Wednesday 29 May 2013

Rave reviews for Kennebec potatoes, from FINE GARDENING magazine

Fine Gardening Magazine - August 2013 No. 152


#10 is 'Kennebec' potato
Days to maturity 80-85

Avoids most diseases - Arguably the hardest crop for the home gardener to grow, potatoes are disease-prone root vegetables that always seem to disappoint. Enter the Incredible Hulk of potatoes, 'Kennebec', which truly is a tough-as-nails beast. The list of diseases that this potato resists reads like the alphabet: PVA (potato virus A), PVY (potato virus Y), PVA (potato virus S), PVX (potato virus X), blackleg, and late blight. The seed tubers of this variety can be planted earlier than most potatoes, sprouting and resisting rot despite cool soil temperatures. You can expect highly productive plants that yield loads of uniform, white fleshed spuds.

article by Danielle Sherry - a senior editor, who expands her veggie garden each year to make room for even more tough veggies.

Friday 24 May 2013

We're in the Calgary Herald!

Featured Garden: Mid-Sun Community Garden brought back to life after vandalism
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The Mid-Sun Community Garden held a Shedding the Past party last month.
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The Mid-Sun Community Garden Sponsor thanks its sponsors helping with the rebuild.
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The Mid-Sun Community Garden Community Association helps celebrate the rebirth of its community garden.
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The new shed for the Mid-Sun Community Garden is unveiled by MLA Jeff Wilson.
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Last month’s seed fundraiser for the Mid-Sun Community Garden.
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Residents sign up to rent plots at the Mid-Sun Community Garden Plot.
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The Mid-Sun Community Garden is coming back to life after being hit by vandals.
In 2012, the Mid-Sun Community Garden was victimized by acts of vandalism and theft. It was a heartbreaker after all the work the gardeners put into not only their plots, but the whole garden.
But this is a garden and a community that rallied around its community garden.
Under the leadership and dedication of the Garden Leadership Team of Lisa Klassen, Karyn Booth, Pamela Lester, and Cheryl Gibson, together with the Mid-Sun Community Association, this community garden has become “a community garden that could”
A few weekends ago, the community garden launched its 2013 season with a marvellous garden party to celebrate as they pull together and forge ahead under difficult circumstances; that could and did reach out and be supported by caring sponsors; that could be and is a community hub for its neighbourhood.
On a lovely spring day, the garden “shed-ed” its past with the ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new shed donated by MLA Jeff Wilson that was transported to the garden by a flat-bed truck donated by Peter Demong, alderman for Ward 14. The party was timed to coincide with sponsorship of a Parade of Garage Sales in the area in partnership with Jen Hawkins, a Sutton Group Realtor, who is making the garden the beneficiary of sponsorship proceeds realized from this event. Tower Chrysler and greengate Garden Centre sponsored other garden improvements and door prizes for the party.
With cake and balloons, plus new signs designed by a local artist, sales of Alberta-grown seed potatoes and onion sets, door prizes, music and more the Mid-Sun Community gardeners and community at large truly celebrated their achievements and support from so many people and organizations.
The fun (and work) doesn’t stop there, either. This Saturday morning, the Community Garden is a recipient of a Telus Days of Giving work bee to transform the pathways between the beds.
Talk about a “community garden that could.” Way to go Mid-Sun Community Garden!

Janet Melrose is the Garden Animator for the Calgary Horticultural Society.
© Copyright (c) For the Calgary Herald

Saturday 4 May 2013

Our gardeners have spring fever!


Potato condo construction in the snow--now that's dedication!
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Late April....
The greenhouse I purchased from The Garden Retreat by Chinook Centre. The have a wonderful selection of small cold frames and greenhouses. It is not heated but I used a 100 w light bulb for those really cold nights. Threw a blanket over top a couple of nights too. Just in case.  It will come in handy when I harden off the 36 tomato plants I started. I went a little crazy after that tomato seminar. 😊
 
Baby pea shoots for salads and sandwiches and 5 different kinds of lettuce.
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May 2 and our gardeners are visiting, eager to get going!