Growing a Green Thumb 2020

January 12, 2020 Craine Projects

May this new year be the happiest and best of all years to come.

As we enter a new decade, we are faced with plans for new adventures, new beginnings, new opportunities and new resolutions. With 2019 being the loudest call to date for climate action, will this be the decade we resolve to live a more sustainable lifestyle? Or perhaps move toward a more ambitious climate action plan? It’s time to embrace the idea that individual action is key, and can take many forms. So how can we, as individuals, confined to a city of high-rise balconies and less-than-abundant urban community gardens, begin to make an impact?

January may feel like a dormant month, as a far as growing is concerned. But there are a fair few flowers, fruits, and vegetables, that can be started under glass or in propagators.

Below are some simple ideas to begin growing and sowing:

In your greenhouse/home or indoors:

Flowers

• Sow Antirrhinums, (snapdragons) in a propagator. These are eye-catching plants, loved for there large snout-shaped flowers. They need a long growth period before flowering. Sow now for good results. These flowers thrive in full sun/partial shade and enjoy a well-draining, moist environment.

• Start growing Begonia, Geranium, and Dianthus from seed indoors. These are easy-care, abundant bloomers, and pleasantly fragrant. Also slow to flower, but the wait is worth it.

• Sow Lobelia under glass in gentle heat, for fabulous beds, containers, and beautiful hanging baskets in the warmer months. These seeds will thrive in a warm, sunlit area and prefer rich, moist soil.

• For those, with low light levels or next to no garden space, cacti and other succulents are a great way to start introducing greenery into your household. Easy to maintain, and pretty to look at, these plants can be placed on a window ledge in sunlight and watered weekly during growth periods.

Vegetables and herbs

• Start chitting early potatoes. Stand them on end in a module tray, or even an egg box, and place them in a bright cool, frost-free area. You can also grow potatoes in containers, under cover, for a very early crop.

• Sow Celeriac and celery in a heated propagator.

• Grow your favourite herbs on your windowsill, to bring colour and fragrance into your kitchen all year round. Keep herbs such as rosemary, basil, chives, thyme in brightly lit, well draining containers.

• Give onion seeds a head start – sow these now to give the bulbs time to grow as big as possible. Sow onion seeds in module trays and place in a propagator until germination, growing them in cool conditions until all risk of frost has passed and they can be transferred outdoors.

Fruit

• Start rhubarb from seed in a heated propagator.

• Plant raspberry canes, blueberries, outdoors provided the soil isn’t frozen or waterlogged. Choose a sunny site with free-draining soil.

• Plant bare root fruit trees in January, again providing the ground isn’t frozen.

Start small and consider your resources. Plant what you love, plant where you live. Take notes, pay attention, and don’t be afraid to ask questions, for even the most seasoned grower was once a beginner. Whether you live in a condominium, semi detached, townhouse, or a high-end residential property, planting seeds is not only tranquil and educational but can also be aesthetically pleasing, while enhancing your landscape. These first simple steps we can take as individuals could have a huge impact in reducing our global carbon footprint.Let’s explore how to embrace a greener 2020 vision, by growing a green thumb!

So……..Sow Sow Sow! Align with your roots!

At Craine projects, we work solely with award winning nurseries who grow organically, while proudly providing homeowners and clients with natural, sustainable, and locally-sourced materials. By doing so, we as a team can reduce our carbon footprint, as we design, construct, and maintain each landscaping project.