Juicy June

First pick of the season

Every gardener is saying that a week ago they felt like they were on schedule and now that it's June, they feel behind.

If your feeling that way, you are not alone.

Although June is probably one of the busiest months in the garden with all the planting and watering to do, remember to take it easy. 

It's important to keep your love for gardening in it's right place and your body in shape to do it.

Stressing out over all that needs to be done is not going to get it done and you will overwork your body trying to do so.

Remember to breathe, watch the bees, lay down on a blanket when your tired and enjoy your garden of Eatten!


THIS MONTH YOU CAN.....

Direct seed in the garden:

· Arugula                       

· Basil             

· Beans (bush or pole)                                        

· Beets                            

· Broad/ Fava Beans

· Broccoli                      

· Cabbage                      

· Carrots

· Cauliflower

· Celeriac                      

· Celery

· Cilantro                       

· Collards                      

· Corn

· Cress

· Cucumber

· Dill

· Endive

· Kale

· Leeks

· Lettuce

· Mustards

· New Zealand Spinach

· Pac Choi

· Parsley

· Parsnips

· Peas

· Perpetual Spinach

· Potatoes

· Pumpkin

· Radishes

· Rutabagas

· Scallions

· Sunflowers

· Squash

· Swiss Chard

Turnip

Transplant into the garden:

· Asparagus       -Peppers

· Eggplant            -Tomato                        

· Mellon

      

Late June:  Seed Winter Crops

Overwintering cauliflower and purple or white sprouting broccoli, winter cabbage.

These seeds can be planted directly into the garden or in a flat and transplant in July

Garden Tasks:

· Feed tomatoes, eggplants and peppers with granular seaweed (side-dress)

· Feed potted tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers with liquid seaweed fertilizer weekly.

· Asparagus will need to produce ferns this month to prepare for winter.  Use an organic granular fertilizer.

· Hardneck Garlic produces a curly stem called scapes.  Cut them off this month and use in cooking.  The garlic bulb will grow larger without it’s scape.

· Harvest early potatoes

· Put wood ashes or comfrey leaves around the gooseberries for extra potash and mulch.

· Mulch strawberry beds to keep fruit clean with straw, leaves, grass.  Berries need covering from birds

· Thin fruit on fruit trees after June drop

Growing Food, Nutrition and Health

 by: Max Bossi 

I am not a gardener. Let me make that very clear. But; like so many people I delight in seeing a green shoot emerging from the soil and anticipate all the bounties that it might bring.

Entering the later years of my life, my concern is with health and the study of how I can live a lifestyle full of creative endeavor. So; health is the foundation to build on, nutrition the means by which it can largely be achieved and growing my own food gives me the control over the whole process.

My wife Karel is an avid gardener. She also has knowledge and endless energy on her side. So, she does the “actual” gardening. I took over the “balcony gardening” and had so much success at it last year that some eyebrows went up.

Trial and error best describes my method. But I had success in raising substantial amounts of pole beans, peas right into November, blueberries about the same, cucumbers and strawberries. I made simple containers from plywood, a few 2x2s to suspend netting from and the rest; watering regularly and some compost added.

If this sounds simple, forgive me; for me it was. This year is shaping up the same. As of this writing I have peas growing and Fava Beans not far behind.

But please know. My primary purpose is to maintain good 

health and a desired lifestyle.

My way of getting there is through optimum nutrition.

Optimum nutrition is available through my modest efforts on 

my patio and in our garden (Karel is a big part of that).

Max Bossi, age 69 is part owner of two businesses in the area. 

He regularly plays soccer with all age groups averaging 3 

games per week. 

He is convinced that most of our needs for well being can 

come from the food we raise ourselves, maintaining control 

over our health.

(Next time Max, tell us about growing mushrooms on logs)

__________________________________________________

Perfect Gift for Gardeners
For anyone wanting to grow their own food, Grow Food's Gardening Journal will help.

This journal helps gardeners stay on track in the edible garden.  Filled with suggestions of what to plant and when to plant it, as well as gardening tips on composting, planting and more.

Each month provides a place to keep track of what you planted.

$15.00 available at The Juction Cafe, Whippletree, Trans Canada Hwy, Whippletree Juction, or at the website: www.growfoodnetwork.com
 
 

_________________________________________

What's Happening in William's Garden:
  
William is an 8 year old gardener who is growing his first garden.  Grow Food is helping William with his project.  

This past month we worked together getting the garden planted.  

Clay Soil Experiement:

Allan at Buckerfield's in Duncan, BC

In one area of the garden we tried an experiment of using gypsum on the heavy clay soil.  Thanks to Allan at Buckerfield's for donating the gypsum, we may now be able to work the soil away from it's cement like structure.   

We sprinkled the granular fertilizer on the soil and watered it in and waited for a week before planting.  We also added some compost. 

William was a guest at the Mill Bay Garden Club this month where he got to to show off his healthy tomato plants and meet a few like minded people.

Bill Herring gave William some good advice for when it came time to plant his tomato plants.  He told William to remove the bottom leaves and plant them deep.  Roots will develop on the buried stem giving the plant a good foundation.

William at the Mill Bay Garden Club monthly meeting

Grow Food is about
Growing Gardeners!














REQUEST FOR GARDENS..............
TO TOUR

Cowichan Green Community is looking for Edible Gardens for it's annual "Edible Garden Tour," this August 16 & 17th. 

If you can help motivate others to grow their own food by allowing gardeners to tour your garden while meeting some like minded people, please sign up for the tour.  

The garden tour organizer is Alyssa Loucks at Cowichan Green Community and she can be reached at: alyssa@cowichangreencommunity.org

MARK YOUR CALENDERS

 

Community Flower and Garden Show 

 This year the Mill Bay Garden Club is presenting a series of mini workshops .  Come and learn about Heathers, Growing Food in Containers, Garden Design Tips, Taking Rose Cuttings, Planting Drought Tolerant Plants and Water Catchment all presented by it's club's members.

 Workshop Schedule

9:30   Bee Loving Heathers, Elaine Scott

10:00 Fabulous Food Container Gardens, Joy Story Grow Food Network

10:30 Garden Design Tips, Alie Morris

11:00 Rose Cuttings, Janice Moseley

11:30 Drought Tolerant Plantings, Barb Kohlman

12:00 Water Catchment, Ian Kennedy

Last Year's 

Grow Food Edible Container Garden Entry

"Be Cagey, Grow Food"

Come see this year's entry......

Next Saturday at Cobble Hill Hall

 NEW LOCATION:

Out on the Peninsula and looking for herb starts? Visit our NEW farm stand @FIREWEED FARM! You will find it just through the gate and down the driveway at 7159 Wallace Drive in Brentwood Bay. Our little honour-system farm stand is open every day of the week from 9am until 7:30pm. You will find it stocked with a wide selection of our culinary and medicinal herbs starts. For seeds, and herbal products please order ahead for pick-up by appointment. Please contact Jessy at 250-652-2655 or jessy@ravenhillfarm.ca

EVENTS:

Jun 13, 2014 - Jun 15, 2014
National Garden Days

Pacific Horticultural Center, Victoria, BC
All Day - All 3 days are free admission!

Schedule of Events:

Friday June 13 - 1:30 Twig Plant support demo with Thibaut

Friday June 13 & Saturday June 14 - 1:30 Companion Planting at the Farm Garden – Linda

Friday June 13 – 2:00 Chainsaw Maintenance with Bartlett Tree Experts

Saturday June 14 & Sunday June 15 - 10:00, 12:00 and 3:00 guided garden tours, meet at the Rotunda

Saturday June 14 - 11:00 Gardening with Children with Paula

Saturday June 14 – 3:00 Children’s Gardening Projects with Paula

Sunday June 15 – 10:00 Chainsaw Maintenance with Bartlett Tree Experts

Saturday June 14

Pollination Education Day

Victoria Compost Centre, 10 – 2 pm

For more info: http://compost.bc.ca/

Tuesday June 17

Cowichan Green Community Annual General Meeting

CGC's 2014 AGM will be held on the evening of June 17th at the Duncan Christian Reformed Church. Our guest speaker will be Chef Bill Jones of Deerholme Farm, who recently published his 11th cookbook. Entitled The Deerholme Foraging Book: Wild Foods from the Pacific Northwest, it contains ideas and recipes for making the most of wild edibles. He is an excellent and engaging speaker. Copies of his cookbook will be available for sale.For more info: http://www.cowichangreencommunity.org/about

Sunday, June 22

Slow Food Vancouver Island & Gulf Islands AGM

Location: 686 Linkleas Avenue, Victoria, BC. Please park on Central Avenue
Time: 1:00pm-3:00pm
RSVP: info@slowisland.ca

Saturday, June 28

Bring Back the Bees Workshop
Location: Cowichan Agricultural Society Hall, 5855 Clement Street, Duncan, BC
Time: 9:30am-4:00pm
Cost: $50.00
Contact: info@cowichanlandtrust.ca or 250-746-0227
 

Weekend of August 15-17
Food Forest Workshop @ Mossy Banks Farm

Location: Mossy Bank Farm, 8000 Richards Trail, North Cowichan
Time: All Day
Contact/ Register to volunteer: Online

Young Agrarians Farmer Mixer

Date: Sunday, August 24
Location: Wind Whipped Farm, 4645 William Head Road, Metchosin, BC
Time: 4:00pm
Contact: Virginie Lavallée-Picard and Alex Fletcher - windwhippedfarm@gmail.com

Farm Land for Lease/ Vegetable Farmer Wanted

For Rent 40 acres x $150 per acre -  on Richards Trail, North Cowichan. Call Catherine at Pastula Farms 250-748-0932 / 250-710-6767 or cpicco@shaw.ca

What's Happening at Lush Valley Food Action Society, Courtenay, BC

www.lushvalley.org