Cucumber Seedlings

Cucumber Seedlings

Monday, February 4, 2013

It's never too early to be thinking about your garden

It may be -15°C in Montreal right now but there are at least a few reasons to be thankful for a cold winter:  Cold weather kills bugs, bacteria, and other organisms that can be harmful to your harvest; a big pile up of snow means lots of water in the soil in spring that will help with seed germination and general soil fertility (not to mention some great opportunities to go sledding!); and the winter gives us a chance to rest from what can sometimes be back-breaking garden labor and give us a chance to plan our gardens for the upcoming season.

afiche pour le site webIf you're like me and like to have as much control over what goes into your garden as possible, then mid-winter is one of the most exciting times of year.  That's right, it's time to drool over seed catalogs at all the varieties of heirloom and organic seeds that could produce delicious, beautiful produce just for you.  Or better yet, find out when and where the nearest seed sale and exchanges are happening and support your local organic farmers who are among the unsung heroes working to preserve our biodiversity and our traditions.

If you're living anywhere near the Montreal region you must come by the Jardin Botanique de Montreal this weekend, February 9th-10th from 10am-4:30pm, for the 13th annual SEEDY WEEKEND.  Organized by local urban ag. organization Action Communiterre, there will be 20 local seed-saving farmers selling organic and heirloom veggie, herb, and flower seeds, with a free community seed exchange at the end of the day.  Plus there's a bunch of awesome FREE conferences about organic gardening and agriculture, food security, and what you can do to support new initiatives in Montreal and your community!  It's so worth the trek and the selection and diversity of seeds is really amazing.