Inner City Garden Tour

Tuesday, August 28, 2012
5:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Tour starts at Orioles Community Garden (corner of St. Matthews and Burnell). Take the low-floor bus or ride your bike to 8 inner city community gardens. Enjoy an evening of garden wisdom, inspiring stories and seeing first hand some of the changes that come with greening the community.

For more information, contact Robyn at 204-774-7005 ext. 104 or greening(at)dmsmca.ca.

Orioles Community Garden Pictures

Upcoming Workshops in West Broadway and Spence

Vermicomposting Workshop
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
West Broadway Development Corporation, 608 Broadway

Learn how to compost indoors using red wriggler worms at this FREE workshop. To register call 930-9989 or email composting@westbroadway.mb.ca. For more information, visit the West Broadway Development Corporation Events page.

Food Mapping in Spence Neighbourhood
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Beginning at 5:00 p.m.
689 Maryland Street

Learn where our food comes from and how it gets to our tables; share stories of growing your own food; and help create a food map of Spence neighbourhood. This workshop will be a fun chance to share stories about food and participate in an art activity about food and community.

Workshop is FREE and snacks will be provided!

Orioles Maintenance Bee

Calling all Orioles gardeners!

The gardens are looking great, but the grounds need some love. Please join us between 5:30 and 7:30 on Tuesday, July 31st for weeding, painting and general clean-up.

Farmer's Markets Near the West End

Gas Station Village Farmers' Market
Days: Thursdays
Time: 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Where: Outside the Gas Station Theatre at River and Osborne
Features: 100 mile food options; local artisans; food vendors; live music; Half Pints beer garden

Good Food Club Veggie Van Market
Days: Wednesdays
Time: 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Location: Thompson Funeral Home parking lot at Broadway and Sherbrook
Features: Fresh produce from Wiens Family Farm

Main Street Farmers Market
Days: Fridays (June 19 to September 14)
Time: 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Where: Neechi Commons parking lot at Euclid and Main
Features: Produce; crafts; baked goods; buskers from the North End and around Winnipeg

Wolseley Farmers' Market
Days: Tuesdays & Thursdays (June 19 to November 1)
Time: 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Where: R.A. Steen Community Centre, 190 Palmerston
Features: Local food; home-spun artistic products; live music; workshops; kid friendly environment

Pallet Garden

Not many of us West Enders are fortunate enough to have big yards. Julie, inspired by this site, has recycled shipping pallets to create a vertical veggie garden along her garage. A great way to add more space!

The Red Menace

The red lily leaf beetle is a big problem in Winnipeg this summer. The invasive insect has no natural predators in Canada and is difficult to control. Here are some suggestions from the Manitoba Regional Lily Society:

• Handpick the adult beetles (6-8 mm ¼ inch in length) as soon as they appear on the emerging lilies.
• Spray the adults with any pyrethrum based (0.5%) insecticide or any other registered pesticide. Rotenone may also be effective.
• Destroy the egg cases on the underside of the leaves.  Eggs are in yellow/orange clusters or in irregular rows. The eggs are quite small, approximately 1 mm.
• Remove the larvae.  Can be very messy.  Use rubber gloves.
• Dust or spray with Rotenone or any pyrethrum based pesticide.
• Spray the larvae and the underside of the leaves with Neem Oil at 5-7 day intervals throughout the season.  Neem is ineffective on adults.
• Adults over winter in the surrounding soil or under plant debris.  Some adults may survive over two seasons.  Stir up the surrounding soil or the mulch in early spring and kill any emerging beetles before they have a chance to lay their eggs.
• It is up to each gardener to check their lily plantings at least weekly for signs of the beetle.  Because the beetles are strong fliers and can move around the neighborhood, inform your neighbors and help them to control this pest.

Lily beetles in a West End garden

Lily beetle larvae

Although the suggested controls include both chemical and natural  methods, no particular products have been approved for use on the red lily beetle. Gardeners should choose the method that they are comfortable with and which work best for them.