Seeds of Abundance
The church liturgical year has its seasons. Gardening has its seasons too. February brings the season of seed catalogues and Seedy Saturdays 1. This winter I’ve been reading The Serviceberry:…
From Loss to Renewal: Reimagining our Landscape
Gratitude for What Was On October 15, a row of septuagenarian spruce trees that defined the Eastern edge of our property came down in one day. The serious forest fire…
A Global Citizen of the Amaryllis (Amaryllidaceae) Family
An Essential Ingredient Worldwide If you have an undemanding friend who always comes through for you and adds lots of flavour to your life, then you will understand garlic! Equally…
A Caress of God: The Garden I Call Home
The entire material universe speaks of God’s love, his boundless affection for us. Soil, water, mountains: everything is, as it were, a caress of God.1 There is nothing like the…
The Legume Family: Important Plants for All
For centuries people in geographically diverse parts of the world have been eating legumes. Combined with a grain such as corn, rice or wheat, legumes provide a complete protein that…
Gardening ABCs: C is for Cucurbitaceae: Part 2
Challenges for the Gardener For some regions, insect pests such as the spotted cucumber beetle, striped cucumber beetle, squash bug, and squash vine borer are major problems, both in the…
Gardening ABCs: C is for Cucurbitaceae: Part 1
“Knowing that you love the earth changes you, activates you to defend and protect and celebrate. But when you feel that the earth loves you in return, that feeling transforms…
Gardening ABCs: B is for Brassicaceae Part 2
The Brassicas are “cool season” vegetables. Like lettuce, they grow best and taste best before or after the hottest part of our summer. Wait until after the first light frost…
Gardening ABCs: B is for Brassicaceae Part 1
Introducing the Brassicas This family has many names: Brassicaceae, Cruciferae, cabbage or cole family. I was intrigued to learn that the name Cruciferae is used because flowers of these plants…
Gardening ABCs: “A” is for Asteraceae
Did you know that the Asteraceae (a.k.a. the Aster or Daisy) family includes one of our most popular vegetables, lettuce? And this is the perfect time of year to start…