Garden Party

Carson’s Garden + Market embraces growing food

To say that Carson Arthur is a busy man would be a giant understatement. His appointment book reads like a Where in the World is Carmen San Diego episode. When Arthur is not on tour in support of his latest book Vegetables, Chickens and Bees, he’s popping up across the country as the spokesperson for Craftsman Tools, Lee Valley, and Black and Decker Tools. But to keep all of his spare time completely occupied, Arthur also writes weekly columns for The Halifax Herald and The Sun Media Group about outdoor design, has a syndicated radio show called Take it Outside and is the North American outdoor design editor for Outdoor Lifestyle magazine. All of this on top of being a 20-year veteran in television, hosting shows like HGTV’s Green Force and Critical Listing, Room To Grow on Global, Home, First Home on the Hallmark channel, and acting as the gardening expert on the HGTV series Home To Win for the first four seasons.

It would be impossible to keep up that many things for such a long period of time and enjoy a decent work-life balance, so Arthur has come up with what he calls his “retirement project”. Carson’s Garden + Market will open its doors on May 4, 2019 and Arthur plans on the space being not only a garden centre, but a community outpost for all things related to growing your own food. The market will also be a place where Arthur can showcase some of the top products from around the world that he has personally used and have them for sale so that local gardening enthusiasts can purchase high-quality tools.

“I didn’t want your average garden centre. I wanted to go in a completely different way. I don’t want to carry plants that landscapers would install. You’re not going to see boxwoods or roses here. Everything that I want to do is either for hobby gardeners who are looking for something unique, or for people looking to expand their food diversity,” says Arthur.

Arthur goes on to say this he wants this garden centre to help change the way we look at our outdoor spaces.

“Garden because you love it, garden because you want food diversity, garden because you want your kids to know that food doesn’t come in stryrofoam containers. That’s my jumping off point for starting my own place,” says Arthur.

For a television personality and author of his second book now, Arthur’s website is not focused on himself at all, but rather centred around growing food and food education. Tips and pointers about how to grow food on a rooftop, or in a corner of your backyard. Arthur hopes to incorporate all of those aspects at Carson’s Market with a large harvest table at the back of the market in front of a large fireplace placed there specifically to host community meetings and seminars about food and food security.

For the market itself, highlights include hand secateurs and saws from Japan made from samurai forged steel, and a line of Carson Arthur tools that he had made by a local Mennonite who does handforging.

“These are lifetime tools. I would expect a serious gardener to have one or two. You won’t fill your potting shed with these. These are the tools you buy when you want the best for what you use most, or if you to buy a great gift for a gardening friend,” says Arthur.

The market will have an impressive seed-wall with over 400 varieties of all edible plant material. Local seeds Edible Antiques will be available as well as Annapolis seeds from Nova Scotia and West Coast seeds from the opposite coast. There will be a tinctures and remedies section where you can find all plantbased solutions for what ails you.

Educating the youth is a big focus for Carson’s Market with a kid’s section inside, and interactive gardening classes for kids in the chef’s garden. Carson’s Market will also have a 1,200 square foot covered deck with seating open this season with Flossies Sandwich Food Truck signed on to have the market as their permanent location.

The greenhouse is large and will carry all edible materials as well. Rows of herbs filled with quality sages and basils that you won’t be able to find anywhere else. Arthur will be doing tomato, pepper, and eggplant, seedlings, and there be over 8,000 varieties in the greenhouse to choose from. Arthur will have roughly 15,000 seedlings to start with.

“It’s all the stuff you love, but may not be familiar with anymore. In the grocery store you are given one variety of a certain vegetable. Here we give you 18 varieties of eggplants for you to choose from. We are selling the plants versus the produce,” says Arthur.

One of the things that Arthur is most excited about for his market is the planting program. They are called “Gardens To Go”, and you’re given a clipboard with the list of plants that are available, and a person will get to choose what’s in their planter. The staff at Carson’s Market will then plant everything for you and you leave with your own personal garden. For this Arthur uses something called a self-watering planter, where the water sits underneath in a reservoir and wicks up through the soil, keeping you plants perfectly moist. It’s also something you only have to re-fill once a week.

Carson’s Market officially opens May 4, and Arthur promises that when he’s not on the road, he’ll be at his market spreading the gospel on growing your own food and handing out sage advice when needed.