Now: Gardening at Night

The yard at Chez Instant Family was somewhat neglected by the previous owners. Plants overgrown, trees in need of staking, infestations of insects and fungi. Fortunately, working in the yard is something that Mommy Relcuk can do while the girls play outside. As they get older, they simply need a watchful eye nearby and actually play better as a trio without adult involvement. Mommy's most recent project has been the slow but steady digging of a new bed next to the deck.

This magnolia tree was completely covered in hard scale insects when we moved in and was on its last legs. The scales were literally sucking the life out of the tree and attracting massive numbers of parasitic wasps. Daddy Relcuk wanted to cut it down but Mommy talked him in to waiting until Spring. The tree has been rehabilitated through removal by hand of the hundreds of mature scales last fall (wonder who did that?), severe pruning of the worst limbs and a timely application of horticultural oil in the early spring to eliminate the overwintering nymphs (babies). The tree is filling in nicely -- we thought the left side might be dead but it is slowly but surely greening.

Additionally, the garden at Chez Instant Family was equipped with several sickly rose plants that are also being nursed to recovery. Mommy Relcuk has never been much of a gardener. While she's never one to shy away from yard work -- having a long history of mowing, mulching, edging and trimming -- but, in the past, actual plantings were limited to hardy, easy-care perennials and the occasional container of pansies or mums. The roses, on the other hand, require an unending schedule of sprays, feedings and prunings.

There's a saying that a lawn is meant to showcase the diligence of the person who owns it, not the plants themselves. Two years ago, Ontario banned cosmetic pesticides -- meaning few weed killers are allowed. Goodbye, Scotts Weed & Feed. We've actually had decent weed control from an application of corn meal gluten. It seems to provide about 70% control.

The remaining 30% of the weeds are taken out the old-fashioned way.