Despite the snow that has begun to fly again, spring is in full swing at our house. I’ve got two little things to show you that happened this weekend, both ideas for repurposing objects for the garden. I started a bunch of seeds, using plastic salad containers as usual, but I also tried using toilet … Continue reading
Category Archives: Gardening
Of getting at it and being in it
Three weeks from right this minute, I will be speaking at the Calgary Horticultural Society garden show. My topic this year: How to Make Gardening a Family Affair. And I had scheduled today for getting my notes together and starting in earnest on my presentation. I kind of forgot, however, that it is now officially … Continue reading
Of spring fever and tempting fate
Even for Chinook-prone Southern Alberta, it’s getting a little ridiculous. I hate to complain about warm weather, but plus 18 degrees in February is a little strange. Nighttime temperatures hovering just below, and occasionally just above, freezing is something we are accustomed to seeing in March and April, not January. Snow stays only in the … Continue reading
Poppy day
It’s almost Remembrance Day, and I’m slightly annoyed. Excuse me while I grab my soapbox. The Halloween sugar rush hadn’t even gotten up to full steam before I started seeing Christmas show up in the decor and on the shelves around town. What’s up with that? Remembrance Day has become the forgotten holiday, the little … Continue reading
The race is on
Some of you may be aware of the little taste of winter we in Alberta experienced last week. Yes, cold, wind snow, the whole bit. It’s a pretty early frost, and that’s somewhat disappointing (yes I forgot to cover my tomato plants) but there is a silver lining: Some switch seems to have flipped in … Continue reading
A horticultural brush with the fashion police
There’s something that’s been irking me for several weeks. A magazine headline. An innocuous, mildly informative phrase that originally made me smile: “Purple–this year’s hottest hue for flowers!” It made me smile because my garden’s overall colour scheme is built on purples and yellows. Maybe I would actually be ‘with it’ this year! Was it … Continue reading
I’m so not ready for my close up
Last night I hosted a book club author visit with the lovely Jennifer Quist. A splendid time was had by all, but as all the guests were leaving, Jenn asked me to show her around my “famous” garden–referring to my horticultural exploits of the last four years being documented at CanadianGardening.com. My gut reaction: horror. … Continue reading
Rhubarb time: on picking, composting, and keeping
Rhubarb, you ubiquitous spring staple, you tart veggie disguised as a fruit, oh how I love you. My rescue from winter food blahs, along with your cohorts, parsnip, asparagus, and spinach; you are destined for desert this very evening. If you, like I, are smitten with adoration, here are a few tips for keeping the … Continue reading
Channeling my inner lumberjack
It’s been a good day, mostly because I used power tools, got dirty, and smell like trees right now. First, we had some neighbours with heavy machinery come help us get our brush pile under control. The wind tends to take a lot of branches off our mature trees over the course of the year, … Continue reading
Composting notes
Here’s the notes from the mini composting class I did last night for the community. Not exactly like being there, especially because you missed dessert–dirt and worms!* Foundational principles: 1. Invest time and energy into feeding your soil, and it will feed your plants better than you or a synthetic fertilizer can. 2. Composting … Continue reading
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