It seems fitting that I am writing this on the evening our clocks get turned back, thus giving us a bit more light during the day. As the days get shorter, I keep looking for light. Darkness falls early and our gardens lie hidden beyond the windowpane, full of promise. In this season and in these times, we need light. Light to chase away the darkness. Light to express the season’s joy. Any ray of sunshine brings a smile to my face, candles glowing indoors in the evening make me feel snug and warm.

As we get closer to the holiday season, all of us at Dig This are preparing to bring a little light into your lives. We've gone out of our way this year to find things that glow, sparkle and add warmth to our homes.  "Smart" candles that turn themselves off and on every evening.  Solar lanterns that soak up the day's sunshine and return it to us at dusk with a dramatic glow.  Whimsical vases that sparkle on your dinner table and bring the hint of spring-to-come when you fill them with flowers, leaves and cuttings from the garden.  Gorgeous amaryllis bulbs and fragrant paperwhites in lovely pots and bowls.  And unique gifts that are sure to light up the eyes of any garden-lover.

If you too feel the need for a little more light in your life, come see us at Dig This.  I promise, we won't disappoint you .

Elizabeth Cull, Franchise President
 

My south facing windows look out into my garden. I spend many hours gazing at it, noting what works well, what needs pruning, and where a little more colour would be helpful. This summer, we added a new deck which looks out over this view. Now that it’s a little cooler, I’m finding myself on the deck less often and on the inside looking out onto it and the garden beyond and I'm seeing things differently.

All too often we plan our gardens without really thinking how they will look from inside, when we really should be seeing our gardens as an extension of the inside living spaces, and making sure they flow and look good as one moves from inside to outside.

A practical way to do this is to spend time in front of a favorite window. Take your normal position, whether standing at the kitchen window while rinsing dishes or sitting at the table. What lies within your frame of view, and what else would you like to see there? What’s most important at this location? Is your view quite close up or do you have an expansive vista?

Close-up views benefit most from intriguing details like intricate foliage patterns and darker, more saturated colors. From my kitchen window, I see the trunk and lower branches of a Monterey Cypress. Located near its base, nestled into ivy growing over the rocky ground, is a Happy Buddha. This focal point gives me a smile every time I look out upon it. It is a close-up, intimate view that gives me great pleasure.

From the new French doors in my dining room overlooking the new deck, I have a much larger view of the garden, trees in the gardens of my neighbours and the ocean beyond. When your space is deep and your view is far away, bright flowers and leaves send their light farthest and are invaluable for viewing from a distance. In my garden, brilliant white roses, variegated Buddleia and, at this time of year, Japanese anemones stand out.

Most of us spend more time indoors in winter, especially in the dining room and kitchen. It’s wise to emphasize seasonal interest in front of windows that you’re likely to be frequenting. Fill pots with evergreen branches when the annuals have finished, or plant them up with spring-flowering bulbs topped with winter pansies.

Take time to view your outdoor living spaces from indoors. If they are coordinated in terms of style and colour, both adjoining spaces will seem larger. It wasn’t until fall arrived and I was inside more often, that I realized I had the wrong idea about the colour to stain our new deck. I had been thinking of colours that suited the outside of the house, until one Sunday morning, enjoying coffee in the dining room I realized the deck flooring should be the same colour as the dining room floor. That way, both spaces would flow together naturally, and my deck will be an extension of my dining room.

Sometimes the view from inside isn’t so great. In that case, place shrubs, trees, fencing, or trellises to screen a neighbour’s window or deck from your view.

With a little consideration for the ways you look out from your home, you can enjoy your garden from the inside almost as much as you do on the outside.

Elizabeth Cull, Franchise President

Source: Fine Gardening http://www.finegardening.com/design/articles/a-room-with-a-view.aspx  
 

Right now our stores are full of flowering bulbs!

Our amaryllis bulbs have arrived and they are drop-dead gorgeous. If you’ve never grown an amaryllis, try one! They bloom between December and early April indoors and have amazing trumpet-shaped flowers. The traditional ones are shades of red, but newer varieties come in pink, orange, white and even lemon-lime. Potted amaryllis make a great gift, and at Dig This, we make it easy: choose a bulb and a beautiful container and we’ll pot it up for you!

To watch a short informative video on planting amaryllis, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izVCkucY1E4  

Speaking of easy-to-grow bulbs, paperwhites top the list. Paperwhites are a form of narcissus that you grow indoors in a water-tight container filled with stones or similar material. You simply place the bulbs on top of the stones, add water, and stand back: within 4 to 6 weeks you’ll have wonderfully-fragrant white flowers like tiny daffodils on tall stems. Because you can watch the roots growing down into the water, paperwhites are very interesting to grow in glass containers.

We have already put together a “kit” for you: an environmentally-friendly biodegradable rice hull container (don’t worry, it is also very handsome!), plus growing medium and 5 bulbs, complete with instructions. All for $20.

Tied up with ribbon, these pots are great hostess gifts or Christmas presents – or just the simplest way to bring spring into your home in December.
 

Thinking ahead, there’s still lots of time to plant spring-flowering bulbs outdoors. We still have a good selection of tulips, narcissus, hyacinths and other lovely bulbs to make your spring garden shine.

One last thing about bulbs: garlic! Garlic is easy to grow – even in containers – and can be planted any time up to the end of December. The best time is right now. Our organic Russian Porcelain garlic is one of the best.

The time of year has come again when we say good bye to warm summer days and dig out our Bogs Boots and rain gear. What a great summer we had though. I was in my garden a lot – or should I say, what was to become my garden. We moved a year ago and had to build our garden where there was previously asphalt. That is starting from scratch!! We ended up with a great veggie crop but I am not ready to say goodbye to my fresh greens. I’m going to continue growing broccoli, radish and many more greens in my kitchen this winter. Are you?

How? By growing sprouts in my kitchen. Sprouts are good for you and easy to grow: a few minutes in the morning and a few minutes at night is all the time it takes.

All you need is a sprouting container and some sprouting seeds. A good starting container is the sprouting jar from Mumms which has a screen and comes with two seed varieties. There is also a multi-level sprouter that allows you to start several varieties at once, or to stagger them over several days meaning you have a continuous supply of sprouts.

As for the sprouting seeds, Dig This carries a full selection of organic sprouting seeds from Mumms Seeds in Saskatchewan. Simply measure out 1 tsp to1 tbsp of seeds into the bottom of your jar or sprouter, and add enough water so that the seeds are covered and begin to soak. The length of soaking time varies and each package has clear instructions. I usually put them in to soak and come back 8 to12 hours later.

The next step is to drain the jar. Rinse again and drain. This step of rinsing and draining has to be repeated 2 or 3 times a day. I usually do this at meal times while cleaning up. Your sprouts can be kept in the cupboard or on the counter but do not put them in direct sunlight. A lot of the sprouts will turn bitter in the sun. Your sprouts will be ready in 3 to10 days, depending on the variety. Once they have sprouted you should store them in the fridge. Continuing to rinse your sprouts after they go into the fridge will keep them fresh and lasting a lot longer.

I often get customers asking me why their sprouts are going mouldy every time. At first I could not figure out what they were doing wrong. Then I realized they were looking at the tiny roots on the new sprouts that look like a fuzzy mould when they are new and wet! If you smell your sprouts every time you rinse them and drain them you will know if they are going bad. You should not have a problem if you start with a clean jar and rinse and drain as outlined above.

A sprouter and some seeds are a great gift idea for new gardeners and those who want to grow vegetables year round. We carry a great little booklet on sprouts to get a you started and many sprout varieties to keep you healthy this winter. And if you really want an easy solution, try our new sprout kits that come with seeds, instructions and a terra cotta growing dish. 

So don’t say goodbye to fresh greens this winter: have fun and enjoy a healthy green winter!

Christiane Kamerman, Owner, Dig This Nanaimo

For more on the health benefits of sprouts go to http://retailmail.createsend.com/t/ViewEmailArchive/r/C593B91618531C19/C67FD2F38AC4859C/#33ED2FE167B02E1D  or www.digthis.com, click on the Newsletter Archive and search for the July 2007 issue of our newsletter.
 

Don’t think of fall as the end of the growing season – think of it as the time you begin to prepare for next year’s garden. When the sun comes out, it can be delightful to be in the garden despite the cooler fall temperatures, and a little cleaning up and planning at this time of year will ensure next year’s garden is off to a great start.

Putting the garden to bed each fall is important for a number of reasons. Besides the obvious of cleaning and tidying up for aesthetic appeal, it’s important for reasons that are not so obvious as well. A great spring garden next season begins with steps you should take now.

Cut back and clean up. Many pests and diseases will persist in the soil and plant debris over winter, if they’re given the opportunity. Removing spent annuals and vegetable plants from the garden improves your chance of eliminating numerous future pest and diseases that would otherwise survive on that dead plant material.

Cut back some perennials. Cutting back perennials now makes the garden look neater and saves time next spring. But leave those with interesting shapes and seed heads for winter interest and to feed and shelter birds.  And don’t forget that our local hummingbird, the Anna’s Hummingbird, lives here year round and really appreciates fresh nectar as the days get shorter and colder.

Remove spent annuals and seasonal vegetables. Pull them up, roots and all, and add them to your compost pile, unless there is any sign of disease.  Then dispose of them in your garbage.

Remove weeds and leaf debris. These are common places for diseases and pests over winter. The less hospitable you can make the garden for winter hardy pests, the fewer problems you’ll have come spring. But don’t just throw your leaves away: they are a great source of nutrients for the garden and help to amend the soil texture. Mulch them by running over them with a lawn mower, or better yet, using one of our great leaf mulchers (shown on the sidebar), and then add to your compost pile or use to top dress your cleaned-up garden beds.

Water Your Trees and Shrubs. If you do nothing else, at least do this. Now that the fall rains have begun, we think the soil will be moist. But dig into your garden and you’ll find it quite dry. After the long dry summer we had, many trees are stressed and will appreciate a good long drink right how.

Take pictures and make notes. As the garden winds down for the season, there is still time to document what was growing there. This is especially helpful for perennials you will be cutting back for the season and spring-flowering bulbs you want to plant. As you add more plants, having a record of what was planted will allow you to avoid injuring dormant perennials and bulbs. Notes are also a great way to document what worked and what didn’t while it is still fresh in your mind.

Winterize containers. With our crazy winters, you never know whether we will get a hard frost or prolonged cold snap. So move those plants that cannot withstand frost to a greenhouse, garage or basement. For those containers too big to move, keep some bubble wrap handy to wrap around the pot and the plant during particularly cold weather. You don’t want to encourage new growth during this time, so don’t add fertilizer and keep water to a minimum.

Do a soil test. Fall is a great time to find out important information about your soil. Dig This has simple-to-use kits that will tell you what you need to do to your soil to make it ready for next year’s plants. I did this a few years ago and had great improvement in my vegetable bed the following year.

Amend the soil with natural organic materials (homemade compost, manure, blood meal, bone meal, seaweed, mulched leaves, cottonseed meal, greensand, etc). Organic amendments are a great way to improve the long term health of your soil. By adding them in the fall, they have time to break down into a form that plants can use, just in time for spring.

Plant for next season. Fall is also the very best time to plant trees, shrubs, perennials, winter annuals, bulbs and cool season vegetables. The soil is warm and the air is cool, so less energy is required of the plant overall. For information on planting trees in the fall, go to http://retailmail.createsend.com/t/ViewEmailArchive/r/2678787F9828A60E/C67FD2F38AC4859C/#34E56534191C005B or go to www.digthis.com, click on Newsletter Archive and search for the Septemer 25, 2008 Newsletter.

For more information on putting your garden to bed, visit www.joegardener.com  

Elizabeth Cull, Franchise President
 

• You can save money by keeping leftover seed for use next season. Most vegetable seed should last at least a couple of years, with the exception of parsnips and onions, and some can last much longer. Before ordering new seed, check through this season's leftover packets and make a note of what is there for use next year. Store in a glass jar or plastic box in a cool, dry place. Don’t forget Dig This has 2009 seeds at 50% off.
   
• Move tender plants into your greenhouse. Start reducing ventilation and check that your greenhouse heater is working properly.
   
• Remove all plant debris from the vegetable plot.
   
• Divide and plant rhubarb sets.
   
• Early November is a good time to dig over vacant areas of the vegetable plot, unless of course you use a no-dig system. The approaching cold weather helps to breakdown big clods of soil into a finer texture. After cultivation, soil should be mulched or a green manure could be used to protect soil from heavy rainfall and weed invasion.
   
• Start a compost trench: add kitchen waste as it is produced to a trench of about a spade's depth, and cover with soil to deter rodents. Beans can be grown here next year. The reason for doing this is that beans love lots of moist, organic matter around their roots as they grow. 
   
• Keep on top of brassica pests on over-wintering cabbages, broccoli and Brussels sprouts. Whitefly and cabbage aphid can build up over the summer and survive the winter, ready to move on to new spring crops if the cycle is not broken. Pick off infested lower leaves. Spray with insecticidal soap as a last resort if infestations are bad. Continue to keep a watch for cabbage caterpillars, and pick off any that you see.
   
• Tidy up strawberry beds and remove dead and yellowing leaves from perpetual varieties. Mulch with compost or manure.
   
• Now is the time to gather remaining apples and pears still on the trees before the frosts. Collect fallen leaves from beneath fruit trees to discourage diseases from returning. Also remove any infected fruit still remaining on the tree as this is a possible vector for infection of next year’s fruit.
   
• Divide plants of herbaceous herbs (perennial plants that die down each winter)  such as lady's mantle, chives, lemon balm, bergamot, sorrel, oregano, hyssop, lovage, sage and pennyroyal. Move tender herbs under cover.
   
• Continue to divide perennial herbs that have become too large.

Virginia Parkhurst, Owner, Dig This Broadmead

In early October, the Pacific Northwest Bonsai Conference was held here in Victoria. There were many great workshops and a stunning display of professional bonsai. What many attendees – both local and out-of-towners – didn’t know was that Dig This carries a good supply of quality bonsai tools and pots for novice and professional bonsai enthusiasts. If we don’t have what you need, we can order it for you!

Also, Dig This Johnson Street and Dig This Nanaimo are planning bonsai workshops for November. More information will be coming out soon, but in the meantime, if you are interested please let us know by emailing either johnson@digthis.com  or nanaimo@digthis.com. 
 

Some of our stores still have 2009 West Coast Seeds for sale at 50% off the regular price. Most seeds are viable for up to 3 years, so buy these ones now, save money and know you will have the seeds you want when you want them next spring!