seeds to the winners.
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Anything is Possible
Coming up this month I have written a 3 part series for the Toronto Star that I am looking forward to getting published. The subject is 'urban agriculture'. I ask readers to imagine living a very different kind of city, based on the book 'The Urban Food Revolution, Changing the way that we feed cities' by Peter Ladner.
In addition I took a trip to Detroit with son Ben this month to see a new project called Recovery Park, which provided the material for the third article. The story examines the transformation of a decaying, hulk of urban landscape into something productive, healthful and dynamic. I hope that you enjoy the stories as much as I enjoyed researching them.
Thanks once again for listening. Have a great February. Enjoy the time that you have to dream of that garden come spring 2013 and don't be shy. I am here to tell you that anything is possible with some seeds, soil and the will to paint a landscape with plants.
Keep your knees dirty,
Mark
