Page Created: 2003 September 03
Page Last Updated: 2011 June 29
Welcome to the Starlight Cascade website of Kim & Kevin!
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Starlight Cascade in Eastern Ontario Canada near Yarker, about 25 minutes northwest of Kingston, Ontario in the Township of Stone Mills

We have Vegetable Gardens and Flower Gardens. The Vegetable gardens (now 8 in number) are used to grow various heritage/heirloom garlic, tomato, potato, bean, and pea. The flower gardens are for when we get tired of weeding and picking bugs in the vegetable gardens.

Vegetable Gardens

Veg1 Built in 2003 as a raised bed, expanded in 2008 and again in 2010, is now a 3'x56' bed 11" high.
Veg2Built in 2005 and expanded in 2008, is now a 3'x28' by 11" high raised bed.
Veg3Built in 2007 as a raised bed, is 4'x16' by 11" high.
Veg4Built in 2006 as an outside the fenceline garden with its own chickenwire fencing, was 15'x13'. Veg4B was created in 2007 and was 10'x15'. Veg4C was created in 2009 and was 8'x23' and a 7' high deer fence was added. Veg4D & E were created in 2010 and each is 3'x20'. Veg4 now totals 650 ft^2.
Veg5 Built in 2010 as a potato patch, is 15'x27' Was expanded in 2011 to 18'x30' and a 7' high deer fence was installed as well. In 2012 we will virtually split this into 5A and 5B in order to start a fallowing spare bed.
VineyardBuilt in 2010, these are two beds 2'x12', one growing red grapes and the other white grapes.
Veg6 Built in 2011, this is a 6'x10' patch on the south wall of the greenhouse, which should be much warmer than the other beds.
Veg7 Built in 2011 is a raised bed 3'x8'
Veg8 Built in 2011 is a raised bed 3'x8'

What did we grow in 2011?

We had over 1400 ft^2 planted this year
  • 37 types of Garlic including:
  • 25 types of Tomatos including:
  • 15 types of Potatos including:

    What did we grow in 2010?

    We had almost 1400 ft^2 planted this year and plan to expand to almost 1500 ft^2 next year.
  • 25 types of Garlic including:
  • 25 types of Tomatos including:
  • 15 types of Potatos including:
    2009:
    2008: Tomatos (13 types) : Brandy Wine, Burgess Stuffing, Craig's Red, Green Grape, Jubilee, Lemon Drop, Livingston Perfection, Livingston Queen Yellow, Orange Russian, Purple Cherokee, Scarlet Beefsteak, Schellenburg's Favourite Yellow, Tigerella

    Why do we grow?

    We whole heartedly believe in Food Down the Road, local sustainability, buying and eating local as much as we can. We grow organically but are not certified organic. That means no herbicides, pesticides or fertilizers other than sheep manure, and a lot of manual picking bugs off plants :) We are also part of a local Eastern Ontario Heirloom Seeds Savers a group that attempts to maintain the widest possible genetic choice of vegetables. We maintain memberships in: Lennox & Addington Horticultural Society and the Kingston Horticultural Society (KHS) We have also for the first time in 2010, purchased a half share in a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) from Bumblerock Farms

    How do we grow?

  • We built an 8'x10' greenhouse to help us start the plants early.
  • We have built composters to help reduce our waste and to provide some of our own soil & fertilizer.
  • We have no real dirt/ground so have built all of our gardens, raised beds and hauled in the dirt.
  • We have 7 rain barrels collecting water to use in the gardens.

    Flower Gardens

    (1) The Overhang Garden (2005 July) Located directly in front of the house, partially overhung by the living room, faces west.
    (2) The Front Garden (2005 July) Located in front of the house on the west side. We have added a bird feeder atop a 4"x4" post set into the ground to bring the bird feeder level up to the dining room window.
    (3) The Moon Garden (2005 July) Located on the north side of the house, this is a rock garden with alpine plants. This garden also features a stone man.
    (4) The Butterfly Garden Developed in 2005 June. Located on the north side of the house, bringing together two alpine trees and a lilac tree. Butterflies love it! So do the pigeons.
    Northwest Corner (5) Located on the north side of the driveway right up against the road. This area of the property has a very thin layer of dirt.
    (6) The Pond Garden Developed in 2005 July. We've always wanted some falling water in a garden and this one is nice to wake up to in the morning and nice to come home to in the afternoon. We trenched an electrical cord out to it from an outside GFCI outlet. We have the water pump on a timer so it only runs for a few hours each day. 2005 July
    (7) Southwest Corner (2002 April) This garden is south of the driveway right up against the road. (2005 July)
    (8) The Starman Garden 2005 July Built in the summer of 2003 This is a raised bed rock garden in the shape of a 5 point star. Using native stones to form the raised bed, we added white decorative stone mulch around the outside edges.
    (9) SouthShed Garden (2002 April) This garden is south of the shed in the front yard and receives full sunlight. (2005 July)
    (10) The Wagon Wheel Garden (2002 April) This garden is located in the southwest corner of the back yard and is on very poor soil, maybe 2 or 3 inches over limestone. (2005 July)
    (11) The Pool Garden (2002 April) This garden is south of the pool and receives a lot of light. (2002 April)
    (12) The Oasis Garden (2002 April) This gardens circles a large maple tree and runs down a slight hill to a rock patio. (2005 July) We have added a few bird feeders, a bird house and a reflecting globe.
    (13) (2002 April) In this image this garden doesn't exist yet, as it was created in the back corner in the summer of 2005.
    (14) (2005 July) Located in the northwest corner of the backyard, this is a raised bed using mini railroad ties. Mainly this holds tall flowers but the chipmunks have been known to bury seeds and we get all kinds of strange things coming out.
    (15) Located in the Northeast corner of the back yard, this is mainly a rhubarb patch. Does that count as a vegetable?
    (16)The Sunflower Wall Garden. Built along the east side of the creek but the deer ate most of them before they could be protected.

    References and Resources

  • Eastern Ontario Heirloom Seed Savers
  • Baker Creek Rare seeds
  • Sandhill Preservation
  • Heirloom Seeds

    Log

  • 2010 September 01 - finished new composter, transferred most of the material from the old, about to dismantle the old composter and expand raised bed Veg1 another 3'x16'x11" Finished harvesting most of beans/peas
  • 2010 August 29 - finished harvest of most potatos. Now air drying on the deck under a tarp to keep dark. Completed cold room (insulated 4'x8'x7') with storage shelves in insulated garage for winter storage of potatos, garlic and other as well as seeds for spring
  • 2010 August 28 - work on starman flower garden to dig out more, edge, put down weed cloth and paper and rocks to keep grass out. About 1/2 way done.
  • 2010 August 15 - took down the fishing line fence around the sunflowers. Started work on a new composter built from wood pallets and chicken wire.

    For questions or comments about this page /gardens/ contact us at kim or kevin (at) starlightcascade (dot) ca