Re: CANADIAN REGION - What are you doing October, November and December 2015

**sanderson** 11/29/2015, 4:54 pm

Hi, Fred

This is just a fun project based on our October road trip. You know, like after the Zombie Apocalypse when we won't have computers. https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t20023-indian-solar-gardening-calendar?highlight=indian

**AtlantaMarie** 11/29/2015, 5:17 pm

Hi Fred! Glad you're back!

**trolleydriver** 11/30/2015, 1:46 pm

Nice to see you back on the forum Fred.

Kelejan and other Canadians ... do you buy seeds locally or do you order them from a catalogue? Which seed companies do you prefer? I'm already starting to think ahead to what I will grow next year.

**Kelejan** 11/30/2015, 4:21 pm

I try to save some of the seeds from my own plants, buy some from Johnnies and a few from Vesey's in Ontario although those are mostly bulbs that I buy one time then split them for the following season. Then there is the Heritage Seed Exchange run by our local library so I use a few of those. Some packets from the gardening centres and I guess that is about it.

My garlic is on its third year of being saved and planted and I am finding that they are getting better each year.

**Scorpio Rising** 11/30/2015, 6:30 pm

Hey, Fred, missed ya around here!

I am newish to the seed connoisseur thing, I have used the big box versions and KMart, used to get Burpees catalogs but since I have been out of the garden game since the 90s, I don't get any catalogs....

Local would be best, I would think? Being about 2 hrs south of Windsor, I am not sure where the "best" seeds are from. One thing for sure, the varieties of veggies that one grows in your own garden are very different that what is commercially available, and much better tasting! Wish I knew of more local seed sharers...but many of us from the northish have similar varietal that do well.

**trolleydriver** 11/30/2015, 6:42 pm

I found a local supplier of organic and heirloom seeds located just 7 kilometres (about 4.3 miles) as the crow flies from my house.

http://www.seeds-organic.com/

**sanderson** 11/30/2015, 9:34 pm

TD, very nice.

FRED58 12/1/2015, 6:17 am

I got my first seed catalogue in the mail yesterday. (WH Perron aka Dominion Seed). My dad bought his seeds from them for years. I will likely buy at the hardware store (who sell Ontario Seed Company seeds, who are pretty big up in this corner of the Great White North, and they have a huge mail order business out of Waterloo Ontario, where I went to University), the local nursery (lots of different seedlings like Cherokee tomatoes and football marigolds) and a nearby organic & heirloom seed supplier (my nearby place is about an hours' drive http://www.hawthornfarm.ca/index.php).

My stint as supervisor will pay for a home-built starter rack and lights. Very Happy

All I have to do is build it Sad

**Kelejan** 12/1/2015, 10:53 am

Wow! Just one more month to go and I will have my first anniversary as an International Canadian Host. thanks for all the support so far, everyone. It has been, and is, a pleasure. happy hi

**trolleydriver** 12/1/2015, 2:33 pm

Kelejan ... you've done a wonderful job as Canadian host. Keep up the good work and thanks for your advice during this year.

**Kelejan** 12/1/2015, 2:38 pm

trolleydriver wrote:Kelejan ... you've done a wonderful job as Canadian host. Keep up the good work and thanks for your advice during this year.

Oh, TD.

I will do my best.

I had better get on now with my Christmas card list that needs some serious letter writing to be done.

**sanderson** 12/2/2015, 2:47 am

KJ, Thank you so, so much for being the RH of Canada. thanks

**Kelejan** 12/2/2015, 12:03 pm

sanderson wrote:KJ, Thank you so, so much for being the RH of Canada.

Thank you, sanderson, for encouraging me to be a Regional Host. I think I have gained far more than I have given.

For anyone else reading this post, I must reiterate, sanderson did not twist my arm to make me take on the job. I was exaggerating at the time. Very Happy

**Kelejan** 12/4/2015, 12:40 am

A rather miserable week so far; a bit of snow, then rain that makes things slushy and blocks up all the drains so the melt collects in huge puddles. That's what you get when people designed the city upgrade who do not live in snow areas that continually freeze and thaw.

Very hard on pedestrians who need to use the crossings only to find that they have to step in six inches of water. Then it freezes, so that is another problem. If only they had put in a small drain-hole in the middles, all the water would drain and leave a nice footing. Very dangerous when it freezes.

Right this moment the West Coast is having very strong winds and about 42,000 homes are without electricity.

This seven day forecast for my area predict above freezing temperatures so we will be getting a little snow, a lot of rain, and dull skies.

How is everyone else in Canada?

**trolleydriver** 12/4/2015, 8:24 am

Here in Ottawa the high temps for the next few days are ranging from 5 to 7 Celsius (41 to 45 F) with overnight lows around freezing. Crazy warm for this time of the year.

We just got our 50 year old concrete (in bad condition) steps/porch at the front entrance replaced. We went with a composite deck arrangement which gives us more room for a table and chairs so that we can sit outside and watch the activities on the street in the warmer weather. It's also got an existing roof over it to protect us from the elements.

Today I will decorate my SFG trellis with Christmas lights (Ho! Ho! Ho!). How many lights should I install per square?

**sanderson** 12/4/2015, 11:23 am

trolleydriver wrote:Today I will decorate my SFG trellis with Christmas lights (Ho! Ho! Ho!). How many lights should I install per square?

4/sq for mini-lights, 1-2 for traditional lights

**Kelejan** 12/6/2015, 6:28 am

When I went to our Downtown to watch the Christmas Parade, I stayed, along with others, to listen to the Carols and generally socialize around the half-barrel bonfires.

What concerned me was the wood they were using. Four feet long 2 x2s that looked perfectly finished wood that i could have used for any number of small projects.

What made me feel worse, that as the crowds were rapidly dispersing, another pile of wood was placed in the barrels when what was already there would have lasted another hour.

Sometimes I am feeling like a Grinch in my senior years. Sad

That wood would have cost me a small fortune if I had to purchase it. I suppose if one did not have to buy it, then it is not worth anything.

**sanderson** 12/6/2015, 2:30 pm

Kelejan wrote:When I went to our Downtown to watch the Christmas Parade, I stayed, along with others, to listen to the Carols and generally socialize around the half-barrel bonfires.
. . . .
What concerned me was the wood they were using. Four feet long 2 x2s that looked perfectly finished wood that i could have used for any number of small projects.

Sometimes I am feeling like a Grinch in my senior years. That wood would have cost me a small fortune if I had to purchase it. I suppose if one did not have to buy it, then it is not worth anything.

I think a lot of us can feel that pain. Nothing better than repurposing things, especially if they are free. 2" x 2" would be great for trellis frames or adding to an existing box to make it a little deeper to contain mulch, building a portable cold frame, etc.

**Kelejan** 12/6/2015, 5:10 pm

I am going down the road shortly to a local hardware store to get some screw-driver attachments for my new drill, drill bits and screwdriver bits.

I am sure I can get cheaper stuff at Canadian Tire but I like to go to the smaller stores as they are always so helpful to a small buyer like myself.

I have some small pieces of wood that I can use to make Hat Boxes.

For newcomers who do not know what Hat Boxes are, they are small open boxes that are put on top of the regular SFG boxes to give more depth for growing carrots, potatoes etc that need the deeper soil.

It is tippling down with rain, reminds me of England and Vancouver, but I need the walk. My Jazz will not come with me as he hates the rain.

**Scorpio Rising** 12/6/2015, 6:42 pm

Hat toppers? Never heard of those! Makes sense! My dog Z doesn't like real rain, but doesn't mind a little mist/drizzle.

**Kelejan** 12/6/2015, 6:52 pm

Scorpio Rising wrote:Hat toppers? Never heard of those! Makes sense! My dog Z doesn't like real rain, but doesn't mind a little mist/drizzle.

Scorpio, if you go in the Search Box there are 205 matches for Hat Boxes. Another name is Top Hat Boxes.

We having REAL rain here ,but not as bad as the UK right now with all their floods, and I don't blame my Jazz for not wanting to go out.

yolos 12/6/2015, 9:51 pm

More commonly referred to here as a Top Hat Box.

**sanderson** 12/7/2015, 3:58 am

So, the thieves also stole the attachments for the drill they stole? Sad

Did you drill at least come with a flat head and Phillips screw bits?

**Kelejan** 12/7/2015, 6:28 am

sanderson wrote:So, the thieves also stole the attachments for the drill they stole? Did you drill at least come with a flat head and Phillips screw bits?

Just the drill, sanderson. But I am extremely happy with it,and like it much better then the missing one, and I will make sure that when any workmen have to visit me that my tools are are safely stored out of sight.

I will get the drill bits when I have to take the bus to the other end of our long, skinny town when I have other things to do down that end. Meanwhile I have the screw bits so I will be able to rearrange my wardrobe by relocating the height of the rails. Only a matter of unscrewing the screws then lowering the end boards a couple of inches and the two-way switch should make that easy. I am in the middle of clearing it out, a great job when we have falling rain that looks as though it is coming down forever.

**Kelejan** 12/9/2015, 8:20 pm

It has been raining steadily and now the snow is almost gone from my garden.

What I worry about is my garlic. When I turn back the leaves on top, the tops are showing through the soil and I just feel that they might rot.

Please reassure me, some one! thinking

With all this rain, if the temperature had been below freezing I reckon we would have had about four feet of snow by now.

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