suggestions for my garden

set it on fire. I heard that increases fertility.

put it beside a volcano?

the Mont-Royal won't erupt anytime soon.
...
If I'm in tha zone I might even try to can my crop.
Among other things I'll go for beans that's for sure so I'll have nice plates of beans n'rice all winter (this is a recipe I got from Flea of the RHCP as seen on tv, I love him for that).
...
pictures of pretty flowers are welcomed.

You in Mtl too, Sébastien?

yup.
Mtl, that unedgy beauty.

http://www.geocities.com/picturesref/Ikebana.gif
Ikebana is the art of arranging cut flowers.

herbs are a good way to start cos they have a rapid payoff. But they work best close to where you cook and I imagine a collective garden as some way off? Tomatoes are good, lots of fertiliser and water needed. Capsicum similar. Beans are relatively easy and another good starting point. See also radishes and carrots.

For flowers, um. I like the idea of mingling oldfashioned things in with veges, like marigolds, heartsease, love in a mist, alyssum, these are good because they are annuals and seed themselves, so you can pull them out if you decide you want to turn over a bed and they'll probably come up somewhere else. Also cheap to start with.

I should admit that I am a bit of a cottage garden enthusiast and there are lots of people who claim that this is lots of work (weeding) and that rigid structure and weed-matting gets better crops. This may be true.

thank you isadora for your great suggestions :-)

"there are lots of people who claim that this is lots of work (weeding) and that rigid structure and weed-matting gets better crops. This may be true.
"
it will be a good opportunity to listen to music in an environment with few distractions.

Growing herbs is a great idea and i think I'll do as you said for the flowers but I might also save a special section of the garden just for them too.
I've heard the aesthetic appreciation of flowers is shared by every cultures around the world so I thought it would be a great idea to get more knowledgeable about them in general. I'll have to consider the climate and as you mention, the price will also be an important factor in the realization of this project.

about the food I'll have to look for the strategies of "survivalist" old timers to optimize my production.

My garden is very simple. I don't know much 'bout them gardens, but my mom planted some things for me and I planted a few more. In the front yard, I have daffodils, pansies, tulips, and purple cone flowers (I think they're called hyacinths??) lining either side of my steps. On the back porch, I planted some bulbs in pots. Last year, I planted over 100 bulbs in my backyard but hardly any of the flowers made it due to a lack of rain and I don't think they got enough sun either. So, this year I decided to just plant wildflower seeds all in teh back and cross my fingers.
It's raining all week! Lucky me!

That's ok. Sarah reminded me that bulbs can be good. They are easily pleased (though rain can be an issue evidentally, and some of mine have gone crazy and think its spring when in fact winter hasn't even started yet). most are plant in autumn for spring. But they should be somewhere that you aren't going to cultivate at other times of the year, or you have to take them up. good luck. you should provide updates.

Basil, anyone? I have a mission to grow basil this year...

(imagining everyone on this thread singing "the garden song" *ducks*)

Grow lettuce! Mesclun seed mixes are really easy to grow- and it tastes sooooooo much better fresh from a garden than store bought.

two words: hedge maze!!

Redrummmmm

" I'm going to a maize maze in the weekend" oh. I mistook this for the What are You Thinking thread. But it still has to be said.

pond with japanese fighting fish.

poem from gary snyder (paraphrase of old wisdom):

stay together
learn the flowers
go light

monkeyflower is a good anual for the shade.

primrose another nice shaded annual