2014 RHS Members Christmas Potluck and GRIN Showcase

'Tis the season to be merry, enjoy a meal with friends & Grin. And during last nights RHS Christmas Potluck and GRIN showcase at the Regina Floral Conservatory, that's exactly what we did!

We started the evening of with a presentation by Denis Simard, Manager for the Queen City Eastview Community Associations Inc (QCECA). QCECA was our very first recipient of the GRIN grant and they did a fabulous job, if I do say so myself. Denis presented a slideshow which included; photos showcasing the use of the funds, this year's gardens and the growing season and finished it off with a few fun facts. With the help of the grant they were able to use these funds for various items including; new hand tools, gloves, repairing a ride on mower, a locker system, key less access to the garage and fencing along with motion detectors for the gardens. The QCECA were able to maintain 30 garden plots with 42 gardeners and from the photos, everyone could tell they took pride in their plants and plots. Denis ended his presentation with a few ideas they have in mind for next years growing season and with volunteers, a little help and the passion they have, anything is possible. On behalf of the RHS, I'd like to thank Denis for taking the time on such a chilly night to come out and present a job well done. We know that you've set the bar high for following recipients. If you'd like more information on QCECA and what they offer you can visit them at Eastview Community Centre - home or in person at the Eastview Community Gardens.

Denis Simard QCECA Manager

Denis Simard  & Denise Mlazgar RHS President

 Following the GRIN showcase it was time to enjoy a fabulous potluck supper while visiting with fellow members and friends. This year's meal included a wide array of items, some I have never tasted before, but as a foodie, I enjoyed every bite! A few of the items that teased my taste buds were, curry squash, sweet & sour pork, sushi, shepherds pie and many others that I didn't recognize, but enjoyed non the less. After the main course there were a few fantastic sweets as well and if you have a sweet tooth, whats Christmas without a little dessert?! I do encourage anyone that was present last night to share your recipes by submitting them to either publicity@ reginahortsociety.com, or on our RHS Regina Group Facebook page at .reginahortsociety

Once supper was done and everyone was satisfied, Denise Mlazgar, RHS President, had everyone using a little imagination and gardening knowledge during her "Name the Garden Gadget" game. Although no one was able to get all the items correct, we all had fun creating a few new names for the items that even the most seasoned gardeners didn't know, like the "hole digger-upper". At the end of the game there was a prize for the most correct answers and of course a door prize. We then had some time to finish up some visiting, engage in a couple more conversations and enjoy a self tour around the conservatory if you weren't able to take in its glory at the beginning of the night. The Regina Floral Conservatory once again has put on a spectacular Christmas display along with many other beautiful plants, trees, flowers and fruits. If you'd like to visit the conservatory on your own, maybe during the day, please visit them at Regina Floral Conservatory - Home for hours and event listings.

Junior Gardeners

We then wrapped the evening up and everyone was in a great mood. Laughs were heard through out the conservatory along with some pitter patters and giggles from a few junior gardeners that joined us this year. It was great to see the turnout of members even in the bitterly cold weather and hope everyone got home safe! I would like to take the time to thank the Regina Floral Conservatory for hosting us, Denis Simard for presenting the GRIN Showcase and everyone that helped plan the event along with everyone that participated. 

 From our homes to yours Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

Cardinal Basil from Last Fall

Decorative and delicious Cardinal Basil. Grown in a herb basket, Full sun, with rosemary and tarragon. Very pungent and flavourful. Good for sauces, soups, on pizza, or chopped and served with sliced tomatoes. This variety can be grown in borders and has a colorful deep purple bloom. Very forgiving in comparison to Sweet Basil, and will tolerate dryer conditions. Like when you forget to water it! Leaves are slow to dry but  when ready are crushed and stored in glass jar for use.We are keeping this plant growing inside for part of the winter!

shared by member Olivia Shumski

Rhododendron Update

 Photographed earlier this spring with a few blooms, this Finlandia variety has done well and summer has been good for the plants. Regular feeding, plenty of  and frequent watering, has resulted in good growth, and a large number of buds for next spring's bloom. The plan is not to mulch for winter, but to keep covered with snow. (hopefully the cats will deter mice dining on them).

shared by member Ken MacDonald, October 16, 2012

Extending the Season!

I am experimenting with a purchased cold frame to extend our growing season

 

I anchored the cold frame in early October in one of our garden beds. I prepared the soil by adding compost, but kept the kale and some small carrots that were already there. As I anchored the base, I also ensured that it was level. That way, the top pieces would fit better.  After seeding with a variety of lettuce and radish, I build up a bit of soil on both the inside and outside of the cold frame walls. Over the course of the next few weeks, I added leaves and grass cuttings to insulate inside and out, but I added some rigid Styrofoam pieces outside as well.

 

As the weather grew colder,  I covered the unit with a transparent clear plastic sheet. Last week, I topped that with some landscape cloth, to see if I could use that to heat the inside garden during the day. So far, so good

 

We are enjoying a fresh salad every day. The only drawback is that the leaves are very fragile once they are plucked, and have to be prepared right away. Oh, but the taste is wonderful!

 

We will most likely harvest everything before the end of the month. We will use this again in early spring.

 

shared by member Susan Nadon

New Gallery Photos

New gallery photos are posted. From nostalgic images of winter gardens to morning glory that were blooming last October, members have shared some of their garden photos with us. Check them out by clicking here!

This photo was taken by our membership director, Alan Mlazgar in his garden on January 4, 2013. The gallery version is much larger and stunning in detail.

Thank you to all the members that share their photos with us! We love to browse garden photos.

New Gallery Photos

Be sure and check out our gallery. Member Beth Graas has shared some of her garden photos with us. Check out her kitchen view in March vs. September!

It Works!

Despite the long winter, my compost bin project has proved to be successful. It has provided several wheelbarrow loads of well rotted compost for this spring's flower bed top dressing.

The neighbours generous contributions of leaves, last falls' garden waste and winters' household fruit and vegetable trimmings, has produced a good quantity of rich dark rotted organic material. Perfect for spring and summer soil amending.

Blog post and photo by member Ken MacDonald. See more member photographs in our gallery.

Getting by with a little help from a friend.

Here is a project I just finished for a friend. She was sad because health issues made it impossible for her to bend down to garden. I asked if I could design a raised bed garden for her. She was quite delighted. The two of us strongly believe in recycling, so I began with a lavender bath tub my son was only too glad to get rid of. I built a frame with 2x6's to support the weight and clad the outside with cedar siding from my grandmother's abandoned home. It matched her house quite well. We filled it with a combination of top soil, 20 year old manure, peat moss and perlite. She went out and as she put it "got carried away" with filling it with tomatoes, eggplants and oregano (she is Italian after all). It is waist height so she doesn't have to bend at all.

Blog post and photo by member Alan Mlazgar. See more member photographs in our gallery.

Putting It Up! - Freezing

When I first decided to be a stay at home farm wife, this year, the obvious thought for me was “I need to have a big vegetable garden and try to put some veggies away for winter”. Well, a large garden I had!  After the initial “Wow! That radish was amazing!” and the “These peas are so succulent and delicious” came the “Oh my God… what am I going to do with all this?”

So we ate them fresh; which really is the best way to enjoy and relish the terrific flavor of home grown vegetables. Then, when the produce started coming in by the laundry baskets full (over 50 lbs of green and yellow beans picked one morning) I decided it was time to “put it up”. That was when I started to freeze. Now, not having done frozen vegetables for a number of years I refreshed my memory by going to a wonderful website, which was my bible this summer, called www.pickyourown.org.

I found out that it is necessary to blanch; immerse them in boiling water for a certain amount of time prior to an ice bath.  This is done in order to kill bacteria and stop the enzymes that deteriorate your veggies while in the freezer.

So I started freezing. And it kept on, and on, and on… as each new product ripened and came through the door. Eventually I gave some away to family, then friends, then complete strangers! But on the bright side, my freezer is full and I have enough frozen to last our family for the year. So it was all worth it!

Then I moved into pickling, fermenting, canning and lastly cold storage. But that is the topic of another article!

Blanching times for common vegetables:

• Beans (yellow and green), 3 minutes
• Carrots (sliced), 2 min
• Peas (shelled or edible podded), 2 minutes
• Summer Squash, 3 min
• Cauliflower, 3 min  
• Broccoli, 2 minutes
• Corn, 4-6 minutes  
• Peppers (bell or hot), no blanching necessary
• Beets, pressure can 10 to 15 min 

Originally published in The Planterbox October 2012 issue.

Compost Project

Just finished this project. Serious gardeners may appreciate this one. Lengthy but worth the time and the a few extra $'s for the cedar fence boards. This six foot compost bin has been a hit with the neighbours. (six feet was the length of the fence boards) and the width 36 inches (that was half the length of the fence board).
I used some 4 X 4 timbers (scraps) as a base and 2 X 4's for corners. I used deck brackets and stainless steel screws to mount the back and end boards "angled in" for proper ventilation. The top has two lids made from some 1 X 6 fence boards ripped down to 3". The covers are hinged with stainless steel hinges. The removable fronts were made  with the remaining cedar (you can probably figure out their dimensions).

As I said the neighbours like it, certainly a lot more efficient and  attractive than my chicken wire cage they said was filled with garbage. Now they are bringing their vegetable scraps and leaves etc., knowing that if they put some in they can take some out (compost). Well that's the concept, but I know who will be turning it and keeping it working. Does the story of the "little red hen" come to mind? A worthwhile project that only a gardener can appreciate. *(please note: there are no drawings available)

Originally published in The Planterbox, October 2012 issue. Article contribution by member Ken MacDonald.