Abby Adams, in her book What is a Garden Anyway, says, “There are as many kinds of gardens as there are gardeners.” There are vegetable gardens and flower gardens, big gardens and little gardens, fancy gardens and natural gardens, perennial gardens and annual gardens. Just as every individual is unique, so is every garden.
Adams also says, “Different countries breed different gardeners.” Newfoundland has a reputation of being a place where gardening is difficult, if not impossible, but some of you have proven that wrong. Even though we aren’t actually a country anymore, I think it’s time to showcase what kind of gardeners Newfoundland breeds, especially in the Green Bay/White Bay area.
The next few columns I’d like to showcase the different kinds of gardens that are around in our area. To do this I need gardeners that are willing to share their gardens. If you are willing to share your garden email me at greenhorngardener@yahoo.ca. I’d like to come and visit and take some pictures and have you tell me all about your garden, no matter how big or how small it is. I’d like to share your experience and expertise with our readers. Don’t think your garden is too small, because there may be some reader who’d love to have a garden but they don’t think they have the space for it. Don’t think your garden is too big, because there may be some reader who has a big garden and doesn’t know what to do with it. You never know how many others might be inspired by your being willing to share.
I realize that the flower gardens are probably just now coming into bloom, and the vegetable gardens are probably just now being planted, so you may want to wait until later, but I’d like to see what it’s like now and then come visit again later to see how it’s changed. Those of us that are just starting out in gardening need to see and learn about the different stages of the garden.
If you are not a gardener yourself but you know of a gardener with a garden you admire, give them a call and tell them you think they should give me a call. They may not realize that someone else might be interested in seeing their garden.
As Augusta Carter said, “You don't have a garden just for yourself. You have it to share.”
Attempting to bring together green thumbs and greenhorns so that greenhorns can learn from the real experts in their area.
Thursday, June 17, 2004
Wednesday, June 02, 2004
To Use or Not to Use, That is the Question - About Pressure Treated Wood
Karen, of Springdale, had planting boxes of pressure treated wood made for her last year. She planted flowers in the boxes and added a few carrot seeds for visual interest. She also had a vegetable garden in the backyard that didn’t contain any pressure treated wood in which she also planted carrot seeds. When she harvested her vegetables she discovered the carrots in the boxes made of pressure treated wood did much better than the carrots in the backyard garden. However, having heard the concern surrounding the safety of pressure treated wood she opted not to eat the carrots. As the new planting season approaches she wonders if all the fuss about the pressure treated wood is something to worry about or not.
For those of you that may not know what the fuss is let me give you a short run down. Pressure treated wood, known as CCA treated wood, is wood that has been treated with chemicals to give it a longer life span without rotting. Unfortunately the chemicals have been known to leach out of the wood. This brings into question the safety of using it. There has been much debate about the safety of using pressure treated wood, especially in playgrounds. Here I address the question of it’s safety for use in the garden.
After much research, the jury’s still out on this one. I found three possible answers to the question: 1) Don’t even think about it; 2) Go right ahead; and 3) Proceed with caution. I’ll tell you where each answer comes from and you can make up your own mind.
Don’t even think about it
Organic gardeners don’t like the idea of any chemicals coming near the garden and say if you already have pressure treated wood in your garden replace it with natural rot resistant wood such as cedar or redwood.
Go Right Ahead
The producers of the wood say that while there is some leaching of the chemicals there is not enough to cause concern. A study done by Paul Cooper, a wood scientist, of the University of New Brunswick showed that the most leaching happened in the first rainy season after the board was installed and the soil closest to the board showed a higher concentration than the soil further away. The overall amount of leaching, however, is said to be of no concern. Rufus Chaney at the USDA says that “high levels of inorganic arsenic in soil will kill a plant before there's enough arsenic in the plant itself for you to consider not eating it.”
Proceed with caution
Those that acknowledge potential danger suggest that painting a sealer on the wood or covering it with heavy plastic sheeting will provide more protection and thus take away any concern.
So there you have it. Now it’s up to you to decide. If you want to read up on the information and studies for yourself you can check out the links on the online home of the column at http://greenthumbsandgreenhorns.blogspot.com .
I found it interesting that there seems to be more concern about how to safely get rid of the pressure treated wood than there is about the safe use of it. One source I checked out says that "Because of this concern, the wood products industry and EPA have agreed to stop selling CCA-treated wood by the end of 2003." So the question we need to ask ourselves now is not to use or not to use, but to keep or not to keep.
If you have any comments on this or any other gardening related topics I’d love to hear from you. Call me at 673-4825 or email me at greenhorngardener@yahoo.ca .
For those of you that may not know what the fuss is let me give you a short run down. Pressure treated wood, known as CCA treated wood, is wood that has been treated with chemicals to give it a longer life span without rotting. Unfortunately the chemicals have been known to leach out of the wood. This brings into question the safety of using it. There has been much debate about the safety of using pressure treated wood, especially in playgrounds. Here I address the question of it’s safety for use in the garden.
After much research, the jury’s still out on this one. I found three possible answers to the question: 1) Don’t even think about it; 2) Go right ahead; and 3) Proceed with caution. I’ll tell you where each answer comes from and you can make up your own mind.
Don’t even think about it
Organic gardeners don’t like the idea of any chemicals coming near the garden and say if you already have pressure treated wood in your garden replace it with natural rot resistant wood such as cedar or redwood.
Go Right Ahead
The producers of the wood say that while there is some leaching of the chemicals there is not enough to cause concern. A study done by Paul Cooper, a wood scientist, of the University of New Brunswick showed that the most leaching happened in the first rainy season after the board was installed and the soil closest to the board showed a higher concentration than the soil further away. The overall amount of leaching, however, is said to be of no concern. Rufus Chaney at the USDA says that “high levels of inorganic arsenic in soil will kill a plant before there's enough arsenic in the plant itself for you to consider not eating it.”
Proceed with caution
Those that acknowledge potential danger suggest that painting a sealer on the wood or covering it with heavy plastic sheeting will provide more protection and thus take away any concern.
So there you have it. Now it’s up to you to decide. If you want to read up on the information and studies for yourself you can check out the links on the online home of the column at http://greenthumbsandgreenhorns.blogspot.com .
I found it interesting that there seems to be more concern about how to safely get rid of the pressure treated wood than there is about the safe use of it. One source I checked out says that "Because of this concern, the wood products industry and EPA have agreed to stop selling CCA-treated wood by the end of 2003." So the question we need to ask ourselves now is not to use or not to use, but to keep or not to keep.
If you have any comments on this or any other gardening related topics I’d love to hear from you. Call me at 673-4825 or email me at greenhorngardener@yahoo.ca .
Wednesday, May 19, 2004
Published May 19, 2004
“It will never rain roses”
So said George Eliot. Around here we’d be content if we could be assured it would just rain rain instead of snow from now on. Thank goodness all the threats of snow haven’t amounted to much here. Let’s hope it stays that way.
The complete quote from George Eliot says: “It will never rain roses: when we want to have more roses we must plant more trees.” And with our weather it is important that you plant the right kind of trees. And no, it’s not as simple as saying if you want roses you plant a rose tree.
If you’re like me, you agree with the Gertrude Stein quote, “ Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose.” Maybe there was a time when it was as simple as that, but it is no longer the case.
Julia, from Wild Cove, emailed and asked some advice about growing roses. As I promised in my first article, I knew nothing about it, but I set out to see what I could learn.
Did you know that the government of Canada has been developing roses “expressly to survive through Canada’s winter”? Says so, right in the Roses Catalogue from Vesey’s and also at their web site (www.veseys.com ). I didn’t know about it until I was told by Ian, of the Newfoundland Horticultural Society.
Explorer Roses and Parkland Roses were developed especially for Canada. The Explorer Roses are named for the explorers that were among the first to brave Canada’s winters. There are a number of different roses in each of these series and they are available in a number of different colors. Most of them are said to be hardy to zone 3 and some even to zone 2.
Both Ian and also Todd, of the Newfoundland Rock Garden Society, have had some experience with growing roses in Newfoundland. Both mentioned that David Austin Roses have been known to grow well in Newfoundland. Todd also stated that “standard hybrid teas, grandifloras and floribundas are challenging to grow here and not recommended unless you want to fuss and have a sheltered site”. Ian stated, “You will stand the best chance of success if you start off with a pot grown rose from a nursery rather than the waxed store bought plants.”
Wanda Dicks, of the Garden Center in Springdale, says there is still plenty of time before you would consider planting roses this year. The Garden Center doesn’t have their roses in yet but will have them in plenty of time for planting.
I’ve had to rely on experts outside of our area, though still in Newfoundland, for information for this article but I’d love to have a network of local experts to call on. If you have had any experience with growing roses in our area, I’d love to hear from you. Email me at greenhorngardener@yahoo.ca.
If you are thinking about planting roses in your garden this year and want more information about the roses that are hardy to our area check out the special roses section in the links section of the online home of the gardening column http://greenthumbsandgreenhorns.blogspot.com/ .
George was right. It will never rain roses, and if you want roses to succeed around here you have to make sure you plant the right kind of rose tree.
So said George Eliot. Around here we’d be content if we could be assured it would just rain rain instead of snow from now on. Thank goodness all the threats of snow haven’t amounted to much here. Let’s hope it stays that way.
The complete quote from George Eliot says: “It will never rain roses: when we want to have more roses we must plant more trees.” And with our weather it is important that you plant the right kind of trees. And no, it’s not as simple as saying if you want roses you plant a rose tree.
If you’re like me, you agree with the Gertrude Stein quote, “ Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose.” Maybe there was a time when it was as simple as that, but it is no longer the case.
Julia, from Wild Cove, emailed and asked some advice about growing roses. As I promised in my first article, I knew nothing about it, but I set out to see what I could learn.
Did you know that the government of Canada has been developing roses “expressly to survive through Canada’s winter”? Says so, right in the Roses Catalogue from Vesey’s and also at their web site (www.veseys.com ). I didn’t know about it until I was told by Ian, of the Newfoundland Horticultural Society.
Explorer Roses and Parkland Roses were developed especially for Canada. The Explorer Roses are named for the explorers that were among the first to brave Canada’s winters. There are a number of different roses in each of these series and they are available in a number of different colors. Most of them are said to be hardy to zone 3 and some even to zone 2.
Both Ian and also Todd, of the Newfoundland Rock Garden Society, have had some experience with growing roses in Newfoundland. Both mentioned that David Austin Roses have been known to grow well in Newfoundland. Todd also stated that “standard hybrid teas, grandifloras and floribundas are challenging to grow here and not recommended unless you want to fuss and have a sheltered site”. Ian stated, “You will stand the best chance of success if you start off with a pot grown rose from a nursery rather than the waxed store bought plants.”
Wanda Dicks, of the Garden Center in Springdale, says there is still plenty of time before you would consider planting roses this year. The Garden Center doesn’t have their roses in yet but will have them in plenty of time for planting.
I’ve had to rely on experts outside of our area, though still in Newfoundland, for information for this article but I’d love to have a network of local experts to call on. If you have had any experience with growing roses in our area, I’d love to hear from you. Email me at greenhorngardener@yahoo.ca.
If you are thinking about planting roses in your garden this year and want more information about the roses that are hardy to our area check out the special roses section in the links section of the online home of the gardening column http://greenthumbsandgreenhorns.blogspot.com/ .
George was right. It will never rain roses, and if you want roses to succeed around here you have to make sure you plant the right kind of rose tree.
Saturday, May 08, 2004
Published May 5, 2004
If April Showers Bring May Flowers, What Does April Snow Do?
That’s what I’ve been trying to find out. That’s what we Newfoundland gardeners need to know.
Last fall I planted some bulbs in my flower bed. These bulbs are supposed to bloom in the spring. I was shocked a few weeks ago when the snow melted on one side of my flower bed to find sprouts coming up! I was so excited, but also a little worried. Our winter wasn’t over. There were still mounds of snow everywhere, and still the threat of more falling from the sky any day. Everyday I watched these sprouts grow with mixed feelings. I was so excited to see them coming up, but I was worried that they’d come too soon and were going to be killed before they had a chance to bloom.
Then it happened. I went away for the weekend and while I was gone we got the snow I feared. Some of my flowers had bloomed while I was gone, but when I got home they were covered with snow. I didn’t even get to see them in bloom! I was sure they were killed by the snow, but it turns out they survived with just one casualty. I was blessed to see many blooms in the following days.
Then it happened again. Another coating of snow. I should of taken a picture of the flowers while I had a chance. I’m not sure if they’re going to pull through this time or not. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see.
Have any of you had similar experiences or do you have advice to offer? I’d love to hear from you. Come on Green Thumbs, we Greenhorns need you. Fellow Greenhorns, speak up. We can learn from each other. You can email me at greenhorngardener@yahoo.ca. I did get a couple of calls last week and will tell you more about them in upcoming columns. Someone has suggested starting a garden club, and someone else has lots of hints and encouragement to share about vegetable gardening. What are your thoughts?
For those of you with curious minds, the bulbs I planted were crocuses and tulips. The crocuses are the ones that bloomed early and may now be dead. I’m hoping the tulips have survived and will bloom soon. I’ll let you know what happens.
It seems like we may finally be getting the showers, instead of the snow. At least I hope we’ve seen the end of the snow. Maybe we need to change the saying to April snow brings lots of woe, hurry up showers so the flowers can grow.
That’s what I’ve been trying to find out. That’s what we Newfoundland gardeners need to know.
Last fall I planted some bulbs in my flower bed. These bulbs are supposed to bloom in the spring. I was shocked a few weeks ago when the snow melted on one side of my flower bed to find sprouts coming up! I was so excited, but also a little worried. Our winter wasn’t over. There were still mounds of snow everywhere, and still the threat of more falling from the sky any day. Everyday I watched these sprouts grow with mixed feelings. I was so excited to see them coming up, but I was worried that they’d come too soon and were going to be killed before they had a chance to bloom.
Then it happened. I went away for the weekend and while I was gone we got the snow I feared. Some of my flowers had bloomed while I was gone, but when I got home they were covered with snow. I didn’t even get to see them in bloom! I was sure they were killed by the snow, but it turns out they survived with just one casualty. I was blessed to see many blooms in the following days.
Then it happened again. Another coating of snow. I should of taken a picture of the flowers while I had a chance. I’m not sure if they’re going to pull through this time or not. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see.
Have any of you had similar experiences or do you have advice to offer? I’d love to hear from you. Come on Green Thumbs, we Greenhorns need you. Fellow Greenhorns, speak up. We can learn from each other. You can email me at greenhorngardener@yahoo.ca. I did get a couple of calls last week and will tell you more about them in upcoming columns. Someone has suggested starting a garden club, and someone else has lots of hints and encouragement to share about vegetable gardening. What are your thoughts?
For those of you with curious minds, the bulbs I planted were crocuses and tulips. The crocuses are the ones that bloomed early and may now be dead. I’m hoping the tulips have survived and will bloom soon. I’ll let you know what happens.
It seems like we may finally be getting the showers, instead of the snow. At least I hope we’ve seen the end of the snow. Maybe we need to change the saying to April snow brings lots of woe, hurry up showers so the flowers can grow.
Published April 21, 2004
Gardening in Green Bay - White Bay
Webster’s New World Dictionary defines a green thumb as “a knack for growing plants” while a greenhorn is “an inexperienced person.” While I really want to fit in the first category, I humbly admit that I belong in the later. I am not, however, content to stay there.
Every summer I watch these beautiful gardens bloom all throughout my community and I turn green with envy, but my thumb stays black. It frustrates me to no end. I search the library and the internet for books, magazines and web sites about gardening, but they are no help what so ever because they present gardening in the ideal place with ideal weather and ideal soil. I don’t want to move! I want to learn how to garden here on the rock in the wind and the cold. Its possible. I see the evidence all around me, but I can’t find any information to help me learn how to do it.
I’m a person that needs to know how to do something before I do it. I read all directions that come with everything. That doesn’t help you with gardening in Newfoundland. If you follow the directions you are planting things in the snow. It doesn’t work. I know from first hand experience. I’ve decided that the only way to learn how to garden here is to talk to successful gardeners in your area.
That’s the purpose of this column - to bring together green thumbs and greenhorns so that we greenhorns can learn from the real experts, not the so called experts that know nothing about gardening in our area.
If you are a successful gardener living in the Green Bay/White Bay area look out, I’m coming after you. If you would be willing to share with us about your garden please email me at greenhorngardener@yahoo.ca.
If you are a fellow greenhorn and have topics or questions you’d like addressed, I can assure you I know nothing about it, but I’ll do my best to find out what you want to know. Or if you know of a garden that you admire and want to know all their gardening secrets, tell me where it is and I’ll see what I can do.
Green thumbs and Greenhorns unite!
Webster’s New World Dictionary defines a green thumb as “a knack for growing plants” while a greenhorn is “an inexperienced person.” While I really want to fit in the first category, I humbly admit that I belong in the later. I am not, however, content to stay there.
Every summer I watch these beautiful gardens bloom all throughout my community and I turn green with envy, but my thumb stays black. It frustrates me to no end. I search the library and the internet for books, magazines and web sites about gardening, but they are no help what so ever because they present gardening in the ideal place with ideal weather and ideal soil. I don’t want to move! I want to learn how to garden here on the rock in the wind and the cold. Its possible. I see the evidence all around me, but I can’t find any information to help me learn how to do it.
I’m a person that needs to know how to do something before I do it. I read all directions that come with everything. That doesn’t help you with gardening in Newfoundland. If you follow the directions you are planting things in the snow. It doesn’t work. I know from first hand experience. I’ve decided that the only way to learn how to garden here is to talk to successful gardeners in your area.
That’s the purpose of this column - to bring together green thumbs and greenhorns so that we greenhorns can learn from the real experts, not the so called experts that know nothing about gardening in our area.
If you are a successful gardener living in the Green Bay/White Bay area look out, I’m coming after you. If you would be willing to share with us about your garden please email me at greenhorngardener@yahoo.ca.
If you are a fellow greenhorn and have topics or questions you’d like addressed, I can assure you I know nothing about it, but I’ll do my best to find out what you want to know. Or if you know of a garden that you admire and want to know all their gardening secrets, tell me where it is and I’ll see what I can do.
Green thumbs and Greenhorns unite!
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