Spring Has Arrived in Ontario

It's time to put away the snow shovels and haul out the garden tools now that spring has finally made its appearance in Southern Ontario.

We finally had a beautiful, mild spring day here in Southern Ontario. In a year of near record snowfall, I'm happy to report that most of the snow has melted from my neighbourhood, with the exception of the 30-foot glacier-like icy drift that remains at the back of our yard.

Reading garden blogs is still a lovely way to pass away the early morning time. However, it is even more lovely to be able to head outside after coffee, after the first gentle rays of the sun have had a chance to warm the surface of the lawn and vegetable garden, to open the shed, take out a shovel, and start to dig.

I began the official physical work on my vegetable garden for the 2008 season by edging along the side of the bed. Because my vegetable patch is situated in the lawn, the grass surrounding it had begun to creep in, and the edges were no longer sharp. I used the edging tool that my father had given me, one he had used for years, to slice into the soft earth, leaving a crisp edge on the bed.

Next I raked the soil, removing piles of organic debris that failed to decompose over the winter. Thick stems, skins of rotted tomatoes and crunchy autumn leaves littered the bed through the winter, and I moved this organic “junk” onto my compost pile.

Last but not least, I set up my row greenhouse, my saving grace for vegetable gardening in Ontario. Having a row greenhouse set upon the soil extends the growing season, and I intend to plant radishes, onions, peas and beets there very soon.

What a relief to make the change from snow shovel to garden spade!