What would Donna Do?

Yes my garden cartoon in the Calgary Herald is another fun addition to the body of work by Mariko McCrae and I - check it out in today's Herald. Here is a bit of a teaser -

If you are building pots make sure to add a thriller, spiller and filler!

Water Your Pots - Automatically

Today I interviewed Helen Gitzel at Regency irrigation in Calgary to get the details on watering pots automatically. My husband set up a system for me but - alas- I didn't know what to call the bits and pieces he used so I called Regency. If you want to set up your own self watering system and you are not too handy, you can call most irrigation companies  and they will walk you through it. Or you could go to Regency in person if you are local and want to customize something for your own pots and plants.

1. Hose y or splitter

2. Rubber garden hose (measure to get the right length so you don't have a bunch of extra hose)

3. Automatic timer (ranges in price 19.95- 115.00)

4. Multi- port bubbler

5. 1/4 inch micro tubing 

6. Micro sprinkler or bubbler - one for each pot you want to water.

After you set up the system test it out to make sure you have enough time. I have pots in a sunny area with soilless mix instead of soil so I use about 10 minutes of water every day. 

Have fun!

Planting Pots is Personal

"Grow your own way!" I said as I finished my talk at the Springbreak Garden Centre in Hillcrest Mines Alberta. I wanted to empower gardeners, not lecture to them, as I  spoke to an enthusiastic crowd in a region low on frost free days (zero per year on average according to one enthusiastic gardener.)

It is easy after thirty plus years of working and reading and studying gardening to simplify everything down to five easy points or ten things to remember but I would rather guide than give clear answers. And that is why my patio pots look nothing like the ones I will write about in my Calgary Herald column next week. If you have been following my columns they are crazy fun with full-on cartoons. If you like them send a note to the Herald- they need positive feedback for new ventures such as this. Spoiler Alert: I liken dracaena to old school Elvis sideburns.

In the past I have used dramatic golden bamboo, tall dinner plate dahlias and exotic evergreens in my patio pots. This year I have put together a new palette because my backdrop is all green - as in a beautiful park. In the picture shown I have included Wine & Roses Weigelia in the back as the tall thriller plant because it its dark coloured leaves and golden veins; Golden delicious pineapple sage repeats the yellow veined thriller plant while tequila sunrise and ruby double superbells add blooms to the middle filler section.  Wojo variegated vinca and Caliente Orange ivy geraniums finish off the pot as the spillers. The pot is just planted so it will get bigger and better over the season because for the first time ever I added a slow release fertilizer in the pot and my husband built me a great little portable irrigation system (details to follow.) I am built and ready to go. But first I am off to Fort St. John in northern British Columbia where I will be speaking to the local horticultural club and visiting the reportedly amazing Dunvegan Gardens greenhouse. "It is the heart of gardening in this area" said the program organizer Lynette. I can hardly wait. There is a good chance I will be rebuilding or adding to my pots when I get back. Watch for it!

It is early days for the newly planted pot above - I will add updated photos as it grows.

Join Me for A free Talk

Free Public Lecture – Ready, Set, Grow: Ideas for Growing Vegetables in Calgary with Donna Balzer

« Back to Events

Event:

Free Public Lecture – Ready, Set, Grow: Ideas for Growing Vegetables in Calgary with Donna Balzer

Start:

May 17, 2012 7:00 pm

End:

May 17, 2012 8:30 pm

Cost:

Free

Organizer:

Community Natural Foods

Phone:

403-930-6363

Updated:

April 13, 2012

Venue:

CNF 10th Avenue Location

Phone:

403.930.6363

Address:
Google Map

1304 10th Avenue SW, Calgary, Alberta, T3C 0J2, Canada

New to gardening? Start with a guff-free approach and discover what’s practical, what’s needed, and where to start. Already gardening? You’ll find out if that over-the-fence advice really makes sense. If you’ve always wondered whether to test your soil or how to make raised beds, this talk is for you.
Join Donna Balzer, award winning media personality, blogger and author of three books. Her Bugs & Blooms television show, originally aired on HGTV, still brings comments from fans and her seasonal CBC Garden phone-in show is popular across Alberta. Her latest book is No Guff Vegetable Gardening.

Mild winter hard on plants

Well gardeners are facing the harsh truth that our mild winter trashed a lot of our favourite plants. Next friday when my cartoon column returns to the Herald (it is only going to appear every second week) you will see the list of plants that died in my garden this year. Did you have something die? Let me know.

Meanwhile here is an all too sad photo from one of my client's gardens of Picea abies 'Pumila. RIP.

Graphic Garden Column

From Sandy: "Loved your column today!  Fun and full of smart info."

From Heather: "Opened the paper and was delighted to see your new column – congratulations!"

Welcome back to the Calgary Herald Garden section in Calgary  today- Carole Dobson starts her new column and we hear from the Calgary Horticulture Society about one of my favourite perennial Mardi Gras Helenium.  In big news my garden column is going in a new direction. It is a joyful juicy cartoon-style column. Buy a Calgary Herald or check it out at the library. If you love it let me know! Grow your own way.

Graphic Garden Cartoons

Wow- this is the preview of big things to come! Starting next week in the Real Life section of the Calgary Herald (in print or online) check out a whole new way to learn gardening as Donna Balzer and Mariko McCrae "show" you gardening through Mariko's fresh fun illustrations. New, easy, simple. It's all you need. Here is our sneak-a-peak launch cartoon:

PS Join me Sunday afternoon for a garden chat at Strathcona Chapters in Edmonton.

Magic for the Cancer Society in Regina

Yes I am speaking in Regina about Magic in the Garden. What a fun topic. Saskatchewan is birthplace of my mother. Home to my cousins. Here I come Regina! The folks there produced this lovely poster. Please support Cancer Research by passing it around and do come if you are in the area!

Calgary Gardeners Free Talk

Tonight 6:30 (April 26th) is my free talk at the Signal Hill Chapters in Calgary. If you have time to drop by after work I will give a short chat about getting started in the garden this spring. I have free No Guff mugs to give away to the first three people so come on down! Bring your questions. I have to run out at exactly 7:30 but if you have questions and miss me then don't forget to phone them in to CBC radio this friday on Alberta at Noon.