Summer | Page #3

Summer

Gardening in Calgary is not for the faint of heart!

Calgary experiences all four seasons in full force. Our Springs are wet, our summers scorching, our falls blistery, and our winters freezing. In the regular gardening season that spans from Spring-early Fall, we often experience every single type of weather: heat waves, snowstorms, hail and more. Frankly, we can experience all those types of weather in just one day! These conditions make gardening challenging; but not impossible. 

So, how can you successfully garden in Calgary? Here are the steps:

  1. Invest in good soil. Kath Smyth, a horticulturist with the Calgary Horticultural Society, tells Avenue Calgary, "Soil is the foundation of any good garden. Compost to create soil that is…

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Nothing says summer quite like sitting by the lake with a cold drink in one hand and a good book in the other. The air that sweeps over the water is cool and refreshing, the sound of the shore summer's best symphony. Dig your toes into the sand and wade through the water. If summer was something tangible, this would be it.    Does this all sound like a beautiful dream from a faraway place? A little too exotic for dry Alberta? For a long time it was nothing more than a pipedream. The only solution was to buy a vacation home someplace like Arizona or Radium. However, innovators quickly found a sweet solution: lakefront living.    One of the most popular trends in real estate  is crafting communities around man-made lakes to provide family's…

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Stampede season is in full swing! We hope that the rain has not dampened your spirits at all and that you take time to celebrate and go have fun. Nothing kicks off a great summer in YYC quite like the Stampede. By now, most people know the basics about the Stampede: it’s called the largest outdoor show on earth, there is a rodeo where you can win big money, the midway is full of quirky food, etc.. However, here are some interesting facts about the Calgary Stampede that you may not know:

Crash Landing: “During the 1919 Stampede, the revelers of Calgary had their midway fun suddenly interrupted by the expected emergency landing of a Curtis Jenny biplane on top of the midway carousel” (Flight Network). Luckily no one was injured and the show went on…

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Happy Summer Solstice, Calgary!

What is summer solstice? This year it falls on Sunday, June 20th. It marks the official start of the summer. National Geographic writes, "solstices occur because Earth’s axis of rotation is tilted about 23.4 degrees relative to Earth's orbit around the sun. This tilt is what drives our planet's seasons, as the Northern and Southern Hemispheres get unequal amounts of sunlight over the course of a year. From March to September, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted more toward the sun, driving its spring and summer. From September to March, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted away, so it feels autumn and winter. The Southern Hemisphere's seasons are reversed."

Throughout history different places and cultures have marked the…

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In Calgary it typically rains the most during the month of June, and this year has been no different. The rain is a welcome alternative to the snow, and a refreshing way for spring to flow into summer. The rain makes the grass a little greener, the flowers bloom, the crops flourish and the worms happy. As long as the river doesn't rise as much as it did in 2013, we will be happy!

This weekend Calgary is expected to be hit with classic summertime thunderstorms, and you need to be prepared for the downpour. While we do appreciate the moisture, storms have the potential to cause numerous problems that you need to be prepared for. 

The most common negative outcome of a thunderstorm is a power outage. When this happens, you need to be prepared.…

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Happy Father's Day to all Fathers and Father-Figures out there. We thank you for the ways in which you serve your families and seek to make the world a better place. Whether you're been a father for 60 years or this is your very first Father's Day as a dad, we this Sunday we raise our glass to you.

For those of you looking to give your father figure a token of your love on this Father's Day, we thought it would be good to give you suggestions based on what stage the person you're buying for is in. So, we have gone through different stages of Fatherhood to give you some suggestions on what your Father may enjoy best!

Brand New Father: Father’s Day is such a special day at any stage, but for brand new Fathers it is a completely new…

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Stampede Season has arrived!

Today's Stampede Parade kicked off the beginning of the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth, which takes place from now until July 14th. Get ready for fantastic events, inspiring showcases, homegrown country music, delicious treats and so much more. It seems like every year the Calgary Stampede gets bigger and better, and this year is no exception.

Not sure where to start? Here are 5 things to check out during this Calgary Stampede:

1). Dill Pickle Everything: From Dill Pickle popsicles to Dill Pickle pizza, dill is set to be a main ingredient in this year's Stampede! You can check out all of the ingenious and audacious new creations down at the Midway. Craving the classics? Don't worry, the funnel cakes and mini…

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Summertime is one of the most anticipated seasons in Calgary for two reasons: 1). It is a welcome respite from the snow and often unpredictable weather, and 2). It is the shortest season we experience. Lasting only two months between rainy springs and crispy falls, summers in Calgary are short but sweet. This is why Calgarian's are always determined to make the most out of their summers. 

We always recommend starting summer with a list of all the fun things you want to do. Popular items on this list are:

  • Check out the Bowden Sunflower Maze 
  • Try every new scoop at Made by Marcus, Village Ice Cream and Fiasco Gelato
  • Spend a day at the Calgary Zoo and see the Pandas
  • Eat Cotton Candy and enjoy the rides at Calaway Park
  • Learn about…

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Tomorrow kicks off the long weekend!

Planning what to do each summer is exciting. Most people have been dreaming about their summer vacation plans since fall. It gives people something to look forward to and to work towards.

Nothing feels better than a restful holiday well earned. In fact, taking vacation time is highly recommended for a very scientific reason: vacations help you to live longer. Daily life is stressful for many people, so taking time to relax is important for your mental, emotional and physical health.  Your body will thank you for taking a break from have-tos and indulging in the rest of want-tos.

That being said, not all vacations are stress free--especially when you are ill-prepared. Here are some tips to help you…

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Soil: it is everywhere. It on the backroads we drive, it is what your home was built on, and it is what brings life to the land surrounding us. It is not dirt, grimy and useless. It is rich with minerals, nutrients, and everything needed to grow grass, plants and trees. Soil like planet Earth has is rare and extremely valuable.

If you are fond of gardening, you know how important soil is. It is most particularly important this time of year as farmers and gardeners begin to access the quality of their soil in order to decide what it needs to be as healthy as possible. After all, if you do not have healthy soil, you will not have healthy plants.

During the wintertime, soil freezes into a crust. Thousands of micro-organisms still flourish inside…

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