Garden Tips

Our human nature is to change our surroundings to please our needs. As soon as we disturb soil, weeds will come and take over the plants. Some of these weeds are native “pioneer” plants. Their job is to reestablish land and they love to be in the environment that we just created for them. Compare these with plants from the nursery that are fighting for survival in their new environment. On the other hand, invasive plants are not native to the area and were introduced from other parts of the world. Therefore their natural predators are not here to eliminate them and our climate might be more favorable to them. They need to be completely removed from the property and safely disposed. For more information about what plants are invasive in Nelson and area please visit www.kootenayweeds.com

 Happy Gardening.

Scotch Broom 

Cytisus scoparius 

Growing plants in a cold frame is an old European technique that can work wonderfully in our cold and variable climate.

Using a cold frame will help you extend the growing season significantly.You can seed your vegetables up to one month earlier and grow healthier seedlings with less effort than you would indoors. As well, your plants can stay in the frame protected from frost until late in the winter. Achieving three to four  harvests of greens like spinach, lettuce is one of the possibilities.

When you are seeding, consider plants that are small enough to fit your frame when they are full-grown or seed plants that you are going to transfer to a different bed when the weather allows.  An easy option for the cold frame is to simply place your seeded containers in it. 

Use high quality well drained soil full of organic matter preferably enhanced with compost.  To increase the warmth in the cold frame, consider placing a three inch layer of green manure under your  12 to 18 inch layer of top soil.  You can regulate the temperature in the cold frame by opening the windows fully on warm days or just a crack on cooler days. 

Here are some ideas for plants that you would start in the cold frame then transfer to the garden:

• Herbs: basil, cilantro, parsley, dill, fennel,
• Greens: lettuce, spinach, swish chard, kale
• Brasicas: broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, 
• Annnuals: you can purchase early and store under your glass until mid may or seed your favorites
• Perrenials: you can purchase early and store under your glass until mid may or seed your favorites
• Tomatos, cucumbers, squash, pumpkins, peppers, eggplant, Choose a small peat container for easier transfer.

These plants can stay in the cold frame throughout the growing season:   

• Herbs: basil, cilantro, parsley, dill, fennel,
• Greens: lettuce, spinach, swish chard, kale
• Brasicas: broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, 

A cold frame is a great gardening solution that supports plant growth efficiently and offers a successful method to growing organic food. 

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This information is coming to you from Bloom Garden Design committed to helping you create environmentally responsible landscapes. 

Before you create a new garden, you need to take care of the drainage. Water is an amazing element and changing its natural patterns can cause lots of future trouble.  

Grading the land in a two percent slope away from the house will help to keep the foundation dry.  Any retaining wall you build has to handle the moisture that will build up behind it.  A weeping tile placed in drain rock and wrapped in a filter cloth directed away from any structures is an appropriate addition to any retaining wall. It needs to be installed at the foot of the wall. All pathways, steps and patios have to be sloped one percent to keep them water and ice free. As well, a one percent slope on newly installed lawns will help keep lawns puddle free. On the other hand, keeping slopes less than ten percent will make it safe to mow. 

Considering those basic rules will save you money by making your newly installed landscape long lasting.

The specialists of Bloom Garden Design are committed to helping you create environmentally responsible landscapes.

Properly installed and maintained irrigation systems can be a great water saver.

 There are a few rules to follow to maximize the effectiveness of your irrigation system.

The irrigation zones that define what area and time of watering should be set up accordingly to your plants need. Lawns should be on a different zone than flowerbeds. Mostly you would like to have plants that need more attention closer to the house than followed up with transition zone that contains mixture of native and non-native species. Plants in your transition zone will probably need to be watered only in first three years when they are being established. After that, they might need water just occasionally in times of hot spells in the summer. On the other hand, your lawns are typically the thirstiest. Often is hard to anticipate the best location of the sprinkler heads to avoid future blockade by growing plants. Micro heads that are easy to install and replace can avoid this nuisance by watering individual plants rather than spraying large area. Best time to water is at night when temperature drops. Effective strategy is a few minute repetitive cycles that allow water to penetrate but not saturate the soil. Most common mistake irrigation system owners make is that they assume that setting that is appropriate in the spring is going to be fine for the rest of the season. Even the most sophisticated systems equipped with moisture sensors needs to be regularly monitored and adjusted. 

We should all pay more attention to where we can make our watering more effective.

The specialists of Bloom Garden Design are committed to helping you create environmentally responsible landscapes.