Pollinator Pathways

October 26, 2016: It may seem a little late in the year to think on Pollinator pathways, but perhaps you haven't done all the outdoor clean-up you'd meant to yet ... so ... don't do it! Cut back fewer plants and you'll give shelter to many critters; leave seed heads so birds can take the seeds and, through their droppings, scatter them for next season's plants. Keep the cycle going!

A continuous ribbon of bloom, nectar, pollen, and seeds through a community is a pollinator pathway. Many different types of plants (yes, trees too!), with bloom periods from as early in the season to as late, all give food for pollinating insects and birds, and other critters. Sometimes, communities and cities have enough green and growing space to not have gaps in food sources. Most often tho' , towns and cities have built and paved areas where there's nothing growing except cut grass, so there need to be planned projects and information sessions that encourage planting. One program is in Ontario's own Hamilton Ontario.

Pollinators Paradise Project, Hamilton, Ontario - http://www.hamiltonpollinatorparadise.org/ - "is a collaborative initiative between Environment Hamilton and the Hamilton Naturalists' Club with support from the Edith H Turner Fund of the Hamilton Community Foundation. It works with the community to create pollinator habitat corridors across the City by planting milkweed and other wildflowers. It also shares information and resources about why pollinators are in trouble and what other actions people can take. By creating habitats that are full of wildflowers across the City we will also be beautifying neighbourhoods and increasing neighbourhood pride."

The website has resources, event listings, and a blog that’ll give you garden advice ... for e.g., leaving plant stalks and leaves above ground in the fall gives shelter for critters and in the spring can be left or gently removed to the compost ... and leave your raspberry canes overwinter, cutting them to about 40cm in spring for solitary bees to nest.

Gardening with children

Thanks to Courtney P., and the children in her after school program for sending the url for to a series of articles - "Gardening at Home with Kids" - on a site called Home Advisor (which has tips on all sorts of things). There are articles on several different topics: vegetable gardening, flower gardening, getting started, and garden projects. Under garden projects, for example, there's an article explaining a victory garden, and another talking about the importance of water. Starting a first garden, garden safety, building a bean tower, spring gardening, pizza gardens, and butterfly gardens are just some of the other articles.

This Home Advisor site seems to be a collection of articles from many different places ... and would be handy to visit.

Of course, it's always good to check out your local library when investigating a topic. London, Ontario's library system has books on gardening with children ... some in the children's library and some in the adult library.

Late Blight on Tomatoes

"It is important to recognize that late blight is not like other diseases.  It can't be lived with because of its potential impact.  Without control measures, total loss of tomatoes and potatoes often occurs."
CornellUniversity, 2010

Scary statement, eh?

Last year I harvested less than 1/3 of the tomatoes I expected to.  "Late blight" got 'em.

Part of the blame for the loss - a large part! - was mine.  There were aspects of care for my plants that I simply didn't get to.  I didn't prune them, or stake as well as I should have for good air circulation. I didn't keep up with removing leaves at the first signs of infection.  I didn't spray with actively aerated compost tea. 

This year, I'm starting with a trip to the Mother Earth News website.  ... search for tomato blight or late blight.

I've also checked in with Cornell University where there are photos geared to educate and scare you into taking care of your plants, and   a lot of articles about late blight. The Cornell page has links to several articles, including a 5-pager that'll scare you but give you good info: here. The Cornell site is a generally handy place to know about for garden info.

I'll read through a lot of articles and try to follow the good advice. 

Late blight (Phytophthora infestans) is a fungal disease and may show up following a prolonged period of cool rain or humidity.  Affected leaves develop light brown, water-soaked patches, and entire plants can wilt within a few days.  "Wilt" is such a polite term!  They turn to mush.  It's horrible!

Figure out ways to keep your plants dry. 
- Prune lower branches to keep them off wet ground or mulch
See here
- Prune upper branches and give them good supports to air flows through and light reaches all parts of the plant.

Find new locations for this year's tomato plants if you had blight last year
- dig an entirely new bed, away from the old
- plant the tomatoes in their own spaces in a sunny flower bed or herb garden
- plant in containers with new soil

I'm not sure if a denser or a lighter mulch is better under the plants.  A lighter, open mulch would seem (to me) to take water in and down (away from the plants) faster and with less splash up to the leaves ... altho' I've never quite understood the concern for that because if it's raining the plants get all wet anyway.  Perhaps the concern is not wet leaves but the drying time?

I have not got some of the new hybrids that are specifically blight resistant, as mentioned in Barb Pleasant's article here  but if you can get such that'll be a good thing.

And as for actively aerated compost tea ... a good thing! ... check that Q&A in this section lower down. It'll explain a wonderful, microbial protection system.

Organic Weed Control - excerpt from The Market Gardener by Fortier

How do I "control" weeds organically?

"So-called natural organic herbicides claiming to control weeds may do so in the short term, but they destroy the long-term biological health of the soil."
               The Market Gardener, (New Society Publishers, 2014) by Jean-Martin Fortier

There are many organic gardening books around, and some of them are listed in an earlier garden help entry. 

An excerpt from a fairly new book - The Market Gardener - by Jean-Martin Fortier, of Jardin de la Grelinette - is a great introduction to the topic of managing weeds organically - and can be read online from the current issue of Mother Earth News magazine: here

Fortier goes on to say that:

"For weed management practices to be both ecological and sustainable, a market gardener should rather look into careful planning for weed prevention and follow with effective and efficient weed control strategies. Dealing with weeds the organic way also takes persistence, the right tools, and innovative techniques."

CGL webkeeper Maureen is not a market gardener, but always appreciates a practical, clear gardening book, and Fortier's sure is that.  With so much information that can be used in anyone's home or community garden!  And an attitude toward the earth she surely appreciates!

The Market Gardener can be ordered from good bookstores, like Mandala Books, and it is in the London Public Library too.

Thanks to Jean-Martin Fortier and his wife Maude-Hélène Desroches, who run Jardin de la Grelinette for the book and for allowing the excerpt. Thanks to Mother Earth News for posting it. 

You are saving the world in your full time!

posted April 22, 2015 - Hey! Earth Day!

What are the basics about Monarch butterflies and milkweed?

Most of us gardeners are going to be planting milkweed for the Monarch butterflies this year ... or already began planting last year!  Monarchs lay their eggs on milkweed plants; the leaves are the only food the Monarch caterpillars eat.  We do need to plant a variety of flowering plants which supply the adult Monarchs with nectar to eat, and there need to be trees and shrubs for the butterflies to shelter in ... however, it is the milkweed which completes the life cycle.

The best types of milkweed to plant are ones native to our area, and/or ones that die back in the winter.

Three types of milkweed seeds are commonly available from seed suppliers, and suit our SW Ontario area:

Butterfly weed  - Asclepias tuberosa ... great orange flowers, and hybrids in other bright colours
Swamp milkweed - Asclepias incarnata - Swamp milkweed - lovely pink flowers and a great scent
Common milkweed - Asclepias syriaca - which was taken off the Ontario noxious weed list in March 2014 - has a rich scent and clusters of pink flowers

It's always great if you can purchase organically grown seeds
- look for suppliers like Hawthorn Farm, online at http://www.hawthornfarm.ca
- local businesses like Anything Grows at the London Farmers and Artisans Market, Saturdays 8 - 3, or online at http://www.anythinggrows.com

- local seed swaps where you can speak to the grower. Seedy Saturday in London is March 7/15 at Carling Heights arena. Check for London Food Not Lawns events, and library swaps will be listed in the next ACCESS.

- information about planting for Monarchs and other butterflies is found on the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority site, The Biodiversity Gardening site, and check publications like Mother Earth News, and your favorite gardening magazine.

Both Monarch Joint Venture http://www.monarchjointventure.org/ and Monarch Watch http://www.monarchwatch.org/ have a lot of helpful information about Monarch butterflies and factors affecting them.

What beekeepers 'round about will collect a swarm?

This list is from Barbara Lindberg's Bee-magic website - taken off August 25/14 - Hurray and thanks Barbara!!
http://www.bee-magic.com/beeswarms.aspx

If you are a beekeeper in Ontario and you'd like to be added to this swarm list send me an email with the subject Swarm List to barblindberg@rogers.com

How do I find out about keeping bees?

posted June 20 2014

Just a quick look-up of information because CGL webkeeper Maureen was asked.

In London, Ontario, the City bylaws and animal control info does not say anything specifically about keeping bees.  This may be because ... keeping bees comes under the jurisdiction of the province of Ontario. 

There are pages of information to do with beekeeping - apiculture - on the Ontario provincial website: http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/food/inspection/bees/apicultu.html

The newest document - issued June 2012 - is Overview of Beekeeping Regulations in Ontario: What you should know if you own honeybees.  It, in turn, has links to all sorts of other documents.
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/food/inspection/bees/beekeepingregulations.htm

The Ontario Beekeepers Association - http://www.ontariobee.com - has a lot of information, including links to regional Ontario beekeeping associations (http://www.ontariobee.com/community/local-beekeepers-associations).  For your convenience, in the areas nearby London:

Middlesex, Oxford, Elgin Beekeepers' Association
Arva, ON
Contact: Bob Crowhurst, President
Telephone: 519-666-1670
Email: robert.crowhurst@sympatico.ca
Website: www.moebeea.com

Southwestern Ontario Beekeepers' Association
Chatham, ON
Contact: Mike Dodok, President
Telephone: 519-351-8338
Email: thedodocks@yahoo.ca

Huron-Perth Beekeepers' Association
Wingham, ON
Contact: Bill Higgins
Telephone: 519-395-0248
Email: whiggins@sympatico.ca

Toronto District Beekeepers' Association
Milton, ON
Contact: Grant MacKinnon, President
Telephone: 905-878-4668
Email: gmackinnon2@cogeco.ca
Website: http://www.torontobeekeepers.org/

There is also a provincial apiarist for Ontario, Paul Kozak,
Apiary Specialist, OMAFRA.
1 Stone Road West, NW Floor
Guelph, ON N1G 4Y2
Tel: 519 826-3595
Paul.kozak@ontario.ca
Here is the webpage for the Apiary Program he works for through the Ontario Provincial Government. http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/food/inspection/bees/apicultu.htm

What are brand names of products that contain bee-killing neonicotinoids?

What products at the garden centres contain neonicotinoid insecticides?  Or, related question ... if I want to check that neonicotinoid insecticide hasn't been used on the plants I'm buying at a garden centre ... what are the names of some products to ask about and watch out for?

webkeeper's note: Our hope is that you are gardening organically and not using anything that would ever have the bee-killing neonicotinoids! The 4 L's of gardening are look, learn, labour, and love.  They apply to just about everything we do in our gardens.  If you are buying garden amendments, fertilizers, insecticides or herbicides buy organic products and use them only if necessary and only where necessary.  Organic products may have negative effects on plants, critters, or micro-organisms that aren't the "target" you want to get rid of or the problem you want to solve.

That caution said ... Neonicotinoid insecticides are systemic - travelling to all parts of a plant.  They last in the soil/water system too.  And they are known to kill or harm bees of all sorts, other insects, arthropods and birds.

If you are asking questions about plants you want to buy or are looking over the shelves in a store, you don't want plants treated with things on the following lists and you don't want to buy any of these products.

LIsts of neonicotinoid containing products are found at these sites:

Help the Honey Bees!
Centre for Food Safety, April 2013
http://www.beyondpesticides.org/pollinators/documents/pesticide_list_final.pdf
- this is a double-sided list which prints out easily on 8 1/2" x 11" paper

Protecting Bees from Neonicotinoids in Your Garden
Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
http://www.xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/NeonicsInYourGarden.pdf
- this is a tri-fold flyer to print out on letter-size paper

This list of eight common neonicotinoid types and some of the brand name products they are included in,  is taken from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neonicotinoid)

What butterfly is this? Or is it a moth? a beetle? an earthworm?

One possible resource is the Featured Creatures site, of the entomology and nematology department, University of Florida site: http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/

The site may be searched by common name, scientific name and habitat. Don't be deterred by it being U. of Florida. A lot of critters have wide range to their habitat.

For those of us who are looking for something common, and for those of us who like to browse lists of critters and take a look at information about something whose name we recognize ... this site gives a lot of photos of the critters at all their life stages, photos of the plants they live on, and a lot of reference material.

You may have to go to the library and figure your way through some of the reference books there to find out the answer. (Webkeeper Maureen needs to do this too to make a list for here!)

How do I find out about organic gardening? What should I do in my backyard?

There's no such thing as the one-and-only book to find out about organic gardening. Just look at the selection of great resources at the local library to know that ... hey, check the booklists on CGL's reference pages!

Sometimes, though, a reference is really close to home.

The Perth-Waterloo-Wellington branch of Canadian Organic Growers has written a 36 page booklet titled The Organic Backyard: applying organic farming practices to your home or community garden. This booklet can be downloaded from the COG website at http://www.cog.ca/pww/documents/OrganicBackyard2ndEd.pdf ... and lets you know that "organic" isn't just not spraying with synthetic pesticides. "Organic" is an art and a science, it's understanding soil and climate and location and sun. It's looking around, learning, a certain amount of labour and love - definately love.

Canadian Organic Growers is Canada's longest established, charitabsle organics organization. Its mission is "To lead local and national communities towards sustainable organic stewardship of land, food and fibre while respecting nature, upholding social justice and protecting natural resources". COG " has been promoting the health and environmental benefits of organic agricultural practices since it established in 1975. COG is connected through eleven regional Chapters, four affiliated organizations, and to the international organic community through membership in the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements(IFOAM). In addition to our many contributions to the organic movement in Canada, COG also holds the most comprehensive collection of resources on organic food and farming in Canada. This includes more than 1500 books in our public (and free) lending library, a quarterly Canadian Organic Grower Magazine (published since 1978) and COG’s own books and guides on organic growing in Canada, which can be found in agricultural classrooms across North America.

Do take a look around the Canadian Organic Growers website to find out the issues facing organic growing, to read some informative articles, to be inspired and to see the really intense cow on the cover of its new publication, The Organic Livestock Handbook!

Hugelkultur - "Hoo-gul-culture"  ... the word is fun to say!  What's it mean?

If you've ever left a pile of broken branches, leaves, and garden waste piled up for two or three years in an unused corner of the garden, and then come back to it and raked it around to discover that most of the material is decomposed or partially decomposed ... then you've seen the kind of decomposition science and magic that underlies Hugelkultur.

Hugelkultur means a  hill mound, or hill culture.  These mounds can be big! Gardening on a hugelkultur mound means gardening on a mound that is at least a metre tall, sloped on the sides; choose your length depending on your materials at hand.  The mound is built up in layers, with wood (logs) on the bottom, branches, leaves, grass clippings, any healthy organic material you want to have decompose, and a layer of soil on the top.  (You'll save yourself a lot of bundling for curbside pick-up!.) 

The idea is to locate the mounds so one side gets the morning sun and the other side gets the afternoon sun.

The mounds of material decompose over time, slowly, and while doing so generate heat for plants growing on the hill surface, and the decomposing material also holds moisture for the plants.  Overall, nutrient is released slowly for your plants.

A user-friendly article to read to spark your interest in Hugelkulturing is The Many Benefits of Hugelkultur, found on the Permaculture magazine site: here.  There are photos - including some from Canada!! - and sketches and  how to's.

Why do I want native plants? Where do I get them?

Native plants are plants that naturally grow in an area, that have evolved and grown there ... in the case of Ontario ... since before "settlers" came along from England and Germany and such places. Native plants are adapted to local climate and are generally hardier than non-native species. Some native plants are quite localized, and have specific sun, moisture and soil requirements. Native plants and the pollinating insects and critters that live in an area all developed together. It's good to keep them together. And yes, there are flowering native plants that bloom in your favourite colour, plants for different seasons, plants for sunny or shady locations.

The website of the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority - www.thamesriver.ca - has some great downloadable information sheets about native plants, as well as a huge amount of information about our region's watershed, environment, animals, and history. Maps too! And if you have questions about any of this, there are people you can talk with. 519-451-2800 or infoline@thamesriver.on.ca.

- Recommended Native Wildflowers & Grasses for Naturalization Projects in the Upper Thames River Watershed
- Tallgrass Prairie Plant Species Native to Middlesex, Oxford & Perth Counties
- Gardening with Native Plants
- Agreessive Non-Native Plants (because it's important to know what not to plant too!!)
- Regionally Rare Plants in Middlesex County

These flyers - trees and shrubs to plant - are found under the Watershed Health section of the Program list on the Home page:   http://thamesriver.on.ca/watershed-health/native-species/recommended-trees-and-shrubs/

There's also a list of nurseries that sell native plants, and a page on the benefits of gardening with native plants - http://thamesriver.on.ca/wp-content/uploads//NativeSpecies/Listofnurseries.pdf

which includes links to places like the North American Native Plant Society - http://www.nanps.org/ - which has ever more great stuff!

Native plant nursery, gardener, and gardens list

This information was compiled by Maureen in April 2014, webkeeper for Community Gardens London, mostly from on-line research, and as a start to your gardening. Ask your own questions to find out whether their information suits you. There are inevitably other people, businesses, and organizations around. If you have an addition or correction to the list, please let her know at communitygardenslondon@execulink.com

People to do design and work

Wildcraft Permaculture
Jessica Robertson
http://www.wildcraftpermaculture.ca/
519-857-7615

The Living Centre - Shantree Kacera and Lorenna Bousquet Kacera - www.thelivingcentre.com
ph. 519-652-9109
- an eco-spiritual centre and education space, with a wide range of programs such as 4-season permaculture training and certification, Woman Earth - respectivng the role of women in the global challenge.
4-season permaculture, Ken Taylor pruning workshop

Landscape Native and CorrectEnomics Inc
Ben Porchuk at 519-495-6289
London, Ontario
www.landscapenative.com
landscapenative@ymail.com

Beautiful Edibles - Jana Keller - http://beautifuledibles.com/   ph. 519-639-9991

http://beautifuledibles.blogspot.ca
custom kitchen gardens, custom kitchen gardens, ability-sensitive gardens adapted to physical needs of seniors or others, consultants, vacation with confidence

Southwestern Ontario Nurseries that sell Native Plants

Brickman’s Botanical Gardens
R.R.#1 Sebringville
Ph: 519-393-6223
Email: brickmansbotanicalgardens@hotmail.com
               - just NW of Stratford

Grand Moraine Growers
7369 12th Line, RR#2, Alma
http://www.grandmorainegrowers.ca/
Ph. 519-638-1101
Email: info@grandmorainegrowers.ca

Nith River Native Plants
4265 Wilmot-Easthope Road, New Hamburg
http://www.nithrivernativeplants.com/
Ph: 519-780-1816
Email: buckgraham@hotmail.com

Little Otter Tree Farm
R.R. #6, Tillsonburg
Ph: 519-842-2419
Email: litotter@execulink.com
               - SE of London,

Moore Water Gardens
P.O. Box 70, 4683 Sunset Road, Port Stanley
Ph: 519-782-4052
Email: moorewg@execulink.com

Native Plant Source
318 Misty Crescent, Kitchener
Ph: 519-748-2298
Email: jthompson@sw-igs.net

Native Plants in Claremont
4965 Westney Road Pickering (Claremont) ON
905-649-8176
info@nativeplants.ca www.nativeplants.ca
We are a nursery devoted to the increased awareness and restoration of Ontario's native plants and their habitats. We supply the perennials, shrubs and grasses indigenous to our province. We supply plants for both retail customers and wholesale customers such as landscapers and nurseries. New customers and native plant enthusiasts are always welcome. We are not in the business to practice resource extraction but rather for resource improvement. We feel that our techniques improve the productivity of current native plant populations. As such, we only harvest seed according to SER guidelines, work to establish our own stock based on at least four distinct populations, and always search for new sites to prevent inadvertent selection within our plant stock. This is much more work than other nurseries do, but it lets us assure you true, non-selected, Ontario plant stock and the best experience and advice for your needs.

Orford Ridges Native Plants
14738 McDonald Line, Chatham-Kent
R.R.#1 Muirkirk
Ph: 519-678-3866
Email: mnatvik@hotmail.com

Otter Valley Native Plants
P.O. Box 31, R.R.#1, Eden
Ph: 519-866-5639
Email: Otter.va@kanservu.ca

Pterophylla Native Plants & Seeds
#316 Regional Road 60
R.R.#1, Walsingham
Ph: 519-586-3985
Email: gartcar@kwic.com              

St. Williams Nursery & Ecology Centre                                          
St. Williams, ON, Canada
Phone: (519) 586-9116
Toll Free: 1-866-640-TREE (1-866-640-8733)
http://stwilliamsnursery.com/
... operates over 400 acres of field production and 10 acres of greenhouse space in Southern Ontario making it the largest source-identified native plant nursery in the province.
** - noted on Oct. 20, 2016 agenda of London’s Ecological and Environmental Advisory Committee as being the nursery preparing the draft ecological restoration plan for the Westminster Ponds Area.

Van Den Nest Nursery (formerly Garden of Eden Tree Farm)
http://www.vandennest-nursery.com/
9596 Somers Rd, Eden
Ph: 519-866-5269
Email: edentree@amtelecom.net
               - looks like it's just south of Tillsonburg
A small unique nursery, specializing in native and carolinian trees and shrubs.
Established in 1951, and now owned and operated by the Van Den Nest family since 1995, we offer a wide variety of trees and shrubs to landscape your property.
We would like to invite you to visit our picturesque valley farm centre to browse our selection of planted and potted trees and shrubs. We hope you enjoy its natural beauty.

Verbinnens Nursery Ltd.
1504 Brock Road, R.R.#4 Dundas
http://www.verbinnens.com/
Ph: 905-659-7072
Email: jverbinnen@verbinnens.com

North American Native Plant Society
http://www.nanps.org
Gives information about what native plants are and there place in the home, urban and rural landscape.
This organization has helped people who are challenging their local "no weed" bylaws and some cases are written about: http://www.nanps.org/index.php/gardening/in-support-of-native-plants
As the website says: "Dedicated to the Study, Conservation, Cultivation & Restoration of North America's Native Flora. NANPS was founded in 1984 by a small group of dedicated conservationists as the Canadian Wildflower Society. As our American membership grew, and acknowledging that plants don't recognize political boundaries, we changed our name to the North American Native Plant Society in 1999.  In 1985 we founded North America's foremost native plant magazine: Wildflower.  The original magazine ceased publication in 2005, but it's name lives on under the editorship of Texas's Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Centre.  In place of Wildflower, NANPS continues to publish a 16 page quarterly, The Blazing Star".
E-mail: nanps@nanps.org
Voice Mail: (416) 631-4438
Mailing Address:
NANPS
PO Box 84, Station D
Toronto, ONM9A 4X1

Native Plant Resource Guide for Ontario - 6th edition
Society for Ecological Restoration                              www.serontario.org
The full 40 page document is available for $5.00.
Society for Ecological Restoration - Ontario Chapter
To:  223 Somerset Street West, Apt. 4, Ottawa, ON K2P 0J1
pages 1-13 of this document can be printed from "the Net"
http://www.serontario.org/pdfs/SERO%206th%20Ed.%20Grower%27s%20List%20Only.pdf

London Ontario Plant Places

Heeman's
http://www.heeman.ca/
20422 Nissouri Rd. London, ON • 519-461-1416

Parkway Gardens
http://www.parkwaygardens.ca/
1473 Gainsborough Road
London, Ontario
N6H 5L2

Springbank Garden Centre
http://springbankgardencentre.com/
462 Springbank Drive
London, Ontario
N6J 1G8
Contact Numbers
Tel: (519) 473-9096
Fax: (519) 473-5968
E-mail: karengardencentre@hotmail.com
Web: www.springbankgardencentre.com

Van Horik's
http://www.vanhorikgreenhouses.com/
Address: 930 Gainsborough Road, London, Ontario, N6H 5L4
Phone: 519-471-1846
Email: mail@vanhorikgreenhouses.com

Van Luyk Greenhouses and Garden Centre
http://www.vanluyk.com/
728 Gore Road
London, Ontario  N5W 5L5
Phone:  519-455-2646
Toll Free: 888-250-8910
Facsimile: 519-455-9327

Native Plants Book Resource List - just a start

                                                                                          Compiled by Maureen Temme

Harris, Marjorie. Ecological Gardening: How to Garden with the Planet in Mind. (revised/updated) 2009.

Harris, Marjorie. Botanica North America : the illustrated guide to our native plants, their botany, history, and the way they have shaped our world. New York : HarperResource, c2003. r581.97 Har

Johnson, Lorraine. 100 Easy-to-Grow Native Plants for CanadianGardens. [updated from the 1999 edn.] Photographs byAndrew Leyerle. Vancouver/Toronto: Whitecap Books, 2005. 635.95171 Joh
Plants are in categories by growing conditions, as well as an alphabetical listing of them. She talks about
native-plant gardening, gives ethical gardener’s guidelines and lists native plant nurseries.

Johnson, Lorraine. The Ontario Naturalized Garden: the complete guide to using native plants. Toronto: Whitecap Books, 1995. 635.951713 Joh

Mother Earth News magazine. Published 6 times a year. the library gets.

Organic Gardening Magazine. Published monthly. the library gets

Rodale Press – anything about gardening is going to be good

Publishing Companies which publish great books about environment, gardening, living ... worth checking.
Chelsea Green
Storey Publishing
New Society Publishing

Gardening books that are in print can be ordered from local, independent book stores.  In London, Ontario: Mandala Books, 190 Central Avenue, just west off Richmond Street, London, Ontario - 519-432-9488 - www.mandalabookshop.com
Oxford Books, 262 Piccadilly Street just east off Richmond Street, London, Ontario.  Ph. 519-438-8336, or visit the website at http://bookmanager.com/1682091/?  
And don't forget you can visit a Library - put 'native plants' or 'native plants ontario'  in search engine  ... and ask the librarians to help        https://catalogue.londonpubliclibrary.ca   

For second hand and collectible books:
Attic Books for second hand and collectible books - another local, independent store - is at 240 Dundas Street, London.   Always worth visiting.  Phone:  519-432-7277.   www.atticbooks.ca/ or https://twitter.com/AtticBooksCA

Society for Ecological Restoration - Ontario Chapter
To:  223 Somerset Street West, Apt. 4, Ottawa, ON K2P 0J1

"Companion" planting? "ble"Companionable" planting?

The lecturer steps onto the stage and asks the audience, "How many of you have ever grown garlic in your garden?" Every hand goes up.She continues, and asks, "How many of those who grow garlic have ever been troubled by vampires?" The same hands go up. The lecturer gleefully shouts: "See! Garlic keeps away vampires!"

When we ask about "companion planting" most of us want to know whether planting certain plants together will help one of them grow bigger, or prevent a plant we want from being eaten by insects, or from catching a disease.  We ask the question for a practical reason.

The February 1992 issue of Organic Gardening magazine carried an article, The Truth About Companion Planting, by Eliot Tozer.  Tozer stated that most companion planting ideas hadn't at the time been verified by science and plant testing.  True to the wholistic thinking of Organic Gardening magazine, he said:

The bottom line is that most companion planting success stories are based on good, simple, gardening practices ... remember that every garden is an ecosystem, a community of plants, creatures and micro-organisms that intereact with each other and the enviornment.

Tozer did mention some of the tests where two plants had been grown together and some chemical analysis was done and yield results tallied. He noted that some plants can be used as a "trap" crop ... not that they cage the insect, but that the insect likes something about the plant and so eats it instead of the one we want.  He noted that some insects don't seem to like the smell of particular plants and go away from it and whatever desired plant is beside it.  Both these things are ways of confusing an insect

Mostly though, he talked about ways in which planting different types of plants near each other worked for their mutual benefit.  Put together with the ecosystem idea - "the community of plants, creatures and micro-organisms with each other and the environent" - and his idea of "companion" planting gets pretty wide, certainly heading toward permaculture (as is this answer!). 

In 1992, when Maureen, writer here for Community Gardens London, read Tozer's article, she started using the term "companionable planting."  Companionable planting is not about growing two or even three particular plants together, it's about a symphony of things in the garden.  Companionable planting requires a gardener to participate:

• Look at what is happening in the garden
• Notice what the climate is, what the weather is doing ... when it's really hot and sunny like July in London, for example, lettuces will need shade from a taller plant ... and if you've planted tomatoes and marigolds from a nursery on May 10 and the May 26 forecast is for -1C you've got to cover them up or they'll be dead and black in the morning!
• Learn even a few things about each kind of plant you grow, or want to grow ... simple things to begin with  
• Learn about insects - realize that bugs are not bad. The high 90s percent are "beneficials" which do eat insects you don't want, don't eat the leaves or produce of plants you want (although the plants you want may give them nectar), and become foods for birds you are likely to enjoy in your yard.  Insects also do essential work in decomposting dead plant material, which combines with other wondrous soil critters and micro-organisms and gives you healthy soil ... which gives you healthy plants .... which give you the vegetables and flowers you want.
• Learn what has to be planted in the garden to supply the beneficial insects with food, shelter and a place to reproduce.
• Learn to develop the overall health of the soil - by growing without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, by adding good compost, and knowing which plants will become mulch and decompose in place.
• Find out the joy of mulch ... and that there's a lot of joy of sex in its interface at the soil level.
• Resist the temptation to take out every weed by digging or hoeing it out.  Nature doesn't like bare spaces; work with this.  Interspersed small weeds shade the soil and prevent moisture loss.  If they are growing side by side with the plant you want to keep or if they are going to get taller than the plant you want, take them out gently. Small weeds left in place will dry and eventually decompose in place. 

The term "companionable" - for this writer - stands up well.  Look, Learn, Labour and Love, the 4 L's of gardening! .  It lets us put in some folklore, some experience, some science and nature, and some aesthetic and personal choice

Since Tozer's article, there've been bazillions of articles about companion planting, and lots of science done as to what plants exude what and the positive, negative or neutral effects on fellow plants.  We've moved beyond "companion" planting, that blends types of plants that and "interplanting" which reduces plants' competition for nutrients and sun.

In 2013, popularized garden ideas have gone through intensive gardening or the mingling of vegetable and flowers in the same bed (radical even 10 years ago!) and are talking permaculture and forest gardening. 

Toby Hemenway, in Gaia's Garden: a guide to home scale permaculture asks how we can emulate natural plant communities in our gardens, bringing in the cycle and complexity of many, varied plants, decomposition cycles, soil life, water systems, and ... well, everything.

... and once some more reading and thinking is done, CGL will try and write about "polycultures," although you might just want to get his book or one of the others available.  Or, check out the two websites below for upcoming course (check CGL events).

Gaia's Garden: a guide to home scale permaculture.  635.048 Hem at London Public Library
The Permaculture Handbook. Peter Bane 631.58 Ban
The Living Centre. www.thelivingcentre.com
Wildcraft Permaculture.  www.wildcraftpermaculture.ca

How do I start seedlings in a cold frame?

Gardening Tips from Eliot Coleman: How to start seedlings in your coldframe.
http://www.chelseagreen.com/content/gardening-tips-from-eliot-coleman-how-to-start-seedlings-in-a-cold-frame/

Note: there are two excerpts from this answer! The link just above takes you to a book excerpt. The "cold frame" link in the shorter excerpt below takes you to a different article that describes how to build a cold frame.

From the excerpt: "... A cold frame, essentially a garden bed surrounded by an angled frame and covered with glass, is a simple way to harness the heating power of the sun to get seedlings going before it’s warm enough to plant them outside unprotected. Everything but the most heat-loving vegetables (tomatoes and peppers) can be started this way. Plus, a cold frame has the added advantage of getting your plants into the real soil right away, instead of constricting their roots in trays, which can leading to unnecessary stress. "

Eliot Coleman, is a farmer in Maine and has authored several books about 4-season gardening, available from Chelsea Green Publishing.  The particular article linked above is from Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long. It may not still be in print, although the London Public library has copies.

Chelsea Green Publishing website is an incredible resource, as well as a publisher of helpful, informative, aware books.  It lists articles - with links - by its authors, meaning that you can read all sorts of articles by - in this case - Eliot Coleman, or hear interviews with him. www.chelseagreen.com

How do I know if a plant is good or "bad"?

Poisonous or toxic plants aside ... and even those may have their good points ... we gardeners who grow unusual medicinal herbal plants in our gardens (weeds to the neighbours) know that plants grow in different ways, and in different ways with each other, and in different soils.  There is usually some good in everything.  And if there's too much of something where we don't want it, we take it out and put it to compost!

In England, there's a plant called Yellow Rattle (Rhinantus Minor) which, studied growing in a greenhouse with just a few other plants, is observed to send its roots into the roots of the other plants, "stealing" its nutrients and killing that other plant. Sounds bad.

However ... a Dr. Cameron of the University of Sheffield decided to take a look at Yellow Rattle growing in a field with many other types of plants.  He and his colleagues discovered that the annual Yellow Rattle drops its leaves at the end of the growing season, and that these leaves have a high nutrient content, which decomposes into the soil and becomes available for other plants.  This results in better "nutrient cycling" in the soil, and by various interactions suppresses undesireable grasses and promotes growth of flowering plants.  The Rhinanthus might therefore be good for soil restoration in a meadow area (perhaps the diverse-plant environment mentioned in the wonderful documentary Farm for the Future? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixx1c3RSw_8)

There's more to the item in Phys.org (http://phys.org/news/2013-03-perks-parasitic-revealed.html ) than the summary above, but it emphasizes that nothing stands along in nature.
 
Fisher, J. et al. Parasitic plant litter input: a novel indirect mechanism influencing plant community structure, New Phytologist, 2013, doi: 10.1111/nph.12144       Journal reference: New Phytologist

Starting a Shared or Community Garden in London - July 2103 notes

Please note: "how to" guides and references, are farther down this page! This note covers London people/policy.

General info: There are many shared and community garden ideas happening through churches, businesses, community organizations and in neighbourhoods around London. Situations differ depending on the land owner - private or City.  As shared and community gardens (and urban agriculture) develop in London, situations will need clarification and probably bylaw/policy changes. This will be on both City owned and privately owned land. More people will be following and developing policy (working through "city hall" and others will just set up new gardens/enterprises and take on challenges as they come. It is this writer's opinion that gardens will be started by people and these actions will lead bylaw changes; the practical leads.

Starting a Community Garden City of London land - usually meaning on Park land
As of July 2013, development of new gardens within London's community garden program is on hold, pending the "strategic plan" for London's community garden program. This is supposed to get underway in the fall of 2013.

There are innovations to shared/community garden programs that have not yet been tried in London. If you are interested in starting a community garden on City land and have others interested in your area, have a conversation with some or all of the following people. If you have momentum and resources, you may not have to be within London's allotment-style community garden program.

A recommendation of the 2011 London Community Gardens Program Review was that the City Planning department compile an inventory of land which would be appropriate for community gardens.  In June 2013, Vanessa Kinsley (below) mentioned to Maureen Temme of CGL that her department within Parks has a list of places it would like to see community gardens go in. The Parks and Planning departments will not be initiating gardens on these lands. Initiation of gardens is not in their jurisdiction, at this time. They are waiting on the outcome of the strategic plan, to get underway in the fall of 2013.

Several City departments are involved in the planning, policy and bylaw aspects of land use ... so are involved mainly with London's community gardens program of gardens on City land. The Parks and the Planning departments have worked closely with garden-interested community groups and the London Community Resource Centre to help community groups determine if a locale is suitable and to get neighbourhood input. 

These are people to speak with if you want to get a garden going on City land or on private land

London Community Resource Centre (www.lcrc.ca) is under contract to the City of London as the Coordinating Agency for London's allotment-style community gardens program. It manages the day-to-day happenings of the community gardens, including work toward fulfillment of the Recommendations of the London Community Gardens Program Review*(LCGPR). It is the place to book space in current garden locations. The LCRC does not anticipate opening any new gardens until after the strategic plan is done, but can offer advice and make sure your interest is recorded. Do leave your contact information to receive updates and to be included in the strategic planning process. Linda Davies is its Executive Director. Contacts:  lcrc@lcrc.on.ca  or  linda@lcrc.on.ca        ph: 519-432-1801 http://council.london.ca/meetings/CNC%20Agendas/2011-03-29%20Agenda/Item%209.pdf

Vanessa Kinsley, Community Projects Manager (planning department), works on many programs, not just gardens. If a group of interested Londoners want guidance about setting up a garden, particularly on City land, Vanaessa can tell you how a potential garden location is evaluated (soil type, soil testing, water availability, grading, sun, and boundaries) and on communicating your idea to neighbours (the City helps with a public participation process).

Vanessa has worked with the LCRC to evaluate sites for gardens that are designated as within London's community gardens program. However, she is interested in hearing ideas for gardens (particularly on City land) which might have community, volunteer support but not be designated as within the system overseen by LCRC. She is interested in possibilities and innovations.  vkinsley@london.ca or ph. 519-661-2500, ext. 1871.

Community Gardens London celebrates the shared and community gardens of London and area. We support and advocate for food producing gardens and their role in individual and urban food security, our good health and environmental health. We try to connect up people with ideas so they might develop their project ideas. Send us an email and either Maureen Temme or Robyn Harvey will be in touch to talk about your idea/project. communitygardenslondon@execulink.com              www.communitygardenslondon.ca

Cheryl Smith is a senior City administrator - Community Partnerships and Funding, out of Neighbourhood and Chidlrens' Services, in the the Community Services department, handling London's community gardens program: phone: 519-661-2500, ext. 5880 or email: csmith@london.ca

Scott Stafford is with the Parks Department, particularly involved with support services to the gardens. He understands what may and may not be done on City land. He and Vanessa work together in evaluating sites: phone: 519-661-2500 Ext. 4518 or email: sstaffor@london.ca

How do I attract bees into my garden?

Encouraging bees to our home or shared gardens.

It is likely that when most of us think of bees we smile and think of that delicious, natural sweetener, honey.  It usually surprises us to find out that there are actually only a few types of honeybees worldwide that build hives collectively and store honey in those hives.  Even adding species of singleton bees that produce honey (for feeding young), honey producing bees are only a small fraction of the 20,000 types of bees worldwide.

Even without the honey, the bees that visit our gardens are beneficial insects that pollinate our plants.  Without this help we wouldn't have apples or pears, many of the colourful flower blossoms we treasure, or the wide variety of foods we harvest.

To encourage these helpful critters to enjoy and extend their visit to our gardens - to settle in for their entire life cycle - we need to be working on all fronts of their life cycle:
- plant a variety of plants that bloom through the growing season so adult bees and their offspring always have food sources
- plant habitat for bees ... often trees and shrubs
- leave naturally occuring rock, hillside or woodpile areas for habitat - these provide living quarters too
- build nesting boxes or structures for shelter and for bee nurseries

Seeds of Diversity Canada has a useful article with links to articles about different types of bees, how to encourage them, and "how to build" nest sites projects. The different articles outline the various types of bees, their nesting requirements and their place in the natural web. All the articles are useful.  The one from the Xerces site is a double-side handout that overviews the main bee types and nests.  http://www.seeds.ca/int/doc/docpub.php?k=8b7776006b6924027499a34fa695ec2e00000540
Seeds of Diversity Canada "supports the work of seed saving and food biodiversity protection across Canada. Volunteers are involved with Seedy Saturdays and other events, seed growing and saving, article writing and translation, and a wide range of other project and event administration activities." Check out its website at www.seeds.ca

On honeybees and Colony Collapse Disorder
Over the last few years, there's been extensive press coverage of die-offs of honeybees, a syndrome called Coloney Collapse Disorder.  Much evidence has been found that links CCD to agricultural use of neonicotinoid pesticides.  Other stress factors such as parasites and other ailments of the honeybees, transportation of hives, and monocultural or un-nutritious diet all weaken the bees' immune systems. The combination has been deadly for the bees.  This situation is disheartening and scary for home gardeners to read about, and more so for those involved in agriculture or interested in food production and distribution.

Our comments and political lobbying are important! 
Absolutely, we should be telling levels of government and research centres that more needs to be done, that organic agricultural practices need to be accepted.  We want to support local, organic growers and growers who we know maintain diversity on their farms.  And we sure need to support local beekeepers!

Is there a way to combine a raised-bed garden with composting?

Yes! A Key-hole Garden!

The website of the Send a Cow organization which tells us :
"A Keyhole Garden is a type of kitchen garden that recycles as it grows. The design - which looks like a keyhole from above - incorporates a central 'basket' where compostable waste is placed and water is poured. They are especially useful in areas where good soil is scarce, often adding nutritious vegetables to diets. Send a Cow uses them as part of our training, and they get fantastic results; families start to grow enough to eat and sell." http://www.sendacow.org.uk/keyhole-gardens

We have seen raised bed gardens similar to this in contemporary Canadian gardening magazines during the last couple of years ... usually a stone walled, spiral herb garden, of a smaller size than the practical vegetable beds in the Lesotho example from the Send a Cow site.

An important thing about the Lesotho key-hole garden - do check the video on the Send a Cow site! - is the central composting and water cycling zone which gives a nutrient source for the growing plants, gives a small composting area, and encourages water re-use (water is used washwater - use a biodegradable soap).  

Thanks to the City Farmer website (www.cityfarmer.info), for the reference to Send a Cow and its projects, which includes other lessons in appropriate technology. 

What is "Compost Tea" What's it for? How is it made?

When CGL hit the books, we realized quickly that this question was more complicated than we realized!  So, here's a start. 

Compost is wonderful stuff.  Basically, it is a mixture of materials that have decomposed together to give a combination soil conditioner and plant food.  It contains billions of microbes, bacteria and fungi - living critters that make up living soil.  It contains trace minerals, oxygen, nitrogen, and tiny spaces for water to be held in the soil.

One of the easiest ways to use compost is to simply spread fully or even half finished compost on the surface of the soil and leave it alone.  Rain will filter through it and send nourishment into the soil below and thus into your growing plants.  Worms and other critters will eat little bits of the compost and excrete it back into the soil, mixing it into the soil.  Overall, the good microbial life of your soil will increase.
 
For many years and in many recipes, people have made "compost tea." Often, this "compost tea" has been a simple leachate made by water being poured -filtered really - through a pail or barrel of compost; the water that comes out the bottom goes into soil around the plants and provides water and nutrient for them. For example, have big plant pots half filled with finished compost tucked in amidst the tomatoes; when you are watering, fill the pot up with rainwater or dechlorinated water, and it drains out the holes and into the soil by the tomatoes.   [use dechlorinated water so the good soil critters aren't killed off!]

The next type of compost tea CGL learned about is made by putting an amount of vermicompost [worm pooh!] or sifted, finished compost into dechlorinated water (rainwater or "hose water" that has sat in the container for a day) and over the next 24 - 48 hours it's stirred strongly several times a day to get oxygen into it.  This mix is then used to water the soil around plants; it doesn't need to have the solids filtered out.  4 or 5 cups of finished compost in a 5 gallon bucket does for this.  This mixture should be used soon after it's been made.  If it sits, any microorganisms that have developed die back (actually, they keep increasing in numbers until there are too many for their little world and they eat each other ... then waste materials collect and they die).

The thinking is, for the two methods above, that nutrient from the compost is more easily taken into the soil this way.  Also, that the microbial life is taken in.

The What is Compost Tea? question became much more complicated when we started reading chapter 18 from the book Teaming with Microbes  by Jeff Lowenfells and Wayne Lewis, published by Timber Press, 2010             London Public Library  call #631.4 low

Teaming With Microbes is basically a text book about the complex life of the soil web.  The photos are amazing, beautiful.  Reading it makes us wonder at the soil ecosystem - the interactions between soil organisms, plant roots and the interface between them - and how we affect this when we weed or dig in the garden.  The book supports ideas of permaculture - learning about the soil, the plants, the surroundings - the design of the entire system of location, weather, gardener.  How do we let everything support everything?  How do we enable everything in the garden to return to the garden, to support and sustain?

From Teaming with Microbes we learned about Actively Aerated Compost Teas (AACTs).  An AACT is made by putting finished compost or vermicompost (not manure) into rainwater or dechlorinated water, and having air actively bubble through it for about 24 hours.  Lowenfells and Lewis say that it is this controlled introduction of oxygen - the aerobic aspect - that enables the microbes, bacteria and fungi in the compost to reproduce quickly, increasing their numbers 4-fold. 

This aerated, living liquid can be used in two ways.  It can be put into the soil directly around plants.  Or the liquid can be filtered from the solids and the liquid can be sprayed directly onto the leaves of plants, both sides.  When the liquid is sprayed onto plant leaves the billions of organisms that have been literally shaken from the compost solids into the liquid attach themselves to the leaves and both feed the plant (called foliar feeding) and give protections against various harmful mildews, moulds and smuts.  The good/healthy organisms that have reproduced in the AACT protect the plants against disease organisms.  Like booster shots.

The Teaming with Microbes text gives technical and not so technical information about Actively Aerated Compost Teas.  For example, because UV radiation for the sun kills microorganisms, the bubbler (sort of a compost tea pot) should not be directly in the sun; nor should a foliar spray be done when the sun is high.  The best temperature for making AACT is "room temperature" - so if you are wanting to make some in chill fall weather you may need a heating pad under the bubbler; alternatively, in the 33 degree celcius temperatures of July 2011 you'd probably be needing to add ice cubes to cool down your mix.  Having the bubbler in shade is a good idea.  And you want it in a place where things can splash out without being a problem - not on a back porch with a new indoor/outdoor carpet!  The authors also advise us to clean the equipment used thoroughly after a brew, and before the bucket/barrel, and any hoses dry.  They refer to what is made as "slimy."  It is the slimyness that allows the AACT to adhere to leaves; it's also what will bung up your sprayer!  Oh, and they recommend a concrete sprayer if you are going to be doing this on a garden scale; these have wider hoses and/or nozzles than most garden sprayers or hand held bottles.

The above is just an introduction.  You might want to check out some resource books or online information, or talk with someone who has been using compost teas.  

Useful links - the most technical is Teaming with Microbes (which must be a textbook) and gives the reasons why the whole thing works. Fascinating book overall!

Fossil Fuel Fertilizer versus Compost Tea on the Farm by Rebecca Hosking. http://www.permaculture.co.uk/articles/fossil-fuel-fertilizers-v-compost-teas-farm

Elaine Ingam has a lot of info about compost tea online

Video clips of Paul Taylor on making compost
http://www.permaculture.co.uk/videos/how-make-bio-vital-compost-%E2%80%93-food-free

Teaming With Microbes - the organic gardener's guide to soil food webs reviewed by Patrick Whitefield.
http://www.permaculture.co.uk/book-reviews/teaming-microbes-organic-gardeners-guide-soil-food-web

What is Permaculture? It has something to do with planting things together, doesn't it?

Most of us start our gardens by planting one type of plant in a row, or a grid area, and the next type in another row.  As we become more experienced we realize little details like lettuces need a bit of shade during the hottest part of a summer day, and we plant them on the east side of taller growing plants, so they get dappled afternoon shade.  Or we realize that squash and cucumbers need to be pollinated by insects, so we grow a pretty stand of bergamot or other flowers right in the vegetable bed.

Plants in our gardens interact with each other and with surrounding plants, as well as the soil.  They seem to know what they need.  Permaculture is a design system that will help us think about, observe, and work in our gardens.  Its ideas will take most of us some time to take in, like other good things in life.  The text below is taken from a website maintained by Permaculture teacher Starhawk, who lives in San Francisco.  Starhawk and others have recently completed a film about permaculture - Permaculture: the Growing Edge which will be screened at the London Central Library on July 19, 7:00 p.m. The film description and a trailer are found at:  http://www.belili.org

Starhawk's website links with quite a few permaculture information sites and teachers.  Community Gardens London, thanks Starhawk and her associates who put together this easy to use web resource.   http://www.belili.org/permaculture/more_on_Permaculture.html
 
The remainder of this answer is taken from What Is Permaculture? - by Starhawk - http://www.belili.org/permaculture/more_on_Permaculture.html

Permaculture is ecological design aimed at creating systems that meet human needs while regenerating and healing the environment around us. It does this by applying a set of ethics and principles that guide us in designing connections, flows, and beneficial relationships among various elements, whether in a garden, a building or an organization, and mimicking the way that nature works. Permaculture is no one technique or process, but rather weaves together multiple approaches, technologies and solutions to problems of sustainability. Instead of designing separate things, we design connections and beneficial relationships.

The word ‘permaculture’ was coined by Australians Bill Mollison and David Holmgren in the 1970’s, from ‘permanent agriculture’, but has come to encompass many sorts of systems: ‘permanent culture.’

We see permaculture as a vitally important set of ideas and practices in this crucial time. We have a very narrow window of time left in which to respond to climate change and environmental degradation. If we don’t, we face ecological and human catastrophes that are beyond imagining. No one solution or technology can save us ... Only an integrated systems approach can find effective solutions to environmental and social ills.

Permaculture has three basic ethics: Care for the earth, care for people, and care for the future—sometimes framed as “return the surplus” or “limit consumption”. It has a set of principles that direct us to observe natural systems and mimic the way they work, catching and storing the sun’s energy, using biological and local resources, with minimal inputs of fossil fuel energy, and getting multiple uses out of each element. Permaculture favors low-tech solutions that empower ordinary people to take responsibility for their own needs and impacts. Our goal is more than sustainability: we work for abundance, regeneration and healing.

Permaculture is also a global movement and network. ....

Permaculture is a set of tools for shifting our thinking—from separation to connection, isolation to interdependence.


Starhawk’s Common Sense Permaculture Principles

Everything is connected
Nature Moves in Circles  ... If we use a resource, we must replenish it.
Energy is abundant but not unlimited
Do more with less
Use on-site and local resources whenever possible  - Let nature do the work—if you can use a biological resource, chances are it will be cheaper, easier and more effective than chemical or mechanical means.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it ... Work smarter, not harder! ... Observing, thinking, designing and planning can save you time, sweat and money.
Resilience is true security ... Value diversity—for diversity creates resilience. This is true for ecosystems, gardens and humans! ... Edges and margins, where two things meet, are often more dynamic and creative than either one alone, so make use of them ... Have more than one source for food, energy, income, etc.
Take responsibility ... Create the conditions that will favor the things or behaviors you want, rather than making war on what you don’t want.
Get some! Obtain a yield
Creativity is an unlimited resource

How do I start a shared or community garden?

This section links to several articles that discuss or give steps on 'How To Start a Community Garden'.  There are many things to think about and do as you develop a community garden.  It is important to develop and maintain good communication between members of your gardening group, between your group and the landlord, and between your group and the neighbourhood where the garden is located.   There is also work to do with the physical set up of the garden. Planning will pay off!

With the work, there can be cookies!   Listed below you will find advice on starting a community garden generally:(1) A short and encouraging list of things to think about written by Lorraine Johnson in her terrific book City Farmer, (2) the Community Gardening 101 guide to starting a shared garden, written by the Kingston Community Gardens Network http://www.kingstoncommunitygardens.ca/  and (3) links to several other resources like the American Community Gardening Association site, and (4) advice on how to approach the City of London to start a shared site on City land.

Also, please feel free to get in touch if you want to talk over something.  One of us in Community Gardens London might have an idea that is useful.  Also, we learn something from every conversation we have, and appreciate your ideas. 
communitygardenslondon@execulink.com  

1. Starting a Community Garden             notes from City Farmer by Lorraine Johnson
Most successful community gardens start from the ground up, not from the top down.  They grow and are sustained by the desires of a community to garden together in a communal space.  While one person, or a small group of people, may take a leadership role, many hands are needed to make the project work.  Here are some tips on how to get started:

1. Gauge community interest: ask around, put up flyers, call a meeting, see who comes.
2. Identify possible locations: anywhere from a neighborhood church or community center to a local park.
3. Decide on a working model for the group and for the garden.  Clarify how you want the group and the garden to work.
4. Establish a clear plan of action: delegate responsibility for contacting the site owner with your vision for the space.  Anticipate all the questions that might arise and prepare answers in advance.
5. Find allies in your community – in the parks department, for example, or in the municipal government (your councillor, for instance), or within community organizations who may be able to help.
6. Research what resources you can get for free – including soil or compost from the city, tool donations from local gardening businesses, and grants from social service organizations.
7. Hold meetings.  Hold more meetings.  Recognize that getting a project off the ground (or, rather, into the ground) may take a lot of time and effort.  Bring cookies to meetings – baked goods are motivating.

City Farmer, Adventures in Urban Food Growing, © 2010 by Lorraine Johnson.. Published in 2010 by Greystone Books: an imprint of D&M Publishers Inc. Reprinted with permission of the publisher. http://www.dmpibooks.com/book/city-farmer

------------------------------------
(2) The Kingston Community Gardens Network has done a wonderful service!  It has produced a document titled Community Gardening 101,  and it can be found through the Kingston website, via the How to Start a Garden menu title at:  http://www.kingstoncommunitygardens.ca/  

This 'how to' takes you through finding others who want to garden, establishing good relationships with your  neighbourhood and the city, getting permissions, setting guidelines for gardeners and property owners, planning the garden, and more.  It's easy to read and gives much to think about. 

The Kingston Community Gardens Network is a partnership of  Loving Spoonful (Kingston's Food Justice organization), the City of Kingston, Urban Agriculture Kingston, Oak St. Gardens, and OPIRG Kingston. The KCGN is administered through Loving Spoonful.

Contact information: Kingston Community Gardens Network, Coordinator :  Lilith Wyatt (on website Jan. 2017), gardens@lovingspoonful.org
(613) 507-8848

(3) These sites have useful sections on how to start a community garden

Sustainable Food Edmonton is, overall, a great resource! It connects with the city of Edmonton as far as community gardens go. Sustainable Food Edmonton website has some "how to start a community garden" info and community buildilng resources at: http://www.sustainablefoodedmonton.org/startingacommunitygarden

 American Community Gardening Association - has a huge amount of resource material: https://communitygarden.org/resources/

Community Gardening Toolkit - a resource for planning, enhancing and sustaining your community garden project.  This is a succinct 24 page guide to setting up community gardens, with neat cartoons.
University of Missouri Extension Services: http://extension.missouri.edu/p/MP906

(4) Starting a Shared or Community Garden in London - July 2013 notes

This item was written in 2013 and needs to be updated. Maureen, Jan. 25/17 as far as procedure goes. At this time, the London Community Gardens program is in a transition phase. General info: There are many shared and community garden ideas happening through churches, businesses, community organizations and in neighbourhoods around London. Situations differ depending on the land owner - private or City.  As shared and community gardens (and urban agriculture) develop in London, situations will need clarification and probably bylaw/policy changes. This will be on both City owned and privately owned land. More people will be following and developing policy (working through "city hall" and others will just set up new gardens/enterprises and take on challenges as they come. It is this writer's opinion that gardens will be started by people and these actions will lead bylaw changes; the practical leads.

Starting a Community Garden City of London land - usually meaning on Park land
As of July 2013, development of new gardens within London's community garden program is on hold, pending the "strategic plan" for London's community garden program. This is supposed to get underway in the fall of 2013.

There are innovations to shared/community garden programs that have not yet been tried in London. If you are interested in starting a community garden on City land and have others interested in your area, have a conversation with some or all of the following people. If you have momentum and resources, you may not have to be within London's allotment-style community garden program.

A recommendation of the 2011 London Community Gardens Program Review was that the City Planning department compile an inventory of land which would be appropriate for community gardens.  In June 2013, Vanessa Kinsley (below) mentioned to Maureen Temme of CGL that her department within Parks has a list of places it would like to see community gardens go in. The Parks and Planning departments will not be initiating gardens on these lands. Initiation of gardens is not in their jurisdiction, at this time. They are waiting on the outcome of the strategic plan, to get underway in the fall of 2013.

Several City departments are involved in the planning, policy and bylaw aspects of land use ... so are involved mainly with London's community gardens program of gardens on City land. The Parks and the Planning departments have worked closely with garden-interested community groups and the London Community Resource Centre to help community groups determine if a locale is suitable and to get neighbourhood input. 

These are people to speak with if you want to get a garden going on City land or on private land

London Community Resource Centre (www.lcrc.ca) is under contract to the City of London as the Coordinating Agency for London's allotment-style community gardens program. It manages the day-to-day happenings of the community gardens, including work toward fulfillment of the Recommendations of the London Community Gardens Program Review*(LCGPR). It is the place to book space in current garden locations. The LCRC does not anticipate opening any new gardens until after the strategic plan is done, but can offer advice and make sure your interest is recorded. Do leave your contact information to receive updates and to be included in the strategic planning process. Linda Davies is its Executive Director. Contacts:  lcrc@lcrc.on.ca  or  linda@lcrc.on.ca        ph: 519-432-1801 http://council.london.ca/meetings/CNC%20Agendas/2011-03-29%20Agenda/Item%209.pdf

Vanessa Kinsley, Community Projects Manager (planning department), works on many programs, not just gardens. If a group of interested Londoners want guidance about setting up a garden, particularly on City land, Vanaessa can tell you how a potential garden location is evaluated (soil type, soil testing, water availability, grading, sun, and boundaries) and on communicating your idea to neighbours (the City helps with a public participation process).

Vanessa has worked with the LCRC to evaluate sites for gardens that are designated as within London's community gardens program. However, she is interested in hearing ideas for gardens (particularly on City land) which might have community, volunteer support but not be designated as within the system overseen by LCRC. She is interested in possibilities and innovations.  vkinsley@london.ca or ph. 519-661-2500, ext. 1871.

Community Gardens London celebrates the shared and community gardens of London and area. We support and advocate for food producing gardens and their role in individual and urban food security, our good health and environmental health. We try to connect up people with ideas so they might develop their project ideas. Send us an email and either Maureen Temme or Robyn Harvey will be in touch to talk about your idea/project. communitygardenslondon@execulink.com              www.communitygardenslondon.ca

Cheryl Smith is a senior City administrator - Community Partnerships and Funding, out of Neighbourhood and Chidlrens' Services, in the the Community Services department, handling London's community gardens program: phone: 519-661-2500, ext. 5880 or email: csmith@london.ca

Scott Stafford is with the Parks Department, particularly involved with support services to the gardens. He understands what may and may not be done on City land. He and Vanessa work together in evaluating sites: phone: 519-661-2500 Ext. 4518 or email: sstaffor@london.ca

Growing

Question: What is the growing season where I live?
Answer: The growing season where you live is probably much longer than you think it is. 

There are different planting times for different types of seeds and seedlings. Pea seeds can go into very cold ground in mid-April in the London area; lettuce can be a surprisingly early crop. Chinese Cabbage seeds go into pots in mid July to early August, to sprout into the plantlings you will set into the ground four weeks later for late October harvest. Some plants, like Swiss Chard, can be started for a fall harvest and, especially if covered with leaves, will overwinter and come up the next spring to give an early crop of leaves and then can be left to go to seed. 

You can lengthen the growing season. By covering garden areas with row covers, some things can be planted extra early; some will grow late into the fall and even winter. An excellent resource is Eliot Coleman’s book Winter Harvest Handbook: year-round vegetable production using deep-organic techniques and unheated greenhouses. 

Plant Hardiness zone charts have been developed, based on geographic locale and first and last frost dates in those areas. Searching around the internet, one resource found was a page on the Vesey Seed website. It connects to several Canadian and U.S. hardiness zone maps; also, the company has indexed its seeds and plants on offer by their hardiness zone!
http://www.veseys.com/ca/en/learn/reference/hardinesszones

As we come more under the influence of climate change, and more days of ‘unusual-for the-time-of-year’ weather, we will probably rely less on the zone charts and more on the experiences we develop from 4-L gardening: looking around, learning, labour and love of what we do.

Problem Solving

Question:  How do I find an answer to a gardening problem?
Answer:  You could send an email to us: communitygardenslondon@execulink.com
Someone will get back to you within a day or so.

You could also spend some time at the library.  Your local library will have books about gardening.  Develop the habit of browsing.  Take 6 likely books off the shelf and do some looking over topics and the index.  Between searching for your particular problem and the related things you are bound to read, you’ll learn something about the gardening issue you’re concerned about.  You can also browse online, of course, and there are some wonderful resources.

Seed Saving

Question:  Will saving seeds from plants I grow save me money? 
Answer:  Yes, but only if you are a disciplined person who is not tempted by the pictures and descriptions of new hybrids and heritage seeds that come to you in seed catalogues or are on the seed racks in stores!  Most of us gardeners save seeds and buy more!

Seed saving is a wonderful area for Learning.  Saving seeds can be easy, especially from plants like kale and heritage squash that give many seeds.  It is possible to save seeds, bulbs or tubers, or to take cuttings or divisions, for just about everything you grow.  You can learn which plants are self-pollinating and which cross with plants in their same family, and that moisture level and temperature in seed storage areas affects the life of seeds. 

Seeds of Diversity is a Canadian volunteer organization that conserves the biodiversity and traditional knowledge of food crops and garden plants.  By becoming a member you are able to swap saved seeds with others.  There is much else of interest on its website, including the revised 5th edition of How to Save Your Own Seeds.  The $12.00 cost includes postage.    http://www.seeds.ca.  

Many organizations and individuals around the world are saving seeds adapted to their communities. 
Seeds of Diversity, mentioned above is Canadian.
Heritage seed is sold through  independent seed companies, based on small farms, such as Ontario’s Hawthorn Farm Organic Seed [www.hawthornfarm.ca] or  Terra Edibles [www.terraedibles.ca]. 

Internationally, organizations are working to help communities save their own seeds and help their local farmers maintain independence.  Two such projects are The Unitarian Service Committee’s Seeds of Survival project [http://usc-canada.org/what-we-do/sos/] and Navdanya, based in New Delhi, India [www.navdanya.org]

Along the way to Learning about seed saving, browse through some articles of Mother Earth News - http://www.motherearthnews.com/search.aspx?search=seed%20saving