urbantomato

Seedy Sunday Vendors & Community Groups

2012-01-28T09:29:00.000-08:00

Come and buy seeds (& other fab stuff) from these great vendors:

Learn some great stuff from or find out how to be involved with these community groups:

Seedy Sunday 2012 - Seed Exchange Area

2012-01-27T07:36:00.000-08:00

Seed Exchange Area: Seedy Sunday 2012

The Seed Exchange area is an integral part of the event. Anybody is welcome to participate. You can bring your own seeds to trade. If possible, package them ahead of time into smaller envelopes (See details below) or envelopes, and volunteers will be available to help you divide up seed on site. Seed packages are traded on a system of trust, one package for one package.

If you do not have your own seeds to trade, you will also be able to take seeds home for small donations. All proceeds will go to Seeds of Diversity Canada.

If you have any questions, need more information, or would like to donate seeds ahead of time, please do not hesitate to contact me:

Safe Seed Pledge

2012-01-14T09:48:00.000-08:00

urbantomato has signed the Council for Responsible Genetics:
Safe Seed Pledge:
"Agriculture and seeds provide the basis upon which our lives depend. We must protect this foundation as a safe
and genetically stable source for future generations. For the benefit of all farmers, gardeners and consumers who
want an alternative,
We pledge that we do not knowingly buy or sell genetically engineered seeds or plants.
The mechanical transfer of genetic material outside of natural reproductive methods and between genera, families
or kingdoms, poses great biological risks as well as economic, political, and cultural threats. We feel that
genetically engineered varieties have been insufficiently tested prior to public release. More research and testing is
necessary to further assess the potential risks of genetically engineered seeds. Further, we wish to support
agricultural progress that leads to healthier soils, genetically diverse agricultural ecosystems and ultimately healthy
people and communities."

Seedy Sunday 2012

2012-01-12T13:04:00.000-08:00

Woohoo! It's that time of year again! Time to start thinking about seed exchanges again. This is a preliminary announcement. More details to follow soon!

If you are interested in vending, showcasing your community group, donating seeds, doing a workshop, volunteering or have any suggestions, contact me!

Seeding Deep Democracy - vandana shiva

2012-01-04T15:53:00.001-08:00

artsy description of urbantomato

2012-01-03T18:06:00.000-08:00

urbantomato is a locallybased vegetable seed company that provides heirloom seeds, seedlings and theknowledge needed to save your own seeds & get growing. urbantomato iscontinually capturing the beauty of her tomatoes & other veggies in photographs,and to use as a basis for artistic & creative packaging and supportingcrafts to help promote and expose heirloom seeds & seed saving to a wideraudience.

warm thoughts

2011-12-28T12:10:00.000-08:00

I am not much of a winter person. I enjoy the down time. sleeping in. reading. staying warm. but i miss my gardens. i miss fresh veggies. i miss warmth. and i miss wearing high heels. so here are some photos of what i am thinking about to help keep me warm

Focus Fair December 2011

2011-12-14T17:37:00.000-08:00

All in all focus fair was a great success this year. Lots of fabulous customer, amazingly creative vendors showcasing their wares, and a wonderful atmosphere. thanks to the spill, our supporter, and my fellow co-organizers!

urbantomato seeds on display

i have been dreaming of sock garters for years. thanks morgan!!

conartist and her fabulous postscards, outlet covers & buttons

morgan cleopatra's bowties, garters, spats, cuffs & so much other great stuff!

shannon taylor

pretty random things

tall tree farms- loca cutting boards, maple syrup, birch syrup, and honey

Mobiuskerf

not the greatest photos, but a few shots of the crowd.

Box full of seeds

2011-12-14T17:17:00.000-08:00

Box full of seeds. I was hard at work all week packaging seeds and getting all ready for focus fair. Got lots of packages all ready to go...

winter is coming

2011-12-14T17:07:00.000-08:00

but my plants are still growing along great! indoors of course..

Sweet peppers setting fruit

peppers & basil blooming against a backdrop of one of our first snows here in eastern ON

i love having the smell (& taste!) of basil, rosemary, and lavender

There was a gorgeous full moon rising from the east last week. loving the view out of my new office window... and my pot of greens growing wonderfully. ahh fresh cilantro, kale, and lots of different lettuces..

a few more new (to my collection) varieties

2011-12-08T13:29:00.001-08:00

Opalka. My pantry shelves are lined with jars of sauce made from this delicious & prolific paste tomato. Originated in Poland circa 1900. Glad that I added it to my collection!

Sweet Angora. Maybe you like your tomatoes red, but prefer them small & sweet? This little beauty grows great in small spaces, and pots, and produces perfect bite size cherry tomatoes all season long!

black sea man tomato

2011-12-04T18:52:00.001-08:00

i have been waiting to make this package design for a long time . . . .

More new packs

2011-12-04T17:52:00.001-08:00

peach paste picks

2011-12-04T15:40:00.001-08:00

isis candy options

2011-12-04T13:52:00.001-08:00

above is the original. made how is used to do it, cut & paste printed little lines of print. i like the old skool look of it, but it is started to get a little worn over time . . . so, i made up some new options this aft . . . hmm. think i need to darken the font on the 2nd

black cherry choices

2011-12-04T12:58:00.001-08:00

The photo above is what the package currently looks like, but I took the photo of the black cherry's on the plate this summer, and i like it so much i wanted to re-design the packaging to include it . . . now which one do i choose?

decisions, decisions

2011-12-04T11:32:00.001-08:00

Designing new seed packets & trying to decide between these three designs for my alma paprika packaging . . . votes?

& so the season of cold season begins

2011-12-01T16:01:00.001-08:00

snow falling on the last of the flowers in my garden

the very strange sight of an iris blooming in november, and snow falling upon it

snow on the outside roof, fresh greens still growing

cilantro is still growing covered in snow

my herbs are growing along great on my radiator! had lot of fresh basil for pasta the other day. mmm

Holiday Cheer

2011-11-27T10:51:00.001-08:00

Seeds make great gifts for the holidays! Send me an email if you would like to purchase some or you can find me (& lots of other great artists) at this year's Focus Fair

Focus Fair Holiday Indie Craft Show
Saturday Dec. 10th 11-5 andSunday Dec. 11th 11-4

Spill Cafe - 414 George St. N

Come to the Focus Fair Indie Craft Show and find tonnes of local, handmade treasures for everyone on your shopping list. Support Local Artists. Enjoy Holidy Cheer

More for information, check out the event on facebook!

a little more grand bend

2011-11-14T20:36:00.001-08:00

Seeds drying in my back room

2011-11-14T20:20:00.001-08:00

Flowers, beans drying in their husks, hot peppers. This baker's rack is incredibly handy

Beans hanging up to dry. I had to pick them early due to a heavy frost warning. I am hoping that by pulling them up by the root, and hanging them upside down, the seeds will still develop fully

fall in the community garden

2011-11-14T20:12:00.001-08:00

Chard in its last stages

Lots of happy kale still

Pile of greens harvested on Nov. 9th!

Beautiful pink & yellow chard

My garden plot put to bed under a pile of straw

happy to be in the garden on a mild November day

planting my garlic

2011-11-14T20:11:00.001-08:00

So, today, November 14th, I finally planted my garlic. This is one of the first times I have ever done it without frozen fingers or under a light dusting of snow, and I usually get to it around Halloween. Here are some photos

3 varieties cracked, laid out, and ready to plant!

Created little divots in the soil for the cloves

Garlic in the ground

Cloves covered in soil, and then mulched in a think layer of straw. Gives it a nice warm blanket to protect it over the winter, and then as soon as the soil warms up in the spring, they can get growing

Bringing a little of the season inside

2011-11-08T21:00:00.001-08:00

Before a deep frost could hit my container garden (they had been protected by a large front porch), I transported them into my home in an attempt to extend the life of the plants, and my access to fresh food, the smell of fresh herbs, and just to look at green things growing!

I moved my hot pepper plants, rosemary & lavender directly on top of my radiator in front on a sunny window. They seem to love having heat from underneath throughout the winter. All three of these plants have been overwintered for two years already!!

The basil, I don't expect to live throughout the whole season, but it is still flowering, so I am hoping to collect seed from it, and the flowers are really pretty to look at

My hot pepper plant has already set new flowers!

I dug up these lovely fall greens from my farm and transplanted them to pots, and placed them in a sunny window in a room that is not heated. I home to have fresh greens for a few months to come!

Windy & Beautiful Sunset

2011-10-30T15:38:00.001-07:00

I took this video one very windy evening on Lake Huron. It was invigoratingly beautiful out that night. The sun-setting, and the reflection in the water pools on the beach were spectacular. This truly is one of my favourite places in the world to be. You can hear the wind whipping off the water, but for emphasis I turned the camera on myself to show just how windy it really was. Literally blew my hair back!

here are some still shots as well:

Fall Farming

2011-10-30T15:25:00.000-07:00

I went out to the farm to close it up for the season, and surprisingly found a lot of things still growing! There were still flowers on my pepper plants!

Beautiful mixed greens

Making Ketchup

2011-10-30T15:18:00.000-07:00

All the delicious spices in the spicy ketcup

Ketchup thickening up

Mmm, the final product

Last week, I used the last of my paste tomatoes to make this amazing ketchup

Peach Paste

2011-10-30T15:11:00.000-07:00

Some photos for another new variety i will have available this Spring; peach paste

Relics of the past

2011-10-13T09:00:00.000-07:00

As I said in my last post, I am at home visiting my family for the week. While looking for a book to read, I came across these relics from the past of urbantomato.

When I first started urbantomato, I was given a grant to help start a small business, it gave me time to develop packaging templates & ideas. These are some of the first templates that I designed, and gave to my family as christmas gifts. I think that they must be from 2005 or 2006?

I cannot imagine that I used to hand-write each of my packages!!! That would take ages now. I guess I was working at a smaller scale then

The packages I found were for una heartstock, green grape, chocolate pepper and black russian. Still some of my favourites. Amazing to think of just how many seeds have come from the stock that was put in these packages . . . thousands upon thousands, and so many fruits!

I do like the idea that I had the instructions of how to save your seeds right on the back of the envelopes, maybe I will have to reincorporate that?

I am gonna look around at home to find my other envelopes through the years, I know that I had many versions, none quite as labour intensive as these, but certainly each took more time than the systems I have in place now. I wonder if ten years from now I will look back at my current packaging & wonder what I was thinking? Ahh, The joy of growth & development!

family & fall

2011-10-12T10:52:00.000-07:00

At home visiting my family, and for once, not spending any time in the garden (while at least not mine) or organizing farmers' markets or community gardens, ahh vacation, and by some crazy amazing coincidence, the weather feels like mid-August!!! Except, the beach is deserted, how amazing.

so amazingly enough, here are some photos that are not of seeds or vegetables!

They say that the sunsets here are amongst the best in the world. I agree, I have been lucky enough to spend a lot of time on the shore's of Lake Huron throughout my life, but I never cease to be amazed by the glory and beauty of this place, no matter what the season.

More photos of new varieties for next season

2011-10-07T12:14:00.000-07:00

*Beaver Dam Hot Peppers

Here are some photos that I have been taking of new (to me) varieties of tomatoes. I will be making up some packaging over the winter, and they will be available for sale in February. Will post when packages are made. For now I am swamped in collecting the seeds, preserving the fruit, and of course photographing them all over my house!

*Opalka paste tomatoes

* Hot Portugal Peppers

*Missouri Love Apple Tomatoes

Can-tastic

2011-10-07T12:05:00.000-07:00

I have gotten really into canning this year! So far, I have made dill pickles, pickled beans, pickled beets, pickled basil carrots, salsa, relish, oven-dried tomatoes, smoked paprika, roasted tomato sauce, regular tomato sauce, canned peaches & pears & a whole lot of pesto!! I am hoping to make my own ketchup, and because I still have lots of paste tomatoes sitting on my counter, something else creative with tomatoes?? Suggestions?

Snap shot of my pantry last week

& a wider show also showing pesto (that is stored in my freezer!)

Beautiful pickled basil carrots

I already posted these photos of pickles in mid-prep, and final product with ingredients, but thought i would add them again

Tomato paste, juice and oven-dried cherries!!

another pantry shot, as of Oct. 6th, have to start piling things on top shelf now!

Photos for new cherry tomato varieties (or packs that needed new photos!)

2011-09-27T13:40:00.000-07:00

Black Cherry in all there glory!

Sweet Angora. Beautiful. Red & Perfectly round cherry

Cherry Roma - Keep for a long time & are great for roasting or oven-dried tomatoes

Red Fig - Kinda like a yellow pear, but red!

Hartman's GooseBerry!

Isis Candy on a beautiful purse from ChaCha - can't decide what photo I like best. Suggestions?

so many tomatoes

2011-09-11T11:08:00.000-07:00

I picked five bushels of tomatoes this week! and they are taking over my living room

Tomatoes & Peppers drying in a smoker. just one of the many ways I have been preserving the fruitful harvest!

Mmm. homemade paprika. Those are my alma paprika peppers on the second shelf from the bottom. soon to be dried, then ground up . . .

Cosmic Purple Carrots!

2011-09-11T11:03:00.000-07:00

My first harvest of cosmic purple carrots from my community garden. gorgeous!

The lovely work of Peggy-Gene Baillie in presenting the carrots & other garden goodies

i love the things that tomatoes make

2011-09-05T16:21:00.000-07:00

oven dried tomatoes coming fresh out of the oven, and on a pretty plate

tomato juice, tomato paste & oven-dried tomatoes

Table of Tomatoes!

2011-09-04T15:16:00.000-07:00

wow, do i ever have a lot of tomatoes! belieive it or not, I took these photos last week, and just picked twice as many!

Harvest!!!

2011-08-29T17:51:00.001-07:00

Time to Preserve

2011-08-29T17:48:00.000-07:00

Making oven roasted tomatoes!

Making pickles!!

Free Seed Saving Workshop in Ptbo

2011-08-23T14:32:00.001-07:00

Will be doing a FREE workshop on Seed Saving 3pm this Saturday at the Peterborough Folk Fest! http://ptbofolkfest.com/
Come down to learn more about the importance of, and techniques for seed saving!

My laboratory

2011-08-21T15:45:00.000-07:00

The tomatoes, before I cut & squeeze out their seeds

Pretty jars filled with all the beautiful colours of tomatoes coming out my garden, they are not so pretty in a few days when they are fermenting!

Liftlock Garden - Aug. 19th

2011-08-21T14:51:00.000-07:00

Can you believe all of this food came out of a 20x20 plot!!

Beautiful sunset was the backdrop for your meeting

Gardeners reaping their harvest

Newly dug up plot ready for planting of fall greens

Brussel Sprouts in a fellow gardeners plot

Gorgeous sky, gorgeous garden

Surveying the plot

Harvest!!!

2011-08-21T14:41:00.000-07:00

Cracked Tomatoes

2011-08-20T09:46:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately all this rain & then hot sun tends to make tomatoes crack. Heirloom tomatoes are very thin skinned, and when the sun hits a wet tomato, it can cause the skin to split.
One thing that you can do to help prevent this is pick them a little bit unripe. Look for a slight changing of colour at the bottom or throughout the tomato, this should indicate that it is already ripening inside, and will be delicious to eat in a few days.
Remember, cracked tomatoes does not affect the taste! You can still eat & enjoy the fruit, and if it is starting to rot, you can either simply cut around that part of the tomato or, you can always collect seed from it!!!

5 Simple Reasons to Save Your Seeds

2011-08-13T09:46:00.001-07:00

Harvest

2011-08-13T09:44:00.000-07:00

Although I have a million pictures of my tomatoes, and these are certainly not the best, they are my first pics of the harvest from this year so, here they are:

& some photos of my harvest from my community garden:

Lovely country skies

2011-08-13T09:40:00.000-07:00

Although I am a proud urban dweller and young farmer, i can't help but blissfully enjoy my commute through the country to the farm. These photos make it very easy to see why:

Sunset over the farm. Beautiful time of day to pick tomatoes!

The drive home, country at a quick pace

Collecting Lettuce Seeds

2011-08-13T09:35:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos of various leafy greens going to seed:

This is some lettuce seed in the stage after it has flowered (above)

When collecting leafy green seeds, pay attention to the plants. They will begin to "bolt", grow upwards & create flowers (they will no longer taste very good at this stage), let those flowers bloom & die back, and then seed pods will form. Let them brown & then collect! Dry further indoors, pop open pods, and there is the seed!

Here are some greens that are sending up their flower stocks, and are about to bloom

Romaine Lettuce bolting, it is about to send out it's flower stock

Romaine sending out flowers

Leafy green flower stocks against a beautiful august evening sky

Red Romaine just about to flower

After the flowers have bloomed, you will have to wait another few weeks for the pods to form and start to dry out . . .watch carefully, when they are ready, they may burst open & you will loose the seed. Take them inside to dry before that stage . . .

Seed Collection Tips

2011-08-12T08:02:00.001-07:00

How to Save Tomato Seeds?

2011-08-11T11:05:00.003-07:00

So, Here is a photo demonstration of how i save my tomato seeds step-by-step.

Step #1 - Start with ripe, healthy tomatoes

Step #2 - Cut them in half

Step # 3 - Squeeze liquid including seeds, into a jar

Step # 4 - Let ferment for 4-7 days. (pictured bel0w)

Step #5 - Fill the jar containing fermented seeds with water. The seeds will sink to the bottom, and mould float to the top.

Step #6- Pour off top layer of mould and water. Do not pour out seeds.

Step #7 - Fill Jar with Water again. Let seeds settle.

Step #8 - You may have to repeat Step #6 & 7 a few times until all that remains is clear water & seeds.

Step # 9 - Strain the Seeds

Step #10 - Let dry on a suspended screen for at least one week

I dry mine of a re-claimed baking rack. It works perfectly!

Eerie Day on the Farm

2011-08-11T11:04:00.000-07:00

Spent an overcast, dreary day at the farm, birds were flocking above & perched on each of the fence posts.

Early August Gardens

2011-08-07T13:36:00.000-07:00

Hornworm Damage: Cause & Effect

2011-08-07T12:10:00.000-07:00

This is why I get really upset with hornworms . . .

They are all over my garden

and when i find them, this is their fate . . . sorry, but it's you or my tomatoes

Holy Hornworms

2011-08-01T14:08:00.000-07:00

I have had gardens in many places, and it never ceases to amaze me how the tomato hornworms seem to find my garden. I joke around that they somehow follow me around. I guess they know where to find the best tomatoes!

But, alas, when it comes to my tomatoes, i show no mercy . . .

Brian Mitolo's shots of the gardens

2011-07-30T11:38:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Brian Mitolo for taking these shots of me enjoying being in my community garden plot. and the beauty of the entire garden itself. Learn more about Brian's work here

Fruit Season = Bliss

2011-07-29T14:36:00.001-07:00

I heart my community garden!

2011-07-29T14:34:00.000-07:00

Farm-tastic!

2011-07-29T13:58:00.000-07:00

Thursday was a beautiful day for farming. it was still quite humid, but the cloudy skies provided us with protection from the sun; and beautiful scenery!

so many green tomatoes!! can't wait for them to start turning to a rainbow of tomatoes!

purple cherokees are getting so close to sandwich time

paprika peppers ripening

yellow beans! and weeds!

cucumbers

baby basil

zucchini

black seamans

i love this photo of a purple bean plant flowering, if i could, i might sit in the garden & take a photo every hour as the plant begins producing it's pod. probably a good thing that my garden is not in my backyard!

more green tomatoes. sooo soon & we can start eating them. sooo excited.

This is what tomato hornworms do. jerks! i must have killed 50 huge one's today. notice the million weeds in the background too. oh my.

i love this twisted tomato! it's a stripe cavern. this will probably be the first of 200 pictures i will take of it!

Blossom End Rot

2011-07-26T10:48:00.000-07:00

So, one of the problems that you may witness in your tomatoes is blossom end rot. This condition is usually caused by uneven watering or lack of calcium in your soil. You can see a brown and mushy spot where the blossom of the tomato flower would have been.

Sadly, you will most likely have to remove the affected fruit, as it is likely to rot further as the fruit continues to ripen. However, you should be able to fix the problem for future fruits/

First, water your plants on a regular schedule. Try to ensure they are receiving an even level of moisture.

Photo from http://thegoodthing.org

Secondly, there are varying suggestions on how to do it, but you need to get the plant some more calcium. One resource suggests adding eggshells to the top of your soil, seems like a simple way of doing it?

Here are some other sites you can check out:

Veggie Gardening Tips

Blossom End Rot- Cause & Prevention

You Grow Girl forum

Tomato Hornworms

2011-07-25T10:04:00.000-07:00

Threat: The Tomato Hornworm

These little guys can do quite a lot of damage in your tomato patch. They are hungry and will eat through the leaves of your plants & take large chunks out of the fruit themselves. Here are some photos of them on the plants, you can see some of the damage they have done (the stems have no leaves on them where they have been eaten)

& Here is a photo of one that I picked off the plant. The best way to deal with hornworms organically is to pick them off the plants as you see them (look carefully, they are very camaflouged, you can see the damage they have done, and droppings easily).

Once you pick them off the plant, you have to decide what is best to do with them. I have always killed them with the scissors that I am using to prune (may sound barbaric, but it is part of being an organic farmer).

Late July Crops - Almost!

2011-07-25T10:01:00.000-07:00

White wonder cucumbers growing along. Soon, I will be slicing them up to soak in vinegar & slather with feta, or just eat them whole!

So many tomatoes. Now, they just have to ripen, and then, purple cherokee sandwiches!

striped caverns getting big!

plenty o paprika peppers

so many tomatoes!

necessary swimming after lots, and lots, and lots of weeding in 35 plus heat!

Home Garden

2011-07-25T09:50:00.001-07:00

So many things blooming in the garden right now!

If you ever wondered what flowers are in my mixed seed packets, this photo is a good example!

Lakefield Gardens

2011-07-25T09:42:00.000-07:00

I am lucky enough to grow some of my crops out in Lakefield surrounded by a beautiful perennial garden. In late July, the lilies are in bloom & they are sooo beautiful!

Little baby jalapenos & yellow pear tomatoes

Tying up the tomatoes

Grey, grey day, after soo many of hot sun

Lovely Lilies

Loving the Garden

2011-07-22T14:01:00.001-07:00

I look like a sweaty bridesmaid! I am happy about my first harvest from the garden; a beautiful bouquet of swiss chard.

Collecting Poppy Seeds

2011-07-22T08:35:00.000-07:00

Poppy seed heads are ready when they are browned & dry. The photo above shows one that is perhaps even too far along, but you get the idea. You can also pick them when they are between green & brown & let them dry indoors so that you don't loose the seeds

Poppy seeds are ready when the pod has fully browned, cut the stalks & pod off, careful, each one contains many many seeds. You can leave pods on paper to dry, and then leave in a dark & dry container until Spring!

These pods were left a little too long, and there is not many seeds in them, most of them spread by the wind into the garden!

Seedlings off on their own

2011-07-21T09:15:00.000-07:00

I love it when I go & visit people, and find my little seedlings growing along, and living happily in their gardens! Especially when those folks show them off to me with pride. Happy growing. Send me your photos!

Before & After

2011-07-21T09:12:00.001-07:00

Lilies

2011-07-21T09:10:00.001-07:00

Meals to Be!

2011-07-21T09:08:00.001-07:00

Peterborough Downtown Farmers' Market

2011-07-17T10:33:00.000-07:00

One of my other hats is managing the Peterborough Downtown Farmers' Market . Although my garden is not this productive (yet!), I am able to enjoy all the wonderful produce the season has to offer!

Suckering Your Tomatoes

2011-07-17T10:29:00.001-07:00

Okay, so with this season of unprecedented growth, comes a unique set of problems. I have had many a customer & friend tell me that their tomatoes are going crazy or growing out of control . . . .

Suckering Your Tomatoes 101

When your tomato plants are growing like crazy, it is a good idea to "sucker" them. This will help the plant direct vital energy into creating & ripening tomatoes, as opposed to growing more & more greenery . . . . Living up to their name, these "suckers" are sucking energy away from the fruit of your plants . . .

Step #1- Locate the sucker -

The "Sucker" is the growth that appears in the crotch between the stem & a branch (it is the portion of the plant that my fingers are grasping in the picture below:

Step #2 - Snap off the "sucker". If you break it between your thumb & forefinger, you should be able to get smooth snap

Step #3 - Repeat throughout the plant, and enjoy the fruits of your labour in the harvest to come . . . . You may have to continue this process throughout the summer

My Lakefield plants have not started to grow a lot of "suckers" yet, but I will post a before & after photo of suckering at the Havelock garden when I have done it!

Growing Cucumbers & Combatting Cucumber Beetles

2011-07-17T10:28:00.000-07:00

I love fresh cucumbers. Crunchy straight from the garden; or picked for later. They are amazing at this time of year, but first, you after to make sure that the cucumber beetles don't kill your plants!

Go to the following site or here for many organic ways to control cucumber beetles

Growing Food in the City!

2011-07-17T10:22:00.000-07:00

I love my community garden. Everytime I go, I am amazed at how productive and beautiful it is. It was merely mowed grass, just a few months ago.

tis the seasons for seeds coming to me

2011-07-12T17:55:00.000-07:00

when i was walking down the street today, i found this bag lying on the ground. i wonder if fate brought these to me? if you know who they belong to, let me know!

First green tomatoes and more

2011-07-12T17:52:00.000-07:00

Tomatoes! Yes they are still green & have to get bigger, but they are most certainly striped cavern & oh so exciting

cilantro. after emerging from the weeds

peppers

green una heart stock

me, happy at the garden

tomatoes are full of fruit and flowers, but they need rain!

Happy Container Tomatoes

2011-07-12T17:34:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine is doing a fabulous job growing some of my tomatoes in pots on her front porch. hope she will be eating tomatoes soon! gotta love happy customers who take great care of their plants.

Lilies in Bloom

2011-07-12T17:29:00.001-07:00

Perennial Gardens - early July

2011-07-12T17:25:00.000-07:00

gotta love an urban garden

my garden is reaching its finest week of the year.

lilies are about to by in full bloom & glory

spending so much time on the porch reading & watching the garden grow

pepper growing along splendidly in pots

not quite sure why i am scowling in this photo, because I am so happy to be in the garden

The gorgeous drumlins around Peterborough County

2011-07-12T17:05:00.000-07:00

Certainly can't complain about my commute

I found a new route home from the farm, and man it is gorgeous

I love these rolling drumlins. i know live 20min away in the City, but when i drive through these hills I know exactly why I call this area home.

Community Garden Plot

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Flower & Container Gardens

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Home. sweet home.

Herbs!

Farms in Early July

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Baby peppers!

Green Tomatoes!

Weeds!

Collecting Arugula Seeds

2011-07-05T08:05:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have arugula going to seed (or other greens). It is perfectly natural for greens to want to "bolt" (start to produce seed) when it gets hot, but if your greens are already bolting, you might have wanted to pick them & eat them more. They are the types of wonderful plants that produce more, the more you eat. If you neglect them, they will think that their job has passed, and start producing seeds for future generations.
You should select seed from plants that have the best qualities (slow to bolt, deliciousness, resistant to bugs . . . ) Keeping all of that in mind, to collect arugula that is going to seed:

1) When arugula is going to seed, it starts getting much taller & sending up a stalk & white flowers. (You can see them growing amongst my peas in the photo above). After the flowers bloom, the seed pods will form

2) Once, they have browned & dried, cut the seed pods & stalks off the plants.

3) Once the seed pods have formed & started to dry, pick them. You can easily separate the tiny black seeds, by "squishing" pods. If they are ready, they will open easily. Below, you can see my doing it on a sheet . .

4) Separate all plant matter from seeds; and let dry fully in an envelope & jar.

Saving Lupin Seed

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Collecting lupin seed is easy. Mine is not quite ready yet. The picture below shows a lupin plant producing seed. I usually let the pods get a little bit browner & drier before I harvest.

When the seed pods look like the photo below, it is time to harvest the seeds . . . pull off each of the pods, and let dry on a screen or plate. when seed pods are fully ready they will crack open easily. careful they will do that naturally in your garden if you don't get to them in time.

if you look closely, you can see the dark brown seeds in the pods

& finally, when you hear that rattling sound, and the pods are mostly brown, your seeds are fully ready to harvest!

Let dry, store in a dark & cool place until the Spring!

Collecting Columbine Seeds

2011-07-05T07:38:00.000-07:00

For some folks, this might be a bit late; I know that my columbine seeds pods already burst open & spread out all over my back yard, but the one's in the front are at the perfect harvesting stage!

How to collect your own columbine seed:

1) Let the flowers bloom & die off

2) Green seed pods will form where the flowers were.

3) Pay attention to the pods, let them brown slightly and begin to dry.

4) Cut off seed pods (carefully)

5) Empty seeds onto a plate or paper to dry.

The pictures below show the various stages of a columbine producing seed. You can see the greening pods (look closely & you can even see the little black seeds in the pods). They are ready when the seeds easily empty into your hand from the pods. This is why you have to watch carefully, they will burst & spread themselves out!

yep, that about sums me up

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Container Garden - mid-June

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Farm - mid-June

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Peppers are starting to flower! and the tomatoes are growing along. funny how small they look now. and how big they will be later.

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I was invited to plant some tomatoes & do some gardening with a friend. I was told it was beautiful, but had no idea just how close to "Eden" a place could be! I have some serious peony envy

2011-06-17T10:50:00.001-07:00

Last Chance for tomatoes. If you need some last minute fill-ins for your gardens, let me know. Plant em or I will!

Perennial Gardens - June 10th

2011-06-14T09:37:00.000-07:00

This weather is really making the blooms come & go quick. trying hard to document and enjoy every step of the way!

More farming photos

2011-06-14T09:29:00.000-07:00

Little chocolate peppers (above) and alma paprika (below) growing in black plastic to help keep them warm!

A gorgeous view of a storm coming in from the South. Glad that my little tomatoes persevered through the 60km/h winds of the night before. they were a little flattened, but un-broken. way to go little guys!

My tomatoes, all lined up and looking great!

Dirty. Dirty garden plan. 300 seedlings in and counting!

Liftlock Community Garden

2011-06-14T09:17:00.000-07:00

The humble beginnings of my plot at the Liftlock Community Garden!

Little peppers taking root!

Cucumber seeds in mounds getting ready to sprout!

Farming - First week of June

2011-06-14T09:08:00.000-07:00

My plot of land, everything is so small, it is hard to imagine that a tall person will be able to disappear in the green by August!

Paula nicely agreed to rotovate my land for me! Now it is so much smoother and easier to dig. Nicer for the roots to spread themselves out too! Thanks Paula. I was envious of her rotovated land, and now I am envious of her tractor driving skills!

beautiful view to the south, i can't get enough of it!

Irrigation system. A tractor motor sucks the water out of a spring, and then fills the systerine with lots of water for our planties.

Poppies in Perennial Garden

2011-06-06T11:17:00.000-07:00

oh how i love my garden. it is now a five year old perennial garden, it has grown and flourished over the years, but i think this year, it has really hit it's stride. i have barely had to do anything to it, and it looks gorgeous. i could spend days on end sitting on my porch watching it grow. as i type this, i am out front watching the irises burst under the hot afternoon sun!

More Farming! June 2nd

2011-06-06T10:57:00.000-07:00

The view at Gaelic Garlic over their garlic, my garden & SunRoot Organics garden. easy to see why i feel immediately at peace here!

The rotovater

it's almost impossible for me to resist taking a picture of me on a tractor. no, i wasn't driving it, or rotovating with it, just posing. what a poser!

Huge patch of garlic that we were helping out by weeding a bit

Beautiful nest of robin's eggs in the trailer where all our gear is stored.

Prepping for & going to market!

2011-06-06T10:40:00.000-07:00

Farming!

2011-06-01T13:01:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos from the farm on May 30th. It has been wet, wet, wet here in May, and only now can we get plows out into the field. So, here are some shots of the expansive plot of land that I have to use this season. Thanks Gaelic Garlic!

Me in all of my farming gear

Cultivating!

Picking rocks!

Field being cultivated, then rototilling, then planting!

Me, outstanding in my field!

Cannery Window - May 19th

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urbantomato market booth

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Some photos of my booth down at the Saturday Farmers' Market