SPRING HAS SPRUNG!

I love gardening!! Having lived most of my adult years in the arctic my gardening experience was rather limited by the environment but the past couple of years, here in Saskatchewan, I have been able to develop my green thumb. Gardening is a project our entire family enjoys. I am fortunate to have a husband who has a background in biology. He loves experimenting with me in gardening endeavours. Snow still spots the yard but we like to start things early indoors! My children relish in the seed planting!

This year's early birds? Tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, sugar pumpkins, and green and yellow peppers! As the warmer weather approaches we intend to plant beans, peas, beets, onions, potatoes, carrots, and hot peppers (cuban or jalepeno) as well as herbs and lettuce! We are expanding the size of our garden again this year which I am thrilled about!

We have never used herbicides or pesticides on our garden and we do compost. We are planning to get our new vermicomposter set up next week too, yay!

Here are a few tips for green pest-free gardening!

~Add a little Spice: Lots of garlic will preduce a strong scent that will make it difficult for pesky insects to find the plants they enjoy. Onions also work well but be careful because if the scent is too overwhelming you may also deter the helpful insects! Onions can ward off dogs as well or spray tabasco or cayenne pepper...dogs will not be so impressed!

~Recruit Helpful Bugs: Many bugs are veggie-friendly and eat the bugs you'd rather not have munching away at your potential harvest! Recruit ladybugs, spiders, ground beetles, and praying mantis {wasps are also helpful but you may not wish to have too many around especially with children}. To attract these garden wonders use a thin layer of mulch in spring and plant herbs or cover around your garden borders!

~Beer, Vinegar, and Citrus: A bowl of beer can trick and trap unwanted slugs! A jar of vinegar can capture fungus gnats and deter cats from urinating on your precious plants. Do not spray vinegar onto your plants however for this could kill them. Citrus peels should also repel cats and possibly some small insects.

~Earthworm Hotel: Import earthworms to help the soil! Healthy soil means healthier plants and less issues with bugs and disease. Compost, compost, compost!!

Happy gardening!

I will be writing many gardening posts over the spring and summer! Oh and stay tuned for the simple canning ideas in the fall!