Gardening in Cottage Country Part One

By: Sharon Martin

Marigolds perform well in outdoor containers

Being an avid, city backyard gardener for many years, I wasn't prepared for the challenge and the unpredictable events of gardening in Cottage Country in Newfoundland.

My experiences with Urban gardening were highlighted by ordering a special blend of gardening soil, having it delivered, and each subsequent year adding prepackaged sheep, or cow manure, a few compacted bales of imported peat moss (shame on me) and a generous watering of Miracle Gro when my precious self sown seedlings started indoors, became established! .The earth in my flower and vegetable beds was deep and rich and except for a few minutes each day weeding, and mulching, I was free to spend my well earned summer holidays relaxing and watching the koi and goldfish swim peacefully in my garden pond which was filled with irises and water hyacinths.

Retirement and the purchase of a cottage property, with the potential of beautiful flower and vegetable gardens filled my gardening soul with visions of wave petunias, hanging from birch trees, marigolds, planted between beets and carrots to ward off pests. Hopefully these marigolds would attract the beneficial insects. I could even smell the aromatic sweet peas climbing the trellis outside my cottage bedroom window I didn't need to construct a new fish pond ,as I had enough living creatures from the animal kingdom to complement the plant kingdom such as furry squirrels, bunny rabbits, crows, ravens and bluejays, beautifully striped snails and slugs and yes! even the odd elusive moose not seen, but footprints left as a subtle reminder that "I like vegetables".

My first gardening season in the country was once again highlighted by the same practices as I had completed in my urban garden. The delivery of topsoil, the addition of store bought peat moss, (shame on me again) and the regular watering of miracle gro led me to believe that once again I would be complimented on my new gardens and my ears would ring with such exclamations as "wow!" you haven't lost your "green thumb" and "look at the size of those petunias and marigolds!"

I love to sing in the garden, I cannot carry a tune but when I feel completely at peace with what I am doing a tune or song will creep into my soul. For me it's usually American Pie by Don MacLean or Good Day Sunshine by the Beatles.

I planted my first Country Garden! Because. we were purchasing the property in mid June I chose to purchase plants I would normally start from seed such as cabbage, broccoli, beet, brussels sprouts , turnip etc. I planted beautiful marigolds, several types of petunias, sweet peas and sunflowers. I hummed my favorite tunes...

Can you guess which tune I hummed the very next morning?

A Everything Is beautiful

B School's Out for summer

C Where have all the Flowers Gone?

D Octopuses Garden

For the answer click on the featured article next month and find out what happened!

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+ Gardening in Cottage Country Part Two
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