Dear gardeners:

For many of you who are asking about where to get soil, I’ve checked up on a couple of home delivery options: here they are. I’m sure there are lots more options too!
Stay safe and start seedlings !!

1. Gro4 Organics Inc
     – www.gro4.ca
     – (416)769-1428
     – delivery throughout Ontario
     – many mixes including potting soil & worm compost
     – one of the only companies focused on the biology of the soil. comes highly recommended!

2. East End Garden Centre
    – (416) 469-4925
    – located at Queen & Greenwood
    – delivery in their area, and can arrange for other areas
    – $40 delivery fee for orders under $100, $20 delivery fee for orders over $100
    – outdoor soils, potting soils, mulch, plants, etc. some organic options.
    – also check their facebook and instagram for details

3. Grow It All
     – not presently doing delivery but you can order and arrange a pick-up.
     – selection of potting soils, indoor soils, coir, promix, organic options available
     – all kinds of containers, pots and trays
     – located on Geary (north of Dupont) near Dufferin
     – (416) 588-9595
     – www.growitall.ca

4. pic-a-mix
– 1(888)742-2649
     – www.picamix.ca
     – cubic yard bags and loose cubic yards of garden soil, compost, and mulch
– taking orders now for deliveries in April, note cubic yards cost around $130
     – I have had great results with their composted duck manure and the aurora gold for veggie gardens

While the spring is near we can still enjoy some garden free time to peruse beautiful books that can inspire us in our gardening, foraging, food preparation activities. In case you are hungry for new interesting information here you are.

Here is a fresh batch of plant related books. All available at the Toronto Public Library branches.

You can revise your knowledge of herbs and their Latin names as well as many tips on how to grow, their uses for health benefits and enjoy many colourful recipes in the two books on herbs.

I am a huge fan of mushrooms and this book is simply wonderful. Introduces the reader to the many properties of mushrooms and their uses. Did you know that shiitake can be beneficial to your skin, liver, lower your cholesterol and improve acne? The book is full of useful information presented in very easy to read format and contains many flavourful recipes.

There are many books out there on foraging as it is gaining popularity. You will find a lot of useful information in these two books on how to start, what tools to use, the bigger implications of legality and sustainability for urban foragers as well as interesting and surprising recipes such as Day Lily Salad, Nettle and Pea Risotto with Mint, Sumac Vodka, Dandelion Crown Pad Thai, Milkweed Flower Cordial..

If you were not sure about okra, it is a vegetable with mixed reputation, these 2 books are sure to encourage you to try it. Both present many interesting facts about okra and are very enthusiastic in praising many okra properties. In the introduction to The Whole Okra Chris Smith quotes the following: “In short, okra represents true nobility. The next time you hear people say it is herbaceous, hairy and spineless, I urge you to punch them right in the nose.” — Dick West “In Defence of Okra”, 1961.

Are Kale and Onions friends? Find out. Both books present many great recipes along with the information on kale, arugula, garlic, chives, onions, cilantro, lovage, parsley, sage and how to grow them and use them in your food. The recipes are modern and innovative to assure you of health benefits. You can learn how to make Thai Kale with Turmeric or Warm Lentil Salad with Kale or Kale with Buckwheat Noodles and Roasted Beets.

Vegans rejoice. Here are 2 very nice books for you. If you have heard of the Keto Diet and how effective it is in helping you to loose wait, but did not want to eat all the meat and fat, here is your vegan keto book. It contains many amazing recipes from Roasted Vegetables to Jackfruit Pulled Pork and Mushroom Tacos. From simple to more sophisticated Vegan Keto is sure to please your palate.
Sushi Modoki is quite a sophisticated book at first glance, but rest assured it does introduce all the basics including all the utensils you might need along with all the typical ingredients and techniques of sushi preparation. Once the mystery is lifted it is a great book to follow and try the many different and delicious recipes for nigiri, chiroshi, inari, oshi and sushi rolls. Read the book to find out what they all are.

— Dorota Rajewska

Winter in the garden is for books! We have time to read and dream and plan for spring.

Here are some inspiring titles.
All available at the Toronto Public Library.

“Native pollinators don’t always get the credit they are due for the pollination services they provide. Bumble bee pollination of blueberries creates twice as much fruit as honey bee pollination; native bees account for 90 percent of pollination of watermelons; and native bee pollination improves fruit production in apples and tomatoes. Suash and gouds are best pollinated by two species of native squash bees. Blue orchard mason bees are incredible pollinators of apples and almonds, compared to 15,000 to 20,000 foraging honey bees. Research is under way to diversify almond pollination with these native bees, which is currently completely done using honey bees.”

Examples of native flowers pollinated by native bees:

• giant hyssops
• garlics, onions
• milkweeds
• wild indigos
• prarie clovers
• sunflowers

With special care and attention to the plight of pollinators, including honeybees, bumblebees, and solitary bees, and what we can do to help them, Strawbridge Howard shares fascinating details of the lives of flora and fauna that have filled her days with ever-increasing wonder and delight.

A brief, but colorful history of mushroom hunting worldwide; how to get equipped for a mushroom foray; a completely illustrated guide to the common wild edible mushrooms and their poisonous look-alikes — where to find them, how to identify them, and more; how to prepare and serve the fruits of your foray, plus more than 30 delicious recipes; plus, dozens of colorful, priceless anecdotes from living the mushroom lifestyle

A Global history series is a great series of small format, illustrated books introducing the reader to the origins, history, ancient recipes and more, of the chosen vegetable in this case: tomato, cabbage and potato. These books are fun entertainment as well as very informative.

Both The way through the woods by Long Litt Woon and A victory garden for trying times by Debi Goodwin are wonderful, personal narratives of how nature (mushroom picking and gardening respectively) played a big role in the lives of both women. Writing these beautiful stories helped the authors, it may as well help you, dear reader. They will inform and entertain and fill you with awe in face of always helpful Nature.

For those of you who love bringing nature indoors these two gorgeous books offer detail advice on how to create indoor plant displays that bring joy to eyes and hearts.

You can borrow any of the books at the Toronto Public Library

— posted by Dorota Rajewska

This book by Suzy Bales has so many beautiful photographs and ideas on how to add interest to your garden in winter. It is meant to inspire and get your creative mind going. Bales collects tips from many different sources and knows how to capture the beauty in nature.

It’s a perfect book to look through and pick up ideas while looking at your early winter garden through your window while you sip a cup of tea nicely tucked in your favourite armchair.

There is a chapter on Christmas wreaths, center pieces and arrangements. It is so lovely to make ornaments and arrangements from nature, better yet using materials from your own garden and avoiding buying plastic ornaments all together.

My personal favourite is the Bales’ use of spray-painted dried allium that can look like snowflakes when painted white.

Now I need to venture into our LEGS Community Gardens to see what plant material is there to use.

Many Suzy Bales gardening books, including The Garden in Winter are available at the Toronto Public Library.

The Garden in Winter: Plant for Beauty and Interest in The Quiet Season. Suzy Bales. Rodale, 2007.

By Dorota Rajewska

We can be proud of our accomplishments in 2019:

• 212lbs of fresh, organic food donated to the Daily Bread Food bank
• planted: 4 pear trees, 3 plum trees, many serviceberries, 2 hazelnut trees and a strawberry patch
• added a new 3-section composter
• created a water system that finally works!
• extended our north garden area

We are looking forwards to another great year in 2020. We are planning to start on orchard pruning and organic bug control methods as early as February.

In November we have completed our Autumn Tasks in the LEGS Community Gardens and now we can use the well deserved break to dream up plans for next year’s planting.

Some things we have done this year:

1. Raked, raked, raked all the leaves and other plant debris to place in the compost bins.
2. Weeded the pesky strangler vine.
3. Spread the organic mushroom compost over cleaned up vegetable beds
4. Gathered all the apples; we couldn’t compost them as they had too many bugs this year.
5. Moved some perennial flowers to a better location.
6. Did a general clean up of the whole area.
7. Our tool shed has never been better organized!

Seeds, seeds, seeds.

We have been saving seeds so now that we get a break from gardening it is time to organize the seeds and get them ready for the annual seed exchange in the spring.

What about you, how do you prepare your garden space to rest through the winter?And what types of things do you do now in order to be one step ahead once planting time arrives?

By Dorota Rajewska