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I went on a quick and very impromptu trip to Saskatoon last week. While there, we stayed at a fantastic cooperative housing condominium. I can't begin to tell you how inspired I was by many of the principals of the cohouse, but most of all... their gardens. The Gorgeous Gardens at the Cooperative Housing The cohouse is only 12 years old, went from bare land to condo with amazing thriving garden beds in such a short time span. It just goes to show what is possible. I was talking with one of the founding residents who mentioned that they had to get city planning approval for each of the trees and layout of the gardens before planting anything. There were very strict rules about what trees could be planted. I am going to assume it was to avoid problematic trees whose roots would interfere with water systems, grow too large, nuisance trees, and the like. I must admit, I paid little attention to the trees, but loads to the shrubs and flowers. However, one needs trees to provide shade, shelter, and create a calming backbone to the rest of the landscape, to make them shine and stand out. I garnered so many ideas from this visit. My pollinator strips and front gardens, still in the planning stages, were going to be very simple. Was to be a blend of annual and perennial flowers that would bloom from spring through till frost. However, now it will be oh, so very much more than that. I am going to pack it full to the brim with colour, texture, varying heights, and scents. The condo takes up pretty much a city block. Along the street, they have planted up the boulevard with flowers and edibles. This section at the corner was awe inspiring. The flowers are humming with bees, so many colours, and more flowers coming all the time. The tall light purple stalks are hyssop. A great alternative to lavender here on the prairies, as it is super hardy and the bees, butterflies, and hummers really love it. Lavender would require a very special sheltered pocket of space to overwinter here. Not saying that it is not possible to grow, I have seen a couple, but let's just say that for most of us it would be grown as an annual. The same bed from another angle. Further down in that same boulevard bed are these poppies and sunflowers. This bed is in front of the building, on one side of the entrance. Each bed is it's own moment. The entire yard was full of bees and pollinators, busily gathering from all the flowers and flowering shrubs, like this golden spirea. I tend not to be a big fan of spirea, but after seeing how much the bees loved them at the condo, I decided that a few will be going into my pollinator strips. This lovely John Davis climbing rose was the main feature in the pond garden while I was there. I am sure that something else will take it's place of honour as the blooms fade, with the plantings designed to bloom at varied times throughout the summer. Seeing how lovely their rose was, made me super happy as I planted a John Davis rose by the potting shed in spring. I also have a John Cabot climbing rose, but it is still in a pot until we get the side yard beds redone. Hopefully the landscaper comes next week! The pond is in the center of the courtyard with seating and patio area on one side, the raised beds and potager on the other. The pond has quite a few fish in it, at least 8 large... goldfish? Koi? I tried to count them but am not sure I got them all. They take the fish in to the underground heated garage for the winter. One of the residents in the cohousing is the fish caretaker. The residents will just pull up a stool and pull some weeds when they have a minute. There are two main gardeners, but everyone (who likes to garden) pitches in to care for the gardens. Some do more, some do less. This aspect of the cohousing would really work for me. They have Wednesday Weed and Wine evenings, which I thought was super fun. How I would enjoy having a weeding buddy to chat with. Time would go so much faster. Wide raised beds were built, instead of a fence, to create a courtyard and give privacy from the sidewalk and street. The lovely boulevard gardens are just on the other side of the beds. The raised bed 'fence' varies in height along the street. There is an arbour with a metal gate in the middle of it for ease of entry to the sidewalk and to care for the boulevard gardens. I could go on and on, there were so many fun little pockets to see in the yard, hidden seating areas, water barrels in a row, clematis plants everywhere, but I will just show you this last picture. This is on their 2nd floor patio. It faces southeast so is sheltered from the winds, was created to be a bit of a calm pocket where folks could gather to enjoy the sunshine. We had one of our suppers here on this deck, a lovely bbq with our friends. The sheltered pocket turns out to be a very hot area, really gathers the sunshine. They had to come up with ways to lessen the heat inside the building, with all the large glass windows along the hallways. On some levels they added tinted film and curtains. On this patio level, they decided to grow climbers, indeterminate tomatoes, and tall sunflowers in totes to create shade. They have put mesh netting for the vines to grow up on. Very ingenious and provides food at the same time. I was very smitten with many aspects of the cohousing concept. They have a common kitchen and dining room that one can book for events and family gatherings. This is where we often sat in mornings and evenings to read, have breakfast, or evening cup of tea. There are bedrooms where one can put up guests (this is where we stayed), a laundry room with 3 washers and 3 dryers, plus drying racks and the whole kit and caboodle. Even shared cars that any resident can use! They all have their own condo unit, of course, and share the responsibility of caring for the community areas. I realise that there would be difficulties, as well, it is not all sunshine and roses. All decisions have to be made together. That is a whole lot of people to get along with. More pros than cons though? Oh, and all ages welcome. Notes From The Potting Shed What to do this week... Take rose cuttings! This is on my list of things to do this weekend. Will grow them on and then put pot and all in a hole in the greenhouse for the winter. See how to do it with a step by step video with Alan Titchmarsh. If you miss this early summer timing, there is another video on how to take fall cuttings. Many people posting pictures of ladybug larvae and pupae on the gardening sites, asking what on earth these gross bugs are and wanting to know how best to kill them. Some have already killed them before even checking to see what they were. Gardens are not sterile and bugs are not all bad. I have seen tons of ladybug babies and braconid wasps out in the yard this past week, as have the other gardeners, obviously, as there have been so many post. They are out there, you guys! They will eat all those bad bugs for you! Please, please do not use any sprays, not on anything. Not even ones that are touted as 'organic'. If it kills one bug, it kills them all. Give these guys time to do their job. Raspberries are all full of berries coming on. Water them more often when they are making berries. Plus any other fruiting shrubs, as well. I usually water my raspberries and saskatoons once a week, or even once every 2nd week, but while they are fruiting, they get a good soak every 2nd or 3rd day so that I get juicy, plump, tasty raspberries. Feed your pots and baskets with some slow release fertiliser and continue using the water soluble fertilisers twice a month for happy, thriving baskets. If your peppers have stalled out, are not flowering, fruiting, or maybe they look a bit peaky, give them a one time only feed with a high nitrogen fertiliser. Just the once to get them going. That is all it takes. Within 2 weeks, you will see a big change. I like to use Garden Pro Evergreen & Citrus fertiliser. It is a 30-10-10. Other than that, peppers tend to thrive on neglect. Water only once or twice a week but when you do, water really, really well. Feed potted peppers once a month with epsom salt (a handful on top off the soil) or with a tomato or vegetable fertiliser every week or two. Or do both. To prevent blossom end rot (BER) on your tomatoes and peppers, cut back on your watering. Overwatering is the biggest culprit when it comes to BER. Even in a heat wave. Trust the process. You planted them deep, they are making deep roots, just as you wanted them to do. The topsoil is dry but underneath is damp. You can also water with Cal Mag or Acti-Sol to feed your tomatoes calcium. Epsom Salt for your potted peppers/tomatoes Big Ass Tomatoes fertiliser (use for both tomatoes and peppers. Osmocote slow release all purpose fertiliser Cal Mag to prevent BER Acti-Sol for Tomatoes and Veggies, with Calcium, to help prevent BER *Disclaimer. As an Amazon affiliate, if you were to purchase an item(s) from any of the affiliate links, I get a wee small amount of money to support my blog. It does not cost you any extra to purchase through my link than if you went to that item through your own search. Many thanks for your support, I sure do appreciate it. Many thanks to the good people of Wolf Willow Cooperative Housing. What a wonderful week we had, and so enjoyed meeting you all. Have a Great Garden Week, Enjoy The Heat~ Tanja

So, this post was supposed to be sent on Wednesday, but I simply ran out of time. For those who do not blog, what happens is that you write your blog on one program and then send it from a different one. It takes time to do up the email newsletters, and well, I did not have it. I mean, it is totally for an exciting reason. We found out with little notice that we were heading off to Saskatchewan for a few days with our son. I tried to get this post ready to send right away, hence the title ; ) While here in Saskatoon, we are staying in an amazing co-housing apartment(?) building. The gardens are absolutely amazing, with a potager garden in back, a pond with fish, raised veggie beds, flowers galore. Many roses, clematis vines, lilies, shrubs and flowers to attract and feed the bees, birds, and beneficial insects. The gardens are humming! Happiest bees I have ever seen. The ideas that I have garnered from being here! I have never been a huge fan of spirea, but after seeing how much the bees love them, I have changed my mind a little bit. I think there is room in the pollinator strip to add some, plus the front yard when we start working on that. Going to add so many more clematis, roses, hyssop, martagons... At co-housing, everyone works together to keep the gardens weeded, the common areas cleaned, the three patios pristine. There are barbeques on all the patios for everyone to use, no one needs to put one on their personal patio. They have Weeding and Wine Wednesdays... I must say I am a bit smitten with that idea. I would love weeding buddies! Some of the boulevard plantings..... There is much more I could share, so many more photos, but I will leave you with these for now. I share these because they are growing in a prairie province. Meaning, we can all grow these, wherever we live. Hardy, happy, flowering gardens. The fish in the pond. Is this not amazing? Okay, on to the Gardening Bits.... Plants like this lovely Catmint are great companions for roses. Read here for other flowers that look great with your roses, make them shine all summer, and also help to keep them pest free and healthy. I like this read about the best sunflowers for pollinators. This white sunflower above starts off very cream coloured, like butter, before fading to white. The white moment is short, but is pretty whether creamy or white, eh? Just when you thought you knew everything about growing potatoes... here are 9 tips for growing loads of spuds. This backyard permaculture garden is absolutely amazing. As is this v ery, very lovely garden. Here are some lovely ideas for a small garden , many pretty garden pictures. I have always said that if I did not have the dogs, need room for them to zoomie, I would be fine with just a small yard for a greenhouse and a bunch of potted plants. I really liked this idea for labeling plants. I often leave the seed packets where I planted new seeds, as a reminder to self... so that I do not plant something else there ; ) However, I never cover the packets, just stick the in the side of the bed and remove them when the plants come up and the packets are illegible. So... I think this idea is pretty clever! These recipes look really good, so had to share... Sourdough discard hamburger buns . I made these, we loved them. This vegetable, watermelon, feta cheese salad looks superb. Sharing because I really want to make it! Most of these items are great on my elimination diet, too. Eight pounds down in 3 weeks! And lastly, this blueberry sour cream breakfast cake. As you all know, I have a thing for blueberry sour cream cakes, will try them all. This one is a family favourite, we make it often. This Dog Days Iced Tea ! Cannot wait to make it. Have A Great Week-End Tanja

Well, hi there! Happy Sunday! Happy Canada Day long weekend! We are busily prepping for the family to join us for dinner. Had planned for a nice dinner outside, but it's looking grey and gloomy out there. Rain to come, perhaps? So, pivoted to indoors instead. We had a great rain the other day, with 40mm in the rain gauge, but we will happily take more ; ) Yard work is coming along, have prepped for the landscaper. All set for phase 2 of the yard reno. Can't wait. The back and side yard will be much improved, both aesthetically and functionally. While this is a much smaller job than phase 1 was, it involves heavy pavers, a lot of digging, and removing so much rock and landscape fabric... therefore, we have hired younger, more fit and able help. Here are this week's Sunday bits of inspo to inspire your garden, yard, home, and tummy. Gardening Bits of Inspo I'm going to start the gardening bits with this post ... Beware AI Gardening Content . It is a pretty scary world out there with AI and all the false information that comes from it. Hard enough for us 'experienced (aka old) gardeners to pick through the true and the fake sometimes, but imagine how hard it is for new gardeners? Hoverflies ! I love these guys. Along with parasitic wasps, these are the beneficial insects that I always try to attract to my garden. Check out the post for the flowers that attract them. The truth about Nandina killing birds . This is a good read, if you have heard about this big controversy? These articles about watering... Can you overwater plants in summer ? And, i s it better to water in the morning or the evening? and this one, too... Deep watering. You can't have too much information about watering when it comes to gardening in a drought. This article for how to keep your cut flowers lasting longer is nice. Flower food is very helpful, here are 3 different kinds. The first is a clear liquid, nice if you are using a glass vase and do not want it to look cloudy, like the powders sometimes do. The third one is the one used by many florists. Flora Life Flower Food (liquid ) Flora Life Flower Food (powder) Chrsysal Flower Food (the one florists use most) Wow, this cottage garden is absolutely amazing! A must see! This charming cottage with a blush pink door. Why interior designers are loving cafe curtains . This warm blonde wood kitchen is so simple and oh so pretty. Recipe Inspo Bits If you only get a jar or two of cucumbers from your garden at a time (as I do), this fridge pickle recipe is for you. Make a jar of dills at a time, ready to eat the very same day. Call me crazy, but I think this squash pizza looks super yummy! Perfect for a snack or lunch on a hot summer's day. A 3 ingredient salsa made with roasted veggies! Or even better.... 3 ingredient, no churn strawberry ice-cream ! This Cheesecake Factory strawberry shortcake knock off recipe. I haven't been to a CF in 3 decades, so no idea if this one is like theirs is, but I am always up for a good strawberry shortcake recipe. Have you heard of Snackle Boxes? I just heard about them last week as I was watching Motel Rescue on the Magnolia Station, and now I find out that they are a thing. Huh! Gotta admit, I think they are pretty awesome. If I had little kids, I would totally make these to take to the beach or other outings. As an oldie, I would pack them for car rides. Here are some adult Snackle Box ideas. Blue 3 tiered box / 8 Grid Box / Smores Caddy *Disclaimer. As an Amazon affiliate, if you were to purchase an item(s) from any of the affiliate links, I get a wee small amount of money to support my blog. It does not cost you any extra to purchase through my link than if you went to that item through your own search. Many thanks for your support, I sure do appreciate it. This is my latest find for what to do with this week's sourdough discard. A double chocolate loaf cake. Hubby loves anything chocolate, the chocolatier, the better. OOPS! - The other week, I shared a recipe for making sourdough raisin bread, but accidently pinned the wrong one. Sorry! This is the recipe that we use, and yes, we give it 4.5 stars! Super fast and easy to make, and yummy, too. We lost a large limb from one of our Mountain Ash trees in the backyard. It hit the fence, but luckily did not break it. No damage, except for the tree. This lovely pink lupin sitting in the midst of all the mess. Well, I'm off to do some table setting and cleaning, plus start a loaf of sandwich bread . Hope you all are having a fantastic long weekend ~ Tanja

We've had a wild week around here. Gone from frosty nights to double digit nights in a matter of days. Now that the sun is out, we are playing catch up with the yardwork, with pots to wash up and put away for winter seeding next year, weeding, a bit more planting.. well, things are busy and we are getting things done. It is lilac time. I think we are a little later than usual due to the cool weather we've had this spring, but whenever it gets here, it is my favourite time of the year. I absolutely love the looks and scent of them. Bring them in by the armloads while you can! By the way, those candles are the very best- I love the ones for pet smells ! The bees are all over the lilacs, too. We have had many buzzy weeks lately. First the two mountain ash trees were all abuzz for a couple of weeks, now the lilacs. Hopefully then it will be roses and other flowers. Is this not the prettiest petunia you have seen in a long time? I love how subtle it is, want these everywhere next year ; ) Those white bits everywhere are the blossoms of the mountain ash tree. They cover the yard like pretty bits of snow... until they turn brown, that is. To deadhead your petunias, you do not want to just pull out the flower. Instead, take it right back to the stem, removing the flower cap to promote lots more blooms. If you leave the cap, it will start making seeds rather than blooms. Ps, the newer petunias are not sticky like the old ones were. Hated the sticky bit! In fact, most of the newer petunias do not even need deadheading! Using perlite in the garden . Such an interesting read. While I have never gone out to buy perlite to intentionally add to my garden beds, I do dump out my potted plants and hanging baskets into the garden. As I use a high porosity potting soil,  it always has a good amount of perlite in it, so I guess I have been doing this for years (sort of, haha). Dumping your pots and baskets into the bed in the fall is also adding soil diversity, which is a really great thing. The more diversity you add, the better your soil will be. Diverse amendments that is, like manure one year, compost the next, sea soil another year, potted plant soil, etc... Clematis wilt. What is it? What can you do about it? Growing globe artichokes . They are winter hardy in a zone 8 or better (very few areas like that in Canada, haha, but some), in zones 6 and 7 they will overwinter unless you have a cold winter. I would generally lose them every 2nd or 3rd winter in my zone 7 garden. That's okay, I always grew some more to plant, just in case. In our prairie homes, start them early, plant them out after the last frost, and enjoy them for the summer. Even if you do not want to eat them, the pollinators just adore them. S even reasons that you have misshapen cucumbers. This is a question I get very often. Here are all the answers! Yesterday marked one year since my sweet momma passed away. As is tradition, I lit a candle in her memory and honour. We leave it lit till it goes out all on it's own, so is still burning bright today. Glass hurricane lantern / 2 stainless steel lanterns / White metal lantern If you want to leave a candle burning on your deck for a loved one, make sure it is safe. I use a glass hurricane lantern, my brother uses a lantern style one at his house and hangs it up. Sunday DIY How to make a cute messenger board . I made several of these a few years back. They suit my rustic farmhouse soul. Easy to make. Mine are just a bit different but you can tweak yours to look whatever way suits your home (and soul) best. Bull Clips (several colours) / Double Prong Hooks / Chicken Wire / Wood Glue *Disclaimer. As an Amazon affiliate, if you were to purchase an item(s) from any of the affiliate links, I get a wee small amount of money to support my blog. It does not cost you any extra to purchase through my link than if you went to that item through your own search. Many thanks for your support, I sure do appreciate it. Sunday Recipe Inspo Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Sandwiches . This Basque Cheesecake looks simple to make, yummy, and I like that it uses far less eggs than a normal one. Whew. A baked one uses soooo many eggs. I will try this one as I like easy to make desserts. How to make bubble tea . Perfect timing for your summertime bevies. Happy Sunday ~ Tanja

Are you wondering how to know when your garlic is ready? How to know when to lift it? How to cure it for the best results? With the garlic, timing is everything ... too soon and the bulbs are small, or not separated, too late and the skins have opened up, exposing the cloves. The trick to knowing the right time to harvest them is all in the leaves. Here are some tips to help you know exactly when to harvest yours, and what to do with them afterwards for your most successful and amazing garlic harvest yet. Garlic is planted planted in the fall and harvested in summer. It takes eight to ten months to mature, depending on where you live. Here on the prairies, it is planted in September or October. In warmer climates, can be planted as late as December. See the garlic planting post here. Step One - Scapes Arrive (harvest time is not far off now) Scapes are the curly bits that emerge from the center of the garlic stalks. If you were to leave them, they will make flowers at the top (where you see that rounded bit in the stem) that then turn into bulbils (baby garlic seeds). You can harvest these bulbils and grow them on to garlic, will take about 3 years for them to size up to a good size bulb. You want to remove the scapes so the energy is directed into growing larger bulbs, rather than making seeds. Scapes are edible and very tasty. You can find them sold at farmer's markets and specialty market shops in late spring. They are a bit like green beans, in that they are crunchy, but taste very much like garlic. Add to stir fry's, bbq's, potato dishes... anywhere that you would add onions or garlic, you can add scapes. Harvest while the scapes are young and just have one curl to get them in their prime, while they are soft and tender. Step Two - Keep An Eye On Those Leaves (harvest time is nigh) When you see that the bottom 2 or 3 leaves have dried and yellowed, it is time to stop watering. If you water, the bulbs will be too wet and bloated to cure well, so will not last in storage. The garlic is ready to harvest when half of the leaves have yellowed and shriveled from the bottom up. The bottom half will be bare of leaves, just 4 or 5 green leaves remain at the top of the stalk. Each leaf is a layer of skin (protection) on your bulb. Ideally, you want to leave about 3 or 4 leaves so that you have enough skins on your garlic for it to cure well and last in storage for many months. If you were to leave the garlic in the ground too long, the skins will split open up, allowing soil and bacteria to enter the bulb. While these cloves can be cleaned up and used in the kitchen, they will not cure for storage. With the soil inside the bulb, bacteria will enter the bulb and eventually it will start to go moldy. These cloves are yummy, very usable and edible, but will not cure. Step Three - It Is Time To Lift (aka Harvest) Your Garlic Harvest time will vary, depending on where you live. On the west coast, garlic harvest is generally in July. Here on the prairies, where the garlic does not emerge from the ground till April or May, harvest is usually in September. The leaves will hold the answer for you. Gently loosen the soil with a garden fork or a small spade. Place the fork in the ground a few inches away from the stem and push back on the handle to loosen the bulb's roots from the soil. Lift the bulb out of the ground. If you get resistance, put the fork in a little bit deeper and try loosening the roots again. The bulb should easily lift out of the ground. If your soil is nice and dry, the bulbs will come up with little soil on them to clean off. Try not to harvest shortly after a big rainfall, give them a few days to dry off. I used to leave the roots on while they cured, but found they got too tough and stringy for my arthritic hands to easily remove. They are not needed for the bulbs to cure properly. You do not want to stab or nick the bulbs, or they will not cure. That nick will allow soil, and thus bacteria, to enter the bulb. If you find a damaged bulb, take that to the kitchen, clean it up, use within the month. Step Four - Clean Your Garlic Brush the soil off of the roots and then cut them short. Doing this while the roots are still fresh is much easier than after they dry. Save your hands, take them off now. They are not required in order for the bulbs to cure properly. Pull off one skin of the garlic, this will clean up the garlic so that no soil remains on the bulbs. Your bulbs will cure faster, with no worries about getting blue/grey mould. If you live in a very humid summer area, this step is very important. In drier areas, many will brush off the soil and lay them out to cure, but I find that you are more apt to lose some to mould this way. Leave the stalks on. They are important for the curing process. Do not freak out if your Russian Red or purple striped bulbs are all white after you remove that layer of skin, the stripes come back very quickly. The first time I did this, I totally freaked out, hahaha, but not to worry, all is well. Step 5 - Set Your Garlic Harvest Out To Cure As you can see by the many pics above, you can hang garlic up to cure, place it in a mesh basket, lay it out on a table, or place in curing trays (use your compost sifting screen, maybe?). I have done all of these things and all work really well. To cure the garlic so that it lasts entire winter, you need... An airy space in the shade - You do not want to hang your garlic in sunshine, so under the eaves is good, in a garage or carport, in a shed, on the north side of your house. Wherever you have a shaded location. Air Flow - Garlic needs really good air flow around the bulbs for it to cure well. Hang in bunches or lay out individually. If you need to cure yours in an enclosed space, like a garage, you may need to run a fan on them during the rainy days. Time - Leave your garlic out to cure for a minimum of 3 weeks. I like to leave mine even longer, sometimes as long as 6 to 8 weeks. The longer it cures, the better it lasts in storage. If you wish to braid your garlic, wait a couple of weeks till the stalks start to go dry first. If the stalks go completely brown and dry before you get to them, not to worry. Spray them with water a couple of times, let them sit and absorb the moisture to become more pliable, then go ahead with your braid. Once they are fully cured, trim the stalks back to an inch long. This gives you something to hang on to when you crank the bulbs open to get at the cloves. Place in a dry, cool room to store. Not cold and not damp. This leaves out places like the cold room, the garage or shed, usually. Furnace rooms are a popular place, but usually a pantry is just fine, too. Leave it in an open container so no moisture builds up. To be honest, mine have been in a bowl on the kitchen counter since Christmas and are still doing fine in June. Don't forget to save the biggest cloves for planting! If you grew several varieties, label them with a sharpie for identification purposes. See here for how to plant garlic in the fall. This is my garlic bed today, on June 18th. I will not be harvesting for another 2 plus months yet, here in Central Alberta. They. Are. Worth. The. Wait. Happy Harvest ~ Tanja

I have now been growing garlic for about 14 years, but this was my first time planting it as a food crop in a zone 3 garden. Is crazy good how wonderfully the world has evolved around organic gardening, understanding soil, and self-sustainability over the past decade. When I last lived and worked at a garden centre here in central Alberta, we sold garlic but boy, was it ever different from now. Fall bulk garlic did not exist, you got 3 bulbs in a mesh bag, not much choice for variety, think it was like white or red, and it was always sold in spring. Garlic needs to go through the cold of winter to break into cloves, so that bagged garlic we sold in spring didn't stand a chance. Spring garlic is actually a bit of a specialty item that has yet to catch on here in Canada. Is sold in European markets, looking like thicker green onions. They are super yummy, taste mild and sweet, highly recommended. However, they are not what we think of garlic and will not keep in storage. If you have room to grow some extra, harvest your garlic rounds in spring and see what you think. Today though! Garlic is grown on farms in every province for purchase in fall, at real planting time! Here is a link to some Alberta garlic farms. Buy in person or order online. You can also buy organically grown bulk garlic at most all garden centres, farmer's markets, and some specialty shops. Here is a great farm in BC to order from. How to Grow Garlic! The basics of garlic planting and growing are the same wherever you live. It is a heavy feeder so needs really great soil that is rich in nutrients. 1. Soil is Everything! Although the previous owners of our home were avid gardeners, the soil here is very poor, has not been fed or amended in years. We brought in 7 yards of organic garden soil to give us a head start in spring and will continue to feed the soil with organics to make it healthier and less heavy. It takes time to 'make' great soil, we will be amending in both spring and fall for some time to come. Garlic needs great soil to make great bulbs. If you are getting small bulbs, plant bigger cloves in fall and feed your soil well. Top dress your bed with compost or manure. I usually like to do this a few weeks before planting, but it can be done at any time, including planting day itself. You want your soil to be well-draining as garlic will rot in wet, boggy soil. Adding organic matter to your bed will better your drainage. Try to avoid peat moss. It adds no nutritional value to your bed and is not a renewable resource. Instead, use shredded leaves, leaf mould, browned grass clippings, fish compost, compost, or any manures. I like chicken manure the best, but any kind is amazing. 2. When to Plant? Late summer or early fall, when mornings are starting to feel crisp. This can be anytime between mid-September and early December, depending on where you live and what the weather is like. My usual planting time on the west coast, was around Hallowe'en and here in Alberta, many have said that mid to late September is the norm. We are having an exceptionally warm and dry fall in the western provinces, so everyone has held off planting by several weeks. My garlic went in just the other day, so mid-October. 3. Where to Plant? Plant in a full sun area, where the garlic will get 8 hours of sunshine daily. Do not plant near big trees with hungry roots, or in weedy beds. Garlic does not compete well for water and nutrients so you will end up with small bulbs. You do not need to rotate your garlic. Yep, I really said that : ) If you have one spot that is perfect for garlic, you can keep planting in that same bed forever and ever... unless you get a soil borne disease. If you had white rot, soft rot, or any of the other issues that affect the garlic in the ground, you cannot use that bed again for alliums of any kind. However, if you had rust on your foliage, not to worry. Rust is caused by high humidity or lots of rain, it is not a soil disease so will not spread. Bulbs that looked good at harvest but are growing blue in the curing shed need better air flow, less layers of skin, or a drier area to cure. They also may have been nicked by the fork at harvest time, bruised or damaged when setting the bulbs out to cure, thus allowing bacteria to enter the bulb. Nematodes and wire worms are getting to be an issue in some areas. They burrow into the bulbs, allowing soil and bacteria to enter the bulb so that it wilts in the ground or does not cure. The best way to cut back on these pests is to grow mustard in the bed after harvest, or before planting. Plan ahead, if you tend to have an issue with either pest, plant mustard in spring, in the bed that will be your garlic bed that fall. Plant mustard in the potato and carrot patch, as well. Make sure to clean up your bed of all plant debris that may be housing disease. No old veggie leaves or stalks left lying in the bed to break down, especially anything from the allium family. Toss them in your compost bin instead. 4. Choose Your Best Cloves For the biggest and best bulbs at harvest, you want to choose the biggest and very best cloves at planting. Save the smaller ones, and any with nicks or bruises, for the kitchen. The cloves should be firm, no soft spots. There are two kinds of garlic, softneck and hardneck. Hardnecks are super hardy, are easy to grow anywhere while softnecks are more suited for warmer, more temperate climates, zone 5 or better. I am growing 9 varieties of hardneck garlic this year. I brought all my favourites with me from the island. Will see how they fare here in a Zone 3. In Porcelains, I have Northern Quebec, Yugoslavian, French, and Shuswap Delight. These have very white skins, are super hardy, and so easy to grow anywhere. In Rocamboles/Purple Stripes, I only have Rocky Red and Persian Star this year. I would love to get more 'purple' varieties for next year. In my specialty group, I have what are often called 'Weakly Bolting Hardnecks'. I have Korean Red, Salt Spring Extra Early, and the highly sought-after Rose de Lautrec. 5. How to Plant? If you have nice, friable soil, you can just push the cloves into the ground. If, like me, you have lumpy, bumpy, clay soil, you will need to dig a trench to pop your cloves into. This is my newly purchased, good garden soil... now you know why I need to amend with organics for quite some time. In temperate areas, zones 6 and up, push your garlic 2 inches deep into the soil. In colder areas, like my zone 3, plant 4 to 6 inches deep. For the biggest bulbs at harvest, spacing is key. Planting 6 to 8 inches apart, in rows that are 6 to 7 inches apart, will give you the best sized bulbs. Farmer guy, my garlic supplier for many years, went with a 7-inch spread, so that is usually my norm. Here is a very in-depth trial about spacing, if you want to geek out : ) This is a good time to add manure, compost, or other amendments to the planting trench. A good phosphorous source to help your garlic set roots and get established before fall comes, is bonemeal or rock phosphates. I went with this multi-purpose Acti-Sol Hen Manure, which is great for everything. If you have good soil, this step is not necessary, but won't hurt either : ) It also is said to repel squirrels, so if you have an issue with your tulips, give this a try. I tossed it in pretty liberally as this is new soil that I have not fed yet. 6. Cover and Water Bury your cloves. If they are in deep trenches like mine, rake the soil over the cloves, remove any of the big chunks. On the island, I used to just push the cloves into the soil so that the tip of the garlic was about an inch below soil level and walk away. When the winter rains came, they would level out the soil in the beds. For more information about planting garlic on the west coast, see my old blog HERE. Water in well to help your garlic root in before winter. If the soil in your bed is really dry, the water will take a while to penetrate and percolate. It may bead up on top as the heat and drought will have created a bit of a crust on the surface. You can rough it up a bit with a hoe, or just let the sprinkler slowly do its magic. I leave the sprinkler on for an hour or two. 7. Cover with Leaves or Straw If you are in a cold winter area, mulch with a good layer of leaves or straw when you start getting good frosts. I will do this when the leaves fall from the trees and when Farmer Jason drops off a few bales of straw for me. The straw mulch will keep the garlic from heaving with the frosts. If you live in an area where the ground freezes and thaws, you want to mulch. If you live in warmer areas like the wet, west coast, there is no need to mulch. In fact, mulching will just provide a place for slugs, snails, pillbugs, earwigs, centipedes, and other critters to overwinter. You do not want these guys waking up in your food garden in spring. The bed on the left in the pic above was my garlic bed. It was top dressed with compost and then covered with mesh to keep the kitty from using it as a potty. The straw is actually covering the dahlias as I was too lazy to dig them up that year. It was a trial. Five of the seven dahlias made it, one had been eaten entirely, and one was partially hollowed out by pests but grew anyway. 8. Remove Mulch In spring, when things start warming up, remove the straw so that your garlic starts to warm up and grow. Remember that the mulch insulates and holds in the ground temp so if you leave it on, it will take longer for the ground to warm up. This is also a good time to side dress with a slow-release fertiliser, bloodmeal, compost, or manure to feed your garlic, if you feel that it is needed. Harvest in summer, when half of the leaves have browned off. That's it. Garlic is super easy to grow and very, very satisfying. After you taste homegrown garlic, you will never go back to that dried out stuff they sell at the grocers. Fresh garlic is sticky, is hot, spicy, is very yummy. Happy Growing ~ Tanja

Happy Father's Day to all the dads, pops, daddy-o's! Neither of the kids are here this year, so is up to me to spoil their dad. Instead of cooking as it is just him and I, I'll be taking him out for dinner. We can both enjoy his special day. The weather is still very much spring like, here on the prairies. No summer in sight yet. My poor garden is definitely lagging behind but hanging in there. Each time we have a rain followed by a few hours of sunshine, everything grows like mad. We are prepping for new sod and pathway in the backyard so have put up some snow fencing between the patio and the grass. The pups have till the end of the month to enjoy this 'grass' (hahaha. if you can call it that) and then they will be blocked off for most of the summer while the new lawn roots in. It's not ideal, really limits their space, but it will be better than ever when we are done. They will enjoy the new grass and the coolness of the large steppers. That arbor is currently homeless. It had to be moved so I decided to paint it this dark green, which is going to be the new accent colour out back, and now it sits till the new lawn is in and I get a better idea of where she will go. Gardening Bits of Inspo! This article about how to grow bigger onions . I will just say that this is very different from what I do in my own garden (other than the first recommendation - that one is key) and also differs from what I teach when garden coaching, but sharing in case you are having issues and need to try something new. The goal is always to help you grow great food. In case you were to want to compare, this is how I grow great big onions. Check out this amazing festival . Folks sitting around knitting, crocheting, making art... the concept is amazing, love it so much, and the pictures are so inspiring. Wouldn't it be awesome to attend one of these? Check out those lovely tomatoes growing at the venue! Organic rose problem solutions . Great article! Make your own organic garden fertiliser with this recipe for compost tea.   There are 63 lovely garden photos in this article with small garden ideas . So much eye candy for those of us who drool at garden pics and think of ways to implement the ideas in our own yards. Or not. Sometimes we just like to peruse ; ) These ideas for garden design on a budget. They actually call it cheap garden ideas but I am not a big fan of the word 'cheap' as it sounds like the end product might be tacky... these yards and ideas are far, far from tacky! This amazing backyard transformation . I absolutely love it. Renee's Garden Seeds are 40% off. Stock up for next year! I have been growing with Renee's seeds for over 2 decades. They are so reliable, always the first to germinate, and they have one of the best selections I have ever seen. They have both veggie and flower seeds on sale, pick up your sweet peas and sweet alyssum now so you have them for early sowing in fall (in warmer zones like the west coast) or in April for us prairie growers. What a flowering alternative lawn really looks like and how to get one. See if this is for you. Homey Bits of Inspo I am on such a green kick lately, really loving these , but mostly those green tiles! Wow! This kitchen renovation ! ... and that mudroom! This unique little cottage retreat ! These 4 best cabinet colours , according to the pros. Hmm... what say you? This Victorian Terraced House . Colourful and unique, yet very appealing. This pretty, eclectic home . Wallpaper, beams, lovely wooden floors.. and that bathroom, wow! Recipe Inpo! This blueberry muffin tastes like a doughnut! This lemon chiffon cake looks amazing! I think I love it most because of the pan they used, it just looks like the most perfect afternoon treat. *Disclaimer. As an Amazon affiliate, if you were to purchase an item(s) from any of the affiliate links, I get a wee small amount of money to support my blog. It does not cost you any extra to purchase through my link than if you went to that item through your own search. Many thanks for your support, I sure do appreciate it. Dilled potato salad with pickled cucumbers. How to make iced tea ... whether sweet tea or not. Limoncello Spritz - easy, light, and yummy cocktail. This Italian Salad Sandwich . Looks so good! Here is a Grilled Vegetable Sandwich for us veggies. This orzo, corn, zucchini casserole is pinned in my must make list, even though not a traditional summery meal, it is a one pan meal, which I love. It also does not look like a heavy meal. I have been baking up a storm lately with my sourdough. ?I have been asking hubby to rate them for me, as I have not been able to eat bread yet on this elimination diet. This sourdough raisin bread ( 4.5 stars). This focaccia bread (4 star) or this one, (5 star) made with the discard. These Blueberry Muffins are 5 star, according to hubby, even though I did not add the streusel on top. If you get tummy issues with gluten, or breads, sometimes switching to sourdough will help. This only applies if you have a gluten sensitivity, not an intolerance, of course. Hubby received one of these vacuum sealers f rom the kids for his Father's Day gift. It sure is going to help store all my baking! Plus, his fishing, our garden harvest, leftovers after our big family dinners, all the things. We are both pretty stoked ; ) It comes with like a million bags, bags of all sizes. I doubt we will run out in our lifetime! Have A Really Great Day ~ Tanja

We had some steady rains over the past two weeks. Not a lot if one checks the water gauge, about 40mm (1.6 inches), but enough to soak the seeds so I haven't had to water a whole bunch. My garlic seems to grow a couple of inches each time sunshine follows a good rain. Carrots and Other Seedlings While it was not much for outdoor weather, it was kind of a bonus. Seeds have to be kept moist in order to germinate so usually means a quick daily watering. With the rains, several of the beds just came up on their own, no watering required. Forgetting to water seeds daily is a common reason for poor carrot germination. Carrots can take up to 3 weeks to germinate (I know, that is crazy beans!) so sometimes folks miss a day or two, which causes the seeds die in the garden bed. Keep on watering till you see those green tops poking through. After that, you can cut back to twice a week, and later on, as little as once a week. If you are finding it difficult to keep the soil damp, cover the carrots with burlap sacks. Water through the burlap, it will keep the soil shaded so it stays moist longer. Seedlings need water every 2nd day at first and then less as they root in. We've had crazy cold and gusty winds over here. Many have said that their tomatoes are turning purple from the cold wind. I held off planting my tomatoes because of the cool temps and crazy winds, but I also know that if I don't get them in the ground soon, I am hooped! Such a dilemma! Was going to do it on the weekend but they were predicting possible frost so everything got tucked back into the greenhouse for a few days. I finally got the tomatoes into the ground yesterday (June 10th) as we have a sunny, warm week ahead. They are looking perky and happy today. The Soil Besides the fact that this rain is so needed, it has also helped my soil with absorption. The soil in my garden (and my brother's, too) this spring has been so hydrophobic (repels the water, does not soak in) that is has been tough going to water in the seeds and seedlings. I do not remember this happening when I lived here on the prairies in the early 2000's. Maybe I planted later as I was so busy in spring at work (spring is crazy busy at greenhouses) and running kids around? On the island, soil becomes hydrophobic in summer, after a few months of no rain. Here, to have it happen in spring, after the snow melted away, just seems so bizarre to me. The soil is damp an inch below the soil level, but very crusty and dry on top. The rains have fixed up that problem. If your bed is not yet planted up, you can also run a hoe through it to break up that crusty layer on the soil's surface. It becomes a bit tougher when you have plants in the bed, but you can run a small hoe in between the rows. Oh... Regarding tulips. You can go two ways with them once they finish up. You can clip out the flower stem after the bloom is finished but leave the leaves standing until they go brown. This puts energy back into the bulb so they bloom again next year. This works well in a flower bed where perennials will grow and hide the unattractive yellowing leaves. Or, you can lift the entire bulb, leave the leaves on, snip out the flower stalk. Place them in a box or a pail and stick them in the shed till planting time in fall rolls around again. Remove the browned off tops and plant. I may do that with these ones in the mulch all around the perimeter of the patio. What else can I tell you? I picked up another bag of potatoes (hubby's favourite - Red French Fingerlings), as they were on sale, and I have a great spot for them. Why not, eh? We cannot grow nearly enough to store for the winter but will have fresh eating spuds for the summer and maybe, just maybe, enough to get us through the Christmas holidays. Every bit helps in today's economy. They are also sprouting in the bag, btw, so will need a trench or a larger hole so that I can place the sprouts in the ground. Potatoes can be planted till mid to late June. I bit the bullet and ordered another pistachio green raised bed (check out this black one, wow!) to go on the other side of the greenhouse. The mister is putting that together as I type. Edited to add that the beds are on sale right now, too! I was going to wait till next year (because of the cost involved) but was trying to figure out what to plant in the shady area at ground level, how many pots I would need for my peppers, how high to build a shelf to hold the peppers.. I finally decided that if I buy the bed now, those questions all go away. I can grow the peppers and eggplants right in the bed, no pots required, and no need for shade veggies underneath the shelf of pots. I already have two part shade beds for veggies. In one bed, I have the tomatoes, cucumbers, and melons, as they require more water. In the new bed, I have the peppers and eggplants as they like to be grown on the drier side, do not like wet feet. They both get watered every 2nd day right now, just till they get rooted in. After that, the tomatoes will be watered every 3rd day while the pepper/eggplant bed will only need a good deep soak once a week. This gives your peppers more heat and flavour, plus gives you more peppers. If they are kept moist, they will flower and fruit much less, and the peppers will have little to no heat. Learning how best to use the greenhouse is always a learning curve. You need to get to know your property, how much sunlight you get in the greenhouse, your spring weather, fall weather. Just keeping doing your thing, trying new things each year. Not everything will work each year, but that helps you figure out what to do next year. Having these raised beds in the greenhouse will be a game changer for me, as the soil will warm up earlier, allowing me to plant earlier. We are also no longer going to have to use the greenhouse for winter storage (yay!) as the shed has been rearranged and set up with new shelves to house the pots and patio furniture. Spring planting will be far more organised next year. It only took us two years to get to this point, hah! If you have not done so yet, this is a great time to direct sow your seeds. Flowers (calendula, zinnias, cosmos, alyssum) and veggies like carrots and beets. You can also sow your warm weather crops like cucumbers, squash, pumpkins. Start melons indoors rather than direct sowing the seeds. They need that head start with these cool night time temps we are having. We have been harvesting our fall sown spinach for a few weeks now but some have already started to bolt. Doesn't take long once things start to heat up... not that it feels like we have had any hot-to-handle days yet. I have planted up one whole bed with brussels sprouts! That is like a lot lot lot of sprouts! I had sown some seedlings in April, during a lovely warm spell. Then I bought a 6 pack, too, as the seeds were taking so long to come up with our cold spring weather. Lo and behold, everything came up just fine, so now I have sprouts for days. Trust the process, you all! This is where hubby dumped the straw that was on top of the garlic this winter... in a corner bed that I had planted up with tulips and other bulbs last fall. Poor tulips! *Disclaimer. As an Amazon affiliate, if you were to purchase an item(s) from any of the links, I get a wee small amount of money to support my blog. It does not cost you any extra to purchase through my link than if you went to that item through your own search. Many thanks for your support! What To Direct Sow Now. Rutabagas - these guys are sown in late spring or early summer so that they grow during the heat of the summer and finish off in the cooler months. Squash and pumpkins can be direct sown now. Cucumbers can be sown now, too. Hoping we get no more temps much below 10°C (50°F) or that will slow down and stunt the growth. Carrots, of course, and beets. Swiss chard for a late summer crop. Mustards, cress, arugula. Not to late to sow seeds for calendula, borage, gem marigolds, many of the annuals. Happy Gardening ~ Tanja

Here are some great Father's Day gifts, or maybe birthday gifts ideas... or just because you love them as they are pretty awesome. For The Chef Dad Check out these amazing skillets and Dutch Ovens, and that amazing Wonder Oven that does it all, is an air fryer and convection oven, etc... This awesome looking 'oven' is high on our want it list. All of these items come in different colours, including the loveliest sage green. Make your no-knead bread (sourdough or not) and bake it to crusty perfection in one of these great Dutch ovens (check out the one that is a skillet and Dutch oven in one. Our Pace Wonder Oven in colour Blue Salt / Our Place Non-Stick Ceramic Skillet in Blue Salt Our Place 5.5 Qt Pan in Blue Salt / Bruntmore Cast Iron Skillet in colour Turquoise Bruntmore Cast Iron Dutch Oven in colour Dark Blue Bruntmore 2 in 1 - Skillet and Dutch Oven in Sky Blue For the chef that loves gadgets of all kinds (that is my hubby) These items are all on his wish list for Father's Day. Oh, and the son in law has the vacuum sealer and loves it for saving leftovers and all his fishing catches. Ninja Creami ice cream maker in Rose Gold / Vacuum Sealer / Food Dehydator *Disclaimer. As an Amazon affiliate, if you were to purchase an item(s) from any of the links, I get a wee small amount of money to support my blog. It does not cost you any extra to purchase through my link than if you went to that item through your own search. Many thanks for your support! Gift ideas for the Gardener Dad..... A rain gauge is super handy and lots of fun to keep an eye on, too. We have had 68 mm thus far here in our yard, my brother out on the farm west of here has had less than 10mm. Yikes. Mine is old but I love it, however these pretty ones make me want to change mine out, especially the one with solar lights! Cast Iron Bird Rain Gauge / Flamingo Rain Gauge / Rain Gauge with solar lights Copper Thermometer / Large 12" Stainless Steel Thermometer / Waterproof outdoor clock with thermometer. I love this insect netting. As you can see, we made our hoops with white poly pipes from the hardware store. They are screwed in on the sides with metal clamps and have pipe also across the top to keep the hoops from flopping in case of heavy rain, hail, or snow. We used the black clamps to secure the netting to the hoops. Here on the prairies, I will be using this bug mesh over my brassicas (cauliflower, brussels sprouts, broccoli) but I used it in summer for my onions on the island as I had a terrible onion maggot problem. So, on the island it was used year round - fall, winter, spring for brassicas, and in summer for onions. Zero bug problems after that. Remember that the onion/leek/garlic maggot comes from a fly, while brassicas are bothered most by aphids and the white moth that lays eggs that turn into caterpillars. Insect Netting / 6 pack hoops for row covers 40 piece greenhouse clamps / 30 piece clamp set for white tubing low frames These fantastic items on sale for Father's Day - limited time deals. 52' solar lights / dual chamber tumbling composter / 110' expandable hose, brass fittings That hose though, eh? Love it! Love the ones that just shrink right down into no space at all. This one has a 2 year warranty so is going to be better than the ones we used to get a few years back. Happy Planning. Don't forget to check out this week's Sunday Bits for all the recipe ideas to make this Father's Day the best ever ~ Tanja

I've been a planting fiend this week, trying to get everything in the garden so that we actually have something to harvest in fall. Thing is, the nights have still been cool and the winds are brutal! Very cold and very gusty. Has been a bit of a guessing game as to whether to put stuff out, or sit on it a bit longer. On the west coast, we used to call these cool June months Junuary... a cross between summer and winter weather. This is when a really good, long coldframe comes in handy. Things can be planted in the coldframe, making roots and getting growing, as you can close the top for the cold days and nights. All I can say is that my greenhouse and the mini-greenhouse  have been super handy as I haul things out and then tuck them back in again ; ) I am planting the tomatoes today regardless. They do or die. If I don't get them in the ground, there will be no food to harvest. I have also started the Plan Elimination Diet that I told you all about last week, and am doing well. While only 5 days in, today is day 6, I've already learned a bit about my reactions to food. The bonus, and best feeling of all, is that I have already lost 4.5 pounds, too. If you are thinking of trying it... you gotta be ready to chop a lot, lot, lot, but if you preplan a little bit, you will be just fine. You also should like carrots (and onions). The more you like them, the better off you will be. I have decided that I never want to see a cooked carrot again after I finish these 20 days. Raw is fine but cooked is ugh. Ps, if you have arthritis pain, check out MSM . It also helps with many other things, like rosacea, boosts immunity, reduces inflammation, speeds recovery, relieves allergy symptoms, and more... plus little to no side effects. Why on earth have I not been told about this before? *Disclaimer. As an Amazon affiliate, if you were to purchase an item(s) from any of the links, I get a wee small amount of money to support my blog. It does not cost you any extra to purchase through my link than if you went to that item through your own search. Many thanks for your support! On to the fun Sunday Bits and things! So Many Bits of Gardening Inspo This Week Planting hedges and hedgerows. You don't need to have a large property to really appreciate this post. It's a fantastic read and great pictures, too. We made a large hedgerow across the front of the island acreage for privacy, colour, beauty, to feed the birds, house the small wildlife. At this new house, we have a few semi-unhappy shrubs dotted along the side of the front yard. The plan is to fill in the gaps, remove the deadbeats, make it into a lovely hedgerow for the birds. My daughter has a lovely hedge between her house and the neighbour. This hedge is always full of little birds, eating the berries, the seeds from the flowers, making nests. It is just outside her large picture window and I gotta say, watching those birds is more fun than tv! This article about how much water your strawberries need . This read is on the longer side, but if you have ever wanted to make a small home mini orchard, you will really enjoy it for the ideas and the information. Very informative read, even if you just want to plant a few fruit trees or shrubs. When we bought the acreage on the island back in 2013, the first thing we did was to plant a wee orchard to frame in the potager. We were harvesting fruits within three years. We later planted another orchard up in the front yard with just shrub fruits. Here at the new city house, we have to be more particular with the space. Not sure I would call it an orchard, but many fruit trees and shrubs have been going in since we bought it. Growing food is still where it is at! How to make healthy soil so you never have to fertilise again. Have earwigs? Read how to get rid of them here . I've always had earwigs around the property but never enough to do anything about them. I just let them be. However, Connie at Connie's Dahlia's cannot have them eating her lovely flowers, so she came up with this awesome trap.. Buy a 3/8 inch inside diameter soaker hose - comes in 50 ft lengths at most big box store - cut this up into 6 or 7 inch lengths ( the earwigs like to crawl up inside to hide). Go to your DOLLAR STORE and buy tons of plastic clothes pegs or hair clips large enough to attach the hose lengths to your stakes. Place the pieces close to where your blooms are happening. Have a bucket of soapy water available, take the hose pieces off every couple of days and tap inside the buckets - you will get tons of earwig s. Check out Charles Dowding's latest results from his no dig trial bed . He has two beds side by side that he plants up exactly the same. One is a no dig bed, the other is a dig bed. Hint... save yourself the backache, stop turning that soil. This read about Mulch FAQ'S Answered! So much great information about how, when, why, etc... to mulch your gardens. This video from The Chelsea Flower Show. I did not watch it, just enjoyed the photographs. Homey Bit of Inspo This article could be in the gardening bits but thought it was more appropriate here as it is all about making your yard cosy... 20 simple ideas to bring your dream backyard to life. How to fight pre-company stress ! 23 houseplants that can survive zero sunlight. This 1800's home in the UK is perfect! Often these older English homes can be dark, but this house is bright and light and beautiful! I love this cosy, homey Station House . I could move in today and not change a thing. Make a cardboard loom. Inspirational Recipe Ideas for Father's Day and Canada Day I'm starting to plan for Canada Day already, coming up with ideas that are easy for a crowd, seasonal is always a great thing, and most of all, they have to be yummy. Here are some of the things on my idea list so far... This potato salad ! Dill pickles makes everything better ; ) Mediterranean baked feta (or haloumi) with tomatoes . This tomato, peach, burrata, and cherry salad is a show stopper! A Strawberry Brita cake . This is my cousin's favourite cake ever. Just as an aside note... It has become very popular in Finland apparently, making the top 3 list, though I had never heard of it. This Strawberry Cheesecake. See it in the picture above. I will be making one of these for hubby on Father's day as neither kid will be around that day. I have never made a baked cheesecake but she swears it is easy, so I will try. Btw, cheesecake in generally an okay dessert for diabetics, within reason, does not raise their numbers much at all. This strawberry cheesecake ice cream pie will make a lovely Canada Day dessert. Or this Easy Strawberry Ice Cream Cake . Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Sandwiches . These look amazing. I really need one of those Ninja Creami's ( love this one in rose gold! ) to make some ice cream. I have a birthday coming up soon ; ) This delicious Strawberry Bread recipe. Oh yum! Red, white, and blue popsicles. You can add the blue, if you want, or just make them red and white for Canada Day. Either way would be yummy. I am always on the look out for something yummy to give the grandies that is dye free and a healthier option for a kid with ADHD. Mocktails you can easily make at home. Bring on Canada Day! A jam packed, idea filled Sunday Bits for you all this week! Don't forget to check out the Father's Day gift idea post : ) Have a fantastic day, Tanja

The first weekend of June. Isn't it lovely? I sure am loving these longer days. I've been planting up a storm, and moving the tender plants into the greenhouse to harden off. I am trying some chaos gardening this year. Very unusual for this gal who tends to like formal plantings and nice straight rows of vegetables. Instead, in a couple of the beds, I have just tossed in a mix to see what happens. I have developed something called allergy induced asthma so am coughing and wheezing as I go about my planting. So, on the agenda this month is change! I will be starting with The Plan diet to (hopefully) narrow down what is giving me hives, causing gut issues, and worsening my arthritis. This diet was actually designed to help you find your weight gain triggers so you lose weight. I'm going to see if I can figure out my arthritis triggers (and hopefully lose weight, too). Will let you know how it goes. Besides the garden work, yard work, and housework, I'm also going to fit in a wee bit of stretching, yoga, and exercise, too. Wish me luck! I thought I would share that in case anyone else is having issues with their tummy, or losing weight, or anything else that you think might be food related. It is an elimination diet and you slowly reintroduce foods. Hey, you can do anything for 20 days, right? Love June! Tis the last month of school for the kids, means ice cream breaks and rhubarb strawberry pies, sunshine, longer days, so many things to look forward to this month. These are a few things on my list... House hunting with my son. My birthday Father's Day Book club meeting on Tuesday Sunshine, dinners out on the patio Planning and designing the garden renovation Here are this week's Gardening Bits.. . The dwarf tomatoes were shoved into the mini greenhouse on the deck while the temps were near frost last week. I think I've shared this lovely cottage garden with you before but I promise you will enjoy seeing it again. This is a great time to peruse the pictures for ideas while we're in planting mode in our own gardens. I've also shared parts of this one before but sharing again as I love those zinnias in the potager. Will be adding either zinnias or cosmos to the corners of my food garden beds. Love them both equally. This post with 10 steps to an edible garden . These 3 before and after edible gardens . Homey Bits I really loved this garden tour. but mostly, I just want to know where to buy one of these fantastic water tanks! If anyone has ideas, please share! I love the look of it, would fit in most all gardens nicely. Wondering how to make your porch or patio more inviting, more relaxing? Check out these ideas. So many pretty ideas. I love to add cushions to the chairs on the deck and the patio... but at our house, they're just like the extra pillows on the bed... hubby walks over to the chair, chucks the cushion in the corner, and settles in... so, cushions only on the chairs that I sit in. This tiny cottage is just about the perfect mother-in-law suite. Love the backsplash tiles! This cosy apartment is about the same size but has a totally different vibe. Is super cute. Green Straw Bag / Straw Tote Bag / Leather Tote Bag (comes in several colours) You all know me and my love of tote bags. They are great for outings, travel, going to London Drugs for 'just a couple of things'. How is it that I always come out with way more than I went in for? I was going to post only straw bags but then saw that leather one and thought, man, that is just about perfect, so added it as well. To check out the prices and colours, just click on the picture, or the link below it. Recipe Bits These sourdough thumbprint cookies look so good. A twist on the classic. We have a 4 way apple tree, meaning a tree with 4 different apples grafted onto it. I swear one is a crab as the apples are very small. They are also only yummy for a few days time. After that, they become mealy and yucky. I would love to juice those apples this year Make both apple jelly  and juice, and not just toss those apples into the green bin. We bought a juice maker a few years ago ( it makes juice, jelly, sauces). We made grape juice last year (so very yummy). These juice makers are in many Scandinavia households as concentrated juices ( saft) is how they make juice. No dry powder mixes, no frozen concentrates. Instead, the concentrated saft is sold in bottles at the grocery store (like a cordial). You mix it with water, make it as strong or weak as you like. Use your garden fruits for making your own healthy juices. Easy fermented lemonade ! Mmm. Any kind of lemonade and I am in! Easy sourdough lemon cake . Blueberry muffins. *Disclaimer. As an Amazon affiliate, if you were to purchase an item(s) from any of the links, I get a wee small amount of money to support my blog. It does not cost you any extra to purchase through my link than if you went to that item through your own search. Many thanks for your support! Then there is this Wendy's Frosty recipe... found the recipe on TikTok, am hooked. 2 cups chocolate milk 1.2 tsp of vanilla 1 tablespoon of Jello Chocolate instant pudding Mix with your frother. (or a blender ) Stick it in the Ninja Creami ice cream maker. Boom, instant yummy treat for you and the grandies. Add Bailey's or instant espresso coffee in it for a something special kind of treat. For a malted treat, add some Ovaltine. Or add chocolate protein powder. That is all the goodies I have to share this week. Though I will add, if you see the coupon pop up show up on your Amazon shopping, click on them! You can save from $2 to $25 or even more, depending on the item and the coupon. Very worth your while. We are off to my granddaughter's 3rd birthday party this afternoon. Grampy built her this super cute mud kitchen out of scrap wood and pallets, while I painted it up and found some cute small pots and pans for her to cook with. Let the mud cake making begin. She is going to be so excited.

We've had a very rainy and grey week but, luckily enough had a few hours of sunshine here and there. In between showers, I was able to plant up most of my beds and pots. 'They' say that summery weather is arriving so that sunshine will make those seeds pop up in no time. The guys got the new fence up in just a couple of days, too. It went lickety split. Hubby and the neighbour took down the old fence and built the new one in 3 days (also in between rain showers)! All that remains is to build a gate of some kind. I wanted something pretty and fancy but it looks like plain jane is what I am getting ; ) It has to be fairly sturdy as Berkely, the Saint Bernard, likes to jump up and say hello (aka scare the bejeebers out of people). This was my bag of seed potatoes. They were sprouting in the bag as I waited for a good day to get them planted up. If yours look like mine did, do not break off those sprouts. Instead, plant them a bit deeper to cover most all of the shoot, or place them a bit sideways in the hole/trench. Removing them takes too much energy away from the seed potato. I rarely ever cut my spuds in half, or pieces (just not something I do) but as I have room for 5 rows of 4 spuds in my beds, I needed 20 seed potatoes. In a perfect world, I would leave the cut ones overnight to scab over to prevent disease from setting in, but there was no time as I was already in planting mode. I decided that they'd get an hour in the sun while I raked out the bed and made the trenches. One makes do and hopes for the best. That is kind of how my week went... I made do and now am hoping for the best, hah! Here are this week's Gardening Inspo Bits... I am looking forward to setting up my birdbath with one of these cute solar fountains . They are solar powered so can be placed in any sunny spot in the yard. I have even seen them placed in large cylindrical glass vases in a planter pot. The fountain comes with several different spray nozzles (does not have to be this really tall spray, this was just for fun with the dogs). I'd like to add that these fountains are Hemingway approved. You can also get one with arms that keep the fountain centered in your birdbath, instead of floating around. I like the spray patterns on this one. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- New to the blog? For where you can buy any of the items mentioned, just click on the underlined links and you will go right to the source. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Disclaimer. As an Amazon affiliate, if you were to purchase an item(s) from any of the links, I get a wee small amount of money to support my blog. It does not cost you any extra to purchase through my link than if you went to that item through your own search. Many thanks for your support! W ood versus metal raised beds - read the pros and cons. I've mentioned this before, but after buying that green bed for the greenhouse, I wish we had gone with metal in the yard, too, rather than wood. Check out how awesome the ones in the above picture look. This podcast about home gardeners adapting to climate change. This long wooden deck set up with seating area and eating area. Love the casual, comfortable look... and especially like how the planting beside the deck. These ideas to steal from The Chelsea Flower Show . Also this article with 8 Landscape Trends from The Chelsea Flower Show. Renee's Garden Seeds is having their end of season sale. Everything is 40% off, prefect time to pick up your favourites for next year! Homey Inspo Bits Pickled Peppers by the jar (small batch recipe). I love small batch recipes that you can use as you harvest a bit of stuff at a time from the garden. How to deep clean your front loader washing machine. The best advice in this article was the bit about using powder soap! I'm off to the shop to pick up some Tide, lol. I decided to clean my washer after reading this article but instead using my Mint Cleaning Products to see how they do. I sprayed down the glass door, the front of the machine, rubber door seal, soap dispenser, and the crevice between the seal and the machine with the multi-purpose spray . I then used the microfibre cloth to wipe everything down, and I gotta say, everything is sparkling clean! Even that yucky little crevice under the rubber seal is clean! I used a wee bit of the scrubbing powder on the bottom of the door to get rid of the hard water stains. They were gone in seconds. Easy peasy. When I pulled out the filter at the bottom of the machine, it was covered in dog hair and super smelly. I cleaned that with the multi-purpose spray, too, so now the entire machine both smells and looks clean. I sure wish they had a machine cleaning powder so I could run a cycle with it. I wonder if the deodorizer would work? I will find out from the Mint ladies! Bits of Recipe Inspo Bowls are my most favourite thing right now... Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl and Rainbow Veggie Bowl. This roasted tomato and cheese spread is all the rave! My daughter makes it with feta cheese instead and uses it as a pasta sauce. See that recipe at this TikTok link. These two yummy pink lemonade recipes, make them leaded or unleaded. Lemonade has kind of become my go to since I found out that the wine was making my inflammation worse. As I am not a fan of pop or other sweet beverages, am always on the lookout for a good lemonade... this one uses berries of any kind, this rhubarb ginger lemonade is on Facebook (not on his recipe blog yet) And to finish... this lovely breakfast grazing board ! I love this idea, reminds me very much of weekends in Sweden with my fellow nursing school student, Juanita, or buffet style breakfasts at most all hotels in Europe. What a nice way to start your weekend, or special day, or even every day. Hope your weekend is going superbly well. I am off to the nursery to buy more plants as I came up with a new idea! Will share during the week, when the sun is shining and I can get out to the garden again. All My Best ~ Tanja