Roasted Beet and Carrot Salad
When I was asked to write a recipe for this issue of What’s Up Yukon, I decided to call in a real expert and asked local dietician…
Home & Garden
Old Gardeners Never Die, They Just Go to Seed
Fall is the time when seeds are able to be gathered and stored. And a seed exchange is the perfect place to share some of those seeds.
It’s time for Mr. Green Jeans to hang it all up
It’s official. Apart from a few hardy species that relish cold weather for some absurd reason, backyard garden 2018 has now been decommissioned. Several less-hardy species—tomatoes, peppers, et alia—clung valiantly to life in their wheeled, rodent-resistant enclosures much longer than I had expected. But once the overnight temperatures headed into negative territory on a regular …
Woodsmoke
I’ve always loved the smell of woodsmoke. I know this is not the case for everyone and that too many wood stoves in a small residential area can cause concern. I am lucky to live in a part of town where few people heat with wood. These days, my woodsmoke saga begins in late August, …
Batten down the hatches
I feel tumbled up against the advance of winter. All summer, the sun pulled me on with the force of a tearaway sled dog and, when the days shortened into fall, it was as if she slowed suddenly to sniff out a piece of news and I hurtled into her. I sit on the trail …
Living With Wildlife: Doug Spencer
Hello Everybody, We invite you to share your photos of Yukon wildlife. Email your high-resolution images with a description of what’s going on and what camera equipment you used to [email protected] Living With Wildlife by Doug Spencer This Copper Ridge fox jumped into our raised garden bed on a Friday morning this summer.
Let the apple harvest begin
A couple of weeks ago, I was stayed in my tracks as I was strolling by one of our apple shelters. They’re coming, my nose told me as the fragrance of ripe fruit wafted out of the open door. I poked my head in. As luck would have it, beneath the laden branches lay a …
Advice to the unwise: I have the questions, if you have the answers
One of the more interesting jobs I’ve ever held was hosting an open-line show (we secretly called it “open-mouth”) on a private radio station in Charlottetown, PEI. Unlike some parts of Canada—especially B.C., with its tradition of brash (often infuriating) talk-radio hosts such as Jack Webster, Raif Mair, Christy Clark and others, mid-’70s PEI was …
Advice to the unwise: I have the questions, if you have the answers Read More »
Playing possum … when trees play tricks on us
Mysterious are the ways of plants, and when it comes to trees, we wait until they are well and truly dead before we cut them down.
The Yukon landscape
One thing that thrives up here is the humble spruce tree. Now before you shake your heads, let me clarify: I’m not talking about just any ol’ spruce tree.
Yukon See It Here: Jeszika Milton
Yes, I have a toilet! It’s beside the outhouse, but we call it a flower pot!
Those Bloomin’ Apples
Yukon fruit growers have work to do in all seasons to ensure a successful harvest come fall. In the spring this involves two main strategies: avoid early bloom and watch that weather.
Weaving Willow, Weaving Voices
On a hot day in Dawson City this August, I had the opportunity to speak with the four artists of Weaving Voices: Bo Yeung, Chris Clarke, Jackie Olson and Sue Parsons. We sat in the shade of their intricately woven willow structure located outside of the Dänojà Zho Cultural Centre, facing toward the Yukon River. …
Let’s All Learn Gwich’in
Let’s All Learn Gwich’in With Allan Benjamin from Old Crow Gwich’in Expressions: Gwich’in Ginjik Native Language Dinjii zhuh ginjik jihtth’ak I understand Native language Lée nizhigwiłts’īk? Are you hungry? Jidìi Niindhan? What do you want? Jidìi nid i’ii? What do you have? Jidìi Kàgwanah’in? What are you looking for? Ch’ivēedzyāa at’iinihthān kwaa I don’t like …
Cohousing Communities
Cohousing is a concept that has been around for a long time, but in the Yukon it’s starting to gain interest as an alternative living arrangement for people of all walks of life. Many groups of people are tired of living paycheque-to-paycheque just to cover rent; cohousing can provide a solution. To clarify, cohousing is …
Carrie Boles – Green Thumbs
Carrie Boles’ green thumb sprouted back in her hometown, the grassland ecosystem of Winnipeg , Manitoba. While working on a degree in cultural anthropology at the University of Winnipeg, Boles happened to live in a house packed with gardeners. As each roommate brought home the literal fruits of their labour, the horticultural bug was infectious …
What Do You Have to Do to Eat Local?
The benefits of eating local are well known and documented; it’s better for the environment, it’s better for your health, and it’s better for the local economy. But when you live north of 60 it seems daunting – even in the height of the summer produce harvest. Fresh local ingredients are more expensive or more …
Orchids In and Around Whitehorse
The calypso orchid, sometimes called the fairy or venus slipper, was already blooming by the end of May and the rest will follow soon. I suspect that the Platanthera obtusata, known as the northern bog orchid, will follow soon. The height of bloom for orchids in the Yukon is mid-June. Most Yukon orchids can be …
Sowing the Seeds of Spring
The light returns to the Yukon long before the heat and we’re still in the prime season of huge oscillations in temperature between day and night. Mornings dawn crisp – but early – and as of yet we feel no compulsion to head outside until it warms a little. Midafternoon brings mud and even t-shirt …
Just Planting a Seed Here, Folks
Somebody once said a gardener is just a philosopher with dirty hands and an aching back. Well, maybe nobody actually said that until I just did, but I believe it to be so. Of all life’s pursuits, few can match gardening when it comes to bringing body and soul together. Why? Because it’s hard to stay mad …
Great Food from the College Kitchen
This past fall they also did the Government of Yukon Agricultural Branch’s North of 60 Conference banquet and sourced almost 90 per cent of the ingredients for the dinner from local farmers. In the north this is especially a challenge as the conference is in November, so a lot of fresh produce isn’t available and …
Cooking Up a Career
Teresa Kozakewick grew up in Alberta. Raised by a father who had a passion for food, she had always been drawn to cooking. She enjoyed watching her dad cook on special occasions. Now her passion has become a career path. After moving to the Yukon, she enrolled in the Yukon College Culinary Arts program for …
Bingeing on Brassicas
Potatoes, kale and cabbage is a pretty common answer to the question, “What can you grow up there, anyways?” For those of us who get excited about growing, however, it is easy to go kind of crazy even within the parameters of a single vegetable family and the brassicas (also known as coles or crucifers …
Life is Tough with The Little Nag
My dinner dishes don’t always get done after dinner. There is a chair in my living room that has a continuous pile of laundry to be folded. Sometimes I forget the kid’s helmet, or swimsuit, or permission slip for school. The dogs haven’t been bathed for two weeks. I try to be a calm and …
Like the Man Said, Those Precious Days are Dwindling Down
The great American lyricist Maxwell Anderson summed up the imperatives of this time of year better than anyone else: “Oh, it’s a long, long while from May to December / But the days grow short when you reach September.” No, wait. We’ve already slid into November, for Pete’s sake. Definitely time to gather nuts, pack …
Like the Man Said, Those Precious Days are Dwindling Down Read More »
Whitehorse: The Edible City
At the downtown community garden in Whitehorse, a beekeeper tends to the newly built beehive in the fading evening light. Nearby, a gardener waters his small plot of potatoes, beans, and lettuce – a zucchini plant takes up a quarter of his raised bed box. Vegetables grow in plots on the other side of the …
Eat Your Art Out
‘Tis the season where giant vegetables are being harvested from gardens and potentially prize-winning jams are being churned out for display in the hopes of gaining a ribbon. This was the case at Dawson City’s horticultural exhibition as part of Discovery Days last week, but you won’t find large or entertaining vegetables adorning the tables …
Be Amazed at What We Can Grow Up Here
Whether you have a green thumb or not, you’re invited to the Horticultural Exhibition in Dawson City on Aug. 13. Tarie Castellarin and Helen Dewell have been involved in organizing the exhibition since 2013. The event itself dates back to the early 1900s. “In the past, the exhibition was huge and used to be four …
He built a better greenhouse
There are two kinds of gardeners in the Yukon: those who can grow tomatoes and those who can’t. With Yukoner Bob Sharp’s Solar Growing Greenhouse Kit – a stable-temperature greenhouse that extends the growing season by three months – it is now much easier to join that first club. “Nothing about this is secret,” Sharp says. “It’s …
Here’s Your New Home, Bees
We saw the queen recently. She wasn’t wearing a crown. She was sporting a big blue dot on her thorax though. The Cheshire Beekeepers’ Association, founded in 1899, has great information about queen marking on its website. The queen is much easier to locate in the hive when marked. Queen records are easily kept. Most …
Diggin’ It Old School
The first thing that people know about me is that I am a city girl. It’s not that I do not have an appreciation for country living, it’s just not something I could do on a daily basis. So, it should come to no surprise that when it comes to gardening I am quite the …
Don’t Turnip Your Nose
“‘…but gracious me! It’s getting light! Good night, old Turnip-top, good-night!’ A nod, and he was gone.” So ends the sixth canto of Phantasmorgia by Lewis Carroll (better known for having written the topsy-turvy classic Alice in Wonderland), with the parting sally of a young phantom as he leaves the residence of the …
Tonic or toxin?
Ah, arnica. Renowned for its power to soothe sore muscles, sprains and bruises, and a common gateway drug into the wonderful world of the do-it-yourself apothecary. Most often it is in the form of arnica oil, where the bright yellow flower heads are wilted and then used to infuse oil that can be used in …
Planning ahead for a bounty of sunflowers
September always makes me think of apple picking, hay barrels, corn, and sunflowers. This summer I decided to try and grow sunflowers and even though I have never gardened before, I liked the thought of having my own sunflowers in September to enjoy. Before picking the specific type of sunflower I wanted to grow, I …
Training For the Yukon
Recently we went down south for a family visit. At the time it was still very much winter here in the Yukon. Down there the snow was melting, there were puddles everywhere and it felt like spring. If it had been like that up here we would have already been in the garden. But no one …
What’s In This Library
Spring is approaching — it’s time for all those with a green thumb to enjoy the warm weather. The garden season in the Yukon poses challenges, but those who know seeds and soil manage to pull through and enjoy the bounty of the land. Common amongst the garden culture circle is the planting of vegetables …
Potatoes Grow Anywhere
Formerly the Ramada, now the Days Inn, sits at the edge of the Whitehorse industrial area. It’s parking lot and big-box-store land, the concrete jungle of our Northern capital. It’s windy and dusty and, according to Francis van Kessel, general manager at Days Inn, the perfect place to grow potatoes, carrots, beets, and maybe kale. …
February Seedlings
Anything can happen in February, weather-wise. It can be -30°C one day and 5°C a few days later. The sun can be very warm and the spring starts diminishing the snow and icing up the roads. January is a month of hibernation and rest. But February is a month of cabin fever; hence Rendezvous. February, the …
The Green Rush
Right on schedule, my sprout craving has arisen from where it lay quietly dormant since the fall, nestled snug beneath the desire for stews and roasted root vegetables. The herbs I’ve kept in the house are responding to the same cues, with tiny pale green leaves emerging from the nodes of their twiggy stems. I’m …
Seed Catalogues Launch Dreams
“There are two seasonal diversions that can ease the bite of any winter. One is the January thaw. The other is the seed catalogues” – Hal Borland, American journalist (1900 – 1978). Seed catalogues evoke memories of summer breezes and warmer times; they are wonderful to peruse on a cold blustery day. We often receive three, …
Home writ large and small
Ah the glory days of a Northern summer!It’s the few short weeks when I take the covers off of the garden beds (always ready to run out at night should the temperature dip), and the days when the lakes are swimmable (not just dip-able). It’s the season of outdoor festivals, hiking and camping trips, and …
Perennials
In spring, while we wait for the snow to melt, we check on the chives to see if there will be enough for a taste. Once the snow is gone we keep an eye on the rhubarb. This year I was also watching for asparagus to return. Last year I seeded asparagus in a flowerbed …
It Looks Like a Tomato…
I was in the grocery store the other day with a friend. Picking up a bag of winter produce she said, “I wonder if they will taste like tomatoes… At least they’ll give the idea of a tomato.” This had never occurred to me before. Even though it is a mere shadow of the fruit fresh off …
Spring Sprouts
“Spring has sprung,” cries my body as it soaks up the sun streaming through my window at two o’clock on a glorious March afternoon. It retracts the statement the following morning as I crouch, shivering to light the fire. But, ever hopeful, it repeats the whole affair each day, confident that soon, it will be …
Homemade Seed Tapes
Winter can be frustrating for gardeners. There are days when it feels like spring won’t get here soon enough. Combine this with the knowledge that when it does, there is only a small window of time available, and a gardener can become anxious. Last year, I tried to get a head start on planting the …
The Joy of Homegrown Tomatoes
Nothing tastes quite as good as a garden fresh tomato. Here in the North these are rare enough to find, but this past summer we had enough heat to grow tomatoes outside without any protection from the elements, though we did fence them off from the laying hens. I started seedlings indoors around mid-March. And …
Skagway Club Shares Gardening Tips
Whether you’re in the Yukon, Alaska, or Arizona, your ground is the foundation of gardening, and that is the focus of the keynote event at a conference taking place in Skagway this month. Typically held in Juneau, the bi-annual Southeast Alaska Garden Conference will be held in Skagway for the first time, July 19 to …
PHantastic Soil
It is a good idea to find out a bit about your garden before planting anything in it. What will grow in a plot of soil depends on what is in it, how compact the soil particles are and the pH level of the soil. The required nutrients are reliant on what is to be …
The Art of Timing: Planting by the Moon
The “art of good timing” is the age-old belief in lunar rhythms. In the old days, people would plan their daily life, from health and home, to nutrition to farming, forestry and gardening, around the positions and phases of the moon. The moon controls ocean tides, influences the groundwater tables and even the movement of …
Hardy Choice for Low-Maintenance Indoor Gardens
When you are looking for a tough indoor plant, sanseveria trifasciata (or more commonly called snake plant) is a hardy choice. These sturdy plants are also a good pick for new indoor gardeners who are looking for plants with minimal maintenance. The sanseveria thrives in low light conditions and is an excellent choice for low-maintenance …
Help Your Plants Find the Light
Light is the main requirement for your seedlings once they have emerged from the soil whether they are flowers, vegetables or herbs. Having a sunny south bay window may not be enough intense light to prevent the seedlings from growing tall and spindly. Although it is too early to plant in your greenhouse, unless you …
Organic Gardens Live and Breathe Naturally
When it comes to organic gardening, many gardeners are not exactly sure of the definition. Beyond the avoidance of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides on their plants, an organic gardener works to achieve a harmonious balance among natural systems, while leaving the environment with replenishment of its resources. There are many good reasons for going organic. …
Pollination: Let the Bees Do It
With the days getting longer and nights warmer, the plants in your greenhouse should be thriving. Your greenhouse plants, tomatoes, cucumbers or squash, may start to send out their first flush of flowers. If you’ve bought plants locally, you may have bought plants with flowers or even little tomatoes already on the vine. If this …
Fresh Ideas for Container Gardens
With less and less time to maintain gardens, containers are becoming more and more popular as an alternative to mass gardening. Not everyone has time for full-fledged gardens, which is why container gardening just hits the spot. Any container that can hold soil can become a planter, as long as it has adequate drainage. When …
Dreams Achieved: The Fireweed Market is back
When we first moved to the Yukon 16 years ago I told my family that if I would like to have a market garden. The inspiration for this statement was the lack of fresh produce in the stores and a tour through Yukon Gardens with my sister’s daycare kids. When we moved here we were …
Veggies Like a Warm Bed
If you haven’t planted your garden, now is definitely the time to get growing. Remember to plant your seeds — such as carrots, beets and lettuce — fairly shallow. The depth of the seed bed that is required for root vegetables should be fairly deep (eight to 10″) for the development of the vegetable, but …
Rumble in the Greenhouse: Ladybug Vs. Aphid
With warmer weather, your greenhouse could be growing more than just your vegetable plants. Insects thrive in the warm humid environment and it usually takes a few weeks before it is noticeable to the average gardener. Most people are aware that aphids are attracted to pepper plants. I’ve always maintained that if you grow your …
Getting Your Greenhouse In Order
At this point in the season, maintenance is the goal for keeping your greenhouse productive now and in the coming month. Despite the snow at the beginning of June, the plants in your greenhouse should be growing rapidly. I would recommend keeping an eye on the following potential trouble spots: air circulation and fungal problems. …
Strawberry Fields Forthcoming
With visions of Strawberry Shortcake, Strawberry Milkshakes — in fact, with strawberries of any shape and size — I got bamboozled into our strawberry escapade on our greenhouse operation. I didn’t know much about growing strawberries, but my husband insisted that they could be grown here, so trustingly I went along with the concept. The …
Plants Helping Plants
One of the more interesting characteristics of plants is that plants are affected chemically by the aroma from leaves, roots and by soil micro-organisms. Knowing which plants like each other and which don’t, and planting these together, is what is known as companion planting. Companion planting is the planting of different crops in close proximity …
Tomatoes: The Needs of the Many Outweigh the Needs of the Few
One sunny August afternoon, I walked into our “Tomato” greenhouse only to find my husband, Frank, yielding a machete (OK, a large knife) chopping off the tops of all the tomato plants. Positive that the heat finally got to him and he’s gone berserk, I yelled: “What the heck are you doing?” The long rows …
Tomatoes: The Needs of the Many Outweigh the Needs of the Few Read More »
Salvaging a Short Growing Season
It’s been obvious to gardeners for some time that this summer has not been favourable for vegetable gardening. The lack of sunny days combined with cool nights is just not the best for ripening of tomatoes. Outdoor vegetables such as cabbage and cauliflower are also very late in forming heads. The hope for these crops …
Tiny Little Pieces of Life
I got my seeds today! Seeds … tiny little pieces of life, stored until spring arrives to awaken them. It is this miraculous life that makes them so attractive to gardeners, especially after a long, cold winter. Each seed has its own set of requirements hardwired in them. It is up to the gardener to …
Deep in Snow and Going to Seed
When we moved to Whitehorse, from Saskatchewan, I had been led to believe that gardening here was next to impossible. Then I visited Yukon Gardens and was inspired. They had all the ‘regular’ garden plants that seemed to be doing very well. That’s when I knew it wasn’t impossible. But it was still years before …
Savoury Edible-Plant Gardening
Edible-plant gardening is a doubly exciting venture. We all know that food tastes best when it can be consumed soon after harvest. By growing edible plants in your windowsill, you take advantage of the fresh harvest at your finger tips. Herb gardening is a rewarding and useful experience. Consider experimenting with plant varieties not available …
What’s ‘Up’ in the Garden
They’re up … radishes and swiss chard that were planted only a week ago are now pushing up through the soil. The radishes looked like they have been up for a while, too, but I didn’t notice them because I was still planting other parts of the garden. When Allan watered last night, they became …
Ploughing for Parsnips (and Other Root Crops)
With the snow finally gone, a gardener’s mind turns to working the soil. But, to work it too soon could leave it in unwieldy clumps, and too late would mean that most or all of the soil moisture has soaked away. So it is difficult to know when the best time to cultivate is. At …
Keeping Things Green in the Greenhouse
With this wonderful summer heat we are having, your greenhouse plants should be growing by leaps and bounds. Once the mercury passes above 25, a lot of Yukoners seem to say, “It’s too hot for me.” Inside the greenhouse, however, where the temperature can go to 30 or more, the plants thrive when given enough …
Successful Perennial Gardening, All-Summer-Long
Perennial gardening has long been a favoured pastime for Yukon gardeners. Now is the perfect time to take a good look at the perennials in your garden, decide which perennials to plant where, shuffle existing plants around your garden and fill in empty spaces with new favourite varieties. Perennial gardens can look stunning, from early …
Not All Greenhouses Are Created Equal
One of the most-asked questions in regards to greenhouse coverings is: “What material should I use to cover my greenhouse.” The most important decision you will make is the choice of greenhouse coverings (or glazing as it is called in the trade). The ideal covering lets in the maximum amount of light while allowing the …
The Plant of the King’s Fragrance
Not everyone grows the standard tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers in the greenhouse … There are gardeners who love to grow exotic flowers, and orchids are one of many plants that fall into this category. Your greenhouse is an ideal place to grow orchids because of the special conditions of temperature, humidity and light that can …
They’re Not Just Pretty (They taste great, too!)
One of the delights of owning a hobby greenhouse is that that there are many varieties of plants that can be grown in its warm, humid climate. Often we tend to think of growing mostly tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and that certainly was the case when we grew vegetables commercially. There are greenhouses that are dedicated …
They’re Not Just Pretty (They taste great, too!) Read More »
Pass the mint, please …
If you have just one little empty spot in your greenhouse, I would consider planting just one or two peppermint plants. Peppermint does grow outdoors, this is true, but it grows profusely in the greenhouse. I learned this by accident as for years I had planted peppermint outdoors and it did so-so. Mind you, our …
The Young at Heart Are Growing!
One of the delights of consulting and promoting gardening is that once in a while you stumble into on oasis that you did not know existed in Whitehorse. I was asked by our editor to check out what “The Seniors” up by Yukon College were doing, and when I eagerly drove up there recently and …
Seniors Who Are Growing and Giving
The Seniors Association, up on College Drive, not only has a fabulous greenhouse going, they have a complete gardening management system all set up and the project has plans to expand. Not only is there the wonderful, productive greenhouse I wrote about last week, but there is also an extensive outdoor garden. There is a …
‘Greening’ Your Greenhouse Garden
Approaching the last six to eight weeks of our active growing season, it’s time to take a critical look at your greenhouse.
How Does Your Cut-Flower Garden Grow?
Every gardener loves the sight and scent of fresh flowers in their garden. It is equally exciting to grow varieties of cut flowers to display in your home and to give away as gifts for family and friends. There are many varieties of plants that work well in a cut-flower garden. Typically, long-stemmed perennials and …
Time to Reap What You Sow
I have a few heads of cabbage and broccoli amongst my flower beds, and I check their progress almost daily. One day, recently, I noticed the telltale signs of yellow on the broccoli florets and thought, Uh oh, better harvest these right now before they get over- mature. The next day, one of the cabbage …
Give Peas a Chance!
This year we have been having record temperatures. With the heat, some plants start start to bolt to seed. My spinach has done this and the radishes were finished weeks ago. The lettuce is starting to make heads, which leads to seed production. One challenge in gardening is to prolong the time we can harvest …
Save Those Seeds!
A few years ago I received a delightful gift consisting of an assortment of home-grown, home-dried tomato and pepper seeds. What a delightful gift, I thought, and with Christmas only around four months away, now is the time to try saving seeds from your own plants to share, give as gifts or keep for next …
Growing Sweet Trees in the North
After a great deal of research, the University of Saskatchewan has developed cherry trees that are cold tolerant to -45. Ingrid Wilcox describes several of these varieties, the best known and most successful of which is the Evans Cherry Tree.
Unearthing Harvest Treasure
It’s fall. I know that no one wants it to be fall, but it is hard to deny. With every season, there are vegetables that are in decline and those that have just reached their prime. Root crops are usually biennials, which means they store up energy in their roots the first year, then flower …
Enjoying Flowers in and out of Season
The growing season is winding down, but that does not mean that gardeners need to be deprived of the pleasure of gardening. Fall flower bulbs are now coming on the market, and the easiest bulbs I would suggest to try are Hyacinths. Planted in pots at the end of September or beginning of October, they …
Geraniums to enjoy … and then keep
With frost nipping at our gardens, if it hasn’t already nipped in your area, I’ve been asked numerous times on the proper way to overwinter geraniums. Of all the outdoor summer blooms, geraniums can probably make the transition most successfully by using one of the two methods I have tried. Both work. The geraniums that …
Herbal Flavour Well-Preserved
With harvest in full swing, I am often asked for suggested uses of herbs other than drying or freezing. To enjoy your herbal harvest year-round, I like to keep a selection of herbal vinegars on hand. To make herbal vinegar, gather herbs early in the day before the sun has a chance to bake the …
A Good Summer, Starts in the Fall
From all reports, this year has been one of the better growing seasons. However, if your green thumb is still itching to do some gardening, here’s an experiment you can try to prolong the fun. For a few years, I have been aware that a vegetable grower in Whitehorse has been experimenting with planting seeds …
Tucking Your Greenhouse in for a Winter’s Sleep
Getting your greenhouse ready for winter may be a matter of just closing the door and walking away, to worry about next spring, but you will be much better prepared for the next gardening season if a few minutes are spent now to winterize the greenhouse. Removing all plant residues from the greenhouse is one …
Surviving and Thriving in Winter
Northern gardeners understanding the concept of winter hardiness. “Will my perennial plants or bushes survive the winter?” is no easy task.
Following a Festive Tradition
One of my favourite traditions of the holiday season is planting containers of amaryllis bulbs. The amaryllis is a beautiful and fascinating bulb. Among the easiest of bulbs to grow indoors, the amaryllis is enjoyed for the incredible trumpet-shaped flowers in an array of festive colours. The amaryllis flower grows on tall stems surrounded by …
Christmas Cacti
As we approach the festive holiday season, the Christmas cacti comes into full bloom, illuminating holiday dècor with its exotic and abundant blossoms. This full-spectrum flowering plant often blooms just twice per year (most commonly prior to Easter and then again at Christmas), making this prodigious blooming plant symbolic of the nearing of Christmas. With …
The Sacred Flower of Christmas
The revered holiday poinsettia is among the most-beautiful and significant flowering plants of the holiday season. Also known as the Christmas star or Christmas Flower, the poinsettia has history rich with tradition and meaning. One of my favourite Christmas stories tells of the humble beginnings of the Mexican poinsettia flower. The story tells of a …
The Indoor Living Christmas Tree
The Norfolk Island pine is a popular and spirited plant that has adapted to many indoor living spaces. Enjoyed for its close similarity to an outdoor evergreen tree, the Norfolk Island pine vastly resembles the spirited Christmas tree. The lush, soft needles are perfect for displaying holiday ornaments, garlands and bows. A plant that will …
Spring Forth Into Your Garden
Most gardeners await the spring season with the greatest of anticipation. We watch patiently for those first bulbs and perennials to spring forth into our gardens. As the last of the snow melts and the days become longer, we know that soon we will be out cultivating our gardens. On the first warm day of …
The ‘Love Apple’ Needs Love
With the snow so deep, it seems impossible that spring will ever arrive. Gardeners, however, take things into their own hands and start seedlings in the sunniest window they can find. Onions, tomatoes, peppers and leeks are just some of the seedlings that are started as early as February. There is nothing quite like watching …
A Good Garden Starts From the Ground Up
With spring just around the corner, even some non-gardeners are planning on planting a garden. I am thinking specifically of my niece, Shauna, who for the past two summers came and stayed with us. She had no problem helping out with the chores at the barn, in fact she enjoyed it when the meat chickens …
Unleash the Ladybugs
Last week, I spotted a ladybug while visiting a garden in Dawson City. It was rather exciting to see a ladybug that far North and, not being a resident there, I asked whether sighting ladybugs is a frequent occurrence or rather something unusual. No one seemed to know, but it does seem to indicate that …
A Pre-Harvest Harvest
Whenever the beginning of August rolls around, I think more of harvesting the fruits of my gardening than the actual gardening. And harvesting has been the in progress for a couple of weeks already. The Swiss Chard has been cut and has re-grown twice now. I just trim the upper leaves leaving about 15 centimetres …
Outdoor Water Features For Your Garden
Everyone loves the tranquil calming nature of an outdoor water feature. Whether it be the splash of a water fountain or the soothing serenity of a pond, a water feature in a garden creates an interesting focal to any landscape. When selecting an area of your landscape, make a map to scale of your entire …
Maintain Your Greenhouse Well
Understanding good greenhouse techniques encourages healthy plant growth and, as the growing season is well on its way, it would be a good time to reassess your plants’ performance to see if there are areas which can be tweaked for better results. Consistent care and monitoring the plants’ growth contributes to good cultural practices. If …
Know Your Tomato
Did you know that banana peels and eggshells help to make your tomatoes grow? When buried in the bottom of a planter or spread around the roots of your tomato plants as you transplant them into the greenhouse, fresh banana peels act as slow-release fertilizer providing potassium and trace elements. The peels should be cut …
Winterize Your Greenhouse
Getting your greenhouse ready for winter could be a matter of just closing the door and walking away, something to worry about next spring. But you will be much better prepared for the next gardening season if you spend a few minutes winterizing the greenhouse now. Removing all plant residues from the greenhouse is one …
Getting Ready for Fall Gardening
Now is the perfect time of year to finish up summer landscape projects, prepare garden beds for the winter as well as plan for next year’s garden. For a harvest of hues, choose a variety of plants for late-season colour. With a little planning you can have rich autumn colour, bright foliage along with attractive …
Dig the Taste
One of the best types of vegetables to grow in the Yukon are root crops. Most root crops can take late frosts in the spring, so they can be planted as soon as the soil can be worked. They also don’t require high amounts of heat units which aren’t plentiful up here anyways. I like …
Taking Note of Good Peas
If you like peas, and many Yukon gardeners must for they can be found in most gardens, you’ve had lots of company throughout history. Dried peas found at an archeological site near Thailand have been carbon-dated to 9750 BC according to the Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development Information pamphlet regarding fresh produce. Eating fresh peas …
The Joy of Gardening
I have discovered that gardening is more than a past-time; it’s a way of life. For me, gardening is both therapeutic and inspirational. There is something that relaxes and rejuvenates the soul which stems from the planting, nurturing and harvesting process. I was fortunate to have discovered a love for gardening at a very young …
Next Year’s Garden Season Begins Now
Although this year’s gardening season is winding down, next year’s season is just beginning. I heard quite a few years ago, that someone was experimenting with planting crops such as carrots and beets in the fall with the expectation that they would be much further ahead in harvesting than spring-planted carrots. I was too busy …
Companion Planting in the Garden
Just like people, plants thrive when in the right company. Camaraderie in the garden is something one might not necessarily think of, however the benefits of putting plants together in the right relationship is quite notable and interesting. In companion gardening, varieties of herbs, vegetables and flowers work together in partnership to nurture and protect …
Your Greenhouse is 2,000 Years Old
If you are like many people trying to grow tomatoes in pots on the patio, the windy conditions we’ve been having hasn’t helped the growth rate of even the hardiest tomato varieties. Carrying the plants into the confines of a warm house for the night is a chore, but it will help your plants revive …
Get Your Greenhouse Ready
Hey, Yukon! It’s gardening time! Time to get that greenhouse ready! If your greenhouse has a supplementary heating system, chances are you’ve already begun planting, and your greenhouse is up and running. For those people whose greenhouses lack a heating unit, now is the time to prepare the greenhouse and get it ready for those …
A Time to Be Thankful
Summer ended abruptly this year. When the first snowfall came, I was very thankful that all of our veggies had been harvested. Harvesting is backbreaking work at times, and having snow on the ground and a cold wind only makes it harder to do, especially with root crops. After the second snowfall a few days …
H2O 101
Now that we are almost at the end of June, I find my plants are growing very fast. I’ve already harvested the first of my Tumbler tomatoes at the end of May, as well as some of the chili peppers. Regarding peppers and cucumbers, I am harvesting the fruit on the smaller side thus giving …
Caring for That Christmas Poinsettia
The poinsettia, or Christmas Star as it is known throughout Europe, is one of the very few plants that bloom during winter and the holiday season. The poinsettia has a rich and unique history that dates back to the Aztecs. The plant is native to Central America, specifically southern Mexico and is known there as …
Hot Fun in the Summertime
Due to some travelling adventures in Latin and South America, I was introduced to chili peppers in the last 10 years or so. Approaching the use of chili peppers cautiously, I did acquire a taste for them, enjoying their legendary heat as they added a jolt of stimulating flavour to food. Peppers range from spicy …
Get a Good Summer Workout in the Garden
By becoming active in your garden, you have the perfect opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors while feeling good about yourself and your garden. Gardening is a wonderful way to work all of the major muscle groups and even lose a few pounds. Here are a few noteworthy statistics: mowing the lawn with a power …
The Right Time, The Right Place
With the hot weather this past Victoria Day weekend, I planted all my vegetable seeds. But my vegetable transplants are still getting the deluxe care treatment, kept in a cold frame or the greenhouse until I’m sure the last of the frost is past. In some of the Yukon’s outlying areas, this could be as …
Reap What You Sow … Now!
The sun is shining, the snow is melting off of the roof and it is starting to feel like spring. But we are still in the month of February and spring is a long way off. Still, there are things that can be gardened indoors even in February. Tomatoes, peppers, onions and leeks all need …
Water and Warm Soil Keep Cukes Sweet and Refreshing for Summer
When I think of cucumbers, I think of the idiom “cool as a cucumber” , which may be based on the fact that even in hot weather, the insides of cucumbers remain cooler than the air. Cucumbers, the second most popular greenhouse crop after tomatoes, certainly do not like cool weather. In fact, they thrive …
Water and Warm Soil Keep Cukes Sweet and Refreshing for Summer Read More »
Peas Aplenty
I decided to go with the larger package. It is a variety that has done very well in the past. It was almost funny, when I opened the parcel with my seeds. I know I ordered a large pack but I really hadn’t visualized what that would look like. A packet of pea seeds bought …
Down and dirty in Dawson
They’re getting down and dirty in Dawson City – dirty actions of the gardening kind, that is. Dawson City Community Gardens, now in its third year of existence, is alive and thriving with more people joining every year. “It’s about coming together to develop relationships with the garden, each other and the community,” says Derrick …
Play Makers: Produce pains
Wash your produce. We are taught this from a very young age, but it particularly holds true up here in the North. Some of the things I’ve seen people to do in the fruits and veggies department is especially appalling. They squeeze it, they sniff it, they caress it, they poke it, and they throw …
Cool Veggies
Most people associate fresh vegetables with summer, especially in the Yukon. So when my cousin came for a visit near the end of October, she wasn’t expecting anything to be growing in my garden. She is from southern Manitoba, where seasons are longer than ours and she hadn’t heard of harvesting in October. When she …
Facing the Frost Threat
One of the most beautiful seasons in the Yukon is autumn. But with that beauty comes the threat of frost. In fact, frost is probably the cause of the beauty. Frost is also one of the main challenges a gardener in the north has to deal with. Living this far north we don’t have to …
Like a Moving Meditation
There’s a saying Fay Branigan thinks everyone should know: “Feed your body, nourish your brain and soothe your soul through gardening.” For the past two years, Branigan has been the owner of what’s officially called Cliffside Country Store and Greenhouse, but is better known as Cliffside Gardens. Branigan grew up on a farm in northern …
Ordering a Garden
January is seed ordering month for me. It usually involves sitting down with two or three of my favourite seed catalogues, my garden journal and a cup of hot beverage in front of the fire. First I plot out what should go where in the coming spring. I try to rotate crops every year. This …
Bloom to Bloom
On July 30 and 31, Dawson City will be visited by two judges, scrutinizing the town in the Communities in Bloom (CiB) program, and ranking it against other Canadian communities. This is the fourth year Dawson is running in the program. In a “five bloom” scoring system, Dawson has earned five blooms in three out …
Google Gardeners
I made my first real gardening faux pas this week. I cut down the rhubarb. All of it. Sawing through the base of the stalks with a kitchen knife, the adrenaline rush was intense as the stalks fell, one by one, their huge leaves making satisfying crashes. I got really into it, hacking the leaves …
Feeding Your Micro-herd
Hi! This is your micro-herd talking. You didn’t think you were keeping livestock, and we can understand that. We are really really small. But signs of our work are everywhere. We are the bacteria and fungi in your soil. You know those plant roots that gradually disappear? That’s our handiwork, and we have news: your …
Spend the Winter With Your Geraniums
While the frost nips at our gardens, I’ve been asked numerous times on the proper way to overwinter geraniums. Of all the outdoor summer blooms, geraniums can probably make the transition most successfully by using one of the two methods I have tried. The geraniums that we grow in our area are of the genus …
The Garden That Love Made
Have you seen the flowerbeds outside the Subaru/Kia dealership? They are, in a word, immaculate. Nestled together in concrete planters, the Geraniums, Petunias and Marigolds burst forth in almost psychedelic technicolour. It all leaves one to ruminate about the tender loving care that has been invested in the garden. The gardener’s name is Joginder Grewal …
Beautiful Reasons to Wait for Spring
The gardening season is rapidly coming to an end, but if you still have an urge to plant something and the snow hasn’t reached your area yet, my best suggestion would be to try planting tulips. Tulips, one of the earliest flowers to bloom, are a good example of the type of plant that needs …
Get Those Seeds Planted
Now is the time to start seeding your vegetable plants for the outdoor garden. Vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli benefit from early seeding as this extends your growing season. By seeding four weeks before planting outdoors, your plants will have a good start on the growing season and you can look forward to …
