The ABC’s of the Vegetable Garden: “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…
Reflection for the Fifth Sunday in Lent B
Jeremiah 31: 31-34 (RM) or 1-12 (RCL); Psalm 51; Hebrews 5: 7-9 (RM) or 5-10 (RCL); John 12: 20-33. If you happen to live in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s the…
You say Pot Marigold and I say Calendula officinalis
“Latin is a dead languageThat is plain to see.It killed off the RomansAnd now it’s killing me.”Someone wrote these words in my autograph book when I was in elementary school.…
All In This Together?
“Because all creatures are connected, each must be cherished with love and respect, for all of us as living creatures are dependent on one another.” Pope Francis¹ From the day…
Reflection for the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time / Seventh Sunday after Pentecost
Isaiah 55: 10-11 (RM) or 10-13 (RCL); Psalm 65; Romans 8: 18-23 (RM) or 1-11 (RCL); Matthew 13: 1-23 (RM) or 1-9, 18-23 (RCL). The tiny packets of seed sat…
Working with Personal Limitations as a Gardener
“A 6-pack of those tomatoes is the same price as two of them – that’s a much better deal” my inner voice pleaded. “But I’ve started most of our tomatoes…
Tiny Miracles Part II
In my last post, I wrote about the basic needs for germination of most seeds we gardeners grow. However, as my high school French teacher used to say, “there are…
Tiny Miracles Part I
“For a seed to achieve its greatest expression, it must come completely undone. The shell cracks, its insides come out and everything changes. To someone who doesn't understand growth, it…
Do Plants Multi-task?
It’s February – the time that I, and many gardeners in Canada, are making plans for this year’s growing season. My own saved seeds, stored in envelopes, are inviting me…
Seeds As Time-Travellers
”Seed is not just the source of life. It is the very foundation of our being.” ~Vandana Shiva This month, I’ve been receiving notifications that the 2023 seed catalogues are…