There’s something therapeutic about sinking your hands into the cool, fresh earth. Gardening is one of those magical activities that provides you with a host of health benefits. From physical activity to eating fresh produce, what’s not to love about gardening?
Gardening appeals to all ages and abilities. For children, the opportunity to learn about where their food comes from is an important step in instilling healthy eating habits. As adults, our schedules are increasingly busy, and being able to step outside your door to pick vegetables for dinner instead of driving to the grocery store can be a real timesaver.
And we can’t forget about the benefits to seniors. Gardening is a great way for seniors to be physically active, helping to lower their risk for heart disease and stroke.
Last Wednesday, I had the opportunity to plant two garden beds at the Île-des-Chênes Community Gardens with experienced gardeners Gill Baggley and Maggie Gheeraert. One of my favourite things about community gardening is the sharing of valuable tips and tricks. As a newbie gardener, I’m grateful for any time I can spend with gardening experts who are willing to pass down their knowledge.
Here are a few tried and tested tips I learned.
First off, transplant your seedlings after the full moon in June to avoid losing crops to frost. Also, note that broken hockey sticks and laces make great supports for tomato plants.
Speaking of tomatoes, don’t be afraid to pluck the lower branches and plant the stem deep into the soil to ensure that your stems grow strong.
Corn and pole beans are a match made in heaven! Corn requires a lot of nitrogen and pole beans replaces the nitrogen in the soil. The beans will climb your corn stalks, so there’s no need for a trellis. Also remember that corn is wind-pollinated, so be sure to plant it in rows.
Finally, when transplanting plants, break up the roots to allow them to establish more quickly.
While not everyone has access to a backyard garden, there are opportunities to garden in both the RM of Ritchot and the Town of Niverville at community gardens.
In addition to renting garden beds, there’s also a garden club for all ages at the St. Adolphe Community Gardens. They meet on Mondays from 6:00–7:00 p.m. In the fall, the garden club will be incorporating the produce from their gardens in cooking classes, so stay tuned for more details.
