How is Carly England’s Garden Growing?

 

This is an update on Carly England The Angels Roost Organic Gal’s garden. 

Got something growing you want me to share? Email: sav_77@yahoo.com

Good morning, Linda!

I know I promised photos yesterday, but I ran out of daylight and time! Here are a couple of pics:

Tomatoes in rubber maids for easy transport indoors and out (I take them outside for a bit each day to harden them off).

 

 

Peppers that NEED some sunshine real soon!

Basil

I’ll take some outdoor photos once I mulch the gardens, hopefully later today if the rain stays away!

Chat soon,

Carly England

The Angels Roost Organic Gal

Clipped from The Ottawa Journal,  21 Jun 1971, Mon,  Page 6

 

Clipped from The Ottawa Journal,  18 May 1978, Thu,  [First Edition],  Page 53

Come and visit the Lanark County Genealogical Society Facebook page– what’s there? Cool old photos–and lots of things interesting to read. Also check out The Tales of Carleton Place.

Information where you can buy all Linda Seccaspina’s books-You can also read Linda in The Townships Sun and Screamin’ Mamas (USA)

See How Carly’s Garden Grows…

Remembering the Carleton Place CPR Gardens

The Watts Bros Seed Company Lanark Village

The Lanark Ginseng Company?

Are You Ready for Spring? Carleton Place and District Horticultural Society is!

Gardening 2016–From Herbs to Edible Flowers?

See How Carly’s Garden Grows…

Carly England from Angels Roost Organic Spa outside Carleton Place posted some inside gardening photos she was doing on Facebook It was so interesting I asked her to tell me what she was doing. We will keep up with her garden from time to time.

Written and Photos by Carly England

 

I’m sending you some photos of my “babies”. I started all of them on March 20th, perhaps too early at the rate some of them are growing…but oh well, it’s all a fun experiment, really! And from what I hear, it’s going to be a very warm spring (here’s hoping!). I’ll be taking more photos this weekend of their progress.

I bought myself a small greenhouse from Home Depot for about $35, 3 bags of Organic seed starting soil, and 3 seed starting trays. Last year, I tried starting my seedlings in those little soil pellet things, and they didn’t do well. Most of them had mould within a couple of days. I also started them on my dining room table, where they didn’t seem too happy, especially when my cat Lily was attacking them (the new mini greenhouse happily eliminates this problem!). Nonetheless, I did have survivors. Tomatoes were the only thing that really succeeded last year, as well as some pansies and zinnia that I started. Also, the seeds I bought last year were from the grocery store, and although I did chose open pollinating varieties (bees like these, I like bees), I couldn’t be sure of the quality. I was also gifted several tomato plants from my employer, Kathy, which did EXTREMELY well.

This year, I purchased my seeds from Perth Seedy Sunday on March 5th (a truly wonderful event, I was able to speak directly with the people who grew the plants, harvested the seeds (I even took notes! Everyone there was so knowledgable, and super nice). I’m really optimistic that the quality of these seeds will result in better plants!

So far, I’ve planted:

Green Onions

Tomatoes:

Centennial (Determinate Variety – means the plants stay only a few feet tall and yield sometimes only one crop)   good for sauces and pastes

Green Zebra (Indeterminate Variety – means the plants can take on a life of their own! Not kidding here! The pic below is an example of a typical days harvest of indeterminate cherry and larger tomatoes).  Larger tomato, green with orange stripes!

Pink Boar  (Ind. V) larger pink (!) striped type

Tasty Treat  (Ind. V) little cherry tomato type

Peppers:

Lively Sweet Orange

Carnival Blend Sweet

Italian Pepperocini

Hot Hungarian

Habenero

Jalapeno

Herbs:

Oregano

Parsley

Thyme

Cilantro

Basil

Rosemary

Flowers:

Pink Pampas Grass (Fluffy, pink ornamental grass)

Nemophilia (little black and white flowers)

Lupins

Lavender

Calendula

I also have sunflowers, squash, lemon cucumbers, pickling cucumbers, radish, peas, beans, lettuce, spinach, swiss chard, beets, pumpkins and squash to sow outdoors once frost has past. We’re even going to try honey dew melon!

So, I understand if you think this sounds a tad ambitious, and maybe I’m a bit overzealous. However, each year I’ve gardened, I’ve grown my knowledge and harvests dramatically. I remember my vegetable garden when we first bought our home, it was only a couple of tomato and pepper plants, some beans, and a few pots of herbs on my deck – all store bought. Each year I’ve made mistakes, and gotten better! And I highly suggest the book “The Mini Farming Bible: The Complete Guide to Self-Sufficiency on ¼ Acre” by Brett L. Markham. It’s been so helpful to me this year in properly planning, which I’m learning is the most important part of maintaining a successful garden. It also helps that I grew up with parents who were avid gardeners, and that I work at an organic spa where we grow our own vegetables (knowledge by osmosis!).

I garden because it’s something that I genuinely enjoy. It’s the best form of stress relief I’ve ever encountered, and when done right, it can positively impact your whole family, and even community. Some of the plants I’m starting are to share with family and friends to grow. That means they’ll be eating healthy, homegrown vegetables, some of them from their gardens, some from potted plants on their decks (you can literally have a garden anywhere!). This also means that they’ll be making delicious food with these fruits and veggies, which they’ll then share with their families and friends! And best of all…you know where your food came from! 😀

I have plans in place for harvesting my “crops” at their peak freshness, then using them in sauces, salsas, soups, freezing, canning, pickling, pestos, dried herbs and tea, and of course for eating fresh! I’ve been saving my grocery receipts so that I can track the difference in our spending when we are more self sufficient.

So, that’s basically what I’m doing. I have a Garden Journal that I’ve been documenting everything in. I plan on keeping it updated, so I have a written record I can learn from and refer to in the future. As long as I continue to do better each year, that’s what counts! Eventually, I want chickens too, but Marc is not a fan of that idea (for now…).

I’ll be taking some pictures each week to track the plants’ progress. Most of them are doing pretty well at the moment, I had to transplant the tomatoes on Monday, April 3rd, as some of them were already getting their second set of leaves! I used red solo cups with a hole poked in the bottom of each one, filled with seedling mix, placed in a pyrex tray filled with about an inch of water for them to drink at their leisure (seeds like to be watered from the bottom, not the top). I also moved the basil and cilantro into clay pots or solo cups which I’m watering with the same method. Some of the herbs are slower, and the lavender and pampas grass are REALLY slow (I think I waited too long to plant them). I have the green house positioned near a vent, beside a south facing window. They seem to like it. 🙂

Come and visit the Lanark County Genealogical Society Facebook page– what’s there? Cool old photos–and lots of things interesting to read.

Information where you can buy all Linda Seccaspina’s books-You can also read Linda in Hometown News and now in The Townships Sun

Filed under Uncategorized and tagged angels roost spa, Carleton-Place, carly england, Gardening, gardens, Lanark-County | Leave a comment

Are You Ready for Spring? Carleton Place and District Horticultural Society is!

It’s Almost Spring!- Last year at the Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum

Next Meeting:

Next Meeting:  Wed March 1, 2017 at 7:00pm
Topic: David Dunn and Rob Caron are from Rideau Woodland Ramble and will speak on “Design and Development of Shade Gardens”.

Membership price is $10.00/year or $3.00 for a drop in for the night.  Everyone is welcome! Please join us at 39 Bridge St. at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church Hall (back entrance in the basement) in Carleton Place, Ontario.

 

 

The first project of the Carleton Place and District Horticultural Society when it formed in 1988 was the transformation of the hard-packed cinder playground of Victoria School(Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum) into this lovely oasis on the north side of town. The Garden is designed, planted and maintained by the Horticultural society members who donate plants from their own gardens along with their time and gardening talents.

Take a few moments to relax under the vine-covered trellis and view the original Carleton Place horse-watering trough, now a delightful planter. Then wander through the 20th Anniversary Celebration arbour and hedge to visit the Community Gardens Project.

Activities:

• Yearly Perennial Plant Sale (Saturday May 27, 2017)
• Monthly meetings with Guest Speakers
• Downtown Planting
• Victoria School Museum Garden Maintenance

Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum–Who knew? It’s the best kept secret when you just need to get out of the office and breathe in some fresh air.

 

Meeting Topics for 2017

Wed March 1, 2017 at 7:00pm – David Dunn and Rob Caron are from Rideau Woodland Ramble will speak on “Design and development of shade gardens”.

Wed April 5, 2017 at 7:00pm – Jamie Roy owner of Acanthus floral and botanical in Almonte will speak on “Tropical house plant propagation”.

Wed May 3, 2017 at 7:00pm – our “Spring flower show” and also Joanna Kowalczyk will give a talk on “Pruning”. Joanna is a graduate from Humber College and Niagara Parks Commission School of Horticulture.

Wed June 7, 2017 at 6:00pm – June Pot Luck including a “Question and answer period with the Master Gardeners of Lanark”

July and August 2017 – No Meeting

Wed September 6, 2017 at 7:00pm – Sylvia Vanoort will present “Flower Arranging Using Locally Grown Cut Flowers”. Sylvia has her own cut flower nursery and sells at the Perth Farmers Market.

Wed October 4, 2017 at 7:00pm – Jan Kittle  will talk on “Floral Designs on Quilting”. Jan is the proprietor of The Pickle Dish in Carleton Place.

Wed November 1, 2017 at 7:00pm – Michael Runtz will speak on “The Mysterious Sex Life of Flowers”. Michael is a professor at Carleton University.

Wed December 6, 2017 at 6:00pm – Pot Luck Christmas dinner, music, annual awards and elections. Bring your pot luck dish, serving spoon, cutlery, plate, mug. Everyone is welcome!

Location of meetings and contact telephone number

St. Andrews Presbyterian Church Hall Back Entrance (in Basement)
39 Bridge St.
Carleton Place, Ontario

613-257-4101

Remembering the Carleton Place CPR Gardens

CPR station –Photo from Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum

 

People say Tom Mitchell the gardener who took care of the CPR gardens was a kind older man. Not only could this man garden, but he was known as a man with a big smile and a pipe constantly in his mouth . The pipe must have been a permanent fixture because it was said he had a permanent groove in his lower lip. Not much is known about him, but in his later years Tom had a room in the Mississippi Hotel. Tom Mitchell won national awards for the gardens at the Carleton Place CPR station.

Looking for any information you might have– it will be happily recorded.

 

Ted Foote ( Tom Mitchell’s son in law ) was the manager of the LCBO when it was on Bridge Street beside the Carleton Place Canadian office where Coldwell Banker’s offices are now .

Joann Voyce–Tom’s grand daughter Audrey Foote married Ray Simpson and raised a family in Carleton Place. The gardens were the whole area where the Veternarian and Subway now is.The only building on all that piece of land was the actual station. I remember the gardens well.Other than the area directly in front of the station which was paved, the rest was gardens. Even around the water tower where the steam engines filled up, was flower beds. I remember many,many hostas

Sandra Rattray–When I was a child we played inside and outside the station almost daily. Nobody worried about it. I remember it as a huge space where men and women had separate areas. It was kept fairly clean. The baggage department was separate, at one end and Eric Simpson was the Manager of that department. His son, Don Simpson (wife Judy from the C.P. Library) might have pictures. Everyone was very kind to the children, especially one group of children, who had to use the Station washroom because their mother would not allow them in the house. Everyone who knew was disgusted. I actually dated one of the ticket agents and telegraphers for a couple of years. We rode the trains for free.

Llew Lloyd— I’ve commented before about Tom Mitchell and his relationship to my family . My mother and his daughter, Evelyn ( Mitchell ) Foote, were first cousins. Family lore has it that Tommy won first prize for best C.P.R. gardens every second year . He won every second year because the contest rules didn’t allow anyone to win in consecutive years . Evelyn’s daughter Audrey married Ray Simpson who coincidentally ran the gas station across from the RBC before the times of Rupert St. Jean and Earl Horricks. Audrey and Ray’s son Terry is the husband of Margaret Simpson who often comments on your posts .

Tom Mitchell — photo from the Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum at the Caldwell Jaimeson Dunlp Reunion.

Are you a Hot Tomatoe?

The Neighbourhood Tomato Community Gardens Facebook page

Mission
Growing food, building community

Guiding Principles
We support the growth of a vibrant local food network.
We value learning through doing, mentoring, and skill sharing while building respectful relationships among all people, food and nature.
We celebrate and nurture the abundance of strengths, gifts and passions in our community.

 

Why I Will Never Be Miss Home Depot – Zoomer

 

Why I Will Never Be Miss Home Depot – Zoomer.