Gardening

Old root cellar at Törnävä outdoor museum, Seinäjoki, Finland, March 2013. (Photo by Kotivalo CC BY-SA 3.0  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, from Wikimedia Commons)

Gardening Tips: Putting Food By

September 15, 2021 at 12:02 pm

Editor’s Note: We’re reaching into Michelle Smith’s archives for still-timely gardening tips like these — first published on 19 September 2018.   What to do this week This week I want to talk about the best ways to store your veggies once you pick them, both long term and shortRead More

Blackberries. (Photo by Dwight Sipler from Stow, MA, USA, CC BY 2.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Gardening Tips: Tidying Up

September 8, 2021 at 12:45 pm

Editor’s Note: We are reaching into Michelle Smith’s archives for gardening tips as timely now as when they were first published. Today’s offering first appeared on 5 September 2018.   What to do this week This week can be all about tidying up in the garden, especially around your fruitRead More

Web or tent of Eastern tent caterpillar. Photo by Greg Hume (Greg5030), CC BY 2.5,  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped)

Gardening Tips: Berries and Pests

August 25, 2021 at 2:15 pm

Editor’s Note: We’re dipping into Michelle Smith’s archive for gardening tips that remain timely. This column first appeared on 22 August 2018.   What to do this week It is all about harvesting this time of year, and how to keep up — just don’t sleep, and you will doRead More

Seedlings. Image via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UR6gDiTdZUI

Gardening Tips: Hardening Off

June 2, 2021 at 1:15 pm

Editor’s Note: The Spectator is reaching into Michelle Smith’s gardening column archive for some weekly advice that is as relevant now as when it was first written. This column was first published in June 2017.   What to do this week This week you should be hardening off your precious seedlings. Take yourRead More

By Jürgi-würgi (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Gardening Tips: Greenhouses

May 26, 2021 at 12:15 pm

Editor’s Note: We’ve been reaching into Michelle Smith’s archive to present always timely gardening advice. This week’s column first appeared on 31 May 2017. Editor’s Second Note: We are delighted to have Michelle Smith back with us this week, elsewhere in this edition!   What to do this week ManagingRead More

Kholrabi photo: H. Zell - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9378593

Gardening Tips: Lettuce Rejoice!

May 19, 2021 at 11:00 am

Editor’s Note: We’ve been reaching back into Michelle Smith’s archives for always timely gardening tips. This column was originally published on 22 May 2019.   What to do this week I finally got my tractor going after having it sit all winter and as soon as the soil dries aRead More

Apple Tree (Malus domestica) By Opioła Jerzy (Poland) - Own work, CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=772504

Gardening Tips: Shrubs and Trees

May 5, 2021 at 1:30 pm

Editor’s Note: We’re dipping into Michelle Smith’s archives to provide timely tips for gardeners.   What to do this week Although last week I cautioned against working the soil too soon, one task that should be accomplished just as soon as the soil is dry enough is the planting ofRead More

Fast & Curious: Short Takes on Random Things

Fast & Curious: Short Takes on Random Things

April 30, 2021 at 10:30 am

Free Seeds! The Cape Breton Regional Library’s Seed Library is back by popular demand. The program offers free vegetable seeds to “encourage community members to start their own vegetable gardens and provide fresh, healthy food for their families and neighbours.”  It was launched in 2020 to great success: within two-and-a-halfRead...

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Dandelion

Gardening Tips: Into the Weeds

April 28, 2021 at 1:00 pm

Editor’s Note: We’re dipping into Michelle Smith’s archives to provide timely tips for gardeners.   What to do this week This week,  I have been trying to get a jump on the perennial weeds. My soil has dried up a bit with the sun and warmth we have had theseRead...

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Common Eastern Bumble Bee By Ryan Hodnett - CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=77407413

Gardening Tips: Birds and Bees (and Berries)

April 21, 2021 at 12:30 pm

Editor’s Note: We’re dipping into Michelle Smith’s archives to provide timely tips for gardeners.   What to do this week If you are thinking about reducing the area of lawn you have to mow, or any other sort of larger landscaping project, you might want to do your bit to encourageRead...

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