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GARDENING WITH MARK AND BEN
August, 2025
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In Praise of Hand Watering
Welcome to mid-summer, Canadian style.
Where we live, in Middle Canada, things have been hot and dry, as per much of the country, in July. August promises to provide more the same. Both of us have spent a lot of time standing at the end of a hose, thumb over the water flow, watering our newly planted veggies and other plants to give them a good start.
All this standing around raises a good question about how best to get water to your green-growing loved ones, and we have some answers.
What do you see when you stand over a plant, applying water at the speed of a standard household pressure? We see weeds that need attention, plants that need pruning, veggies that need harvesting, self-seeded annuals that need transplanting, insects that are beneficial, insects that are a nuisance and myriad other stuff.
This information only comes to you by slowing down enough that you can absorb it and decide what, if anything, you are going to do with it.
A friend of ours on Facebook recently said that hand watering is a time to meditate: to contemplate the reasons why we are out there in the first place. We reflect on the dark days of winter, when standing outdoors in short sleeves gazing at a garden nearing the perfect season is a distant memory. The bird song, the sound of moving water, wind in the trees, the flowers and fruits of our spring labour finally realized. All of this is hard to imagine when there is a meter of snow on the ground and the kids are bundled up like the Michelin Man.
| | Grandson, Neil, watering Mark's garden | |
Ben’s son Peter is a wealth of knowledge and information while in the garden. He likes to follow us around when we are hand watering, asking questions (lots of questions!) and exclaiming over everything that he sees. “Grandpa, my Dad has sunflowers. Some of them are bigger than you. LOOK! Here is one. And LOOK here is another that is taller than you Grandpa!”
While all of this might be trite, it is really anything but. Fact is all the sensations experienced in a mid-summer garden have value that transcends the value of money or anything else of the material world. How is this? Because it is the closest we can ever get to nature.
Hand watering is more than life-giving support for the plants in your yard and patio. It is an opportunity to connect with the natural world that surrounds us on a level that an in-ground irrigation system cannot.
Don’t get us wrong, we are not dissing in-ground irrigation. But sometimes the investment of hard-earned cash in something that is meant to make our life easier is a bit misguided. Perhaps you could say the same thing about automatic dishwashers. What happened to the time we spent together washing and drying while talking through the results of our day, or speculating on the health of a neighbour?
| | Mark and Peter in the garden. | | |
Ben has recently been into parenting books, the latest of which expound upon the deleterious effects of technology on children and families. So, Ben traded in his smart phone for an old fashioned phone. A less-smart flip phone that gets a laugh from adult company every time he pulls it out.
No e mail. Texts that are awkward and there are no photos.
The result is an abundance of quality time when Ben can connect with his 4 year old, to hear him, answer his endless questions and to notice that he is growing up right before our eyes. More attentive parenting is just one of the many benefits realized by freeing up 5 hours of distraction from your day.
Hand watering is the flip-phone of gardening.
We urge you to consider doing more of it, where it is required for optimum plant health. See our list of watering tips below. You might use less H2O and enjoy an enhanced gardening experience at the same time.
August: Garden Peak.
Ben’s grandfather Cullen, Mark’s late Dad Len, a career gardener, used to say that the peak of colour and activity in the perennial garden is the second week of August. You could say that observation is evergreen, and as true now as it was in Grandpa's day.
Enjoy August. It is the only month of the year when your garden will look its best. Kind of like your wedding day. 😊
And spend some time hand watering: soak up the colour, the harvest and all that nature has put on the buffet table this time of year. There is really nothing else like it.
Yours,
Mark and Ben
Merchants of Beauty.
www.markcullen.com
www.foodandsheltergoods.com
www.treesforlife.ca
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Watering tips:
Allow plants to dry before you apply water. Push your finger into the soil up to the second knuckle. If it is dry, water deeply.
Yes, water deeply. You are applying water that will benefit the roots, below the soil. That said, the amount of water you apply will vary depending on the maturity of the plant and the type of soil. Stand over the plant until the water creates a puddle and watch as the water moves into the soil. If it moves quickly, apply more if needed.
Water the roots. Not the foliage (best that you can) especially tomato plants which are susceptible to early blight in August when foliage is wet.
Water in the morning or evening. Mid day watering can evaporate very quickly, up to 30% of it lost to the ages.
Continue fertilizing annuals and veggies for the remainder of the season. A 20-20-20 works fine.
Early season perennials can be cut back, such as veronica and roses. They should rebloom in a month or two.
Remove the spent blossoms of July flowering perennials and roses. Day lilies, early flowering hostas, veronica and the like. Blue veronica produces another set of blossoms when you cut it down this time of year. Mark cut his veronica’s down by ½ this week, will rebloom early September.
Prop-up your tall-growing perennials with stakes, such as rudbeckias, coneflowers, hydrangea (with their heavy flowering heads), to prevent them from falling over.
Stake your dahlias.
If you've been keeping on top of weeding through June and July, you will find August a cake walk. Stay on top of it.
Shop for new plants! As long as you water thoroughly, planting in the heat of the summer is fine and by now, many of the garden centres are discounting their perennials and shrubs- you might just find a great deal!
Divide German iris in August. Spread them around the sunny parts of your yard or give them away.
If you are in the habit of fertilizing your winter hardy shrubs and roses monthly, then right now is the last application that you will make for this year. Feeding later in the summer/early fall can promote growth that will not have time to harden off before winter. Alternatively, spreading finished compost on the root zone of perennials, vegetables is a good idea any time.
Hang out a hummingbird feeder. They are returning from the far north, will stop and forage in your garden for a few weeks as they accumulate fat under their wings for the long flight south this fall.
Harvest as your garden matures. The more you harvest, the more it will produce.
Continue to spray Bordo copper spray on your tomatoes to prevent early and late blight.
Weed, mulch, water as needed and be sure to enjoy some time to relax in the garden.
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BIRDS IN FOCUS:
American Robin
By Jody Allair
The American Robin is one of the most familiar and widespread backyard birds in North America. Most people can recognize its cheery, low, whistled song that has a speech-like quality because of the paused phrases. It’s also very attractive, which we need to be reminded of sometimes when it comes to our common birds (don’t even get me started on the stunning plumage of male Common Grackles!).
Now allow me to let you in on a little secret – the American Robin is one of the coolest birds in North America. They can live in the northern Boreal Forest, urban backyards, and everywhere in between. Where many birds have declined due to habitat loss, American Robins have been able to adapt in the presence of humans. Although that’s not to say that they aren’t impacted by issues like cat predation and collisions with windows and vehicles.
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American Robin
Photo credit: Jody Allair
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One interesting element of their biology is their diet. American Robins are omnivores and eat a diverse combination of insects, worms, and berries. They even alter their diet at different times of year, and can survive some very cold Canadian winters by eating berries and fruit. So in addition to making your yard insect and worm friendly, consider planting fruiting trees and shrubs that can provide food in the winter.
Something that occurs regularly at this time of year, often with American Robins, is the appearance of seemingly helpless baby birds in your yard. I frequently get asked what we should do with these birds. The answer is usually quite simple. If they are fully feathered and are hopping about, then leave them be. They have fledged from the nest and are being fed and watched by the parents – even though you might not see the parents around. If they are tiny, without much in the way of feather growth, then they have fallen from the nest and should be put back into the nest if possible.
For more details on what to do with baby birds, visit: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/i-found-a-baby-bird-what-do-i-do/
Good Birding!
Jody Allair
Director, Communications
Birds Canada
Connect with me on Bluesky and Instagram at: @JodyAllair
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Food and Shelter Goods is a 100% Canadian curated collection of extraordinary gifts and household essentials. Food and Shelter Goods is owned by Ben's sister/Mark's daughter, Heather.
Special Offer for the month of August:
Free shipping anywhere in Canada with no minimum.
Code: newsletteraugust
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Our assistant, Brenda, recently purchased the Flower Press
and she absolutely LOVES it.
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It’s a busy August here at Trees for Life!
We are thrilled to launch our Trees for Life 50/50 raffle today, your chance to win big and help grow a greener, healthier Canada! Tickets are 1 for $5, 5 for $20, 15 for $30, 50 for $50, or 150 for $100, and the raffle ends on November 15th. Get your tickets today!
When you purchase a ticket, you’re helping bring more trees to the places where Canadians live, work, and play, including schools, hospitals, parks, and neighbourhoods. Trees don’t just beautify our communities; they clean our air, cool our cities, and support mental and physical health.
On August 14th, we’re opening our annual auction to the public leading up to the 2025 Trees for Life Charity Golf Tournament on Thursday, August 21st! You can bid on trips, airfare courtesy of the Air Canada Foundation, signed Toronto Maple Leafs items and other sports memorabilia, a guitar signed by Taylor Swift, and dozens of other incredible prizes. Bidding closes on the evening of the golf tournament.
Visit https://galabid.com/tfl2025 to see more and place your bids in support of Trees for Life.
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