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Archive for the ‘In the Garden’ Category

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Roses are Red…

In In the Garden on February 14, 2019 at 3:37 pm

IMG_1469Happy Valentine’s Day!

 

After 20 plus years of marriage, my husband still manages to surprise me.

I certainly was not expecting to see this beautiful arrangement – so artistic, so modern and different.

The flowers are skillfully displayed in a clear acrylic keepsake box complete with lid! The practical me appreciates the fact that I can re-use this “vase” and the fool-proof second layer has pre-drilled holes so you know exactly where to place your flowers! I can’t wait to try and create new floral arrangements with this look.

Love the “diamond” centres in each rose. IMG_1467

Kudos to Gatto Flowers for the creative inspiration and gorgeous presentation.

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Monster Hot Dog or Angry Fur Pickle?

In Animal Kingdom, In the Garden, Ivy (Dog) Approved on September 24, 2018 at 1:01 pm

monsterSweaterCould not resist this adorable sweater! Snapped it up right away when it caught my eye in the local pet store. It’s got the cutest design for our own little monster. Was even more impressed when I read the tag and discovered it was handcrafted by Inca Artisans in South America using organic wool and natural plant dyes. No toxic fabrics here. Nothing but the best for our Ivy.

Rushed home and had our baby try it on. Apparently, she likes it, too as she happily sat down and settled in right away and didn’t want to take it off. The store owner also suggested it could double as a Halloween costume if we decide to dress her up this year. In any case, she’ll be all cosy and snug as the cold weather sets in.

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Big-Impact Birthday Bouquet

In Easy Elegance, In the Garden on November 24, 2017 at 1:25 pm

 

KikuFlowersHappy Birthday to all my Scorpio friends! Not only do I love November but my daughter’s birthday also happens to fall in this month. So, I made her this lovely floral bouquet featuring chrysanthemums, which to me are synonymous with fall but are also the birth flower for November babies.

Those of you who have your local florist on speed dial, simply phone your order in. The rest of us can head to the grocery store, yes you heard right! Stroll right past those pre-made grocery store bouquets with the garish dyed flowers in neon colours and discover your other options. Choose a few flowers you love – here I found two types of mums and a freesia in the same colour family and voilà – a beautiful bouquet.

Once I got the three bundles home, I cut the stem of each flower on an angle and then arranged them freestyle in a large container. For these types of arrangements, try to vary the heights and keep turning your vase so it remains balanced looking with no visible “holes.” Another suggestion, if you prefer something more angular, you could also have made circles using the same flower for each ring in various heights – think three-tiered flower cake. A visible feast for the eyes!

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Willful Weigela

In In the Garden on June 21, 2017 at 1:21 pm

When we bought our home, more than 20 years ago, we also inherited a large garden. Planted by the original owner, this once-magnificent pride of the neighbourhood had long been neglected and was now so overgrown and filled with weeds it took weeks of hard labour to regain a semblance of order. In our excavations, we discovered this old Weigela in our backyard. It was my aunt who recognized it for what it was – as it had grown to become more stringy tree than beautiful bush.

Our restoration and redesign of the space included annual and aggressive pruning of the Weigela, which yielded more growth and fragrant pink blossoms than you can imagine. So much so, that during a recent storm, the weight of the blooms caused one of the larger branches to snap right off. It had fallen and lay sadly blocking the back access to the path. The unfortunate task fell to my husband, who was forced to take saw in hand to the broken limb with high hopes it would continue on after the carnage.

Well, lo and behold – just the other day, as we strolled past the sight of former glory, we spotted a fresh, new sprout – right on top of the old branch!

Weigela

You can’t imagine the feelings of jubilance and rejoice upon seeing such a simple shoot! We should all have such vigour and will to live. You just can’t keep a good shrub down!

 

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The Herbal Goddess Within

In Book Reviews, In the Garden, Recently Reviewed on June 5, 2016 at 9:57 pm

UnknownNow that the warmer weather is upon us and our gardens are beginning to awaken and explode with life Herbal Goddess, by master herbalist and yoga instructor Amy Jirsa, reminds readers how the earth provides us with everything we need. While many of us have forgotten the once common wisdom that knew which plants were used for specific medicines, according to Jirsa, “herbalism is our cultural heritage.” And she believes we all still carry this instinctual insight on how to heal our selves – we only need to find the path back to that knowledge.

Jirsa makes it easy – she’s plowed through the plant world’s overwhelming amount of information and culled the vast array down to 12 of her favourite healing herbs. No home apothecary should be without these select go-to herbs for day-to-day living. No doubt, most of us will recognize popular herbs such as chamomile, rose and lavender, which made the list for their well-known calming properties. And stay the spade: those dandelions and nettles you thought were weeds are also included! You might be surprised to learn that both plants provide valuable nutrients, and can serve as amazing detoxifiers.

While the book can be read in any order, it’s divided into individual sections. Each short chapter focuses on one of the 12 herbs, and includes beautiful photographs so you’ll be able to identify the herb when you come across it. Also provided is basic herb terminology, details on what part of the herb is used, how to harvest it, and preparations such as drying blossoms. There are featured recipes in every section for making teas, body care products, and special dishes plus themed yoga poses.

Whether you’re a total novice or an experienced herbalist, Herbal Goddess inspires you to dig deeper into the world of herbs. Jirsa suggests starting slowly and simply. Her advice is to take about a month’s time, and get to know each plant, one by one. With this type of close examination, you’ll really begin to understand the natural properties and effects of each herb. With these valuable tools firmly rooted, we may once again be able to take charge of our mental, physical, and spiritual health. Unleash the herbal goddess within yourself!

Disclosure Notice: We participate in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program, which earns fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites. Our participation does not influence our content decisions but helps to offset the costs involved in maintaining this website.

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Perfect Pansies

In Food, Glorious Food, In the Garden on May 7, 2016 at 11:08 am

What’s not to love about these tiny, perfect pansies just harvested from the garden? This year, we found a bumper crop growing in different clumps in the back garden, so it seemed like a great time for a gathering.

wildpansy-1

Many people enjoy them fresh in salads and desserts. You can even buy them crystallized to use as pretty decorations on fancy cakes or sandwich loafs. Although you usually need to go to a specialty store to find them…they tend to be expensive, and since most are done with whipped egg whites and sugar – they aren’t vegan. Why not make your own?

Our bunnies love to eat fresh herbs so I thought I’d give them one each to try. No surprise when neither hesitated for a moment — it was just grab and gobble them down. It’s so easy to simply wash and dry them on a baking sheet for later use.

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Mock Orange: A Study in Dark and Light

In Easy Elegance, In the Garden on July 2, 2015 at 9:18 am

IMAG1447lightmockO

Our mock orange shrub has exploded this year with its fragrant white blossoms. So lovely to see and smell.

It amazes me how a plant can remain dormant or somewhat unnoticed in the garden and then, suddenly when the time is right, thrusts itself into the spotlight. Perhaps it’s an analogy for us all. Mind you, the endless rain we’ve had of late probably made a huge difference, too.

In any case, we’ll enjoy its splendor while it lasts and hope that with proper pruning it will be just as magnificent next year!

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Mother Nature Always Wins

In In the Garden, Our Earthly Paradise on January 16, 2014 at 10:07 am

IMAG0801If you experienced any of the extreme weather last month, you know what I’m talking about when I say Mother Nature always wins.

Here in Toronto, we were hit with an intense ice storm the likes of which we’d never seen before. A forced quiet fell over the city. Planes were grounded, travellers stranded and many residents and businesses went without power for up to a week.

IMAG0803The trees in and around our home took a real beating as the frozen ice literally bent our birch tree in half. Luckily it wasn’t to the breaking point but certainly a sight to behold. Mind you, we’ll have to wait until spring to be sure of the damage. Several neighbours weren’t so lucky and lost trees and shrubs galore.

To be dark and cold around Christmas time was a real eye opener. Some without power complained bitterly, others rose to the challenge and extended helping hands to friends, neighbours and family. The adage — times of crisis bring out the best and worse in people — never rang so true. We lived like our pioneer ancestors for a few days and were simply grateful to have our wood-burning fireplace, loads of candles, and a gas cooktop to get us through it all. On a positive note, it made us stop and think how to better prepare ourselves for the next emergency or power outage. Believe me, I don’t think we’ve seen the last of these situations – we’re just beginning to see the effects of climate change.

IMAG0802While we strive to control this world to our own ends by destroying natural habitat, species and ecosystems, we fail to consider that for every cause there will be an effect. How powerless we are in the face of nature’s amazing backlash: The display of brute force, incredible strength and power truly awe-inspiring. Yet, no beauty is more breathtaking.

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Mind the Weeds…Another (good) Excuse

In In the Garden on September 3, 2013 at 5:17 pm

The back-to-school ritual combined with the Jewish high holidays has my neighbourhood a buzz with activity. It’s crazy busy in the shops and on the roads — thanks in part to the ongoing construction and closure of many side streets where I live. For students and teachers, fall represents the opportunity to start a new year. It’s also a great time for parents and gardeners alike to start new projects as the cooler weather and return to routine provide the perfect conditions.

hornetsnest

Now if only I could just get back to work cleaning up my garden and doing some major transplanting! Our newest garden residents were as busy as bees during one of the heat spells as few weeks back, when we were staying cool indoors, and quickly build a large hornets nest before we knew it. As a result, these uninvited visitors have us tiptoeing around the backyard and generally keeping a low profile.

We looked up our unwanted guests who were easily recognized by their black-and-white colouring and discovered they’re the dreaded Bald-Faced Hornet. They’re called hornets but are actually considered wasps. Whatever their name is you don’t want to get too close, as they’re known to be aggressive if disturbed. After a bit of study, I discovered they don’t have a barbed stinger like bees do and thus can sting you repeatedly – so it’s best to remain on good terms. And certainly no greetings with a stick! Don’t try to kill even one of them. They’ll know and you’ll be sorry.

According to various sources, they will die off come winter but who wants to wait until then to do some yard work? Oh well, I guess my efforts to get down to business have been thwarted once again.

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Fading Glory

In In the Garden on August 30, 2013 at 11:48 am

Where did summer go? With the hot and humid days almost behind us, I can finally get back to our neglected garden. The weeds have taken over and everything is overgrown. Time to get back to the routine and do a big fall sweep.

While the riot of blooms are behind us, we still have the autumn joy and mums to look forward to. In the meantime, we’re enjoying our lush sanctuary amid the loud chorus of cicadas, while dodging random clouds of insects, and watching the live entertainment provided by bird and squirrel antics and the latest garden bunny who dines nightly by the stone birdbath.

yard

This cool yard-o-rama photo, showcases our garden with its amazing effect.