HAPPY NEW "YEAR OF THE GARDEN" |
“Gardening simply does not allow one to be mentally old, because too many hopes and dreams are yet to be realized” – Allan Armitage |
Long time readers will know that we consider March the “Gardener’s New Year”.
This tradition began for us with years of kicking off the gardening season at Canada Blooms – memories of garden celebration which we fondly remember in March.
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This year, March 22 nd marks the official launch of Year of the Garden, as established by the Canadian Garden Council and recognized by our federal government. 2022 was chosen in part as it represents the centennial anniversary of the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association (CNLA).
Year of the Garden is an invitation to all Canadians to celebrate and grow gardening in Canada. That means visiting public gardens as part of your summer vacation plans, planting a red celebration garden, volunteer in your community with the likes of Communities in Bloom or a local community garden, and share your garden experiences using the hashtags #yearofthegarden and #livethegardenlife.
Given a garden’s ability to soothe the human spirit during times of stress, we cannot think of a better time to celebrate Year of the Garden.
With best wishes,
Mark and Ben Cullen
Merchants of Beauty and Beans
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BOOK REVIEW:
The Little Bird Who Fell From the Sky
March is when Reading Season and Gardening Season start to blend together, and we are still working through our respective reading lists. This reading season has been geared more towards children’s books since Ben welcomed son Peter into the world last spring.
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One children’s book we both enjoyed was by Peterborough, Ontario garden writer Cauleen Viscoff: The Little Bird Who Fell From the Sky. Based on a true story both written and illustrated by Viscoff, this book is already a favourite of Ben’s 9-month old son Peter (though it is geared towards a slightly older audience, perhaps 4 and up). |
FOOD & FARM CARE - Ontario Only
Garden-In-A-Box
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Food and Farm Care i s a Canadian charity promoting Ontario’s agriculture sector. This year, Cullen’s Foods is excited to support their Garden-in-a-Box program which will provide new gardeners with basic materials to grow their own food garden, as well as an accompanying online program and community to guide them through the experience.
The idea is to help people understand what goes into the foods we eat from Ontario agriculture, where of course Cullen’s organic kidney beans, navy beans, and black beans are grown. As part of the program, Cullen’s is supplying bean seeds so you can grow your own “Cullen’s Beans” at home. For $45 you will receive everything you need for a 4x10’ plot or opt for the $35 patio kit.
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SAVE THE DATE!
Trees For Life Golf Tournament
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We are thrilled to be planning our 6th annual charity golf tournament.
Mark your calendars for August 25, 2022.
Save the Date for a fun day of golf, incredible food, and great people at Pheasant Run Golf Club.
More details available soon. Stay tuned!
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THINGS TO DO IN YOUR MARCH GARDEN |
It's time to prune apple trees, thinning out old, thick branches and dead wood to open up the tree for spring. Watch the video.
If there's still snow where you are, take the opportunity to knock snow and ice off your shrubs, evergreens and trees to prevent broken limbs.
Buy garden seeds or look in your area to find out about Seedy Saturdays and Seed Exchanges, which are a great way to find heritage varieties and meet local growers. If you're going to buy your seed from a seed company or retailer, it's still early enough to get a broad selection.
Before the end of the month, you can begin starting your cooler season crops such as onion, leeks, broccoli, cauliflower and kale which are okay to transplant up to a month before last frost. It helps to protect them with a row cover, but starting seeds in March is a good opportunity to lengthen your growing season.
Start your dahlia bulbs inside using 1-gallon pots and a quality potting mix, which will give you a jump on their blooming season.
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MARK AND BEN IN THE TORONTO STAR |
We write a weekly column for the New In Homes & Condos section of the Saturday Toronto Star.
In case you missed it, these are the exciting gardening/environment columns we wrote in February.
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BIRDS IN FOCUS:
House Finch
By: Jody Allair
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For many people, the most anticipated sign of spring is the sight of an American Robin. For me it is the song of the House Finch. House Finches are year-round residents of backyards, parks, and rural landscapes across most of southern Canada. I’ve grown up with these sharp looking finches, and they are one of the first birds I remember identifying as a small child at our families’ backyard bird feeder in Peterborough, Ontario.
Adult male House Finches are quite colourful, with a rosy to orange-red head and chest, and brownish-grey streaks on their belly and back. The females are uniformly grey in colour, but have the same streaking and conical bills as the males.
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House Finch
Photo credit: Megan Wilcox
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House Finches have a fascinating history in North America. They’re originally a western species whose range was primarily in the U.S. In 1940, they were introduced to Long Island, New York and have since spread west, connecting back to their original range. They are now found right across the U.S. and southern Canada. Interestingly, the western House Finches can be found in a greater diversity of natural habitats, including oak savannahs, open coniferous forest, and even dry deserts!
It’s quite easy to attract House Finches to your backyard with a mix of black oil sunflower seeds, nyjer seed, and even hummingbird feeders that have openings large enough for a finch’s beak. Having a mix of taller shrubs, particularly conifers, in the yard will provide good nesting habitat for these birds as well.
What makes House Finches special isn’t just their wonderful colouration and the ease with which you can approach them, it’s the fact that they can become permanent residents in your yard. This provides a very unique opportunity to not just watch these birds, but to get to know them. House Finches are also susceptible to diseases like conjunctivitis, which can be spread by dirty bird feeders. So please make sure to clean your feeders regularly.
So why are House Finches my favourite sign of spring, especially if they’ve been in my yard all winter? In early February, just when it seems like winter will never loosen its grip, male House Finches will fly up to the top of the highest tree in the yard and sing loudly - telling winter that enough is enough, and to bring on the warm spring weather. At least that’s what it sounds like to my ears.
Good Birding!
*A previous version of this article was featured in the February 2018 issue of the Mark Cullen enews.
Jody Allair
Director, Community Engagement
Connect with me on Twitter at: @JodyAllair
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HARROWSMITH MAGAZINE – Feature Recipe
Smashed Egg Salad Sandwich with Homemade Aioli
There’s nothing like a classic egg salad sandwich. This Smashed Egg Salad Sandwich with Homemade Aioli by celebrity chef Bob Blumer has simple ingredients, is easy to put together and is super nutritious too. It’s the recipe you’ll be making again and again! Find it at www.harrowsmithmag.com/best-egg-salad-sandwich. |
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Don’t miss an issue of Harrowsmith’s gardening, cooking, sustainable living and DIY tips. Our spring issue — on newsstands now! — features recipes made from magnolia flowers, off-grid energy know-how, nature crafts, the Ultimate Guide to Growing Your Food Organically from Mark and Ben Cullen & so much more! Subscribe now at www.harrowsmithmag.com/subscribe
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