I spent the morning making seed balls as a promo for Sugar Snaps and Strawberries. The plan is to give them out at various events as little vegetal thank yous. Because the book is all about edibles, I used veggie, herb, and edible flower seeds rather than my usual crimson clover/wildflower mix. I chose cool-season […]
Win a Sugar Snaps and Strawberries garden starter kit
It’s January 2011 and my book, Sugar Snaps and Strawberries, is officially out. It’s been available in American bookstores for over a month now so this isn’t exactly breaking news, but copies are just now appearing on Canadian shelves. Combine that with the amazing reviews that are starting to pour in and the fact that […]
Making quince liquor
Vodka + shredded quince = quince liquor. What could be easier? I love growing unusual fruits, herbs and vegetables. The more obscure, the better. Bonus points if someone says, “I’ve never heard of that.” Enter quince. A pome fruit related to the pear and apple, quince has been imbued with some pretty weighty symbolism throughout […]
Happy new year!
Hey there! Happy new year. Hope you had a wonderful, relaxing Christmas holiday (if you celebrate such things), and are ready to take on the world in 2011. Let’s all work to make this year better than the last, shall we? It can’t be hard to do better than 2010! So: happy thoughts, good intentions, […]
VanDusen Festival of Lights
With so many holiday events happening all across Vancouver in these final days before Christmas, it pays to be choosy when deciding which to attend. One event that never fails to deliver is the annual Festival of Lights at VanDusen Botanical Garden. Now in its 26th year, the Festival of Lights is a Vancouver holiday […]
Growing paperwhites
There’s really nothing simpler. 1. Place paperwhite bulbs in jar/vase/pot/bowl. 2. Cover the bottom two-thirds of the bulbs with potting soil, pebbles, or marbles. 3. Add water. 4. Stand back. Most paperwhite-growing advice says the bulbs take about six weeks to mature, but that simply isn’t true. These guys were blooming in two-and-a-half weeks. That […]
Garden tasks: how to turn the compost
One of the best ways to get great compost in a hurry is to turn it regularly. Turning (mixing or aerating) your compost pile adds air to the mix, which speeds up the process of decomposition and prevents your pile from becoming stagnant. It also gives you a chance to assess whether your pile is […]
Now Harvesting: late November
This cabbageworm-chewed bunch of ‘Lacinato’ (Tuscan) kale may very well be the last thing I eat from my garden for months. It’s been incredibly — record-breakingly — cold here in Vancouver, and even my cool-season edibles have succumbed. But not the kale, bless it. Hardy, and delicious to boot. What are you harvesting now?