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We are only a week away from June, but here I am, just now posting about May. What a lovely and busy month it has been! Remember my little light string garden border inspiration photo? With the little shepherd's hooks? Here is my version of it... I used my trusty, rusty spirals instead of spending moolah on the hooks as I have already these and I love them. Plus, I am going to grow peas, beans, squash, and cucumbers up them. More food growing opportunities and it will fill in behind the patio set at the same time. I strung the lights down low as I am using them to keep the dogs out of the bed. As the dahlias and garlic grows to fill up the space, I will raise the lights higher up the spirals. They look really cute at night, too... though I am usually headed to bed by the time they light up ;) It has been a super busy month, more so with prep for the gardening season than anything else. This is what we've been working on this month, with a blurb about what I have yet to do at the end. Must get seeds and plants in the ground before summer solstice so that veggies have time to mature before summer is over, and flowers have time to bloom!!! We filled the beds with loads and loads of compost with just a couple of inches of bagged topsoil on top. I have no idea how things will grow this year as the compost may just be too rich. However, we gardeners, we live on hope. So, I plant and I hope that all will thrive and be the best ever. Our beds are built using the hügelkultur concept... the bottom half is full of straw, branches, twigs, garden clippings, and any other type of organic matter that we could put in it to help fill the really tall beds. As this matter breaks down, it uses nitrogen, so can deplete the bed in the first year while this breakdown happens. However, we have a foot of compost on top of the matter, so it should make zero difference to the nitrogen getting to the plants. We built these two beds, filled them with the compost and black soil mix, planted both beds with potatoes, some alyssum for attracting beneficial insects, and a few brussels at the end of the bed, raked out some mulch around them to keep down the mud and tidy things up... BOOM, this corner was done in just one afternoon. And yes, those are indeed doggie foot prints in the bed. Sigh. Hurry up and grow spuds, fill up that bed! One bed has Norland in it, that is my favourite potato of all. Is red skinned, so tasty, versatile. The other bed has a new to me variety called Jazzy, a thin white skinned, fingerling type... but is early, whereas fingerlings are usually lates. Things that make you say 'hmm'. The next day, hubby built this long, skinny bed in the south facing side-yard. It is 2'x24' and will be a cutting flower garden, at least this year. Next year, it may be spuds or something else. The bed has been direct sown with zinnias and cosmos, a whole lotta lot of seeds! We then got a wicked storm a couple of days after, so who knows where the seeds were washed to. They may all come up in one corner ... or not at all. (more doggie footie prints) I will pick up some 'fencing' from the dollar store to keep those doggie footie prints from reoccurring! I am kind of hoping to make it look somewhat like my last cutting garden... maybe I should call the new one 'Cutting Garden 2.0'? Hah! This bed was 3 feet wide and 40 feet long. Hubby also got the tomato arbour built. It has a roof on it for hail, as that is apparently an Alberta summer thing and I would hate for my tomatoes and cukes to get shredded! Now, I know, I know, this is not a pretty picture. Sorry, there is much yet to do here. I will rake out that compost, hang strings for the tomatoes and cucumbers to grow up, plant the tomato seedlings, direct sow the cucumber seeds, and then mulch up the bed with either straw or woodchips. I have been working on other things and waiting with this tomato bed because when you come to the prairies, every gardener will tell you to wait till June for planting out warm weather plants, regardless of what happens during the rest of the month. It could be baking hot, like this year, for the entire month of May but you still should wait, as apparently the May long weekend has a reputation for being the harbinger of rain, snow, hail, frost, or some other sort of inclement weather. In this case, it was true yet again. Luckily I waited as we did, indeed, get hail and torrential rain, though only for about 20 minutes. This is why we built the roof on the pergola! Planting has now begun in earnest and will continue for the next couple of weeks. Planters are potted up and looking good. The hanging baskets have been built, are just sitting and settling for a bit till they get hung up. I am using my beautiful Victorian wrought iron baskets with coco or burlap lining. Greenhouse is planted up with tomatoes, marigolds, basil, cucumbers, and mini-love watermelons. They are doing superbly well, almost growing right before my very eyes! Veggies in the ground - potatoes, onions, brussels, peas, beans. Yet to be planted/sown are beets, carrots, pickling cukes, squash, zukes, pumpkins Flowers in the ground - zinnias, cosmos, dahlias, sweet peas. Yet to be planted in the veggie beds - nasturtiums, marigolds, alyssum, calendula and need to sow a few sunflowers somewhere in the garden.... Had I had these beds built a wee bit earlier, there would be broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage in here, too. I may try sowing some now, just a few as a trial, but will start some seedlings in late June, plant in August, and hope for a nice long fall for harvest. I hope you all got your brassicas in nice and early, you might well be harvesting some very soon. I have nothing fresh to eat yet, besides a bit of lettuce, hahaha! But next year will be different. Next year the infrastructure will all be there, plus a greenhouse to start the seeds in. The main thing is food to eat and food in the pantry though so we are well on track. I have picked up some part shade plants for my west facing planter in the front yard. They will only get about 5 hours of sunshine a day, really hot during that time, though, and the plants must be deer proof. Hah! This will be my first attempt, let's see how I do. I am using this drawing as my inspiration. Bright colour and lots of trailers though mine will be purple rather than red. I have the prettiest salvias for some height! Will let you know how I make out... and how long the flowers last. If I can get the recipe right (aka deer proof), I will make two boxes to flank the front doorway, as well. Lots of fun things on the go. Loving every minute of it! Sowing, growing, planting, planning, this is what I wait for each long winter. Will fill you in on how things went in a few weeks time. Happy Gardening, My Garden Friends ~ Tanja

You guys are going to really enjoy this week's Bits post. I have so many really great gardening links for you to check out! How to grow cosmos... super simple and so impressive. They say that they can get to look weedy but I have never found that to be true , I love their carefree cottagey vibe. I have sown a whole bunch of zinnias and cosmos in my new cutting flower garden bed. I got them in the garden the day before our big rain/hail storm, so will see where these seeds germinate. Am kind of afraid they will all have been washed into the sides or corners. Look at all the herb garden ideas in this post! I especially love this idea, with all the nice rows! This would be perfect for someone wanting to grow and sell herb bundles. Add one row of lavender, too! Grow herbs in hot, sunny areas, gravel around them is perfect. Remember that most herbs are Mediterranean, so they like heat, sunshine, and thrive in rock gardens or sandier soil. If you are a gardener and are on insta, check out this amazing yard. You will love it! I look at it about once a day, lol, and am planning a little flowering garden fence just like it someplace in my backyard. I don't know where yet, but it is happening! Magda & Rafał (@ranczo.od.nowa) • Instagram photos and videos It appears flea beetle issues are big this spring. You can use row covers, sprays, etc... but I highly recommend that you attract beneficial parasitoids to your garden, they will take care of the flea beetles, but also caterpillars, aphids, white flies, and leaf hoppers! One of the best flowers for attracting these good guys to your garden, is sweet alyssum. The 6 packs are inexpensive, are already in bloom now so will attract them right away, gives you lots of plants that both look and smell good. To attract more of the good guys to your garden, plant them in rows or blocks in your garden to attract the good bugs, rather than in singles dotted here and there. Tip* - in those 6 packs, there are usually 2 plants per pod, so to double up your plants, gently tease the plants apart for double the goodness! Growing a pollinator strip garden! If you have an acreage or larger yard, this would look amazing. I am going to fit it into my yard somehow, in addition to my cutting flower bed, which is also great for the pollinators. A planting plan for a 3'x20' bed is included, which looks super lovely in blues, whites, and pinks. I will try starting some from seed this summer and planting them this fall, see how that goes, and maybe blend with some annuals next spring till the perennials fill in. In fact, if you check out that insta account I mentioned above, I am going to make my strip garden a whole lot like the one in her video! I am obsessed with that strip garden, and as feeding and attracting pollinators and beneficials is super important to me, this plan will make my garden happy, healthy, and pretty, to boot. In just a week or two, I will be sowing my pumpkin and squash seeds directly into the garden. You can also start them indoors right now to plant out in 3 or 4 weeks time. Here are some tips on how to grow squash. These are great tips for everyone, not just new gardeners. Check out #10. It is golden advice. If you take nothing else from this article, remember number ten! 10 Beginner Garden Tips That Avoid Bloopers (Great & Small) (empressofdirt.net) These ideas for small gardens, from the UK. I love all the little ideas that one can get from other people's gardens. I 'steal' little bitty ideas all the time that I think will enhance my garden, or just give it character. My favourite shots from this montage, are #6, 11, 20, and 33. Oh, this one is so interesting that I read the whole thing from start to finish. If I am only somewhat interested in the topic, I generally skim through the articles, looking for bits of information that pertain to me. This one does not pertain to me, I do not live in an HOA, I do not have those kinds of rules here, but it is super interesting and renews my faith that change is coming, change is possible. You all need to read about how this couple fought the HOA about their organic, environmentally friendly garden, and WON. Time to get rid of the notion that expanses of nothing but turf are pretty, or desirable. Don't get me wrong, I like grass; it is nice underfoot, it makes the backdrop flowers and gardens, look great, but lawns... not so much. Design & Whatnot Bits This post about decorating with houseplants gives you some really nice ideas but also tells you how to take good care of your plants so that they thrive. This mudroom, you guys! It is stunning! The stuff of dreams. Greek Revival Farmhouse Mudroom - Before & After - COCOCOZY Would you love a Parisian holiday but it's not in the cards? This French Country Bucket list is full of ideas to give you that oolalah feeling! Here is a sweet Victorian cottage and garden that I would happily move into right this minute. Has a cute little greenhouse for me already, too. Three different apron front sinks with lovely gold faucets. Very English cottage-y. Love it. Baking Bits (you just know I wanted to call in bacon bits...) It is Memorial Day weekend in the States, so I found this recipe for Fireworks Blondies. I am thinking that Canada Day is right around the corner, wonder if we can find some red and white Smarties to make these next month? I have pinned the recipe to make anyways, as they look delish! Think my grandies will love these, no matter what colour the Smarties may be. Have a lovely Sunday and a great week ahead ~ Tanja

Wow! Can you believe it has been 30 weeks of sharing all these lovely Bits with you already? Time certainly has flown by, and here we are, right in the thick of things in gardening season. We have had more days of hazy smoke filled air than without this week, so my outdoor time has been limited. That said, I am grateful to be in an area with no active fires and am praying for rain! Like, we need a couple days of good downpour kind of rains! Time for a rain dance! I am loving this new corner of ours, looking forward to watching it fill in. There are many plants in there.. you just cannot see them yet ; ) Mulch really makes the biggest difference, doesn't it? Keeps the dogs from tracking in mud, cleans things up, makes everything look tidy and pulled together. I had my little grandies over the other day, helping me in plant up all 12 flower pots on the patio. My wee granddaughter helped with the slow release fertiliser and flower planting, while grandson watered the pots for us. The plants, and Nan, are going to need a few days to recover from all that 'help'. Gardening Bits This article about green garlic...what it is and how to use it. If you planted garlic in the fall, you have green garlic in your garden right now that you can harvest, if you want, as long as you planted lots and are willing to forgo a few bulbs later on. If you planted your garlic in spring, you will have green garlic to harvest by late summer. It will not break into cloves as it did not go through the winter freeze but green garlic is super yummy in everything, too! Use anywhere you would use garlic, onions, or leeks. Growing green beans tips! I love to grow pole beans rather than bush beans, though the yellow wax bush beans are amazing, so tender. Pole beans take up way less room in the garden though, going up means more ground space for other things! I am growing Kentucky Wonder again this year, is one of my favourites! Bringing your begonias, verbena, or geraniums indoors for summer? What a great idea. I am so going to do this! Using Summer Annuals And Perrenials To Decorate Indoors - StoneGable (stonegableblog.com) This dreamy dahlia garden! Scroll down to check out their amazing greenhouse/garden room! Garden Dccor Bits I saw this post the other day, about staining the deck a nice driftwood colour. It is so pretty. Check it out to see what she did, what she used, and how great it looks. Our deck will be getting a good scrub and a coat of whatever stain is on it right now (that the former owners left downstairs)! No changes for us, at least not this year. If I were to change it though, I would love this colour! To follow that up, here is her patio all set up and how to repel mosquitos. You need to check it out, if only to see how pretty that deck is. Do you love the look of outdoor string lights? I am in love with them. I found this article about hanging lights in all sorts of situations and how to do it. It is a great article... but I will admit, I still am not sure how I am going to set mine up. Over the patio and table? around the perimeter of the patio? around the perimeter of the yard, back and forth over the patio? Do you have string lights? What did you do? How to make your colourful ceramic pots look like terracotta! I really like this pot diy! There are many ways to pretty up your pots, but this one for us terracotta lovers is a really good one. Flower Pot Upcycle Project - Thistle Key Lane As I write this, I am still planning what treats to make for the neighbourhood coffee klatch that I am hosting this week. I have house cleaners coming the day before to help me get rid of all the construction dust that just seems to keep coming, plus the dog hair and drool off the walls so today is cleaning day to get ready for the cleaning lady, hahaha! Anyway, I have some baking to do and this lovely post with 15 yummy cookie recipes came along, so now I am trying to pare it down to just a couple of favourites ; ) By the way, the coffee klatch was great. I ended up making two kinds of cookies, some of these super yummy (vegan) strawberry cupcakes (they were a big hit!) and the blueberry coffee cake from my Food For Thought section. I made the cake with a bit less sugar than it called for, this time, and added the glaze. Boy, was it ever yummy! Loved the cupcakes, too, but trying to figure out how to make a not so sweet frosting for it. Anyone have ideas on how to make it thick and yummy but not sugar laden? I was thinking maybe just using whipped cream, though not real cream, of course. Oh, and I did not use the food colouring either, I do not care if my cupcakes are brown rather than red, as long as they taste good, and they sure did! This rhubarb compote sounds amazing! I have never added cinnamon or citrus to mine! I think it is time to try something new. My rhubarb is still under the garbage can but we will be harvesting the stalks in two weeks time, to make all sorts of rhubarb goodies - pie and this compote are on the must-make list. Do you all love panzanella? Bread salad? It is one of my all time favourite summer meals. Here is a spring themed panzanella that I need to try! Perfect way to use that lovely loaf of artisan bread and fresh asparagus from the garden, or market. Decorating Stuff Styling With Lamps. This article shows the difference that putting the right things with your artwork will do for the room. I know it is about the lamps but I loved it for the flowers and the Finnish Iitalla candlesticks, hah! Check it out and see whether you prefer the tall gold ones or the green chunkier ones. Painting your front door, colours that are not black! Is funny because I currently have a black door at this new house. I like it, it goes so nicely with the colours of the house... but as the doorway is set in, it also makes it dark and cave like, just blends in. I do not like to blend in, I kinda want to make a statement. It will be painted some version of blue, but I think a lighter one this time. The first time I painted a door, the house was a sage green colour so I went with an almost black colour of blue, like slate blue. The next time we painted a door, the house was white with grey trim so I went with a dark grey blue, I think it was BM's Blue Heron. I seem to like the smoky blues and even now am drawn to them. However, this time I am going brighter as I think the darker blues are no different than black in this case! Eek! Something like the SW's Mountain Stream in (above) this article. What do you think? Too blue? My sweet neighbour gave me this lovely basket of calibrachoa as a house warming gift! Such a sweetie. I have no place to hang this basket though, so I took off the handle and plunked it into my strawberry pot. It is perfect! great fit and gives purpose to my this pot that I never plant up but use as garden art. Now it really pops :) You all need to check out these petunias! This is Crazytunia Cosmic Purple! Look at the size of those gorgeous blooms. Cannot wait to see how it fills out in this basket. Hope you are all having a really lovely long weekend. Doing the things you love, with the people you love. Happy gardening ~ Tanja

Happy Mother's Day, sweet friends! The 'kids' are coming over today for lupper (lunch/supper) and a lovely visit. Nothing better for a Nan than watching the littles happily playing in the yard. Till then, hubby and I will be working and working! May is such a busy month in the garden, lots to do, not a moment to waste... and I love every minute of it! I'm still working on my planters and baskets but got my two potato beds planted up the other day. They are in very low beds, which brought up the conversation about how deep you really need to go with your spuds? Here is a good article with ideas and options. I want to go with straw as it is cleaner and easier, but it tends to put my allergies into overdrive so think I will just hill them up with a bag or two of garden loam/black earth instead... though still considering the straw ; ) These two new low beds are right beside a big spruce tree and a tall aspen so roots will invade the beds within a couple of years. I will use them for growing food this year, and then will decide next year if I have one more year of edibles or whether to switch to something perennial instead. Within the next couple of years, they will be planted up with either asparagus and fruiting shrubs, or with roses and other small shrubs. It's just a fact of life, those feeder roots are going to find the beds asap as that is where the water and nutrients are. Check out this pretty and practical garden planting! Planting this year's garden — The Grit and Polish How to grow sunflowers, and all sorts of information about our favourite bee feeding flowers. These no-sew cafe curtains are perfect. Think I will make some for my en suite as it has a smallish window that faces right on to the busy road... a bit of privacy is prudent and this would be a chic and easy answer. Check out all these cute nooks! This is my nook in the picture above. It has to stay tight as the 220lb dog has to do a tight turn there to go out to the backyard : ) Do you want to beef up your window trim to make them look amazing, with no fancy miter cuts? Check this out! My favourite show to watch right now? For The Love of Kitchens on Magnolia. It is about Devol Kitchens, a bespoke English kitchen company. I just adore them! The kitchens kind of look vintage mixed with a bit of farm or industrial style. Absolutely amazing kitchens. They have an insta account, too, see that here. Love this Swedish apartment so much but most importantly? I want a shelf like the ones in the kitchen! Would love to put one above my sink to hold geraniums and maybe spider plants. Wow, all these great ideas for storage and decor... says it is for kid's rooms, but I's day these are ideas are great anywhere! I implemented a couple of the ideas right away! I gotta say, that fandolier idea is the bestest of all! We have one in the sitting room but ours is U.G.L.Y! I kid you not. It looks nothing like what it did in the advert so we are still deciding whether to spend $another 250 on a new one, or leave the ugly one in place. Tips for getting a healthy night's sleep. Not sure about the laundry one but I can see that it would bring calm and peace. I hate doing laundry, btw! I wash and dry but folding and putting away is about as far from soothing as you can get. Fruit infused water ideas and recipes. Fruit Infused Water Recipe in Mason Jars - On Sutton Place Pecan sticky buns? Yes, please! pecan sticky buns – smitten kitchen I'm not big on boxed desserts but this cobbler made with a yellow box cake and strawberries looks both easy to make and yummy! What do you all think of grazing boards? I love charcuterie boards but not sure about these great big grazing boards. Check out these 35 amazing looking boards! and tell me what you think of this idea. Maybe it's just me? Hope you all have a wonderful day ~ Tanja

Our wonderful little spring heat wave is over but we got a fair amount of yardwork accomplished. Today was going to be my day to pot up the flower pots but is cool and windy, so will be a putter in the craft room day instead. So many things I am working on right now! Kind of exciting to not have to think about going outside. We got a big delivery of 8 yards of compost the other day and filled our beds up to the brim. The compost will settle as we have so much organic matter like straw and leaves in there, will not take long for them to start 'sinking'. The compost seems to be quite lovely. We found bits of plastic and fruit label stickers, so figure it must come from the local green bin program. I cannot find any reviews but it looks and feels nice... time will tell, and then I will tell you all ; ) So, here then is our next dilemma. What will grow in these beds this first year? Compost is a soil conditioner, it feeds the soil, but is too rich to plant straight into. We wanted half compost and half garden soil but that is two deliveries and therefore, too much moolah. We have invested a lot into making good soil and improving the soil in the yard, which will pay off next year and in the years to come... but perhaps less so this year. We purchased 50 bags of black earth from the local Home Hardware store and will place that on top of the compost so that we have something to plant into. I will make trenches and put a deeper amount of the black soil in them so that the roots of my seedlings have about 4 inches of soil before they hit the compost, and lightly layer the rest over the bed. What can we grow in it this year, then? Heavy feeders and brassicas, but probably will not have much luck with root crops like carrots and beets (though I am going to try- hah). Looks like a year for lots of squash, winter and summer, plus cabbage, brussels, cauliflower, and broccoli. They say tomatoes and peppers, too, so may pop a few in there and see how they do. It's all good, I knew this year was going to be all about doing things differently till we get things the way we want them. As long as I am growing food, I am happy. Plus, the compost will keep moisture in longer so less watering - that's a big win. I will let you all know how things are going/growing. Want to read about how we built the beds and our thoughts about them? See that post here... Building & Filling the New Raised Beds (themarigoldgc.com) Here is an article about growing in compost that is a pretty good read, in case anyone else is in the same boat as I am. Can You Use Compost As Soil (Planting Directly Into Compost) (helpmecompost.com) Here then, are this week's finds. Interesting bits that I enjoyed checking out. I may have shared this greenhouse and garden with you last year... I have it pinned and look at it often, it is in my 'goals' to make my backyard look something like this. Of course, the Swedish climate is more temperate, closer to the island weather than prairie weather so things grow faster there and there is more variety one can grow. However, we can have pretty things here, too! I will tweak and keep this 'template' in my head ; ) This is such a great gift for a gardening mom and I love the presentation, too - "Grow a Tomato Sauce Garden" Gift Basket - Satori Design for Living. I'd be so happy to get this! This article gives good information that is the basis to a healthy organic garden. No fancy talk, just facts. Here is what he says about feeding pollinators... Stu says the flowers considered the most beautiful are not natural at all because they have been bred to have an abnormal number of petals. The cost of this is they have fewer stamens, which contain pollen. So we find the plants more attractive, but the pollinators don’t find the nectar they need to survive. “Avoid those ones that are most pretty,” Stu says. “Go for the ones that don’t have all those extra petals.” Truth! You can add simple flowers to feed the pollinators, combine them with the fancier ones in your pots, gardens, and planters (if you want), for the best of both worlds for you and the bees. HERE are my favourite potager flowers to use for the pollinators and beneficial insects. Now that it is gardening season and the greenhouses are open with all those lovely annuals, these planter ideas are so good! I love using Cannas either on their own, or as the thriller in a big planter. In my zone 7 garden, I just cut them down in fall and popped them into the unheated hoophouse. In my new zone 3 home, I will be saving it in the cold room in the winter, just as I would/will do with dahlias. This beautiful greenhouse and cottage garden is simple and carefree, so very lovely. Love these pretty yards that are left to be just a wee bit wild and carefree. They just feel friendlier than yards that are super manicured. I would love to linger here. Creating a cottage garden! More lovely and simple ideas here for creating your carefree garden. Creating a cottage garden - June - Lobster and Swan I love This kitchen with all the brass accents - simple, white, clean, gorgeous. 3 different doughs and recipes to go with them. Bread Types: Understanding the Difference Between Common Doughs (attainable-sustainable.net) These fantastic rhubarb recipes. My rhubarb is currently under a garbage can, will be ready for harvest at the end of the month! Strawberry rhubarb pie for the grandbabies' bday party! I am so hooked on the pickled onions since I made that wedge salad I shared with you all the other week! I then saw this recipe for pickled radishes, with onions, that looked amazing, so I had to make that, as well. Here is the recipe that I got the idea from... of course, I tweaked all the ingredients and quantities, did my own thing, so the only thing the same is the original idea. Those are my great finds for this week. Pretty great, eh? Love having a snoop in people's gardens, even if it happens to be on the world wide web. Love getting new ideas for growing, eating, crafting, making... and love sharing these finds with you all. Have a fantastic Sunday ~ Tanja

Happy Sunday, my friends! We have a beautiful sunny day here but super windy! The garlic has started poking it's way through the soil (yay! So stoked), crocuses are popping up, daylilies and other bulbs are starting to flourish. I have a day of planting, sanding and painting dining room chairs, and planting my strawberry starts that I just got in from the local 4H Club. Love to support local groups and shops, but most especially kids learning about leadership, animal husbandry, and growing. I've been making hanging baskets and potting up plants so finally decided to set up a little potting area close to the greenhouse... closer to the plants and soil. Today is potting up into bigger pots, making more hanging baskets, and sowing seeds for starter plants. In the bin, I have my 'secret' potting mix that I use for all things in pots and planters. Not really a secret, hah! as I readily share the magic ratio that works so well for everything from citrus fruits to flowering pots and planters - 5 parts good quality potting soil (Sunshine or ProMix) to 2 parts manure or compost. I am so looking forward to getting my food crops going. Have hardly any of the cool season veggies growing yet as the beds are not ready. Hubby will be home in a couple of day so we will get in a big load of compost to fill the raised beds and top up the gardens in the yard that are really heavy clay.... and then, let the gardening begin! I will pop the cool season crops in right away and hope that they have time to do their thing before the temps get too hot. Next year will be easier as I will have the beds ready to go in spring. All in good time : ) If you have your beds ready, pop in those brassica seedlings, radishes, lettuces, spinach starts, and peas! Container peas are perfect for growing on the edges of your beds so they trail over the sides. I was looking for tips on how to make fast compost in my new dualie bin and came upon this really fantastic site. Like this post Brown To Green Compost Ratio (The Easiest Guide Ever!) (helpmecompost.com) to get the ratios right. It makes all the difference in how fast your compost cooks down! That led me into reading some of the other info, too. You would not believe all the great info on this site. Here are just some of the ones that caught my eye.. How To Side Dress Compost (The Right Way!) (helpmecompost.com) Brown Composting Materials (Everything you Need to Know) (helpmecompost.com) Composting Wood Chips (Quick & Easy!) (helpmecompost.com) What Plants Don’t Like Horse Manure? (Mucky Business!) (helpmecompost.com) Are you making new garden beds this year for either flowers or edibles? Here is a good article about how to make new beds. I will be using method #1 to make two new low raised beds. Not even sure you can really call them raised beds as the boards/sides will be just 6 inches high and the soil level will be just a couple of inches higher than the ground level. You may be wondering why I am even adding the boards, eh? 1. The side boards will define where the bed is for both people but mostly for the dogs. I am hoping they will be less apt to prance in the beds (or poop in them) if they are defined. 2. The organic matter we put in the beds, will stay put, rather than working it's way into the lawn. 3. It will also contain the plants, whether flowers or potatoes, make it easier to sow and maintain the bed. These new beds will be long narrow ones in the side yards... the sunny side for potatoes and zinnias, the shady side for lettuces and greens. Hoping for fresh lettuces in summer! Here is kinda tongue in cheek read... Are you tired of spending money on a garden that never lives up to your expectations? Have you thought of quiet quitting your garden? Read this article about someone who wants to do just that... and what she is going to do instead. Holy doodle, you guys. Check out these superb container ideas! The Ultimate Guide To Easy Container Gardening - StoneGable (stonegableblog.com) This potting table idea is so pretty! How to grow potatoes in containers! Growing Potatoes in Containers | Almanac.com These hardy old fashioned flowers that will make your garden look amazing and have you reminiscing about your grandma's garden. Other Bits of interest this week... that have nothing to do with gardening... This cleaning schedule looks practical and best of all, do-able. Trying to figure out how to print it all out for myself ; ) Have you always wanted a coffee bar (like me) but have no place to put one? This post shows you how to make a lovely one on your counter. We are tight on space in our oddly shaped kitchen-sitting area, so until we make some changes to the bookshelf wall, there is absolutely no place for any kind of bar. I have already adopted some of these ideas in the new kitchen. This book is so me... farmhouse, maybe even a bit rustic, but realistic. There is stuff in the pictures. Stuff on kitchen counters, stuff in the rooms. No sterile counters and tables in this one. This makes me so happy, as I have stuff! I like stuff. I may even love having stuff around me. I used to listen to my friend Robyn's podcast at The Minimalist Home and think, omg, I am a maximalist! I actually had no idea till then. I love Robyn's tips and tricks, plus that podcast nevertheless. Brings me joy and even got me motivated to clean my linen closet. Ideas for how to save money on groceries now that prices have sky-rocketed. This scone recipe. I have a thing for scones. My hubby's best friend makes the most amazing scones in the whole world so whenever I see a scone recipe, I think of him... and wish I was on the island going for coffee in Errington ; ) Healthy meal prep for lazy cooks. Okay, that is not what she calls it, that is what I call myself. I am a veggie but hate all that chopping and prepping. This is a great recipe that I will actually do and looks so yummy. One last gardening bit... it's a good one! Oh, I almost forgot this bestest idea! For those of you who want to grow more food in a small space, French Bio-Intensive Gardening is for you. If you do not want to watch the whole video, just go to the 12:00 minute mark for the planting information! If you are not doing this already, it will blow your mind how much more food you can fit into your beds. While trapped at home during the pandemic, not even wanting to go to the shops, I learned how to think outside the box... at least when it comes to gift giving. I know people have been doing it forever but it took a pandemic for me to get there. I have done this so many times now, it is becoming tradition. If you do not have a big enough bag for your gift, just cut out the side panels of the bag, wrap the gift itself in newsprint and pop into the middle of the 'bag', pile the other things on top and tie the handles together with pretty ribbon. Fancy up the brown paper bag with old seed catalogue pics, pretty papers, free prints on line... anything you like. I like to print the freebies onto old catalogue pages. Ps, save all those brown paper grocery bags, or shop bags. Don't have any bags at all? Cut a strip of craft paper, glue on some handles, and boom, you are all set. Or, have a strip of burlap? Tie on some string handles, fray the edges to give it that little extra something-something, good to go. Happy Sunday!~ Tanja

Today is a yardwork day for me. I'll be spending a good part of the afternoon raking the lawn (or trying to rake on this windy day) and mulching the pathways (between my raised beds). We've had quite a few of these blowsy days so everything just looks a bit ugly and messy right now. This just does not work for my peace of mind ; ) If that fails, I will just hang out in the greenhouse playing with plants. The goal today is to make my front porch hanging baskets so that they have time to root in and settle before they go outside around the May long weekend. I found some really great basket stuffers, thrillers, fillers, and spillers, at one of the larger greenhouses in Red Deer last week and have been hardening them ever since. It's gonna be a busy, fun Sunday! Almost forgot... I have also been soaking my sweet peas and shelling peas so they are ready for planting today, as well. Hemingway is looking very concerned here as he waits for me to let him outside. Gardening Bits I've got some really great links for you guys to check out today. Also, for the next couple of weeks, I will be blogging about growing flowers with your edibles for organic pest control and other benefits, so stay tuned! No ladybug purchases required, hehe. That said, when they do come to visit, do you know what the pupae and larvae of a ladybug look like? They are pretty fascinating! Check out the 4 stages of a ladybug and how to get them to come to your yard! Wondering which veggies to direct sow and which ones do best from starts? This is a good article! And this one... Perfect timing for this What Veggies to Sow and When article! How to sow for best results. Gosh, this is a great list of what to grow when for a year round bounty of homegrown foods, with lovely pictures, too. This yard is so pretty, very wild and carefree looking, enjoyable idyllic living. Love the idea of hanging your herbs under the eaves. Now I must hunt down a place to dry mine that looks charming like this ; ) Cutest idea for a wheelbarrow garden. Love the Lantana! I usually buy citrus hued ones but these are gorgeous! Putting them on my to-buy list. Like to drool over pretty yards with shabby chic elements? This gorgeous London yard is so pretty! I can actually see these tiers working in many a Nanaimo garden with all those steep cliffside backyards. Homey Bits - Recipes and Such This great laundry room reno. We are still trying to figure out how to make a clothes hanging rack for our new laundry room.... one that I can reach! Do you have an idea on how I can hang clothes to dry both inside and out, something that works for a person under 5 feet tall? Are you getting into 'spring salad mode'? As soon as spring hits, I start looking at salad recipes! This wedge salad with pickled onions and avocados is yummy. I made this salad but with changes. I added some tomatoes as I thought it would add something... it did not. You want just crisp veggies for this salad. I used yellow sweet onions as I had no red ones, let them sit overnight... they are delish! Will do this many times again. It just adds that something extra. The dressing for the salad is the brine of the onions, so make sure to add some sugar to suit your taste. I would eat this salad again, for sure. Is a nice, easy to make salad. Oh, and I used pumpkin seeds as I could not find pepitas. 35 Rhubarb recipes! What to do with all that rhubarb that will soon-ishly be ready. This recipe for a yummy strawberry parfait... I think it would be even better as a strawberry rhubarb parfait... just saying ; ) Do you have an old soup tureen like this? Or a big, fancy shallow bowl? Here is a lovely way to make a quick centrepiece for your spring table! I made these chocolate chunk cookies in a muffin tin to make them extra thick... turns out I made them a bit too big so they are like little cups... I would say that they are perfect for a wee scoop of ice cream, eh? Happy Sunday, my friends ~ Tanja

I absolutely adore zinnias! They are the easiest flower to grow and care for, the blooms last forever, need very little care to be awesome. My kind of flowers - big impact with little fuss. I've been growing zinnias pretty much as long as I've been gardening. As soon as I figured out how easy it is grow them and add all that colour... well, I was hooked. They bloom from spring through till frost, requiring very little deadheading. Can you believe it? Yet you can also harvest them for bouquets and they will just make more amazing branches full of blooms! Zinnias are super drought tolerant, work great in hot, sunny areas, and make the bees very happy. Butterflies and hummingbirds also love them. My favourite way to grow zinnias is en masse in the potager, or a flower bed. In great big blocks or long rows. The flowers are casual, colourful, kinda old-fashioned, maybe even granny-ish ; ) but they are always amazing. Each year, I grow many packets of seeds in all colours and kinds, and each year I fall in love with them all over again. Zinnias come in tall and dwarf varieties. The ones I grow the most are the tall ones that go from 3 to 4 feet high. Sow the seeds close together for no empty pockets, just a dense patch of blooms. For flower pots and small planters, the dwarf zinnias are perfect. They stay at about 10 inches tall and really fill out the planters. You can find them in seed or sold in 6 packs at most nurseries in late spring. Dwarf Zahara series comes in singles or doubles and in all sorts of colours from white, to rose, pink, red, orange, and yellow. These Profusion Dwarf Zinnias are also amazing - I just bought myself a package of cherry-bi-colours! Great big pretty pink blooms on dwarf plants. How To Grow... You need a sunny spot that gets 6 to 8 hours of sunshine. They like heat and sun. Plant where they will get good air flow or you risk getting powdery mildew. Always water them at soil level, never ever on the foliage. Water deeply once or twice a week. Zinnias can be a bit tricky to start earlier indoors as they are prone to fungal issues. Some nurseries won't even grow them, they are that problematic. I prestart the dwarf ones for containers but direct sow the tall ones. To start indoors, plant seeds 1/2 inch deep in pots or six packs, keep soil moist and warm till you have germination and then be careful with watering, water only when soil is starting to go dry and never wet the foliage. Keep them on the dry side rather than moist, with good air flow and bright light. Having a fan blowing over them is a great idea. These annual flowers do not like frost so most directions always say to sow after all risk of frost is gone, but I do mine a just a wee bit earlier. I sow a week or 2 before last frost and always have terrific luck with them. Mid April on the island, in a zone 7, and early May here on the prairies. Sow the seeds 3 to 6 inches apart and 1/2 inch deep in well-draining, friable soil. I loosen up the soil with a bow rake, scratching through the top inch or so of soil with the tines of the rake to make it nice and loose. I then scatter the seeds on top of the soil and run the rake through the bed again so that the seeds are all covered. You can sift some soil on top of them, if you prefer, to make sure that they are all evenly covered. Use the back of the rake to tamp down the soil to firm it up so they do not float away when you water. Keep soil moist until the seeds germinate, in 5 to 10 days. I water daily till they sprout. If you sow the seeds before you are supposed to get a few days of rain, you are golden. Sow the seeds and walk away, let mother nature do the work for you. Once they are up, you can cut back the watering to a couple times a week. If the seedlings are too close together, they are easily moved, they transplant super well. Scoop up the seedling and pop it into the hole where you want it to go and water it in well. Do not do this during the heat of the day, ideally. If you remember, pinch back the plant when it is 6 inches tall for a bushier plant with more flowers. They will branch out even if you do not do this, so not to fret if you forget, and will also branch out more each time you harvest flowers for the vase, or do some deadheading. My favourite zinnia seed supplier is Renee's Garden Seeds. They have the prettiest colour combinations, the fastest germination, and the best quality seeds and blooms. I have grown them all over the past 20 years, but my favourites are Raspberry Sorbet, Berry Basket, Granny's Bouquet, Apricot Blush, and Cool Crayon Colours. I also love Raggedy Anne, the one you see in the topmost picture with the shaggy blossoms. Even when the zinnias start to fade in the fall, they still look so good, continue to charm. Happy Zinnia Growing ~ Tanja

I am happy to say that spring is most certainly here on the prairies. We've had it all, from cold and snowy to double digit warm days with plus degrees at night. Up, down, and all around weather... typical spring, in other words. What is going on in the spring potager? We are still working on filling our garden beds. These are the new beds we built last fall but did not have enough time to fill. In September, we put down hardware cloth to keep out the critters, cardboard to kill off the grass, and then filled up the bottom with branches, tree prunings, garden debris, lawn clippings, anything organic that we could get our hands on. We then added one bale of straw and a big cube of ProMix potting soil to each bed and called it good. See the process here. This organic matter will attract soil life to come in and break it down, which in turn builds great soil for me to grow in. This spring, we tossed in some more tree branches and other pruning bits and topped them up with the straw from the garlic bed. We looked into getting compost for the beds but are just a titch early, it seems. Will get a load dumped off here in early May. Good soil is the basis to growing great everything, whether that is healthy edibles or healthy, thriving flowers! It takes time to make really great soil in brand new beds. You need the soil life to build up in the bed. When you add compost, you are adding soil life, which makes all the magic happen faster. Start with the best garden soil you can find and then feed annually with organic matter to make it better. Want to read more about creating great new soil? Read about it here. Our plan for these new beds? We will fill them almost to the top with manure or compost and then finish with a couple cubes of Pro-Mix. We'll mix them up so that the top 6 inches or so are good to plant into right now, this year. Planting straight into compost is not recommended. The soil level in the beds will sink as the straw and branches break down so we will keep feeding the bed with compost or manure each fall. I finally made it outside to do some yard puttering on the weekend. Nothing feels better than that! I sure do love spring in the garden... the raking, the planting, the washing up (hubby calls it playing with water), basically a spring cleaning outside. Garlic - We removed the straw mulch from the garlic beds. There is nothing poking through yet and the soil is still frozen 3 inches down. Taking the straw off will warm the soil and get things happening. I have never grown garlic in Alberta before so just going by instincts. I know we will still get cold, rain, maybe even snow, but garlic is very frost hardy so will be fine. Mulch Tips - If you mulch your beds in spring for moisture retention during the rainy season, you will keep the moisture in the ground and the straw, fungal issues will abound. Instead wait till the rains stop and the ground is dry to lay the mulch. It will then help to keep in moisture for longer after each rain or watering, no fungal issues, and will also keep the soil cooler, not baking and cracking in the heat. If you put your mulch on the roses in fall for frost protection while the soil and air are still warm, you will get new growth just as the freeze arrives, and likely lose your roses. Instead put the mulch down after the air has cooled and the ground is chilled, or even started to freeze. This will keep the ground from thawing out during a brief warm spell in winter, triggering new growth that will die when the cold returns. Greenhouse - I have an unheated, un-insulated greenhouse that is 8'x12'. This will house indeterminate tomatoes and cucumbers this summer, mainly, and cool weather crops in the cusp season. I did not get out to the greenhouse till late this spring with all that was going on inside the house. Had I made it out there a month ago, I would already be eating lettuce, radishes, spinach and baby greens (insert my very sad face here. Luckily, it is never too late to plant just about anything! If you, like me, did not get out there earlier, is fine! Sow now and you'll still get a batch or two of greens. I just planted up a bit of sweet onions, scallions, a couple rows of lettuce, and flowers for the beneficial insects in the greenhouse and will sow this year's cool weather crops outside in the flower beds instead. Seedlings/Starts - I moved some of my seedlings from indoors to the mini greenhouse inside the big greenhouse to get more real sun and stay cooler than they would in the house. This will keep them from stretching out... alyssum, marigolds, calendula, Tangerine Gems, (seed) dahlias, celery, and onions. Bulbs and Perennials - if you have not already done so, you can pot up your dahlia bulbs, cannas, callas, pineapple lilies, all bulbs and perennials and pop them out in the greenhouse till the garden beds are warm enough. If you see them sprouting in storage, you want to deal with them before they get those really long weak, white sprouts. I purchased some basket stuffers, a big bunch of geraniums, other annual flowers, and herbs which I have placed out in the greenhouse. Ps, ivy geraniums are hard to come by here! I will have to start my own next year, I think. I will have a post coming out about geraniums soon, my most favourite annual for pots, planters, and baskets. Greenhouse Tip - They say that each layer of covering add 2 degrees of warmth. They also say that an unheated greenhouse will add 2 to 8 degrees of warmth compared to the outside temps, depending on so many factors. I have placed the flowers inside the mini-greenhouse, which is inside the big greenhouse, so that should add another 2 degrees of warmth. I have put them on shelves, not on the cold soil. Also, the more stuff you have in the greenhouse to absorb the heat during the day, the warmer your greenhouse will stay at night. Therefore, I figure my annuals should stay 4 degrees warmer, at minimum, than the temps outside. It's a trial, I'm getting to know my greenhouse and what I can do with it. You gotta try things to learn things ; ) I have put a min/max thermometer out there and will see how things go. If it is a bit too chilly, will pop in a small portable heater. Raking - I gotta tell you... Raking is one of my most favourite things to do. I so love the look of a freshly raked lawn, freshly raked beds, gravel, mulch! This one simple act makes everything look fresh, well-groomed, tidy and clean. I am careful with the garden bed clean up right though, as bees and beneficial insects are starting to find their way out of their winter beds, aka my gardens. If you want to rake up your leaves and do a clean up, place them where the ladybugs and other wee bugs can still find their way out. We just lifted the leaves and garden debris into our raised beds. Pruning - The trees were pruned last month and now we can tackle both edible and ornamental shrubs, like roses, ninebarks, sandcherries, raspberries, sour cherries, etc. However, DO NOT prune lilacs now or you will have no blooms this spring. Lilacs are pruned right after they finish blooming as they start making next year's flowers right afterwards. Planning - Looking for the fruit trees/shrubs that we want for our yard. Could use some more raspberries in the bed, as we only have three. We are wanting one more apple, maybe a pear (still contemplating), a cherry shrub from the Romance series (Crimson Passion, or Romeo, or Juliet) only need one as they are self-fertile, and maybe one more Saskatoon. A flower bed? Rose bed? Cut flower bed? Deer resistant perennials for the front yard? So many things to figure out this summer. Looking forward to seeing the yard wake up to see what the former owners had planted in here. By the time we got here last year, it was super hot and nothing was blooming except one lone rudbeckia. I think she needs some friends! Can't wait to see the bulbs come up, that I planted last fall. We put deer resistant ones in the front as we get daily evening visits. Deer proof bulbs for a zone three are things like squill, grape hyacinths, glory-of-the-snow, crocus, alliums, and snowdrops. You can also try daffs and hyacinths in protected areas (zone 4). In the back, I went with more grape hyacinths, lots of crocus, and a few species tulips (low growing and naturalising). No 'normal' tulips as I don't yet know what we have coming up here till I go through one spring season : ) I have planted some chives here and there already. This one in the pic is from the old homestead, of course, but I have new ones coming both in the yard and in the greenhouse. Bees adore chive blossoms! As for my seedlings in the house... I have given my onions a second haircut, they are now in the greenhouse till they go out in the garden. The peppers are small but coming along. They do not like the coco coir pots, will not use those again. The tomatoes will be transplanted tomorrow, if all goes well. Trying to decide how many I keep and grow... downsizing is hard ;) The celery is small but nice and all my sown flowers are doing really well. I found the Reindeer Liquid Seaweed so have been able to feed my seedlings. Yay! You want to really dilute whatever you are using to feed your seedlings to about half the regular strength. Just a mild feed to not fry your babies. Once they really start growing, you can feed them more aggressively. There are so many ideas whirring in my head but will work on the list above for now and take it as it comes. Oh, one last thing... I fed my rhubarb a half bag of manure and then covered it with a garbage can to keep any light from getting at it. I am trying forced rhubarb this year, see what I think. Is supposed to be sweeter, less tart, more tender. Love how pretty it is in the picture above. Happy Gardening, wherever you are! ~ Tanja

Hubs and I have been busting our buns to get things done and though things are coming along, there is still so very much more to do to get the home ship shape. Those lovely curtains are still not yet up. I can hardly wait to see the impact they make but the task is not a small one. It involves changing out 4 curtain rods, patching walls, painting said walls, sewing 8 pocket panels, measuring once, measuring again, and again... Well, you know what I mean. I am happy to say that we have knocked a ton of little (and big) tasks off the list, like taking this Mora Clock from grungy white to fabulous! That said... today is an outside day... cleaning the deck and patio, moving some things out to the greenhouse, potting up dahlias, transplanting tomatoes, all sorts of fun things. Still babysitting my grandson's seedling, too, which is now 2 seedlings! He is going to be so stoked when he comes home! Here are this weeks Gardening Bits... Growing flowers to boost your vegetable gardens. This is also called companion planting, polyculture, and... potager gardening ; ) Make amazing looking bouquets for yourself and your friends... Fabulous Foliage and Fillers - Floret Flowers How to make and grow in a hugelkultur bed. My brother is going to make some of these at his farm this year. I cannot wait to see how they do! Heirloom veggies are my most favourite things, especially tomatoes. Here is a great article about what heirlooms are and why you should grow them. Wondering how to get rid of those bugs on your brassicas? Get Rid of Bugs on Broccoli, Kale, Cabbage, and Other Brassicas | Almanac.com All about raspberries! Raspberries: How to Plant, Grow, and Harvest Raspberries at Home | The Old Farmer's Almanac Don't you just love the idea of a secret garden? I would so like to create a homey little paradise like this in our backyard. It would take a while for the trees and shrubs to grow but so worth it when done. As you can see from the picture above, it is currently anything but a hidden garden! Decor Bits Check out the kitchen sink and the window above it in this home in Sweden. So charming. Love those flower pots on the window sill. I am desperate to get some flowers in my windows here but do not have a wide enough window sills. We are thinking of putting a (glass?) shelf up above the kitchen sink, about halfway up the window. (ps, I used to live in Kungsbacka and went to nursing school there) You all know that I am all about the white with just bits of green or blue thrown in here and there but I gotta say, some of these dining rooms with colour are very, very nice! Speaking of colour, here are 8 things you should know about how to use colour when decorating. As soon as Easter was over, the bloggers I follow started to talk about Mother's Day. I was thinking, ugh, that is so far away, please no... turns out that it is only 3 weeks away, hahaha. Shows you how busy I have been lately, my brain is a blur. Here are some Mother's Day ideas that I think are so lovely. Give mom and grandma this super cute May Day Basket of blooms. A cute touch that amps up a bouquet to a whole other level. Want to make something that looks amazing but is super simple to make? This little bird dish is so cute, could be used for rings, as a votive holder, keys, cufflinks... Make a great looking botanical print. This one is an artichoke, which is cool, but I think I would use tomatoes. I bet you are surprised, hah! DIY Botanic Print Art Project - Town & Country Living (town-n-country-living.com) Baking Bits! Baking... well, it has been a minute since I shared a recipe with you all. I have not yet made these blueberry lemon muffins but they remind me of the blueberry lemon cake that I shared a couple of months ago, so I had to share them with you all. Happy Sunday, dear friends! Hoping you are all happy and healthy ~ Tanja

Happy Easter, my dear friends! I hope that you are having a lovely weekend, celebrated with good food, family and friends... and an abundance of chocolate! We have company coming for dinner today, which has hubby in the (new) kitchen cooking up a storm. We both love these big get-togethers, celebrating with family and friends. The house is still kinda chaotic after the renovation but sometimes you just have to stop, breathe, enjoy time spent with loved ones, put aside the unfinished bits for another day. The weather this long weekend has been spectacular, warm and sunny. The snow is near gone, the patio has been swept and readied for the table and chairs... my thoughts immediately turn to planning and planting. Gardening Bits Are you interested in growing more flowers this year? Maybe for your own personal cut flower garden, or maybe a wee flower farm. Here are some wonderful tips about organic flower growing, and how flowers also benefit your food garden. These Sunday Bits posts are my all time favourites. I get to share all sorts of information for you all, from all the garden gurus in tv-land, magazines, bloggers, farmers, specialists from all over the world instead of you just reading my gardening advice. Well rounded, in other words. Have a look at all these wonderful outdoor areas. They are all gorgeous but #5 and #12 are my favourites. I have posted this before but it is worth re-posting, especially now that spring has sprung. How to build a lean-to greenhouse! And this one about how and when to wake up your dahlias from storage. Geraniums are my favourite summer flowers. I like most all flowers, of course, but if I had to pick just one, it would be the geranium for sure. I especially love trailing geraniums like this one above in my porch pot, they are so delicate and pretty. Here is a how-to about growing and caring for geraniums. Wondering how to get rid of grass in your garden beds? Here are some helpful tips. Don't do the nasty landscape fabric though, your plants will thank you for it! Decor Bits Have you ever seen pictures of Julia Child's actual kitchen? These are so great! How practical! The storage cubbies and the pot wall. The shallots next to flour surprised me a bit, but if it worked for Julia, who am I to quibble, eh? Check out this amazing kitchen though! So pretty! This pretty Swedish apartment with it's courtyard space is so charming, and I would say it is looks like a pretty typical Swedish home. It actually reminds me of my friend's apartment in Malmö, where we would sit in for hours, just chatting and enjoying a 'slow' Saturday breakfast. Then we would set out for a day of visiting cute mom and pop shops, or maybe take the ferry across to Denmark for the afternoon. I kinda miss those slow food moments that never seem to happen here. Why is that, I wonder? Sipping coffee while nibbling at the tableful of all sorts of baked goods, crackers, fruits, cheeses and sandwich meats, like a lovely informal breakfast smörgåsbord, no one cooking, everyone sitting and enjoying the start to the weekend in the most pleasant way. Do you love shabby chic? I know it has been around for a million years already but I never tire of it. Here are some lovely shabby ideas, not over the top, totally fit into most all homes. Diy Bits Make a faux forsythia wreath? This totally says spring is here! I have a project underway... again. I always have a project or ten on the go. So many ideas, so little time! Beside this latest one, are you curious about what some of those projects might be? Check out my Pinterest board to see some of the things that have caught my eye this year. One last thing... if your sweet hubby brings you lilies for Easter, you want to be aware that ALL parts of the lily are toxic to kitties. Cats are crazy nosy! They seem to get into everything, even if you think they are too lazy to care, they just might. Please make sure to put any and all kinds of lilies some place your kitty cannot access. I always remove the stamens, as I am absolutely positive that is the first thing my cat would go for, but I also put them well away from any place that she might go... then I thank hubby and remind my him that though lilies are pretty, so are roses and tulips ;) Happy Easter Sunday ~ Tanja

Spring is most definitely here. Yesterday, I was out raking the leaves off the lawn, into my garden beds, today I am sweeping wet snow off the stairs. Tomorrow, they say, we'll be back to raking again. I can hardly wait to see the little crocuses, grape hyacinths, and other wee bulbs that I planted last fall poke up through the soil. We moved here in mid-summer so have not yet seen a spring here, do not know if the former owners had planted much for bulbs. That is why I stuck to the small bulbs that naturalise, figured if there were any bulbs planted, it is most likely to be tulips....maybe, hah. It will be interesting to find out. I'll take pictures of it all so that I know where to plant more bulbs come fall (as mentioned in this Bits post a few weeks ago). Here is an article with an explanation of the differences between heirloom, hybrid, open pollinated and gmo seeds. We have talked about this many a time at my wee greenhouse, on my page, at my workshops, but just in case you have never been to my wonderful place or one of my awesome workshops (insert cheeky grin here), the article will explain the differences. In short.. when seed packages say NON-GMO, it is a sales gimmick. We are not rich enough to buy genetically modified seeds and they are also not interested in selling to us regular poor wee folk. It is a common misconception that hybrids are the same as genetically modified seeds, but not to worry! People have been crossing seeds forever, no labs are involved. If you have ever grown Early Girl tomatoes, they are hybrids. Just two tomato varieties that were crossed to bring out the traits they wanted... early maturing, high yielding, round, red, firm tomatoes. Ps, if you love Early Girls but are looking for a deeper, richer, tomato flavour, grow them fairly dry! They are very drought tolerant so heat and less water will build that depth of flavour. Have you ever tried forcing rhubarb? I actually went looking for this article as I am going to do it this spring. I had heard of it before, knew it would be harvestable earlier, but wanted to know what the difference in taste would be. It turns out that it is a great way to grow taller, sweeter stalks without that tang, perfect for early pies and baking. As soon as I see that puppy started to push itself out of the ground, I am going to cover it with either a cardboard box or a garbage can! I have forced asparagus before, many times. 'White asparagus' is a delicacy in Germany and hubby loves it. To grow these sweet, tender, white spears, you do not need to buy any special variety, they all work! Put something over top of the crown(s) that allows no light to get in. I used a cardboard box, popped it on top of the crown before the spears starting emerging from the ground - ta dah, white asparagus. Okay, in my case it was pale, pale pink because I forced Purple Passion rather than the green ones. I had green and purple growing together in my patch. KEYS to forcing - 1) Cover just before/just before they are starting to emerge from the ground, and 2) Use something that allows no light! If there is even the littlest hole, they will not be white. This applies to the rhubarb, as well. Use a dark tote bin, a box, a pot with no drainage hole, whatever you have on hand. 3) When you have harvested a couple of meals, pull the box off and allow them to grow normally again. Forcing does not hurt the plant as long as you leave a couple of spears to grow into fronds, as per usual. 25 different diy garden markers for your garden. This simple mason jar with the seed packet is my favourite, but love the other ideas, too. They are all easy to make and do not require any special materials. Decorating... and stuff. Do you all follow Smitten Kitchen? She has the loveliest recipes! As most of you know, I do not like cooking (though I love baking). Hubby is a chef so he cooks the majority of meals when he is home, I cook very basic foods when he is away (he works out of town). The meals I make need to be fast and easy, not a lot of ingredients and not a lot of prep... So why then do I like and follow cooking bloggers? Honestly, no idea. I just love to look at the pictures, pin some of the recipes, but probably will never make 80% of them. This is a good article though, about how to stock a pantry. As you know, we will shortly be moving back into the kitchen now that the renovation is (almost) done, so I will be filling shelves and restocking the pantry. I love the look of those super organized pantries full of matching pretty containers but really, I am much too cheap to buy them! The amount of containers one would need! I like this pantry by Smitten as it is realistic and yet still pretty, plus I love the look of canning jars. Check out the article with her suggestions of what items you may want to stock your pantry with. I must be on a granny-chic decorating phase, or maybe I have always been in love with it a little bit, as I am loving floral wallpaper (thank you UK bloggers, lol) and floral tablecloths! This gorgeous laundry room! and this one, too! Wow, looks like Miss Mustard Seed and I have a lot in common. She is still in kitchen planning stage though, so I did it first, hah. The picture above is from my kitchen, not quite ready for the big reveal yet though. I am trying to force some apple branches for the Easter table but think I started a bit too late. It is super easy to do, just 'prune' any of your early spring blooming trees or shrubs, pop them in a vase, change water every few days, and soon you will have lovely blossoms indoors. Wondering what branches to use? These photos of rooms in beautiful homes, well, wow! They are all gorgeous. Love the kitchens! You all know I am all about the kitchens right now ;) This sink! Oh! My! Would love something like this in my someday to be she-shed/greenhouse. Easter These super cute old paint cans for Easter Decor, and these decoupaged bottles. The free printables and how to use them at the Easter table. These decor items and more free printables, too! Art work on wood? Here's how to make it if you are even the slightest bit techie. This picture of us at my daughter's wedding is one of my all time favourites. It is simple and imperfect with the line running through it, but I love simple, anything wooden, it fits in my home, and of course, love it for the memories it evokes of that wonderful day. Happy Crafting, or Reading, or Snoozing... Whatever you like! Happy Sunday, My Friends ~ Tanja