Sunday Bits of Inspiration #89 (Bread Salad, Greenhouses, Sunflowers, and More)
- themarigoldgc
- Aug 11, 2024
- 5 min read
We have had a week, you all! Decided to make some changes in the garden, so started taking down the two beds right away, getting that corner ready to plant up into a bed inspired my our visit to the cohousing gardens in Saskatoon. Will show pictures once it looks like something. Right now is just a pile of dirt with some potted plants sitting on it so we can get the spacing right ; )
Our sweet English Mastiff, Hemingway, crossed the rainbow bridge on Tuesday, so it has been a glum week. He was a singer, so I find myself stopping to listen when I hear a siren on tv, or in the distance, thinking 'oh, there goes my boy again'. Sadly, it is no longer is Hemi. He was our fifth mastiff, but our very first singer. He sang when he wanted inside, wanted outside, when he woke up from a nap... well, he just loved to sing. We miss him bunches.
Sunday Bits of Gardening Inspiration!
I was poking about on my old blog, looking for something, when I came across this. Thought it was super cute then, still cute now. His tips are very wise, spot on!
I had a conversation with a young man the other day (9-ish years old) who has been growing and studying how to grow really great sunflowers. Here are some of his tips.
1. Don't waste your money on little packets of seeds, grab the ones that are in birdseed mixes and plant those instead. They grow great and make seeds that the birds love.
2. The bigger the cup or pot that you pre-start them in, the bigger your sunflower will grow. This is a super great tip. Applies to other plants, too. If your tomato (or whatever) starts are small or stunted, pot them into something bigger for their roots to have room to grow and the plant will get bigger and better in a matter of days.
3. If you plant them out into poor soil, very well draining (sandy, gravelly soil) you will get big, fat, sturdy stems on your sunflowers that are really well rooted in the ground. Good rich soil tends to make them wimpy.
4. Feed them with bunny poop for a great, organic fertiliser. They love it.
Having just finished our heatwave(s), I thought this article about what to do in the garden in extreme heat had many great points. I need to remember the first one - take pics of my garden every couple of weeks next summer so that I can find and fill those empty pockets with perennials later.... when I hit the fall sales ; )
I love looking in/at other people's greenhouses. The set up, how it fits into their yards, the landscaping around it. All the things. Check out all the pretty greenhouse ideas in this read. I love that one that you can walk right through. It is very simple, but how great is that idea, eh? Is like a greenhouse arbour. The airflow in summer would be amazing.
While you are at it, check out this food garden with greenhouse, too. This quote from the article is exactly what I teach and preach... 'I believe it is possible to create gardens that are not only beautiful and ecological but also put food on the table,’ says Alison.
We absolutely can grow food in pretty gardens that are earth friendly, too.
This backyard garden with rows of dahlias, vining tomatoes and cucumbers, raised beds overflowing with foods and flowers is what makes my heart and soul so very happy. Not a blade of grass to be seen... there's just no room ; )
These 8 flowers that we can sow this month for flowers next spring. Going to try them, nothing to lose but a few seeds if it does not work. I know some of them self sow and come up nicely, so hoping the others work here, too. I do not grow delphs, have not grown them in years, as they get very wormy. Less so on the island, I believe, but super wormy here. Life is too short to be fighting with wormy flowers. I plant monkshood instead. It is also tall, stately, comes in blue and white, is beautiful, and never wormy.
This lovely fall garden retreat. Love the lighting in the seating area.
How to make and use compost tea. I love using teas to feed my plants! Have been making my own organic 'fertiliser' for many years. The one in the picture is my alfalfa tea that I use for seedlings and roses in spring, and then I love on to compost tea. I do not aerate, but the article tells exactly how you can do it! Easy and inexpensive way to feed your soil life, your plants, and increase disease resistance.
I think you probably have heard of Charles Dowding and no dig gardening, but if not, this article is for you. No more digging, you all! It is hard on your back, bad for your garden and the planet, and totally unnecessary.
Words from Charles - 'The basic principles of his no dig method are disarmingly straightforward: ‘It is about two simple things – not disturbing the soil and feeding the soil life with organic matter on the surface.’
Sunday Bits of Recipe Inspiration
This is one of my most favourite salads to make as a meal in itself... bread salad, aka panzanella. Though the author uses a sourdough, you can use any nice, crusty bread that you like. Have some stale artisan bread or ciabatta buns hanging about? Perfect!
This pickled Swedish salad in a jar. Huh. Don't remember every having this or seeing this, but it looks delish! What a great way to preserve your harvest.
I am growing my melons up strings this year as I saw Charles Dowding doing with his last year. Saves on space, no trellis needed. They are baby watermelons, just grow into small round melons, so should be okay on the strings. I hope so, as I have a bunches of baby melons coming.
To make sure all the melons are truly well pollinated, I have been going in the greenhouse (door is left open night and day) every day or two to hand pollinate each and every female blossom, hahaha. The male is on the top, the female on the bottom, she has a little melon baby under the blossom. Isn't it the cutest?
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