Nasturtium progress report

I sowed two varieties of nasturtium seeds on June 20th, 7 weeks ago. All the seeds germinated by day 10 and now after 49 days of coddling, these are the survivors and thrivers. Several plants succumbed to heat-stroke and a couple provided tasty munching for plump worm-like bugs that I hope were, in turn, food for the birds. I also harvested a few leaves to add a peppery flavour to salad.

Today I observed lot of leaves and a few buds. Flowering is supposed to begin within 10 weeks of sowing. When the first flowers appear, I will write up the results of this "experiment" in late season sowing and growing in small containers. I recall reading somewhere that nasturtiums like to put their roots deep and wide so I think they are probably too cramped. I may also have used soil that is a bit too rich -- it contains my mom's superb compost.

Here are the two dominant puppies in the litter:

From 10 commandments to "factor inputs and externalities"

Just after I finished writing the previous post, I visited my favourite urban gardener's blog (she's my inspiration to keep trying to grow my own, albeit on a much smaller scale) and read a complementary post that also really challenges my thinking and way of doing things.

Please do check out Gayla's thoughtful analysis. I agree all gardeners need to consider these "factor inputs and externalities" -- they really are the key part of the equation. I myself admit to being more focused on the ouput.

10 Commandments of Eco-Gardening

Photo credit: MEC's Green Roof

Today, via Treehugger, always an abundant source of green advice, I discovered the Times Online's 10 Commandments for Eco-Gardeners. Here is the short form of the list:

1. Thou shalt conserve water.
2. Thou shalt put the right plant in the right place
3. Thou shalt not use peat.
4. Thou shalt recycle garden waste.
5. Thou shalt reuse non-biodegradable products.
6. Thou shalt minimise the use of chemicals.
7. Thou shalt leave a messy bit.
8. Thou shalt use hard landscaping with sensitivity.
9. Thou shalt use lighting responsibly.
10. Thou shalt teach thy children where food comes from.

Easiest commandment for me to keep: #6.
I don't use any chemicals and I don't mind delight in squishing aphids between my thumb and finger (eeeewwww) and am thrilled when ladybugs take up residence on my balcony.

Hardest for me to keep: #2.
I have a south-facing balcony but my favourite plants are ones that thrive in shady, moist conditions. I wish I had this view from my balcony window.

Most rewarding commandment to keep: #4
There's nothing to compare with the black gold created by vermicomposting. Harvesting this compost is a bit labour intensive and keeping the worms warm (and therefore alive) in the winter months is challenging on the balcony, but I think the results are worth the efforts. I'm going to share my personal experience with "red wigglers" in a future post.

Commandment in which I have a special interest and therefore am pleased to see: #10.
(Disclosure statement: I am a dietitian and want to learn more about how I can support school gardening in my community.)

British Columbia Day, August 6th, 2007

Because there is no national holiday to celebrate gardening (how can this be?), I've decided to post garden or plant-related themes related to the Canadian stat holidays.

Today was British Columbia (BC) Day. Here are links to photos of edible berries of coastal BC:

Alaskan blueberry Vaccinium alaskaense

Dwarf blueberry Vaccinium caespitosum

Bog cranberry Oxycoccus oxycoccos

Salmonberry Rubus spectabilis

Black raspberry Rubus leucodermis

Thimbleberry Rubus parviflorus

Himalayan blackberry Rubus discolor

Trailing blackberry Rubus ursinus

Saskatoon Amelanchier alnifolia

To learn more about how these plants were traditionally used by the aboriginal peoples as well as how to identify the plants in the wild, I highly recommend the field guide Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast: Washington, Oregon, BC and Alaska (2004) or the original edition (I have this one), Plants of Coastal British Columbia including Washington, Oregon & Alaska (1994).

Vegetables with a sense of humour

This evening I did a Google search to learn more about Asian vegetables -- I'm planning on sowing pac choi this weekend -- and came across Love Carrots and Other Vegetables, the source of this photo of pac choi carp. I think I'll allow myself to be distracted by this quirky site and leave the serious reading and writing until tomorrow.