Calling All Pleasant Point/Kennedy Bay/Snug Harbour Area Residents (Kawartha Lakes)

2016's Pleasant Point Community Clean Up will focus on the 1/4 mile of Snug Harbour Road between Pleasant Point Road and Kennedy Bay Road. 

Anybody that has travelled that stretch knows how badly it needs it. There is allot of wet, deep, and steep areas and ALLOT of garbage so we sure could use all of the help we can get!

Many Hands Make Lighter Work

Please  help us!

Sunday April 24th 2016

Meet at the corner of Snug Harbour/Pleasant Point Road at 10am

Wear rubber boots or hip waders and gloves, bring your refillable water battle and snacks if needed.

 Rain or shine.

See you there!

Julia Taylor
juliataylor@live.ca
705-201-1120

5 Gardening Questions Answered by a local Master Gardener

I'm no gardening genius and most of what I know comes from fails- that is why I was excited to ask my burning questions to The Lindsay and District Master Gardeners at Seedy Saturday a few weeks ago in Lindsay.

"Master Gardeners in the Province of Ontario are experienced gardeners who have studied horticulture extensively and continue to upgrade their skills through technical training. With this training and continuing education, Master Gardeners provide expert horticultural advice to the general public."-Master gardeners of Ontario

Answers from Master Gardener Richard Evans- Lindsay ON

Q- What can I add to my garden this spring to enhance the soil?
A- Broadcast bone meal into your garden, unless your garden is extremely depleted (most soil is average) you don't need to worry to much about adding to it.

Q- What are the top tips for growing tomatoes?
A- Water soil (not the plants) intensely and regularly, about every 3 days.
Dig a hole where the tomatoe plant is to be planted large enough for a big bucket to be set in it (with the bottom cut off or holes in it to drain) , leave an inch or so to poke out above the ground, place some bone meal on the bottom, and than good soil and or compost to fill it up, than plant your seedling/seed. This retains water for the tomato plants and keeps bugs out, because they are apparently too lazy to climb over the lip of the bucket sticking out of the ground.

Stake your tomatoes as soon as you put them in the ground.

Trim leaves off of the bottom of the plant regularly.

Harden seedlings off in spring, start putting them outside as early as April (if it is warm) in the sun for an hour a day.

Q- What is the best thing I can add to my soil in the fall?
A-straw- again he mentions that you don't need to add to much to average soil.

Q- Onion seed's or set's?
A- Sets! Our growing season is too short for seed. Plant your sets, cover them with straw and pick them in the fall, do nothing else with them.

Q- Other tips?
A- Hill your greens. ( I had to google this- it basically means mound dirt up about 6" or so and than plant seeds)

Richard also said that he does not till his garden but loosens the soil with a pitch fork because some per annual weeds can grow from chopped up pieces, and they reach far down into the soil, steeling valuable nutrients. He also mentioned that for annual weeds you do not need to pull them, just scrape them off with a sharp ho, unless you really want to get down on your hands and knees and pick them- welcome advice!

Im going to try not tilling my garden this year. Because of this I have already been able to plant my onion sets and some greens- usually I wait until it has been tilled after the soil has dried out a little, also these things can take a little bit of cold, and if they cant- well I still have time to try again. I'm not sure if I can withhold picking weeds, is that weird, something about it looking neat and tidy makes me feel good. Im also going to try a few of my tomatoes with the bucket set up and see how it goes!

Happy spring!
Thanks for reading my blog!
Julia Taylor

7 Ways to REduce Waste

 

Reducing, Reusing, and Recycling are critical to Reducing our carbon footprint.

 

Here is some things I have been trying in an effort to reduce our waste...

 

 1. Use reusable containers when grocery shopping
Add reusable containers to your cloth shopping bag stash for anything you purchase at the meat counter or in bulk. Nesbitt’s Meat Market and Burn’s Bulk Food are happy to do this for you!

 

 

2.Stop using plastic produce bags
Why did we do so well to transition to reusable cloth hopping bags only to drop the ball on produce bags? Stop the produce bag madness! Tips on how to kick the habit here.

3. Re sell , donate, and buy second hand
Take care of things as if you were going to re sell them and even if you end up donating them they still have a better chance of being purchased- lengthening the life of the item. All of the places you donate or consign items to sell second hand goods. I always score shopping second hand! Please see the bottom of this post for all of my favorite local places to donate and purchase things, and the amazing work that your donations fund.

4. Return and reuse produce and egg containers to farmer stands
Stash them in a closet and take them back on your weekly visit, or whenever you remember them. The farmers will appreciate it!

5. Compost
This will drastically reduce the number of bags you put out for curb side collection. Even if you do not use the compost for your garden- with little to no effort the pile just goes down and down. Despite rumours composting properly does not attract wildlife or smell!

6. Make your own cleaning products
Cleaning products and detergents are huge offenders when it comes to packaging waste. When you make your own products you purchase the ingredients in bulk (usually in paper) and you use and old container over and over again to put the recipe into. This is also a big money saver! Check out how to clean with vinegar here.

7. Stop buying disposable products
Paper towels. Napkins. Swiffer dust cloths. Tinfoil. Saran wrap. Paper plates/Plastic utensils. Diapers. Ziplock bags. Party favours. Feminine hygiene products. Wrapping paper. All of these things have reusable options and are such a waste of money. You buy it just to throw it out!

Please consider trying one or a few of these things and help save the world! Small changes make a big difference!



Thanks for reading my blog!
Julia Taylor
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Local Places to Donate

RE sell your gently used Kids clothing and toys to Recycled Kids in Lindsay.

Sell your used appliances to Hometown Appliances or any and all other items on kijiji or local buy and sell groups.

Donate your gently used clothing and household items to The Salvation Army in Fenelon Falls/Lindsay proceeds to social and community service programmes.

Vicki’s Value’s takes clothing and small items; proceeds go directly to Women’s Resources, ensuring that abused women and their children can live lives free of abuse and violence in Kawartha Lakes.

The Humane Society also accepts donations of household items and proceeds go to the shelter to help save animals lives.

Renovation materials and household furniture/fixtures can be donated to the Re Store, proceeds go towards building homes for low income families caught in the cycle of poverty.