Houseplants that Sweeten the Air

After the holidays is a great time to bring in some new houseplants. For one, the house may look a little bare when the Christmas tree and the other decorations come down. Another great reason for bringing in houseplants in the winter is that certain varieties can do a great job of clearing the air. When the house is tightened down for winter, having houseplants that sweeten the air is a definite plus. In fact, NASA has been doing research on houseplants that might be used to purify air in space. Of course, if you aren’t careful, houseplants can lead … Continue reading →

Bringing the Outdoors In

Ah, the weather outside is rather nice today, but lately it has been the typical December: rain, rain and more rain. That’s all right. I like being indoors this time of the year and I don’t mind going outside in the rain. But when the dark days and rainy season get me down, I like to bring some of the outdoors inside to liven up the space: not the rainy bit, of course. The plants! Pine boughs are lovely and pine needles drape beautifully on a mantelpiece. If you live in a place where you can find cedar, cedar boughs … Continue reading →

Gifts from the Garden- Part 2

Most people love fresh herbs. Why not give a pot of fresh herbs to someone this Christmas? Of course if you can take a piece of an established plants but one that has roots is even better. You might want to give a selection of herbs like mint, parsley, chives, etc. Basil, sage, thyme, tarragon, and rosemary are other herbs you might want to consider including in your gift. Parsley and mint are great herbs. We have both growing. Both are from rooted plants from our previous house. The parsley is right near our back door on the back patio … Continue reading →

Thanksgiving from the Garden

What to do with those leftovers from your garden? Make them into Thanksgiving dinner, of course! Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to use root vegetables that you may have in cold storage. Whether it’s your own garden produce or it’s from a local farm, here are some ideas for those delicious, carbohydrate-rich vegetables. Parsnips are the sweet surprise of the fall and winter season. They actually taste better after the days become frosty, so keep them in your garden until the last possible moment. Mash them up with some winter spices like nutmeg and add some butter to make them … Continue reading →

Bringing in the Scents

I made a very uncharacteristic purchase the other day. Normally, the plants that grow in my garden are of the useful variety. Sure, some of them are also beautiful, but I grow them for food and for fiber and for medicine and for wildlife. I’m not really a gardener who plants for beauty. However, the other day I walked into the garden store with some birthday money. This is usually a bad idea, because it makes my birthday money disappear. I saw a plant. That plant was tall and it had very large flowers. It’s a lily. I bought it. … Continue reading →

Suggestions for the Herb Garden

One of the things no home should be without is the herb garden. I use a lot of herbs when cooking to add flavor. Even the smallest garden can have room for herbs. Even if you live in a unit all you need is a sunny spot and a few decent sized pots. So if you’re thinking of planting herbs here are a few suggestions. Mint Mint adds a lovely fresh taste to salads and is also good when added to a fruit salad or fruit punch or cool drink. Mint is better in pots as planted in the garden … Continue reading →

The Delights of a Fruit-Full Garden

I aspire to be a neighbour who is beloved by the children in our townhouse complex. No, I don’t give out good Halloween candy, and we don’t have any particularly cool toys. Nope, I plan to be the neighbour with the berries. The front yard of our townhouse does not really deserve that moniker. It is a space that is about four metres long and a couple of meters wide. It boasts a lovely miniature maple tree that I can’t bear to get rid of, but the rest of it is covered in berry bushes. Now, I am quite happy … Continue reading →

The Early Spring Vegetable Harvest

The seeds in my fridge are aching to get out and into the ground. In fact, the swiss chard and beets that overwintered in my yard are already growing. It’s been an El Nino winter here on the Northwest coast of North America, and it’s fairly warm. If you’re aching to get into the garden already, what early spring crops can you start to plant in the next couple of months? Fava or broad beans are an excellent cover crop and they make a good early spring crop as well. They will thrive in the cool weather and falter in … Continue reading →

Do You Mulch?

Do you mulch? Ah, the cocktail-party conversations of the gardener. What is mulch? Basically, it’s a layer of rough and useful material that you place on your garden. Mulch can be used to protect the soil, to enrich the soil, and to add air pockets to the soil. A green mulch or a green manure is the name for plants that not only provide winter cover for the garden, they also provide nutrients come spring. Clover, winter rye and legumes are excellent green mulches. Fava beans can be planted in the fall and then turned over into the garden in … Continue reading →

Growing Your Own Vegetables

There’s nothing quite like vegetables from your own garden. They have a freshness and taste that is missing from shop bought vegetables and fruit. Part of our garden is dedicated to growing vegetables and some fruit. It helps the finances as well. The other week Mick bought vegetable plants. He usually grows tomatoes. They have a totally different taste to shop bought tomatoes. Most years our tomatoes are in well before this, but because he was unwell it didn’t happen as early in spring this time so he bought larger plants that he would normally. Beans we grow from seed. … Continue reading →