Early Frost and Harvesting my Herbs

 It's that time of year. The time when an early frost promises to decimate your garden. I should have harvested my herbs earlier but here I am holding out to the bitter end.

What would you do with these herbs? I have curly parsley, oregano, rosemary, sage and thyme. The parsley will make a tabouli. What else!

I think I will make a grape and rosemary focaccia. Rosemary would be great dried so if I have any left over I'll dry it.

The thyme will also be great dried. I think I'll hang it to dry and save for winter roasts.

But what about the oregano and sage? I could dry the sage but the oregano isn't that highly flavoured. I could freeze it. What could I make with my fresh oregano and sage? Ideas welcomed.

These trimmings will go into my freezer bag for making stocks.

Spring's New Growth

My chokecherry tree has buds against the clear blue sky.

My yucca seems not to have even gone into hibernation!  It is ready to go!

Tulips are awakening.

This is my ornamental crabapple tree.

Chives.

Strawberries.

Mesclun greens poking through the earth soon to be ready.

Sprouts in a Jar

While I was shopping for seeds for the garden, I came across a few seeds for sprouting.  My favourite is alfalfa but I had to settle for broccoli and some mustard seeds.  I started with the broccoli and it took about 5 - 6 days.  Many of the seeds didn't sprout.  I have no idea if that is normal but it made for an expensive bit of sprouts.  It made about a pint and cost about $2.50.

Simply cut a piece of cheesecloth to fit the top of a jar and use the metal ring to hold it in place.  Rinse the seeds twice a day until they are the size you want.

Drain all the water and leave the jar upside down, slightly atilt so any residual water can drain.

Ladybug Crazy

Ladybugs always make me think of Dorothy.  We worked together for a few years and I was always so awed by the fact that she was a Master Gardener.... something I will never be.  Whether this is truth or lore, I remember one year she bought a thousand ladybugs to introduce to her garden.  Well, they had other plans and moved on!  I can only imagine how a Master Gardener would feel when her ladybugs chose a new home.

I have never seen so many ladybugs...ever!  Hundreds examining all the blades of grass in my back  yard.  I dried my bed linens on the line and the ladies came in with my sheets!  They are everywhere.  I love them.

My Garden June 2011

Thank heaven I created a couple of draft postings.  I have no computer!  It is down and not sure if and when I will have it back!  These are some pictures of my garden.  The spring has not been great and everything is a little behind.

Also, I will be at the Farmer's Market tomorrow.  My two gluten-free desserts are individual chocolate pavlova meringues and an Ancho Chile Flourless Chocolate Cake.  I will have more of the multi-grain rustic bread, Cape Breton style oatcakes and more.  I will also be introducing some dips.  I will have a yogurt based feta dip, Lebanese muhamarra dip (roasted red peppers) and a chipotle lime dip (sour cream base).  They are all yummy.

Spring....Finally!

The weather is finally changing!  I have been raking my lawn and removing all the straw mulch from my beds.  The strawberries are doing great!

 Chives and French tarragon are coming back!

I have made my brick planter into a cold frame and have planted more herbs, lettuces, and nasturtium.  I put the seeds in the ground a week ago and look, they are peeping through the soil.

Checkup on the Gardens

I have not seen many posts with updates on the gardens!  I would love to check in and see how it is going.

As for me, I have a first year garden so nothing is spectacular.  I have some strawberries.

I am growing borage and hope it blooms soon!  I hear that borage flowers are wonderful in ice cubes.

My roma tomatoes are doing quite well.  There are probably not enough for my glutinous wants but should give me some nice fried green tomatoes.

The nasturtiums are like a burning fire.  They are amazing producers.

My sage is just okay.















And this is what cilantro looks like when it has gone to seed!  Still pretty enough to keep.

Oh, Sweet Pea, Won't You Be My Girl

Sweet Pea          by  Tommy Roe

Oh, Sweet Pea
Come on and dance with me
Come on, come on, come on and dance with me
Oh, Sweet Pea
Won't you be my girl
Won't you, won't you, won't you be my girl

I went to a dance just the other night
I saw a girl there she was out of sight
I asked a friend of mine who she could be
He said that her friends just call her Sweet Pea

Oh, Sweet Pea
Come on and dance with me
Come on, come on, come on and dance with me
Oh, Sweet Pea
Won't you be my girl
Won't you, won't you, won't you be my girl

I was a teenager when this song was a hit.  I have sweet peas in my garden for the first time in many, many years.  I just love them!  They brought this song to mind.  Click here to listen to it.

Catching up on Life

Oh, did I tell you that I got a job?  Yes, moi, the ultimate entrepreneur now has a regular nine to five.  I'll be packing my lunch, walking to work and sitting in the sun during my breaks.  Today is my first day.  I am in the office at Re/Max.  I know, I wanted to get away from real estate but it seems to be what I know best.  Some value in knowing that, I guess!  But no more 12 hour days, 7 days a week, no life.  I now have a regular paycheque albeit it is small!

I can feel that life is slowing down.  There is hope that I can fit my life into one bankers box for the year.  But that is yet to be proven.  It is only May after all.  Okay, two boxes.  Even that is amazing.





I have been saving a picture of Miss Sugar for such a long time and thought perhaps I should finally just make a post for her and for my fledgling garden plants.

Miss Sugar is very happy in her new home.  But we did take a trip to the city last week and I could tell, she was excited to get in the car again!  Have I created a monster!  Not really, she is just happy not to be left behind.

These are my shallots.  I planted more so I should be set for the summer.

These are not weeds, honest!  I didn't label anything so they might be carrots, beets, spinach?  But they are everywhere!  Should be fun soon.

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary

Mary Mary quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockle shells

And pretty maids all in a row.

Although the origin of this nursery rhyme has nothing to do with gardening, but rather thought to perhaps describe the reign of Bloody Mary Queen of Scots, Henry VIII's daughter or to chide the heirless Queen Mary of England.  It was the same Mary, by the way!

It has a nice lilt and when I was a child I was certainly not thinking about any queen when I rhymed it.

I am planning my first garden in eons.  As gardens should, it will evolve over the years and this is only year one.  I have a planter beside the patio and I plan to make that my kitchen garden.  It will be filled with aromatic lavender, rosemary, thyme and sage.  I will have edible nasturtiums and some feathery corianders and parsleys.

Hopefully I can find a sunny spot for some sunflowers and sweet peas.  Geraniums are a must and they will probably grace my front steps. I have the perfect spot for Scarlet Runner Beans.  I have spinach, lettuce and beet seeds.  And, not to forget, I have shallot sets.
  

I think that is enough for year one.  The climate is great but I will be watering.  As I write this I am listening to winter storm warnings.  

Ya gotta love Canada!  That is why we have a hard and fast rule for most of the country that we don't plant tender things until the May long weekend.   The Victoria Day weekend holiday is also celebrated after a queen.  Queen Victoria was a much more loved monarch than Queen Mary.

Are you planting anything new this year?  Is anyone in Zone 3?  I would love suggestions because I am also in a Zone 3 area.

Isn't Gardening Amazing!

I have been a city dweller far too long.  This tiny little garden never fails to amaze me.  It is a rainy day and during the last lull in the downpour, I checked the garden for more ripe chilies to pick.  There were only 3 but I found this large green pepper.  I don’t know how I missed it.  The plant is laden with about 8 baby peppers and then there was this big one.

I thought it would make a nice stuffed pepper for supper tonight.  Add a little fresh oregano and thyme, hot chili with wild rice and long grain white rice and some of the wonderful baked ham chopped.  Voilà.