For
The Gardener: Vegetable, Herbs, Fruit and Flowers
Organic Animal Deterrents
Mice:
plant peppermint, mint and spearmint plants
by doors and windows to help keep out mice. Fresh spearmint in
cupboards with
keep mice out of food
products. (Put food in strong containers that will not leak crumbs
etc. Keeps out bugs and mice.)
Rats:
Heard that planting catnip in yards will keep rats away.
Squirrels:
are so much fun to watch and a joy to listen to. Yet a
gardener may differ with that statement. Was informed that
Bloodmeal will keep the squirrels out of your favorite plants
and gardens.
Organic
Bug Sprays
Garlic Oil
Sprays:
Organic gardeners have long been familiar with the repellent
or toxic affect of garlic oil on pests. when it is combined with
mineral oil and pure soap, as it is in the recipe that
follows, devised at the Henry Doubleday Research Association in England,
it becomes an effective
insecticide.
Some studies also suggest that a garlic oil spray has fungicidal properties.
Protection Offered:
Good results, with quick kill, have been noted against aphids, cabbage
loopers, earwigs, June bugs,
leafhoppers, squash bugs and
whiteflies. The spray does not appear to harm adult lady beetles, and some
gardeners have
found that is doesn’t work
against the
Colorado potatoe beetles, grape leaf skeletonizers, grasshoppers, red ants,
or sowbugs.
How to Make:
Soak 3 ounces of finely minced garlic cloves in 2 teaspoons of mineral oil
for at least 24 hours. Slowly add 1
pint of
water
that has 1/4 ounce liquid soap or commercial insecticide soap mixed into it.
Stir thoroughly and strain into a
glass jar for storage. Use
at a rate of
1 to 2 Tablespoons of mixture to a pint of water. If this is effective, try
a more dilute solution
in order to
use as little as possible.
How to Use:
Spray plants carefully to ensure thorough coverage. To check for possible
leaf damage to sensitive ornamentals
from the oil and soap in the spray, do a test spray on a few
leaves or plants first. If no leaf damage occurs in 2 or 3 days, go
ahead and spray more.
Organic
Food Suppliers
AMARANTH WHOLE FOODS
MARKET
# 7 Arbour Lake Drive NW, Calgary
Contact:
(403) 547-6333
www.amaranthfoods.ca
Spuds
Organic produce: jams, vegies and baking along with delivery
www.spud.ca
1660 E. Hastings Street
Vancouver, BC, V5L 1S6
Phone: 604-215-7783 Fax: 604-215-1264 Toll
Free:1-877-473-5001
vancouver@spud.ca
#3 956 Devonshire Road Victoria, BC, V9A 4T8
Phone: 250-383-7969 Fax: 250-383-7959 Toll
Free:1-866-857-7783
vanisland@spud.ca
#3 4709 14th Street. NE
Calgary, AB, T2E 6S4
Phone: 403-615-3663 Fax: 403-270-7408
calgary@spud.ca
Organic Living Food
Suppliers of organic foods: this web site has wonderful information on
Raw Foods and the
benefits.
12396 Bitney Springs Rd.
Building #6 Nevada City, CA 95959 Toll Free:
(877) 922-3663
Local: 530-273-FOOD (3663) for outside the USA
www.OrganicLivingFood.com
Organic Lifestyles:
www.organiclifestyles.ca
This web
site has a listing of organic markets and stores, where you can find your
certified organic produce.
Martine
Carlina : toll free 1-877-275-6866
Organic Gardening
"Have you
decided to reduce your ecological footprint? Perhaps you’ve joined David
Suzuki’s nature challenge to reduce green house gasses.
There are lots of articles in the news recently about awareness concerning
our beleaguered planet. How can we achieve a more
sustainable lifestyle? You may want to start growing some of your own
vegetables, herbs and fruits organically.
Are you
feeling overwhelmed with the amount of information? If you are feeling at a
loss at how to start, I can help simplify the process. In the
Calgary area, I have gardened organically for over 20 years. In 1994 I won
Harrowsmith’s best small organic garden contest. My mentors
are organic gardeners and farmers. I belong to COG – Canadian Organic
Growers and GO – Going Organic Network of Alberta. I do an
initial on site consultation to gain an overall perspective of your garden,
your goals and plans. I help you to develop confidence in the
process of implementation by assisting in strategies for seed ordering,
planting schedules, weed and pest control, soil preparation,
composting, harvesting and storage.
Gardening does not have to be labour intensive and you can enjoy the
satisfaction of providing a continual supply of fresh produce to grace
your table all season."
Diane Kroeger RN of Calgary “Time Out for Care”
(403) 243-7432
Organic Gardening: All persons involved in
farming, harvesting, producing, processing, manufacturing, preparing and
handling of
agri-food
products and using the word “organic” (including synonyms such as
“biologic,” “ecologic,” “bio-dynamic”) to market such
products, will require recognized certification. This is a new Canadian
Organic regulation that became law on December 21, 2006.
OMRI
on labels for products that are sold in gardening stores have been certified
organic by the Organic Materials Review Institute.
Organic
Information & Sites
Alberta Farm Fresh Producers
www.albertafarmfresh.com Alberta Farm Fresh Producers has a listing of
farmers who grow products that a person can pick
for
them selves. Fruit, herb, and vegetable growers. Great for an outing
to the country and experiencing the quiet of the
farm. Some farms have organic gardens.
Canadian Organic Growers
www.cog.ca
office@cog.ca Canadian Organic Growers offers membership for updated
information on healthier growing and
harvesting, workshops and a library.
Green
Light Co.
www.greenlightco.com Organic gardening information source.
Tao Herb
Farm
www.taoherbfarm.com Organic
gardening and safe bug sprays made with garlic oil, etc…
Seeds
McFayden Seed Co. Manitoba
cataloguerequest@mcfayden.com
Richters Seeds
www.richters.com
Seed
Centre Edmonton:
from small orders to bulk seeds
info@seedcentre.com
Seeds of Diversity Canada
www.seeds.ca has many areas of information. From seed saving to
Seedy Saturdays -
(exchange of heritage and rare plants). “Support seeds of diversity –
Support gardeners conserving endangered plants.”
Seedy Saturday
www.uofc-garden.ca Seedy Saturday : Lindsay at (403) 244-9606 This
event is hosted by the U of C Campus Community
Garden and Calgary Dollars.
"Montgomery Community Centre 5003 16th Ave NE Admission $2.00.
Come together with prairie gardeners and seed savers, prairie
seed companies, native plant collectors, conservation groups, community
gardeners, native plant collectors, conservation groups,
community gardeners, organic growers; as well as a seed exchange table,
refreshments, presenters, entertainment and a kids
corner. Come get open pollinated seeds and talk with local farmers and
gardeners. Set yourself up a terrific gardening season.
Let’s
keep the skill of growing from seed to seed alive in Calgary. As large
commercial seed companies consolidate and only offer
more hybrids and patented varieties, we increasingly lose the regionally
adapted collections that have developed for our unique
prairie climate. Help maintain this irreplaceable genetic diversity by
growing non-hybridized, open pollinated varieties. Discover
the superior taste of heirloom varieties of vegetables. Learn to save the
seeds and share them with your neighbor. As you
grow them season after season, they will adapt and grow that much healthier.
Lindsay
at (403) 244-9606
www.uofc-garden.ca This event is hosted by the U of C Campus Community
Garden and
Calgary
Dollars."
T&T Seeds, Manitoba
orders@ttseeds.mb.ca
Soil
Spray Lakes Sawmills (Alberta)
www.topspray.com
Eco Bark Mulch, Foothills Premium Mulch, Garden Mulch,
Nutriloam, NutriOM, and more for your gardens.
Other Sites of interest:
en.wikipedia-org/wiki/herb herbal information deluxe, from gardening –
recipes – in depth herbal info
www.flower-gardeningmade-easy.com
organic gardening, herbs, vegetables and fruit
www.gardenguides.com pests,
herbs
www.healing.about.com About Healing, gardening
information
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