Common Ground – February 2022

“….here I stand, not only with the sense  Of present pleasure, but with pleasing thoughts That in this moment there is life and food For future years.” Wordsworth  Tintern Abbey It’s easy to think of February as the lowest point in the winter or even the whole year. It is… Continue reading

Common Ground – January 2022

“Deep roots are not reached by the frost.” J.R.R Tolkien It was a quiet holiday season here in the valley. Foolishly I left the beavers to their own devices thinking that maybe they would take a break over Christmas. Of course they didn’t do this and their intentions to expand… Continue reading

Common Ground – November 2021

“Sit by the fireside with Sorrow” Shelley There was no frost here in the valley until late October. I can’t remember another year when the morning glories and other frost tender flowers were still going while the leaves were turning colour. Some of the usual fall garden jobs have been… Continue reading

Victory Garden Supply Opens in Fraserville

  The traditional red brick centre-hall plan home in Fraserville is the new home of Victory Garden Supply.  The company itself is not new- it has been operating as a wholesaler in Peterborough, servicing the commercial horticultural industry since 2012.  The beginnings were humble.   Operating out of a mini-van, owner… Continue reading

Common Ground – October 2021

“I saw old Autumn in the misty morn…” Thomas Hood During the three days of heavy rain at the end of September we had an unbelievable seven inches of rain here in the valley. Greens planted in July for fall soup are coming along nicely. So far the deer haven’t… Continue reading

Common Ground – September 2021

“Our life is frittered away by detail… Simplify, simplify.” Thoreau I recently came across an idea that I intend to try next year that appears to make growing tomatoes simpler. A gardener in Maine got the brilliant idea (probably not original to her) to grow tomatoes around a vertical ring… Continue reading

Common Ground – August 2021

“August’s harvest is rich, with all the heat-loving crops coming into full productivity…” Bob Thomson, The New Victory Garden I’m choosing to be positive about the garden in August. The trials of the spring with its late snow and frozen tomatoes have been consigned to the past. I have almost… Continue reading

Gypsy Moth Infestation Prevention: Round Two

  This has been a bad year for the Gypsy moth.  While we usually see outbreaks of this pest every seven to ten years, 2021 will be the second year in a row of a severe infestation in many parts of Ontario. At the larvae stage, the creatures chew holes… Continue reading

Small Growers Satisfy Appetite for Local Food

Pictured is Harmony Evans, of Wild Ginger Farms, with her constant companion, Meekin, in her half-acre plot on the edge of town. She is one of my young farmers including Amanda Rice, of Spring Bloom Orchards, Cody and Kelsey Armstrong, Eban Hancock, and Merridey Senior, of Puddleduck Farm, who are… Continue reading