Providing Expert Advice
For the Home Gardener
“In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect.””
Notes from my Garden - July
"So, here it is July already! How quickly June came and went. I love the quote about nothing being perfect and everything being perfect. This is such the case in my garden. I've almost got all my plants in the garden - a very slow start this year (and definitely not perfect). But everything is growing well and looks promising. This includes the weeds as well!
The frequent periods of rain have helped to keep the plants hydrated but they do need some extra water now and then. My rain barrels are full so it's lots of dipping with the watering can. One way to get your exercise. And given the heat, I'm busy trying to keep myself hydrated too!
July is such a wonderful time in the garden as the various plants start to ripen. Sadly, the asparagus has just finished. It had a long season this year and I'd gotten used to counting on it for a few meals each week. The lettuce and spinach are getting ready to bolt so it will be lots of salad in the next week or so. Peas are just starting to fill out - I was very late getting them in. I'm very pleased that my various types of tomatoes already have fruit growing and so hopefully I'll be enjoying tomatoes by the end of the month. This year I started 2 paste varieties (Opalka and San Marzano), 3 cherry varieties (Black, Yellow Pear and Red), and 3 varieties of slicers (Bonny Best, Scotia, and Cosmonaut Volkov).
I've also found a few volunteers from last year so not sure what they will be. However, I know what I'll be doing in August! The raspberries and red currants are just starting to ripen so I'm looking forward to eating them before the birds get them all. I will be sowing more lettuce, spinach and cilantro in the coming weeks as well as more beets.
Weeding and deadheading are part of my daily routine in the garden. I actually enjoy weeding as you can always see the product of your efforts, be it a full wheelbarrow or the order that has been established. I enjoy listening to the birds, admiring the flowers and sampling the scents. And weeding also gives me an opportunity to check my plants for any pests or diseases. So, a win - win!
One of my July tasks is to take stock of the plants I will be digging up for the Grey County Master Gardeners annual plant sale. This year, the plant sale is on Saturday September 12th from 9-12 at the Meaford Pavilion. There is always an interesting variety of plants - lots of native plants, ornamentals, grasses, etc. Several of our members grow plants specifically for the sale while others provide plants from our gardens. So, please mark your calendars and plan to attend. We love to see you and answer any of your gardening questions.
Happy Gardening!
Susan Cox
Group Coordinator
Grey County Master Gardeners
Part of an international non-profit community service network, Grey County Master Gardeners is a group of approximately 20 trained horticulturists who volunteer their time to provide advice to home gardeners in the Grey and Bruce area. This is accomplished by providing info to the public in various forms, including in person or virtual, through presentations, clinics and workshops, or through written work such as articles, posts, blogs or social media.
All Master Gardeners have successfully completed university horticultural studies and must meet ongoing continuing education requirements to make sure that our advice to gardeners is based on current horticultural knowledge.
There are over 25 local Master Gardener groups in Ontario, focusing on sustainable gardening information for the public. There are also Master Gardener groups in many provinces, most states and in some international locations. More information about the Provincial organization can be found at (MGOI – Motivating and Inspiring Gardeners in Ontario).
Not in Grey County? Don’t despair. You can find your local MG groups, including Toronto, Guelph, Collingwood and others, at www.mgoi.ca.
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Established in 1996, Grey County Master Gardeners are part of the province-wide Master Gardeners of Ontario (MGOI). Grey County Master Gardeners are trained volunteers who offer non-biased, science-based horticultural information and advice to home gardeners and community groups in both Grey and Bruce Counties.
Our Vision
An Eco-Responsible focus in the garden
Our Values
We believe in the importance of having an eco-responsible focus when gardening. This means we encourage gardening practices that enhance biodiversity, mitigate against climate change, are healthy for the environment and support human health. As a group, we prefer consensus whenever possible, however there are times when a majority rules. We value inclusiveness, collaboration, engagement of community and cooperation.
