Today on The Weekend Gardener!

I LOVE this book - and I have one to give away on today's
show!! Call w/your questions & comments 1-877-801-8255

Today on The Weekend Gardener.. it's going to be a busy action-packed show!! (action packed?) .. whatever.. All I know is that we're going to have fun and I hope you can join me.. 11 to 1 pm Atlantic time (10-noon EST) on News 95.7 FM, News 91.9 FM and News 88.9 FM or listen live anywhere at www.news957.com

Sunday May 26th:

Beckie Fox, the editor of Garden Making magazine to chat about their outstanding new issue.. (Canadian bred roses, haskap berries and the Garden Making On Tour cross-country garden tour!!)

Karen Chapman and Christina Salwitz, the authors of Fine Foliage: Elegant Plant Combinations for Garden and Container.. (http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/fine-foliage-elegant-plant-combinations/9780985562229-item.html) A seriously excellent book!

David Baldwin, local apple and pear expert to chat about growing these fruits in the Maritimes. Best varieties, pollination, pruning, trouble-shooting and more!

Trish Fry, Manager of the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens! We'll check in about their upcoming events and what's in bloom!

Finally, Angelique Reddy from the YMCA Moncton to talk about their new Community Garden Expansion..

Gardening in the Rain!

I've been waiting for a break in the weather to get more seeds and seedlings in the ground.. but since I don't see any sun in the 5 day forecast, I've decided to get out and plant anyway! The lack of sun makes it rather difficult to properly harden off and prepare my tomatoes, peppers and other seedlings for 'real life' in the garden, but when (if!) the sun does come out, I'll just toss a row cover overtop the plants for a few days to get them used to the bright yellow thing in the sky.

Ok, lunch break over.. time to get back to the garden.. I have more kale, celeriac, kohlrabi, more onions (where to put them!), parsley, leeks, 2 apple trees and 3 more highbush blueberries.. and I should probably cover some of the garden with a row cover since my deer fence is down.. ack!

My 2014 Proven Winners plants arrived
yesterday - in the rain of course.. They're
now on my front porch de-stressing
from their Fed-Ex trek. Once I've take the
boxes apart, I'll take more photos and
preview some of these soon-to-be-released
beauties!

Unlike me, spinach loves this crappy weather.. 

I've got baby kales popping up all over the pathways of my garden beds..
Time to dig up and share!! 

Hmm, probably shouldn't have left these Kossak kohlrabi
seedlings sitting in the garden for 3 days in the rain and in
a tray with no holes.. Opps! They're rather waterlogged. 

Planting lettuce.. started these beauties inside
in a plug flat and have now planted them
in a checkered pattern with a lovely
red leaved variety. 

Red leaf lettuce ready to plant.. dirty fingers!

Lettuce planted - check! Next up comes my heirloom
Italian endive.. this endive makes an
excellent cut-and-come-again crop. 

Tomorrow - The Weekend Gardener Returns!

Holy smokes, I can't believe tomorrow is the kick off to Season 7 of The Weekend Gardener.. Season 1 doesn't seem that long ago, but here we are 6 years later! I've been working hard on our 2013 line up (feel free to comment with your guest/segment ideas) and tomorrow offers some old favourites as well as new guests! Tune in live from 11 to 1 pm Atlantic time (10 - noon EST) on News 95.7 FM in Halifax, News 88.9 FM in Saint John or News 91.9 FM in Moncton. Or listen live online at www.news957.com.

I'm also please to announce that we'll have podcasting this year, so if you miss an episode, they will (finally!) be available online after the show!

Here's tomorrow's lineup:

11 to noon - I'll welcome back local expert Cathy Oulton from Bloom Greenhouse and Garden Center in Halifax to talk new plants for 2013 as well as some of her favourite woody shrubs and trees. Cathy and I LOVE to answer questions, so I hope that we'll have plenty of callers during this segment.

noon to 12:30 - Joel Karsten, the author of the excellent new book, Straw Bale Gardens will join me to talk about his unique and productive techniques.. I love this book - and have 2 copies to give away to listeners! - so I can't wait to talk to Joel. 

12:30 to 1 pm - Best-selling and award-winning author, speaker and journalist Sarah Elton, whose book Locavore took Gold at the Canadian Culinary Book Awards, was named one of Amazon.ca's top 50 books of 2010 and is a David Suzuki Foundation Book Club pick! She'll join me again to talk about her brand new - but already best-selling - new book Consumed: Food for a Finite Planet, which made the national best-seller list in its first week! A must-read!

Flat and flashy -- the Saucony Kinvara 4.

A while back, I posted about an awesome run that happened to take place while I was wearing an awesome new running shoe. I promised that I'd have a review of those shoes once I had a chance to try them out a little more. Today, I'm back with that review.

I was given the opportunity to try out the new Saucony Kinvara 4 running shoes in this super-fresh neon yellow and pink color combination:

Right out of the box, I loved these shoes. So slick, so comfortable.

For me, though, trying-on comfort doesn't always equate to on-the-run comfort and function. Given how cool the shoes look, though, I was hopeful. My first run in these kicks was really, really great. It was one of those just-about-perfect runs where I ran faster than expected with much less effort than usual. Just great.

After that run, I put the shoes aside for a bit because I didn't want to screw anything up before my April half marathon. The thing about the Saucony Kinvaras is that they have a much lower heel drop than I am used to, so I knew I needed to proceed cautiously.

Take a look at the Kinvaras next to my other running shoes because I think you can really see the difference when they are lined up next to each other:

The Kinvara is there in the middle -- much lower to the ground. They are also a lot lighter than my regular running shoes. Again, caution required.

Once I was back to running after the half, I took the Kinvaras out for a few more runs, including a few stroller runs.

I like these shoes a lot. They are surprisingly comfortable (Saucony boasts about the internal booty construction -- a feature that is worth the boasting!) and supportive, given how light they are and they work well for shorter runs, especially those that are hilly. There is something about the lower heel that makes running uphill seem easier in these shoes. And I'll take anything that gives me a lift on the hills!

The lower drop means my feet are closer to the ground with each step and they feel a bit more "in-touch" with the road as I'm running. A good feeling, but one that does take a little getting used to.

I've been reluctant to try the shoes out on longer runs, however. I guess I'm just a bit of a Nervous Nellie but I feel the need to take things pretty slow with such a different shoe. The Kinvara 4 has a 4mm toe-to-heel drop, which is far lower than the shoes I've been wearing. As I get more used to them, I'll extend my mileage  because if I can wear a lighter shoe for longer runs, I'd like to.

Aside from running, I also like the Kinvaras for squats and lunges. I don't normally wear my running shoes for indoor exercises, but Owen suggested that I give these a shot. He's got the Saucony Virratas -- also a lower drop shoe -- and likes how they work for squats and lunges.

All in all, I'm impressed with the Saucony Kinvara 4s. They are flat and flashy -- and make me feel fast!

Have you tried the Kinvaras? 

Do you like shoes with a lower toe-to-heel drop?

Thanks for stopping by!

Review disclaimer: I was sent a pair of shoes for review, through FitFluential. I was not otherwise compensated and the opinions expressed are entirely my own.

I'm hosting #groundchat!

If you're on twitter, join me tomorrow at 3 pm Atlantic time (2 pm EST) for #groundchat, a weekly discussion on topics that pertain to soil and soil health. To participate, just go to Twitter at the start time and add the hashtag (#groundchat) to all your tweets.. and search for that hashtag and you'll be able to follow the discussion, ask questions and make comments.

Additional details about #groundchat can be found here, and it's hosted by the always awesome (and fellow Canadian!) Cristina da Silva.. She and I, along with a few other garden writers shared a panel at the recent Garden Writers Meeting at Canada Blooms in Toronto. Cristina is also the blogger behind The Real Gardener and I was thrilled to finally meet her in person at Canada Blooms..

My visit to #groundchat tomorrow will focus on crop rotation and how that can affect soil health.. and how to keep soil healthy and productive when you are growing year round. Hope you can take part!!

All Season Growing Workshop - Tomorrow in Tantallon

Transitions St Margarets Bay is hosting an all day workshop tomorrow at the Tantallon library from 10 am to 5 pm. If you want to learn more about using season extenders like mini tunnels, cold frames or unheated walk-in polytunnels, as well as what are the best veggies and herbs for a cold season harvest, this event is a must!! For more info, click here

Just released - the cover of my next book!

To celebrate this, my 499th post, I am very exited to share the cover of my next book with you..  I was thinking  that perhaps I should wait and make this my 500th post, but I'm too impatient!! :)

So, without further ado, I'm pleased to introduce Groundbreaking Food Gardens! (coming to a bookstore near you in Dec/Jan).. Preorders are now being accepted in the US here and Canada here.

As the release date nears, I will give you previews of some of the AMAZING designs in the book - I can say that without ego as 72 of the 73 designs were created by experts from North America and beyond. The contributors include fellow bloggers, garden writers, home gardeners, professional horticulturists and a whole bunch of awesome food gardeners who are as passionate about growing veggies, fruits and herbs as I am.