June 2014
Happy Gardening!
Though June 21 is officially the first day of summer, we've been enjoying the heat of the gardening season for weeks already. Warm nights are essential for strong growth of tropical plants like peppers, tomatoes, and beans. With long days, warm nights, and a little rain, it's amazing to see how fast they grow!
From all of us at Seeds of Diversity, here's wishing you a fun and bountiful summer.
Radish Pods and Seeds
When the days are long in June, we start to see the benefits of the vegetable garden. Fresh greens, baby beets, the first herbs of the season, and radishes. If you planted radish seeds in May, you'll probably have fully-grown radishes to pull by now. They grow so fast, some people plant radish and carrot seeds as companions in the same row, because the fast-growing radishes break the soil for the slender carrot seedlings. Usually, by the time the carrots grow to any size the radishes are already long gone.
But if you let your radish plants grow further, or if they just get away from you and grow tall, you'll find a tasty surprise in July! Radish pods are delicious, easy to grow, and sadly unappreciated. Be the first to show your friends this delicacy!
Somebody Has To Save Them
“Seeds. We save them, we plant them, and we eat them. Virtually every food we eat comes from a seed – but from where do all of the seeds come?” This is the question the BC Farm Museum’s current exhibition on Seeds is trying to answer.
Kate Petrusa, a volunteer at the museum and the curator of the Seeds exhibit, tells me that the idea to hold the exhibition was first put forward by local seed saver and co-owner of Glorious Organics Co-op, Susan Davidson, and focuses on the regional agricultural history and local stories of Langley, where the museum is located.
Bauta Initiative Profile: Deborah's Garden
Establishing locally adopted seed varieties promotes healthy agriculture systems and food security for Canada’s diverse climate regions. Located in Newfoundland, Deborah’s Garden, a non-profit extension of Perfectly Perennial Herbs and Seeds, is working towards their goal of becoming a regional seed hub for the distribution, collection and storage of seeds suited for the growing conditions in the province.
Pollinator Patch: Wild Bee Nest in your House or Yard?
Recently, Pollination Canada received an inquiry about relocating native bees that were living in the fascia of someone's home. This made us realize that other readers may be in a similar situation. For those of you who are, and for those of you interested in all things bee-related, here are some tips that may be helpful.
In this issue
Bauta Initiative Profile: Deborah's Garden
Pollinator Patch: Wild Bee Nest in your House or Yard?
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An annual membership to Seeds of Diversity gives you access to our seed exchange, seed grow-out programs, and our online news.
Upcoming Seedy events from the Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security
Heritage Grains and Organic Potato Trials
June 25, 1.00 - 4.00 pm, EST.
Laepple Organic Farm, Petersburg, ON
Diversified Heritage Grain Production
July 16, 1.00 - 4.00 pm, EST
Chatham-Kent, ON
Harvesting, Drying & Cleaning your Seed Crops
Online, July 30, 4.00 - 6.00 pm, EST.
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