There’s many a metaphor about life waiting in the backyard, as I ponder the flux of good years for roses, raccoons and tomatoes, bad years for June bugs, lilies and maples, and those things that seem to be fine every year, rain or shine, heat or cold, like ants, violets and squirrels. The ebbs and flows of nature hang in… Read More »Learning Life Balance from Weeds and Bugs
Now that the pandemic is far enough away, I’m ready to proclaim that some good came of it. No question, there was much hurt and hardship, which impacted some people severely. But, pulling the silver lining from three solid years of storm clouds reaps some value from the nightmare that was. Even nightmares usually have a purpose or message. Things… Read More »The Good of Three Years House Arrest
Summer rocks because: My gut wants to know why we don’t live where it is summer all the time, since it is so enjoyable. But looking at my list, many of the joys come from the evolution of the seasons. Summer is incredible because of all that leads up to it (spring), the aftermath of summers exuberance (early fall) and… Read More »Summer Love
Inspiration to get through the no longer chilling sub-zero temperatures, drudgery of wearing at least twice as many garments1 than in July, and brief, blinding glimpses of the sun as it slides below the horizon at 6:00 pm.: planning the garden, once the ground is no longer frozen and/or covered in snow/ice. Is it cheering to think of all the things… Read More »Seeds of Future Garden’s Past
As the summer days get shorter and cooler, and the plants start to whither, stop flowering and quit producing fruit, I’m very sad. I hide indoors, preserving and freezing the harvest so there’s goodness to enjoy later. I wonder if I’m giving up too soon, whether there are crops that could be raised into the fall. There are still a… Read More »Fall Gardening, Bah-Humbug
In southern Ontario, squirrels are a fast-moving fixture. They have adapted nicely from whatever their original habitat was to living amongst humans, although this arrangement seems to work better for the squirrels than some humans. ‘Squirrelly’ means erratic behaviour. It should be upgraded to include annoying, destructive, nasty, invasive actions, with occasional cute frolicking. And respectful acknowledgement of hanging out,… Read More »Squirrelly in the Backyard
Gardening seems to consist of pulling out one kind of plant and replacing it with a plant of another kind. Makes me wonder how natural modern backyards are and how kind to the environment, especially native plants. How do decorative plants, flowers, shrubs, and trees, fit in the native/invasive/cultivated plant story1? It makes me think of the settling of North… Read More »Learning about Colonization in a Backyard Garden
Arugula and rapini planted in my greenhouse in the first week of April are now ripe for the picking, as are some perennial herbs, particularly chive blossoms. Nature waits for no one, so the time is now to savour the tenderness and rich taste. Another week’s growth will make for tougher greens and woody flowers but the sudden abundance is… Read More »The Joy of Loads of Leafy Greens and Herbs.
I can’t decide which vegetables go where in my garden. Years past, I’ve chosen areas for various plants. Tomatoes all together in the best sun, everything in neat rows. But why? While growing things has its roots (🤣) in sciences of botany and agriculture, there are sooo many variables, it’s difficult to be scientific about it. And by being scientific,… Read More »Where to Plant What?
Despite a mid-April blanketing of snow, which is not ridiculously unseasonable even if we all want the weather to turn into balmy sun-filled days, I garden. I’ve sown seeds over the past few weeks, which have emerged from their well-engineered soil1 into tiny bits of greenness of a shade that can’t be imitated by anything other than a baby plant… Read More »How does the garden grow?