Welcome to Colleen’s Corner. This is a column meant for fun and some information About myself: I am a Freelance Photographer you often see me on the side of the road or in various places taking photos of different things animals, birds, places, people etc. l have lived in Lumby for over 8 years, you have seen my photos in the newspaper (Lumby Valley Times) and once in awhile in the Vernon Morning Star, and the Lumby Art Gallery. Photography is my passion. Disclaimer: The information on some of my photos that I write about a lot of times come from the Internet or books I research them, hopefully the facts are as close to the truth as I can come.
By Colleen Fielding
The weeds in my garden of course.
I was working in my garden again the other day, and I was pulling out some of the many weeds. I swear ( I actually did swear) that the weed roots were longer than Tim’s arms (36 inches long) and very hard to pull out. Right now it’s a daily chore pulling out all the weeds. But of course once it’s done then I will have beautiful gardens again, that I can enjoy looking at.
As I was pulling out the weeds, I was thinking of my Garden Smorgasbord. I know that sounds a bit weird but I bet if you think about it a lot of people have a Garden Smorgasbord. Mine consists of Banana peels for my Rose Bushes as they love potassium, magnesium, calcium, manganese, sodium, sulphur, and phosphorus. The banana peels will decompose quickly and help with improving the soil, and holding in the water. Banana peels can help to stop the aphids and fungus gnats to stay away from your gardens. Here’s a really important thing: having a very ripe banana peel in your garden can attract pollinators like the beautiful butterflies. Place the banana peels on top of the soil around the plant, but don’t let it touch the stem, then add some mulch to cover it up. You will see your plants jump for joy with all the nutrients they will receive. You could add banana peels to your compost, or make a banana tea, put them right into the soil.
Save your eggshells for the garden make sure you wash them out first so that they don’t attract the gross rodents mice and rats.
Not only does having eggshells in your garden provide calcium, and help to stop rot that you might find on tomatoes and other plants but it also helps to keep the slugs and snails out of the gardens that you worked so hard on. Snails and slugs will do a great amount of damage to your garden, they will eat parts of your plants like seeds, fruits, roots. On the young plants the snails and slugs can damage the plant and possibly kill it as well. Although they can do a lot of damage, snails are also good for decomposing your soil while they will eat the organic matter that is decaying like fungi. When I find earthworms in the soil I leave them, but when I find snails in the garden I throw them over the fence as they make a tasty snack for the birds.
Do you need something to put your seeds in the garden? Using your clean eggshells will make a great seed starter.
Citrus peels like orange, lemon, create a good amount of potassium, and phosphorus, and could possibly keep cats out of your garden without harming them. While keeping out the cats, adding citrus peels to your garden is a great treat for the pollinators, the butterflies and the bumblebees.
You can add stale bread or cereal to your garden as well. Stale bread and cereals will help to improve the soil structure, it works great in the compost, or put it right into your soil.
Don’t forget the coffee grounds, they are high in acidity great for plants like blueberries, hydrangeas, and azaleas.
Do you have expired spices in your cupboard?
Don’t throw them out, they can also be used in your garden, they will help with fungus and pests, and certain animals. Sprinkle cayenne pepper around your bulbs and the soil, most animals including the rodents like rats and mice out of your garden. Pepper can help to keep the ants away. Cinnamon is a good way for your inside plants to fight fungus, cinnamon is also good to keep the rats and mice away.
Do you still have tea in your teapot? Don’t throw it down the sink, instead feed it to your garden. Tea in the garden will help increase the drainage retaining the moisture in the soil, it will encourage the earthworms to come to your soil, and the oxygen levels will be higher.Open up your old used tea bag and put it right into your soil or your compost.
Add these ingredients for your “garden smorgasbord” some water and sunshine and watch your garden do a happy dance as it grows to be a beautiful delightful place where you can enjoy it.
Please note there are some plants that don’t like some of these ingredients. Check them out first.
Don’t forget to wear your gloves, hat, and of course your sunglasses!
