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Happy Sunday, friends! I hope your day is shaping up to be beautiful, as ours is here in central Alberta. We have the grandies this weekend while their momma is at a painting workshop, so will be spending the day outside to keep them busy. Send them home pooped out at the end of the day ; ) Today is yardwork day... raking the lawn, removing straw from the garlic bed and blueberries, shovelling manure around the fruiting shrubs for an organic feed. We will add some to the perennial flower beds in a few weeks time, giving the wee critters time to leave their winter hidey-holes first. Gardening Bits But hey... It is getting close to direct sowing time for zinnias! Mid to late April on the west coast and just a couple weeks later here on the prairies. We are creating a couple of new pollinator strips in the yard this year, one out back and one out front, if time allows. Zinnias and cosmos are my most favourite flowers to grow as they are dead simple! They are drought tolerant, the bees,  hummingbirds, and beneficial insects all love them! They are like the perfect flower ; ) Here is my how to. Companion planting.. growing flowers with edibles. That is quite literally my gig! Check out this amazing backyard potager garden! Have you all heard about starting seeds in a snail roll? Honestly, one of the best ideas I have seen in a really long time. This is one of those hacks that works : ) Plenty of ideas in the this article about how to get rid of ants in the garden. Don't spray those aphids though, just plant flowers and let the beneficial insects get rid of them for you. How to attract pollinators to your garden. How to grow raspberries. I get asked this often, at just about every garden coaching yard visit. While your raspberries are flowering and fruiting, be consistent about watering to get lots of berries and for them not to shrivel and dry. Here on the prairied with the clay soil that holds moisture better, once a week is just fine, but on the west coast you may want to water twice a week during that time. Growing mesclun... mescluns are a mix of assorted greens. Like a salad blend! Pretty Bits These 22 amazing greenhouses! I love number 4. It's not the prettiest but boy, do I ever love it. The exterior of #14 makes my heart sing. I cannot pick a favourite, but number 16 might be the one... What do you think? Cute cottagecore decorating ideas. Love that ledge idea in the kitchen. These cooling (I need this!) hotel sheets are on sale at a great price and come in so many colours! I love the striped ones. Foodie Bits *As an Amazon affiliate, if you purchase an item from one of these links, I make a teeny bit of money to support my blog. It does not cost you a penny more than it would if you went to the item on your own, without my link. Huge thanks : ) Make layered yoghurt flatbreads! Yum! Are you a smoothie drinker? Grab one on your way to the gym (or the garden)? This drink maker is a game changer. One of the TikTokers I follow has this and raves over it. I really want this, hahaha. I love that fuchsia one in the picture, but it also comes in green... which seems to be my go to colour lately. Happy Sunday, Happy Gardening ~ Tanja

We are now on our 2nd spring and 5th winter, I think... the weather has been bonkers. We went from double digits one day to snow the next. That melted away, we had a few nice days, and then we woke up to snow this morning... that has also now melted away. From Sunday onwards it is supposed to be nice again. Oj vej! Here are some notes from potting shed about what has been going on the past week and what to do this week... I have been busy, you guys! We will be busy raking the lawn, removing the straw from the garlic, cleaning off the patio... again! Just general tidy up to get things looking good around here. I love raking! It gives one an instant sense of gratification. The lawn looks prettier, nicer right away. Getting rid of some of the dead grass, any leaves and things on the lawn... just a good raking will make even the crappiest of lawns look better. Speaking of crappy... see what our lawn looks like? Wait till you see it after we rake! I picked up a bag of grass with micro-clover mixed in so that we can overseed our backyard. It's such a mess from the dogs. We need to level things out to get rid of the lumps by raking (hah) some soil over it and then reseeding right over it. The grass from below will come up and the new grass will make it thicker, better. It will all have to be a patch at a time, cordoning the patches off from the dogs. Raking mulch and gravel pathways gets rid of any debris so that they instantly look much nicer. I do not yet rake up the dead leaves, plants, and flower stalks as I want the over-wintering critters to stay safe until they are ready to emerge from their hidey-holes. But.. when you rake your beds up, they look amazing, too. Nothing better than raking for cleaning things up, and it could not be any easier to do. My two blueberry plants were covered in leaves last year, then topped with straw to keep them from getting tip kill. As they are right beside the deck, we have just piled snow on top of them when we shovel our deck to insulate them from the cold, too. I will be uncovering these guys this week to see how they made out. This is a great time to give them a few shovelfuls of manure to feed them, as well. Just pile it around the base, rake it out a wee bit... the plant has been fed. Garlic - If your garlic is just covered with a little bit of straw, say 4 inches, leave it be to help retain moisture in summer and prevent weeds. However, if you have a whole lot on yours, like I do, then you need to take some of it off with the upcoming nice weather. This will warm up the soil and make it easier for your garlic to grow through. Garlic is super hardy, it will be fine even if we get a few more dumps of snow, and the frost. Inside the 'Potting Shed' I have been busy painting/staining the furniture in the potting shed all week. Some things were painted while others were stained. I had an old set of dressers that I have been using out in the garden shop for years... these got a new fresh coat of paint to feel like new again. I love the way these potting tables turned out. You can see the before and after above. I had envisioned a medium golden walnut stain in my mind, but ended up with this dark one instead. You know when you wipe it on, it is too late to change your mind, so dark walnut it is, hah! I'm just going to roll with it and pretend that was the intent all along. I am down to needing just one more coat on the workshop tables and then I am done painting! Ready for clean up (wash windows and floors) so I can haul in the plants and start set up for the workshops. Six Packs / 3 inch pots / 4 inch pots It all looks really nice, I am super happy with how it turned out, cannot wait to put my tomatoes and other seedlings in there. The shed is insulated and heated so no worries about freezing my babies. I have about a million snapdragons as most of them survived the dumping, and all my tomatoes to transplant this week, too. Going to be a busy week! In The Greenhouse Out in the unheated greenhouse, I have still not done much due to the wonky weather and my ongoing issues with allergies, but will be heading out to do some direct sowing of cool season crops. Yes, directly into the ground, as I am wont to do. Even though it is cold and will stay cold for a few more weeks yet. The cool weather crops do not care. I do not have a raised bed in there like you see above, just an inground one, but it will all work just the same. A raised bed will warm up so much faster in spring, so that is in the works. I want to put these galvanised raised beds in the greenhouse this spring. The melons will really love the extra heat, as will cucumbers and tomatoes. They will grow much better than directly in the ground as they get off to an earlier start. If you want to grow sweet potatoes or luffa gourds, these would also be the answer for them. We can start cold season crops in the greenhouse over here on the prairies already (could have done it a couple of weeks ago already if you were more on the ball than I have been, hah!) and they will come up nicely on their own as soon as the ground warms up to the right temps for them. Sow things like radishes, lettuces, spinach, peas, kale and other greens, and even your brassicas. Just go for it! Don't be afraid to try. If you prefer to start them in starter packs, that is just fine, too. Put your cool season crops inside a mini greenhouse (or tote bins) inside the greenhouse so you don't have to use a heater. If you prefer to put more out there than your cool crops, set up a heater to keep it above zero at night and put in anything and everything, except tomatoes, peppers, and other hot season veggies. They will be fine. Don't forget your min-max thermometer! That is key! Mini Greenhouse / Raised Mini Greenhouse / Portable Cold Frame/Greenhouse Potting Table with galvanised top /Potting Table with Everything /Potting Table with Soil Bin *As an Amazon affiliate, if you purchase an item from one of these links, I make a teeny bit of money to support my blog. It does not cost you a penny more than it would if you went to the item on your own, without my link. Huge thanks : ) Here are a variety of mini greenhouses and potting tables if you are also setting a new potting area, or needing work spaces in the greenhouse. I have the first one in both rows... that wooden mini greenhouse and the potting table with the galvanised top. I love both! Can highly recommend. Would give them both 5 stars. I really want to thank you all for the lovely comments in the giveaway. Thank you so much for playing along. The winner has been contacted and these lovely 'Shades of Pink' flowers are on their way to the winner, giving her lots of time to either sow some indoors for a head start, or direct sow at the end of the month. I have another giveaway coming up real soon. This one will be on fb and Instagram rather than a comment on the blog. Start thinking of names for this potting shed, studio thingie! Upcoming In The Week Ahead... I have no Q&A's this week, but I have a great tip from the winner of the seeds. She said that she has been putting her citrus peels (lemons and oranges) in her garden beds to keep out the kitty cats and it is working really well! I hope to be sharing the finished potting shed with you all next week, the big reveal if all goes well. With any luck, I will be holding workshops by the end of the month. Oh, and hey... if you were to come to a workshop, what would you like to learn more about. If you are a past attendee of my workshops, which one was your favourite? One last thing. We are hosting a big 'Spring Into Gardening' fling this weekend, on Sunday, April 7th, from 2 till 4. If you live in the area, please pop on over. It is at the Lundgren Center, right beside the post office. Lots of parking in front, back, and sides. There is no cost to come in, there will be free giveaways, and 'experts' talking about various gardening topics. Bring your questions and pop over for some free coffee, tea, and treats, and mingle with other gardeners. I will be talking about my most favourite thing... Companion Planting, and also How To Sow Seeds. The other topics will be... Watering In Drought Composting Overwintering Plants Geodesic Dome Gardening Cold Storage Tanja (me) – Companion Gardening/How to Sow Seeds Gardening: Where to Start Secret Garden Sure hope you will come! Have a Great Week & Happy Gardening, eh? ~ Tanja

Happy Easter Sunday! Such a lovely day we are having. The dogs are lounging outside on the deck, soaking up the sunshine while hubs is cooking up a storm. We are having the family over tonight for a combined Easter dinner and (my nephew's 20th) birthday celebration. Dinner will be traditional spring and Easter fare, but dessert is a Red Velvet Cake, his favourite thing : ) Gardening Bits We finally had a warm enough day to get out there to prune our apple tree. We just have the one in need of a pruning. We then went over to help my brother prune all his apple trees lining the driveway. Save all your trimmings for chipping into a green mulch this summer. I will be blogging more about it very soon but a good thick layer of green mulch is the best thing you can do for your gardens this summer with the expected drought conditions! If your tree is not yet leafed out, using the dormant oil spray kit on it now will help prevent many issues this summer. It kills off over wintering pests and diseases on your tree. Do your roses at the same time to cut back on black spot and other fungal diseases. Here are some great reads and links I found this week... I am a huge fan of raised beds rather than a garden plot, but at the local community garden, the plots are the most desired, they sell out immediately. I find raised beds are far less weedy and much easier to maintain. Here are some thoughts about Raised Beds versus In Ground... All about plant spacing and how to plant intensively in a raised bed. These 17 flowers that hummingbirds love! Plant lots in your garden and then you won't have to keep filling that sugar feeder ; ) How to plant and grow beets! How Sunflower Steve became a seed breeder. This was a really enjoyable read/podcast. These tasks do in the early spring garden. Homey Bits I love this laundry room! Not the stackable machines as I am under 5 feet tall, but all the rest of it is fantastic. Have pinned that cute drying rack for hubby to make in our teeny tiny, boring looking laundry room! I made this yummy looking strawberry pound cake for tonight, as well, for those of us who like a bit of chocolate cake but would rather eat something lemony ; ) It was super fast and easy to make (put the glaze on right away!) and is easy to put out for guests, to have with your afternoon cuppa, and even the little grandies will love it. I made mine in a small bundt pan rather than a loaf pan, to make it look a bit more festive. Renee's Garden Seeds is selling these awesome silicone pots. Thought you might want to know about them : ) And... Well.ca is having a sale on all sorts of organic cleaning supplies, including the Mint Cleaners! Order $35 or more to get free shipping. Or go straight to Mint and support the gals that way. You will be washing your hands all the time just to smell the handsoap, hahaha. If you have not tried it yet, you really need to. It is by far the best smelling product I have ever used, plus good with my allergies : ) Okay, I gotta go! Am off to vacuum the house before the guests arrive. Have a wonderful day, eh? Happy Easter ~ Tanja

Cosmos are just about the easiest flowers of all annuals to grow. They are hardy, do not need rich soil, self seed, are not prone to many problems or pests. This is all great news as they are also the prettiest of flowers with their delicate petals on tall stems, and frond like foliage. The flowers are magnets for birds, bees, and butterflies, as well as the beneficial insects (lacewings, parasitic wasps, tachinid flies, hoverflies) that feed on the pest insects and pollinate your food garden. Cosmos can easily get as tall as 6 feet, though can also be a dwarf variety for pots and border plantings. Growing Cosmos To direct sow cosmos, the directions always say to sow after your average last frost date. This is probably sound advice though I have always sown mine a week or two before. On Vancouver Island, in a zone 7, my last frost date was April 28th but I would sow the seeds on any dry day from mid to late April, whenever the garden soil was workable. Here on the prairies, in a zone 3 with a last frost date of May 20 ish, I sow anytime in May that we have conducive weather. Direct sowing is the easiest way to grow cosmos, though they can be started indoors to get a head start. To direct sow... Choose a full sun, or mostly all sun location. They do not need amazingly rich soil, will grow well in just average soil. In fact, if the soil is too rich, they will be more foliage than flowers. Run the hoe through the bed to knock down any weeds that are growing or germinating. I like the Winged Weeder (also called a triangle hoe) as it just slices underneath the surface of the soil, unroots and knocks out weeds without digging into my garden bed. Rake the soil to level it out. Sprinkle the seeds on the surface of the soil. Push the seed slightly into the soil with your finger, making sure the seeds are 3 to 6 inches apart. The seeds should be just covered with soil so it is about 1/4 inch underneath the surface. You can also sprinkle some soil or compost over top of the seeds rather than poking them in. Tamp the seeds into place with the back of the rake. Water them in. Water daily till the seeds have germinated, then you can cut back to a couple of times a week. Seeds will germinate in 7 to 14 days. As they grow, thin out the seeds so they are well spaced out at 6 to 12 inches apart. You can easily move the seedlings to another spot, just make sure you water them right away so the roots are damp in the new spot. Once they are well established water only as needed, no more than once a week. If you are in drought conditions, cosmos (and zinnias) are the flowers for you. They do not require a lot of water to give you spectacular results. Do not fertilise or overwater. They thrive in hot and dry. Growing them along a fence is a good idea for the support. Deadhead regularly to promote branching and more flowering. If you want them to self seed, allow the flowers to go to seed in autumn. To bring the flowers in as cut flowers, you want to pick them in the morning, after they have just opened. Strip off the bottom leaves, anything that will sit in water to keep the water fresh and keep them blooming longer. The flowers should last a week in the vase. Some of My Favourite Types of Cosmos Apricot Lemonade - 2 to 2.5 feet tall. Apricot coloured petals with lilac undertones. Apricotta - 3 to 4 feet tall, slightly ruffled edges, shades of blush, apricot, and rose. Candystripe - 6 feet tall, white petals with pink edges. Cupcake White - 2 to 3 feet tall, look like frilly cupcake liners. Cupcake Blush - 2 to 3 feet tall, look like pink frilly cupcake liners. Psyche White - 2 to 4 feet tall, frilly double white petals Rose Bon Bon - 2 to 4 feet tall, frilly, multi-layered, poufy pink flowers. Veloute - 2 feet tall. Dark velvet red flowers, others are white with red stripes, and variations of the colours mixed on the same stem. Xanthos - dwarf stems, pale yellow to creamy white blossoms. Xsenia - 2 feet tall, terracotta with rose pink undertones. These are just some of the newest varieties, ones that I surely do love, but the seashells and old fashioned colourful ones never go out of style! The Giveaway! Cosmos Apricotta, Saponaria, Lavatera, & Cosmos Double Click Rose Bonbon 'Shades of Pink' Contest Saponaria aka Soapwort - can be direct seeded or started indoors Indoors 4-6 weeks before the last frost, or directly into prepared soil after the last frost. Space 12" apart. To harvest as cut flowers, pick early in the morning to prevent wilting. Harvest when 3/4 of the flowers on a spray are open. Lavatera aka Annual Hibiscus - full sun location. Grows in average soil and rocky soil. Mix some compost into the soil prior to planting or drench plants with a liquid fertilizer in summer to prolong bloom time. Space 12 inches apart. Sow seeds where you want them to grow at about the time of your last spring frost. Or, start seeds indoors to get a head start on the season, and set them out after the last spring frost has passed. Harvest blossoms to use as cut flowers just as they open. Snip off old flowers once a week to promote blooming time. If you allow some seedpods to ripen and fall, lavatera may self seed. 2 types of cosmos, the Double Rose BonBon and Apricotta. How To Enter Prize: Win these four packets of lovely annual flowers to add colour to your yard, grow flowers for your cutting garden, and feed your pollinators, too. A $25 CAD value. To enter, all you need to do is put a comment below. I will choose a winner at random after the contest closes at midnight of April 2nd. The winner will be informed by email and I will send the seeds to you right away. Plenty of planting time. Terms & Conditions - Must be a resident of Canada as I cannot ship the seeds out of country. Thank you to Madeline at Fraiche Flower Farm for the seeds. Ps, if you enter as a guest, that is just fine, but please put your name after the comment so I know who you are : ) Good Luck ~ Tanja

So we missed the Notes post completely last week as I had an out of area Dr's appointment (that much closer to a new hip, you all). Nothing superbly exciting happened gardening wise as we were super busy, so that helps. Sobey's has the nicest parrot tulips in for Easter! The weather has been bonkers. We went from +19°C in our backyard to -5°C and snow. It snowed and was cold for a couple of weeks, then we had a day of melt and back to snow again. I am okay-ish with the snow... don't get me wrong, it is not because I like it, hah, but it will give us a bit more moisture. Hoping that this all turns to rain next week though. But, enough of that... on to other things. Hubby pruned our apple tree and tomorrow we will go over to my brother's farm and see what his trees need. They have not ever been pruned, except by the deer. The potting shed is almost ready for her big reveal! Oh, she really is pretty, you guys! Cannot wait to invite people in for workshops or gatherings. Will be hosting 'Tea In The Garden' this summer, a drop in meet and chat with anyone who wants to get together to talk about gardens, or anything else, plus have a poke about the gardens. I just have to get into potting shed to paint/stain the workshop tables, and the new potting tables. I accidentally ordered two! Was that a happy accident or a big boo-boo? This is the one I ordered. I quite like the galvanised top, will be easier to keep clean than wood, plus it adds an extra element. I also like the little hooks on the side for hanging small tools, or whatnots from. We decided not to put the middle shelf on the 2nd table so that I can put my soil bin under there. If you are quite tall, this table is not for you, but otherwise I would say that it is a decent potting table for the money. I have transplanted my dwarf indoor tomatoes into these great pots! Aren't they pretty? I can see using these pots for indoor plants, saving them for next winter's indoor tomatoes... all sorts of things. They are very nice and come with saucers. That matters, you guys! According to Rob Smith (you may have watched him on the allotment challenge a few years ago on BBC) the dwarfs need about 2 litres of soil to thrive (2 litres is 7 cups of soil). I'd say mine are just a wee bit shy of that, we'll see how they fare. I put the Bush Beefsteak into a bigger pot, into this lovely clay pot from Ikea. The Ikea clay pots are the bomb! This one was $9.99 with saucer included, and I picked up a couple that were a wee bit smaller, too, for herbs... or something. Oh, and here is an important thing if you are a displaced BC-ite starting seeds here on the prairies.... you cannot just go to the grocery store and grab a bag of potting soil and manure! Or go to Buckerfields for your dog food and grab a few bags at the same time. This came as a huge shock to me! Why aren't there any bags or bales inside the shops? They are still frozen out in the yard! We need potting soil, manure, compost, worm castings... stuff! We need it in March, not May, lol. So... this fall, you all, stock up on everything you think you might possibly need for spring in the fall! I like to transplant my seedlings and plant up my baskets with my 'secret' soil recipe (5 parts potting soil to 2 or 3 parts manure or compost) to give them nutrients as they grow, till they can get in the garden, or hang the baskets outside. I was unable to find any manure, compost, worm castings, nothing like that in my small town, but luckily I still had a bit of the Acti-Sol compressed hen pellets (chicken manure in pellet form) so was able to mix that in with my potting soil instead. I went with 6 parts potting soil to less than 1 part of the pellets as they are compressed and condensed manure. These dwarf indoor tomatoes are doing super well since they were transplanted, 3 of them are already flowering! They are in a kitchen nook that faces east but gets light from the south, as well, till I can get them out to a south facing window in the new Potting Shed. On the potting table... The celery, peppers, eggplants all look phenomenal. The celery will stay in 6 packs till they go into the garden but I'll soon pot these peppers and eggplants up into 4" square pots. They will stay in those until they are planted outside around May long weekend (weather dependent, of course). I have pinched back 3 of the peppers to see what I think. I have been growing peppers from seed for many years, but as most every single pepper grower that I follow never pinches them back, I have not ever done so either. You all know me and trials though, you never know until you try it yourself. So, I pinched back a few to see if there is any difference in my harvest. My regular tomato seedlings (for the yard) have made true leaves, will be ready to transplant next week. The Snapdragons mostly all made it! They are the tiny things hiding in the top left corner of the tray in the picture above. I dropped the tray as I was putting it on the heat mat so had to toss the soil back into the tray and hope for the best. Phew! The onion seedlings just got their 3rd haircut and are sizing up nicely. Each time you trim them back, they put more energy into growing bigger. Some folks worry if their onion seedlings are still kind of skinny when they plant them out, but not to worry! I have never ever had pencil thick onions to plant out unless I bought them from the wholesaler (the Walla Walla I sold at the greenhouse). My own are always smaller but always turn out fantastic. Here is what those tiny seedlings turned into! They grew fantastically and are still doing well in storage at the end of March. Oh, keep in mind that not all onions are good keepers. Sweet ones like Walla Walla and Vidalia will not store for long so grow those for eating first and the keepers for winter storage. What to Sow & Plant Now This is the week to start all kinds of brassicas and other cool weather crops. You can start them indoors if you prefer but you all know how much I hate pre-starting so I will be direct sowing as much as I can just as soon as the snow melts. Will direct sow peas, lettuce, spinach, mustard greens. You absolutely can direct sow things like broccoli, cauliflower, all these things but I will be starting them in 6 packs and growing them inside the mini greenhouse that is inside of the unheated greenhouse. They like the cold weather and don't mind the snow. It is also time to start anything else that says start 6 to 8 weeks before last frost. Things like marigolds, calendula, many of the companion flowers. For my lovely island and west coast garden readers, here is a what to do in April post from the ngp days. A couple of notes about growing your own seedlings... First, I see folks on the gardening pages being told that they have to have lights to start stuff indoors. This is not true. You absolutely do not need lights or bottom heat if you do not want them, or the expense. If you have a nice, bright, cool window, ideally south facing, you can grow anything you want. I personally love the heating mats as they make everything germinate faster but they are not necessary either. The key thing to remember if you do not have a heated greenhouse, lights, etc.. is to not start things too early so that they do not get too stretched out or unhappy. For those of you who love your lights and stands, that is wonderful, too! Second... you do not have to start anything from seeds if you do not want to! Your measure as a gardener does not come from what you start from seeds! You can buy the starts from the nursery, plant them up, and you are still 100% as much a gardener as someone who starts from seed. There are two main reasons that folks like to start from seed... One - more varieties to choose from. Maybe they want just heirlooms, or storage onions, or a pink calendula rather than the traditional yellow or orange. Something out of the norm. Two - they are antsy for spring, this gives them something to look forward to, to do until they can get out into the garden. They enjoy doing it. If you are busy with life, do not want to spend the money on the soil, pots, labels, fertilisers, or maybe just cannot be bothered with the fussing... You pick up what you need from the nursery and plant it up when the weather is fine. I'll see you at the nursery, haha! You all know how much I dislike to prestart things, hahaha. I direct sow as much as I possibly can, and I buy some things from starts. The only plants I like to prestart are the items that are different from the norm. I want what I want. I like heirloom tomatoes and a variety of eggplants, both are hard to find so I grow my own. I am also nuts about tomatoes, so there is that. I start my own peppers as I want quite a few of them for pickling and making salsa, it is cheaper to start my own. If I only wanted one or two plants, I would spend the $5 on a plant rather than a package of seeds. I am not a big fan of yellow so I grow my own calendula, nasturtiums, tagetes type marigolds. I like to trial new things that you cannot get from the nursery, too. However, I have zero problem picking up a 6 pack of brussels, a flat of Red Disco marigolds, and flowers galore at the nursery. Being at the greenhouse makes my heart happy. This Week's Q&A Question - Peppers are all germinated and look good. They're about 3" away from the grow light bit some look a bit on the leggy side. Don't have the second set of leaves yet but I'm wondering how to "thicken" up the stems. Fan? How long, how often? Thoughts , please! Tanja - Yes, a fan will definitely help. Making sure that they stay on the cool side will help a lot, too. You don't want room temperature around the clock or you will get lanky plants. Bright light but cooler temps will help keep them stocky. The fan blowing on them will help make them sturdier, too, plus will help keep the soil on the dryer side. Peppers prefer to only be watered when the surface is dry, approximately once a week. Don't forget to enter for the free giveaway. Open till Tuesday, April 2nd at midnight. Best of Luck ~ Tanja!

Hubs and I have spent the last week getting the gifts wrapped, under the tree, and shipping son's parcel off to the island. Gift wrapping is a combined affair at our house. We turn on a Christmas movie of some kind, this year it was White Christmas, a true classic. I grab a cup of tea or a glass of gluhwien ( a German mulled wine), while hubs goes for a glass of eggnog. We bring forth the supplies, and get down to business. It used to only take us one sitting to do them up but as the family grows with our kid's spouses, little grandies, siblings and niblings... well, now it takes us several sessions to get them all done. Time for another movie, more eggnog, more wine! We really enjoy doing this task together. Unlike many families, hubby that is the big Christmas lover at our home, while I am a bit more reserved (humbuggy, grinchy, hahaha), about it all. I like very simple, he likes to go big. He enjoys shopping, I do not. Yet it all works out just fine, a happy balance is reached each year. I may have gone a bit crazy with my letter stamping kit and holiday stamps this year. I absolutely love this set! These holiday sprig stamp set with holly and pinecones would be great for adding your own special touch. Disclaimer - As an Amazon affiliate, if you purchase an item(s) from one of the Amazon links in the post, I get a wee small amount of money to help support my blog. It does not cost you any more to purchase through my link than if you went to that link on your own ~ happy shopping! The Final Count Down! Here we are in the final stretch, the week before Christmas. Not to worry! There is still time for everything to come together! Time for that last minute gift to arrive, time to make and bake. And you know what? It will be perfect no matter what gets done, or what does not. No time to wrap? Shove it in a paper bag! No time to bake, hit up the local coffee shop or grocery store bakery. No time to hit the shops? Mason jars of jams or homemade Chex mix, a plate of your favourite cookies with a recipe card attached. Check out this lovely gift basket idea from the Craftberry Bush. I would love to get a basket like this! We have a bunch of lovely wee shops here in my small town, no need to go far to find a great gift idea! The Dollarama (we have 2) is fantastic, has everything you can imagine. Jars, tins, wrapping ideas, kitchen teatowels, pretty soaps, everything you need to make up a wonderful kitchen, spa, or homemade/baked gift basket. The Co-op and No Frills grocery stores have specialty foods and treats from all over the world. The pharmacies and small hardware stores have gift ideas galore. We also have the most fantastic boutique store, the Gift Loft, with gift ideas for everyone on your list. Oh, and don't forget to check out your local thrift/antique shops for that something special, too. Oh, and I forgot to say... if you are on the island, near Nanaimo, check out Island-ish for those handmade, unique, wonderful gift ideas. One of my most favourite places to go! I am sure (most) every town has one of these unique gift boutiques, worth checking out. If you are homebound this week, for whatever reason (the flu is making it's rounds), on-line shopping is the way to go. Here are some last minute ideas that you can still get in before the big day arrives. I saw the most gorgeous vintage cofffee/cocoa cup in an Insta photo last week. We readers were all drooling over them but the author could not remember where she got it from. I never in a million years thought I could find one similar, but after a bit of poking around... here they are! Whether for a hostess gift, a house warming, or a special gift for your besties, your recipient will love these! This set of two I really like because of the pretty colouring. They are calling it Amber. The link will also take you to green ones, which are super pretty, but cost (way) more than these ones do. They come with bamboo lids and spoons, if you want to use them for overnight oats, or fruits, yoghurt, etc... Here is a set of 2 mugs with lids and spoons. I love these so much! You can also get this 4 pack in Amber. Or, maybe you prefer this look with the ribs instead of the dot design? Is also available as a 4 pack of ribbed cups. These Amazing Lounge Wear Sets! This super comfy loungewear set comes in many colours. I love this green one, but the blue one and the khaki are also on my wish list. They get rave reviews! This bamboo lounge set would be so comfy around the house, or travelling! Comes in other colours, too, I just thought this one was nice and neutral, less apt to show the dog hair ; ) We bought this radio last year around this time, to play our Christmas tunes. Being of a certain era, well, all of our Christmas music is on tapes, cd's, or even records. This radio player plays them all. We get so many compliments on it! It looks kinda vintage, fits in with my decor, but best of all, was not super pricey either. My gf bought one exactly the same and loves it, too. The audio is really good. Here is the link for this one, and it is currently on sale! Order now and you will have it in just a day or two. Prefer one that is Bluetooth compatible? This one looks almost exactly the same but is a darker brown, has all the same features plus Bluetooth. So does this player in a lovely washed driftwood colour. This link here will take you to one that has Bluetooth but comes in graphite or oatmeal, in case you prefer a more modern colour scheme. One last idea. I know, you may think it is out there, weird and crazy even, but everyone I know loves a pretty kettle! No matter the age group. My son is 35, he loves my blue kettle with a wooden handle and wants one just like it. Everyone that enters our kitchen, regardless of age or gender, remarks on the kettle. While I could not find the exact one we have, I've pulled up a few others that are super nice looking. These first ones range from $50 to $99. This one comes in green or cream, has such a lovely shape, and I love the wood look handle. This one in cream and chrome is also super nice looking. OR, this one comes in putty, green, or slate grey. Very nice shape, I like it. Maybe you love butter yellow? This one comes in green, chrome, and yellow! These two kettles are over the $100 mark but both worth a mention. This lovely dark green kettle is amazing, love the wood handle, the base. Also comes in slate black. And the last one... this gorgeous flat black with copper trim! So pretty. It also comes in other colours. We had our monthly ladies coffee & chat the other day, with gift exchange. I came home with a bagful of chocolates, cookies (with a list of the varieties - great idea), homemade cranberry strawberry jam, and this amazing looking hot chocolate bomb. She even bought little containers for them and put a chocolate candy on top. Here is a recipe to make some yourself. I have never tried but this recipe has 5 stars, so this is where I would probably start. They would be lovely to gift in those pretty cups up top! If you are still on the fence about what to give, here is my favourites gift list from a few weeks ago, plus my gardener's idea gift list, too. These quick links at the bottom are not gift ideas but rather for those of us who absolutely need a desk calendar in time for the new year to start! I use my desk calendar for note taking while I am on the phone, dates to remember, pay bills reminders, pick up times/dates, new blogs to check out ... anything that does not need to be saved, the page that can be tossed at the end of the month. I also have a calendar on the wall for appointments and things to remember (*tip - my brother says remember to stash them rather than tossing them, in case you need to go back and check for dates of things - surgeries, legal stuff, etc). I get a free one from the bank, lol. This desk calendar is nice. I like the colour and the flowers along the edges... This calendar comes with all sorts of stickers, if you a sticker kinda person, and a note taking spot on the side. I like that idea... a lot. (I bought this one!) And just one more that I like and is at a reasonable price... This is an 18 month calendar! You can put it on the wall or keep it on your desk... also has the note area on the side. So handy! Happy Holidays, Friends!

It has been a busy week so my timeline is all out of whack. We had to drive to the north end of Edmonton for a dr's appointment the other day... busy on the way there and rush hour(s) on the way back. No time for stopping or much of anything fun. Would really have loved to stop in at some garden centres! We did, however, quickly pop into Ikea as it is handily accessible to the highway. I wanted to pick up some of their lovely terracotta pots. Super reasonably priced, they come with the saucers included! I am nowhere near organised enough yet to know what I need yet for summer so I just picked up three to get started. Summer is starting to arrive at Ikea, if you are wondering. Much of the outdoor furniture is out, though not yet the fun bits and bobs. The garden series is delayed because of all the goings on but I promise that the next one is coming down the pike real soon, and the pretty giveaway is almost ready! Garden Tips and Tricks Bits This is a question I am asked all the time... how to get rid of your grass, lawn. Read about it here. My son made a mulch lawn like they show in the article. His yard is small, has a huge cedar tree in it that creates shade and sucks up all the nutrients, plus 2 large rambunctious dogs. In other words, his lawn was always sparse and the yard was a muddy mess. We had a look at this lawn when we visited in January, during the rainy season on the west coast, and his yard looks so good! If you are thinking of doing it... do it, it is worth it, you will be so glad you did. What herbs and flowers to grow to make your own salves and soaps, comes with a healing salve recipe, too. These early blooming flowers to add to your yard for colour in early spring, and food for the bees, too. This great article about different kinds of dwarf tomatoes. I am growing a few micro dwarf types as 'indoor' tomatoes and some of the tree type out in the garden. How to grow sugar snap peas. Great read, good advice. This was a wonderful read about inspired container design. I have shared David Mattern's veggie garden ideas in the past, I really like his ideas. This container flower gardening podcast/article is so good! Think outside the box, do something fun! Everything you ever wanted to know about catmint. I love growing catmint. It is pretty, airy, and hardy. It does not get as big here in Alberta as it did in BC from what I have heard, but maybe that it is a good thing? When to mulch. This is actually very important. I have often heard that folks mulch with straw in early spring, when they plant their seedlings, to help supress weeds and retain moisture. The problem with that is that if it is still rainy season, your seedlings will soon be covered in mould or powdery mildew as they are staying too wet. Or, if you mulch when the soil is still cool in spring, the soil will take much longer to warm up and your seedlings/flowers will be stunted from the cooler temps. How to grow creeping thyme. I love, love, love creeping thyme. I was super excited to find a whole corner of wooly and creeping thyme in this new yard when we arrived. Sadly, the following spring only about 10% of the thyme was still alive. I have no idea if it was the dogs that killed it off, the hard winter, the spring floods, or a bit of everything. I tried saving the rest of it last fall but that area was flooded for a couple of days during the last thaw so really not sure if any has survived. Crossing fingers though. Reducing weeds with solarization. This might be the way to go for the person who was asking about garden pathways.... The best fertilisers for growing more blueberries. Growing blueberries on the west coast is easy breezy. The soil is acidic, does not need acidifying, the temps are moderate. Growing blueberries here on the prairies, with our alkaline soil and below 40's winter weather is a whole other thing. It takes dedication and they still might not thrive. I have had blueberries bushes here (back in Bon Accord) that survived but never thrived, but that was with no pampering or additional care. I tend to have a do or die attitude. However, this time I thought I would give them my best shot. 1 - I dug a hole in the autumn, dumped in a small cube of peat moss, mixed it up a bit with the surrounding soil, raked it smooth, let it sit all winter. 2 - In spring, I planted my 2 bushes into the peat bed, about 2.5 feet apart. They were deep watered once a week to get the roots growing and establish the bushes. These blueberry bushes were planted right beside the deck, in a sheltered and sunny location, so we can shovel snow on top to insulate from the cold weather. I also topped them with some straw in late fall to (hopefully) prevent tip kill. 3. Will let you know how they fare this summer, year 2. I will use one of the following ferts to feed them, or just feed with manure and use the sulfur to acidify the soil. Totally organic, not to worry. The one thing you want to keep in mind is to not get aluminum sulfate, as the aluminum can build up in the soil, you may be ingesting it. Big A-- Berry Fertiliser Down To Earth Fertiliser Garden Sulfur Lovely Gardening Bits This blank slate becomes an incredibly beautiful garden. The before and after. This super cute greenhouse (from Costco!). This greenhouse (Rhino) and lovely garden. I love these garden pics, what a great garden. This stunning garden party table in the greenhouse. Wow! This amazing linen crossover garden apron (or for whatever you like). Alternately, this Japanese crossover apron is an actual crossover and is a bit shorter, if you are vertically challenged (as I am) *As an Amazon affiliate, if you purchase an item from one of these links, I make a teeny bit of money to support my blog. It does not cost you a penny more than it would if you went to the item on your own, without my link. Huge thanks : ) House, Home, & Heart "I wouldn't say it's a single thing she told me, but the collective amount of knowledge over many years. She has given me everything I need to be a successful person, and I love her so much for it. The one that does stick out is, 'Most people want to be liked, so find what you do like about them and show them what that means to you.' This has allowed me to find the best in people, and then you can compliment them about something they might not even notice." Love this article with the best advice from mom's. This one above was my personal favourite. This Scandinavian apartment is perfect. These lovely blue/green/grey door colours. This gorgeous kitchen! How a kitchen designer can be the key to a smooth remodel. We hired a kitchen (and home) renovation company in Red Deer to design and do our kitchen renovation. This was our 3rd time doing this and I cannot imagine just 'winging' it unless it was a very, very basic kitchen and layout. Cathryn at KCB was able to take all my thought and wishes and make them happen, even in our very small kitchen (above). I had many needs. I am old enough, and have done this enough times, that I already know exactly what I do and do not want, so that is helpful when talking to a designer. A designer can pull it together for you, taking best advantage of the space, your budget, and knows all the sources, latest, greatest, newest, best. Highly recommended. If you are wondering where my kitchen post is... still waiting on the professional pictures. Some things are just out of my hands. These pretty pantry ideas! I am so jelly of anyone who has a walk in pantry. We have a pull out cupboard type, which is lovely, but more space is always wanted. What do you all do in the mornings? what is your routine? I confess that I get straight into reading and working. This read with 6 morning routines to make you happier and more productive will give you food for thought... I know it did for me. Hmm, start off the day with some yoga maybe? Can I do it? Can I change up my routine? Before coffee? This easter gift bag is the cutest! Read how to make it here. Recipes How to use foods and spices to naturally dye your eggs. The best ever carrot cake recipe! This classic, easy to make glazed lemon loaf. You all know how I love to share lemony recipes! These vegan hot cross buns for Easter! You can use regular milk, if you prefer, nothing says you have to make them vegan ; ) Just looks like a great and easy recipe. Mini egg chocolate chunk cookies. The grandies will love these! This marinated vegetable cheese sandwich recipe is perfect. I've mentioned this before but this recipe brings it all back again. I used to buy a marinated eggplant sandwich at a wee bistro (Carrot On The Run) back in Nanaimo years ago. This bistro (closed now for 10 years or more) was attached to the organic grocery store and sold the most unique and tasty meals and desserts. I still dream about that sandwich and try to recreate it. It was similar to this one, even though this particular recipe does not use eggplants. It is because of that sandwich that I grow eggplants each year. I will be making this sandwich as soon as I get one ripe eggplant and zucchini ; ) This creamy chicken avocado pasta salad looks amazing! This may be supper tonight, with crispy tofu instead of chicken, of course. Did you guys do the sourdough bread thing during the lockdown? I never did as I do not much like the sour taste. I am still intrigued though as it is said to be great for gut health. I keep thinking maybe I can learn to love it. Yes? Is there hope for me? I have heard that you can have change up the level of sourness in your sourdough. I would, of course, prefer to be on the lesser side and so am tempted to jump on that bandwagon now, four years later, to see what I can do... and if I can learn to like it. Here are a couple of links that I liked and have me wanting to try.... Beginner's guide to sourdough starter. Sourdough bread in a Dutch oven. How to make pain de campagne (country bread) Easter is just a week away, so many things I want to do, make, bake. I absolutely love Easter. My baby girl was born on an Easter Sunday, 34 years ago already, and we then spent the first four years of her life living in Germany, in the Black Forest. The Germans do Easter in a big way so the holiday has remained a special time ever since. We will all be gathering for dinner next Sunday so there is so much happening at the house this coming up week. Hope you all have a lovely week as we lead in to spring like weather, easter bunnies, & chocolate egg season ~ Tanja

It's been a hot minute since I last shared my favourite things and all the ramblings that roll around in my head. Things I want to share with you all that do no necessarily work for the Sunday Bits post... so here it is, my latest thoughts on all that is good in the world. Some of my favourite spring deals and ideas for home and garden. Still one of my favourite moments in the house is the spot in the foyer where my dried roses hanging from these hooks. We just cut a board, I slapped some paint on it, and hubby installed the hooks. Super easy. Not sure about your steady hand when installing the hooks? You can also buy the wall rack ready made for you. Comes in white, brown, black, and weathered barnboard. So... Did you know that spring is on Tuesday the 19th this year? As in today! It's a bit earlier (date wise) this year because it is a leap year. We have been having absolutely wonderful weather but this morning woke up to a cooler and cloudier day. They say winter is coming back for a week, supposed to get cold and snowy again by tonight... so, well, there is that, hah! Welcome spring, hah! We brought out our patio furniture on the weekend, thus making room for me to putter in the greenhouse! I will start my perennials out there, no bottom heat, no heat in the greenhouse, nothing. They will come up when the time is right. I am also starting my brassicas in there, popping them into the mini greenhouse that resides within the big greenhouse and they can pop up when their time is right, as well. Is hard to imagine that is supposed to be -2°C for a high this week while the temp yesterday was +19! More about the greenhouse in the Potting Shed post, when I see how horrible the weather actually is. Have you played the NYT new Connections game? That is my current favourite game! I actually pay $20 a year for the NYT Games package as I really enjoy the daily challenge. It is how I start my day, kick start my brain. I really love the Friday Crossword puzzle. Here is a link for free games if you prefer not to sign up to the NYT. I just found out that our local library has a book club! I can't tell you how excited I am. I went straight over, picked up my free library membership and the April book club book. I cannot wait. I love reading as much as I love gardening, they are my most favourite things. The book is called The Maid by Nina Prose. Have you read it? What did you think? I ordered a fancy new dog bed for Hemingway. It is supposed to last years and years rather than months like these foam ones from the local pet stores do. Hemi is a big boy at 238 lbs (or more, lol), so the foam ones soon go flat under all his weight. The amount of the foam beds that I have bought over the years for our mastiffs! This bed is said not to flatten under his weight, one lady claims she has had hers for 8 years! Anyway, the fantastic new bed has been stuck in customs for the past week while they try to figure out who is paying the duty fees... me or the vendor. This morning I decided that I was due for a treat so I made myself a lovely foamy (cashew) milk latte. What is it about frothy warm milk that just makes everything just a little bit better? Amazon is having a huge spring sale right now so I am sharing the links in case you want to treat yourself to something special. This is the Nespresso machine that we have, it is 44% off right now! I heat my milk in the microwave and then froth it with one of these handheld frothers, also on sale at 48% off. Or, get the frother with stand for just a few dollars more ( do this, it just makes sense). *As an Amazon affiliate, if you purchase an item from one of these links, I make a teeny bit of money to support my blog. It does not cost you a penny more than it would if you went to the item on your own, without my link. Huge thanks : ) Now, this one is a real big splurge but I am sharing it because it is so beautiful, plus because my daughter in law has one, absolutely loves and recommends it. It froths, it does everything, and it is pretty, too... but yes, it is pricey. A real splurge if you know any coffee aficionado's. This white one would look great on my counter top with those blue tiles behind it, hahaha, it is called Sea Salt. They also have other colours, like damson blue, which is a pretty dark, almost navy blue. These are also on sale, 26% off, but still a real investment piece. My friend asked me to look into really good pots and pans that are safe and non-toxic. I chatted with hubby about it (hubs is a chef) and he said that chefs will always pick stainless steel as their number one choice. I guess that is why we have the set that we have. He says it conducts heat better. It's not fancy looking but it is safe, completely non toxic, will last a life time. Cast iron is also popular choice, more affordable, and very, very safe. I personally love cast iron pans and use them every day, but they are so heavy. I need to use both of my arthritic hands to use the pans and the roaster. They can be seasoned any time you feel that they are sticking, super easy to do. I actually just brown some pumpkin seeds/pepitas for my salads once a month (sometimes weekly), with a bit of pink sea salt and lots of evoo. Pan is seasoned nicely, stays non sticky, and I get yummy seeds for my salads. Canadian Tire has a Paderno cast iron dutch oven on sale right now, perfect for making the no knead artisan bread, or check out this one on Amazon for even less. That first set is highly rated on Wirecutter. If you prefer a non-stick pan that will not flake and is safe to use, this one is highly recommended, gets 5 stars across the board. Vintage 5x7 machine washable rug / Persian machine washable 5x7 rug / 2x8 hallway rugs I used my other washable blue rug when we redid the grandies bedroom so I now need a more summer hued rug, one that I can switch out whenever I want a different look. I have mentioned before that my rugs have to machine washable, they have to be affordable, and the only size I can do that fits in my front load washer is a 5x7. So, these are the two that I am trying to decide between, plus will get new runners for spring as I put the others in our master bedroom after we got rid of the carpet. With my allergies and my big dogs, I need to be able to wash them often and vacuum them regularly. These are all non-slip and affordable. They come in other colours, too, if you lean more towards greys or something else. Check out some more of my favourites in 'How I keep my house clean with big dogs (&little kids). My allergies go crazy 2 or 3 times a year. I get wheezy and covered in hives from top to toe. They usually last a month or so, after which I am covered in scabs and scars from all the scratching. During this time, I clean every surface like a madwoman to get rid of any possible pollutants. So, I wash all the rugs, the throws, towels, bedding, and even the washing machine itself. I used to use Mrs Meyers multi purpose on everything from floors, to counters and toilets. Lemon verbena is my favourite scent. They even have laundry soap! I still use these, but my new favourite is the Mint floor wash. I use it for everything, too! Yes, I use floorwash for dusting, toilets, countertops, everything. They also have a fabulous laundry soap and fabric softener. Smells so good you just cannot help but get happy! Well.ca has Mrs Meyers on sale right now, check out this new scent called Daisy. Buy Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Daisy Bundle at Well.ca | Free Shipping $35+ in Canada These 21 lovely ideas for decorating with blue and white. These deals for the home that you really need. These floral dish cloths. Once you try Swedish cloths, you will never go back! This lovely white washed wooden farmhouse style pedestal. This peach blossom flowered table runner. Love this first riser/pedestal, the shape is so right! Then I see this white chippy one and now I don't know which one is best! Or maybe you want to put all your make-up, toiletries on a marbled ceramic tray instead? I have one of these and love it! And... tote bags. You all know I love them. This zippered, pocketed chamomile flower tote is great for quick trips to the shops, this navy coloured jute tote has a water resistant lining, and these washable, heavy duty, canvas grocery bags. This Sel de Mer tote bag that I bought for myself, baby girl, and my d-i-l, is still my most favourite ever. It stands on it's own, has pockets, zips up, is just the right size. The girl's love theirs and I get so many compliments on it. Even my brother commented on it, loves the frayed edges, must be a family thing! It comes in other colours, too, like red, pink, while, black, but I really love the blue one. You may know this about me already ; ) I saved the best stuff for last... anything and everything gardening related! Can you relate? Seriously fun stuff. We left the potting table behind with the greenhouse when we moved, so I am trying to decide which one of these would best work in this much smaller potting shed. Love the galvanised top on the first two, the hooks on the side of #1, but #3 has a soil bin and hooks! What to do? Get two 6'x3' galvanised raised beds at an awesome price. They have bigger and smaller but these are the ones I want to put in my greenhouse to raise the soil, warm the soil earlier, make my melons super happy. I know a lot of folks that are going from wooden raised beds to these metal ones and I wish I had thought of it last year when we made our raised beds. The prices are terrific and they will last a whole lot longer, too. If you are worried about them getting hotter or drying out faster, check out the read here from someone who has them. Prefer a squared off one in an 8'x4', check out this one that comes in cream, avocado green, silver, or green. These pretty pots that I bought for my dwarf indoor tomatoes. I have some fun household and Easter stuff to share but will put them in another post. I hope you like the sneak peek of the new studio shop thingie. The naming contest starts in just a few days! Stay tuned! Happy Beautiful Day ~ Tanja

You all know that commercial where they the lady is swishing around a mop and saying that the last thing she wants to do at the end of a long day is wash a floor? I used to laugh at that commercial, thinking who on earth is cleaning their floors each and every night? Maybe when I was in my 30's, but as I near my 60's, I snorted at the idea. Well...guess what I have started doing after the dogs go to bed for the night? Yep. How nuts is that, eh? But hear me out, with big dogs, doing a little bit each day is the key to keeping the house clean. It can get crazy dirty, real fast if you don't stay on top of it. Dogs and Kids - I've been a big dog momma for 20 years with English Mastiffs, and now a Saint Bernard momma, too. Big dogs (Hemingway is 240lbs and Berkeley is 160) track in a whole lot of dirt and mess with those massive paws, especially in spring and fall when the ground is wet. The one good things about snow is that there is less dirt coming in. These dogs drool, slobber, sling stuff on the walls, shed like mad, and track in dirt. Best dogs ever, though, so totally worth it. This post applies if you have kids, too, though. They also make window art, wall smudges, and spill on rugs... Here's how to easily have a clean house with big dogs, and kids, too. Floors- I've started to do a quick wash of the floors each evening before I go to bed. After the coffee pot is set for morning, the dogs have done their outside business and gone to bed, I give the floors a quick onceover so they are fresh for the following day. The other day, I walked in the house and thought, wow, the house smells lovely. No dog smell, no cooking smells, the house just had that freshly cleaned fresh scent. The fact that my house (currently holding 3 dogs and 1 cat) smells this nice when I open the door... well, I cannot even begin to tell you how happy I am. I don't have a whole lot of floors to wash as we have rugs everywhere. My Hemingway is afraid of floors so we have a rug in each room, and a couple runners going down the hallway, too, so it takes me less than 10 minutes to wash the entire upper floor. I use two different floor washes, whichever one suits my fancy that day. They are both mildly scented, smell nice, safe for all types of flooring, and environmentally friendly. You can get both at Well.ca (this is not a plug, I just know that they sell both there). The first one, my favourite of them all, is Mint Floor Wash. (they have a sale on till Nov 19th!) Only takes a small dollop in a bucket of water, is very lightly scented, smells so very, very nice. It's my most favourite of all. To buy this at a bricks and mortar shop, you need to reside on the west coast. It is sold in specialty gift shops on Vancouver Island and the mainland. If you live near there, google up the nearest shop to get some from. In Nanaimo, they carry it at Island-ish. The rest of us need to go through well.ca or 'MINT'. Try some of their other products, as well, you will love them all. I have the floor wash and the dish soap, and really want the laundry soap. The other one I use regularly is Mrs. Meyer's Lemon Verbena Multi-Surface Cleaner. It comes in other scents, as well, but this is my favourite. I have a thing for citrus. Mrs Meyer's also has a counter spray, window cleaner, all the things... and I use all of those things ; ) You can get this product at London Drugs or Canadian Tire, on-line, or, buy it from Amazon and have it come right to your door. I just found out that they have some new scents out, too, that I am excited to trial. Like apple cider counter top cleaner, orange clove handsoap, and rosemary dish soap, and most importantly, this glass cleaner for all those nose prints. Apple cider and rosemary sound so wonderful, sound clean, eh? Orange clove? Well, that sounds perfect for the holiday season. Rugs - So, if my floors are a mess from slobber, slingers, dirt, hair, and who knows what from these big beasties, you might be wondering what I do about keeping my rugs clean? I wash them in the laundry machine. Yep. All of them. The rugs in the sitting room, the doormats, the runners, everything. I have found the most fabulous rugs that are non-skid, no rug pads needed. They are pretty, come in all sorts of colours and sizes, are affordable, but best of all... they are machine washable! No more dragging out the carpet cleaner, though I have one for my living room rug (I try to dissuade the dogs from going on that one). All the others get tossed in the washing machine 2 to 4 times a month. Yes, sometimes I wash them weekly! I know you all are thinking I am off my rocker now, but as I like clean, it is a necessity with these dogs. I swear, I work harder now keeping the house clean with dogs than I did with little kids, when I was fit and able! Now, I don't want you to start thinking you'll get a cat instead, hah, big dogs are worth every bit of it and life is a breeze now that I've found these rugs! These fabulous rugs come in all sizes, but the biggest one I can buy to fit my washer is the 5'x7'. If you have a larger machine, or a top loader, you may be able to go bigger. If I wanted a larger rug in the sitting room, I could always place 2 rugs side by side as the rubber grippy on the back keeps them from moving about. Hemingway is afraid of all bare floors, be it tile, wood, vinyl. We have a few sets of hallway runners so we can change the colours out for the seasons. These are my new runners for winter that I just got in. This colour says warm and cosy. As these rugs are so affordable that I now use them out on the deck, too. Toss it in the wash, as needed. Check out this 5x7 rug. We have a wider runner in the bathroom. Nice under foot in winter. The runners seem to be a bit more plush than the area rugs are. The one thing I have to tell you is that these rugs are thin. They are not plush and thick, cushy under your toes. If you are looking for something cuddly underfoot, this is not what you are looking for. We wear slippers so is not a big deal for us. If, however, you have (grand) kids that spill food and juice, spouses that spill coffee, dogs that track in dirt, or high traffic areas like front hallways, these rugs are the answer! They do not bleed or fade, just look awesome all the time. Oh, and they dry in no time at all. I usually toss them out on the deck railing but on rain days, they go in the dryer for just 20 to 30 minutes. My son and daughter-in-law have two large dogs in a very small suite. They bought one of the Ruggables rugs and really liked it, but switched to these much less expensive ones when they saw how nice mine are. So many patterns to choose from. I like rugs with a bit of blue and orange, like this one, or this one, but also like blues with reds. They seem to suit this house the best. And they hide a lot of dirt ; ) I use darker, redder hues in winter, switch out to lighter blues in summer. This dark/light blue rug really suits my look. I love anything blue. And this one! This one would hide a lot of dirt and look so pretty. I absolutely love this blue one but not sure my washer will fit a 6x8 rug, it also comes in these lovely colours called retro beige (though it is anything but beige!). When you click on the links, you will see that the rugs come in pinks, greens, greys, reds, browns, all sorts of colours. These are just some of my personal favourites. *As an Amazon affiliate, if you purchase an item(s) from one of the links, I get a wee small amount of money to support my blog. It does not cost you any more to purchase through my link than if you went to the link on your own : ) Huge thanks for your support. A Good Vacuum - I vacuum once or twice a week to get up the dog hair tumbleweeds. A good vacuum is a must have. I happen to have a really good one. It sucks really well, but I hate it, so I won't recommend it, hah! You drag it behind you and it gets stuck on furniture and corners all the time. Don't get Hetty the vacuum ; ) Just know that mastiffs shed a lot, and St Bernard's shed even more. You will use the upholstery nozzle a lot to clean sofas, chairs, anything they rub against. Walls - This mop is the bestest of best tips for washing your walls (and floors). Mastiffs and St Bernard's are both slobbery. Have you seen the movies Beethoven and Hootch? Yeah, like that. They get slingers, they drool after drinking water/getting a treat, they rub their big ole dirty bodies against corners, shake their heads so slingers fly onto the walls... these dogs are messy. You will be washing your walls often. I also have a grandson who likes to run his hands along the walls as he walks down the hallway, he also hangs on to walls as he turns corners. If I had emojis on the blog, I would place an 'I don't know' and a 'laughing till I'm crying' emoji here ; ) I've found that the best way to wash walls, especially if you cannot bend and stretch well, is with this spin mop from Vileda. It makes it easy to keep my walls and baseboards clean of drool, dirt, dust, and fingerprints! I have fancy schmancy baseboards with lots of grooves to catch all the dust and dirt. If it would not cost so much money, I would switch them out with super simple ones. Instead, I run the mop along the baseboards often to keep stuff from building up. The triangle shaped mophead fits into corners and small spaces, does a great job on tiles, walls, grout lines, baseboards, even that slider door track. Oh, and no sheets to throw away, the mopheads last a couple of years at minimum! I have two so that one is always clean. For bookshelves, light switches, a quick dust, or wipe here or there, I use Vim wipes, but you could also use baby wipes, if you happen to have those on hand. They clean up the little messes and dusty bits lickety split. Other helpful tips.. Do a bit of cleaning every day to keep the dirt and drool at bay. Wiping, walls, vacuum or wash floors... do one of these each day to avoid getting overwhelmed. When I don't get to it regularly for some reason (arthritis is really bad), I hire a house cleaner to do a really good clean for me, hah! It's easier to keep up if you start with clean. Feed the dogs outside. My dogs eat their meals outside, on the bottom step to the deck. This raises the bowls off the ground a bit, to make it easier for them to eat/better for them, plus keeps the big messes outside. When too cold outside, we live on the prairies where temps can go to 40 below, they eat on a (washable) rug by the back door. We use metal bowls with grippy rubber on the bottom so they don't nose the bowls around the house. Or the deck. These ones are big enough for a mastiff snout to fit in well, hold enough food, and are not pricey. Metal is safer, harbours less bacteria, is easy to scrub good and clean. We always have two or more water bowls on the go, too. You want big ones to hold all their water as they drink a lot. One bowl is inside (on a rug to catch the drips), the others outside. The dogs will have a drink and try to use you as their drool cloth, so having a cloth nearby to wipe their jowls is a good idea. Grooming - The dogs have two big shedding seasons, spring and fall, during which time it really helps if you give them a regular brushing. We like this simple loop groomer, and the dogs love it. A slicker brush is also something we use often, they love to be brushed! Berkie goes to the groomer quarterly, but Hemingway is too chicken (a mastiff thing) so he gets a shower now and then in our new sauna shower. Windows - sticky slobber and nose art is a thing. You will need a good glass cleaner to get this off the windows and doors. I hope this does not dissuade you from getting big dogs. Big dogs are the best dogs ever. If you want a loving couch potato type, get an English Mastiff. If you want a dog with stamina, the Bernard is awesome. It is totally possible to have a clean home with big dogs (and little kids). Happy... Cleaning? Happy Clean Home ~ Tanja

Happy St. Paddy's Day! Are you wearing green, or did you get a pinch? Try some green beer? Irish stew? I am wearing head to toe green and flashing my green eyes at one and all today. Even though our weather is going cold and maybe snowy again for a wee bit this week, it still feels like spring. The cooler weather just reminds us not to get too ambitious out there quite yet. I have a whole bunch of gardening tips this week, staring with this read about how to grow sweet peas from a flower grower. I will be sowing mine outside in a couple of weeks, in late March. Tip for my west coast readers, I used to sow my sweet peas in the late fall for early blooms in spring. If I forgot, did not have time, whatever, I would sow the seeds in February or March, really early in the year, as soon as I could stick my finger in the soil. Grown in raised beds for great drainage, of course, we don't want them to drown or rot. I also sow regular peas at this time, edible ones. If you have not yet sown any seeds, today is a great day to do so ; ) I just got my dahlia seeds started this past week. If you are trying some dahlias from seed, here is a sowing and growing how-to from spring to fall. Renee's Garden Seeds has some great dahlia seeds. I love the ones with dark foliage, they are similar to the Bishop's Children dahlias which I have been unable to source for quite a while now. Growing cucumbers in pots. What we want to see in our landscapes in 2024. I can see all of these ideas being front of mind as we go forth. This article about filling a raised bed with good soil. Thought I would add my post about how we made our beds and filled them the first fall that we were here. We then topped them compost in the spring. Do you have seedlings falling over? Do they look like someone pinched the stems? All about damping off disease and how to prevent it. They are saying that we are in for a drought this summer, especially as we had so little snow. Here is an article about how to keep your yard healthy in drought. And this one about how to be water wise in the food garden. If you are in the Innisfail area, I will be holding a drought gardening workshop in April or May. Give me a shout if you are interested in hearing more about it. Sarah Raven's absolutely stunning Perch Hill garden. Succession Planting with Meg Cowden from Seed To Fork. Growing Veronica. These perennials are tough, like full sun, can handle a whole lot of abuse, and look fantastic. I have several colours in my front garden bed as I lovely the upright flower spikes. Veronica is known for getting powdery mildew though so make sure you have good air flow, do not crowd it in but instead put it in the front of your border garden. Indoor-Outdoor Rug / Indoor Outdoor Rug / Washable Non-Slip Rug / Jute 3x5 Rug The first three rugs are all machine washable, non-skid, can go inside or out. I added the larger jute rug in case you like to layer rugs, as is the trend, or maybe you prefer the look of the jute on it's own. Always classic, always lovely. Lavender & Daisies Wreath / Forsythia Wreath / Peony Wreath *As an Amazon affiliate, if you purchase an item from one of these links, I make a teeny bit of money to support my blog. It does not cost you a penny more than it would if you went to the item on your own, without my link. Huge thanks : ) Homey Bits These lovely porches for spring. Do you go all out with your porch decorating? I usually just have a nice-ish doormat and a wreath for 2/3's of the year, lol, plus flowers pots or boxes in summer. This post makes me want to up my game a bit! I love the layered rugs look! I pinned some ideas for wreaths and rugs up top that I really liked while staying within a budget. How to dye your eggs using natural dyes from stuff you have at home, in your kitchen. This is about the loveliest spring and summer wreath that I have ever seen! It's a DIY. Recipes You may have noticed that there are less recipes the past few weeks. That is because I have tried to not look at many, hah! I have an appointment with the surgeon next week so have been trying to lose a few pounds before they pop me on that scale... they always do that, eh? Going to wear something lightweight, too. However, as Easter gets closer, and spring, I am always looking for fresh, springtime desserts that feel light, even if they may not be. This lemon loaf gets rave reviews and looks yummy, and this blueberry coffee cake caught my eye, too. Those are both things that I would gladly offer during the workshop coffee breaks. If you want the best of both those worlds, this Sour Cream Blueberry Lemon Bundt Cake has become one of our family favourites. I don't usually glaze it as it is so good as is, but spring is making me want a really tart lemon glaze to add a bit of something something. These Loaded Reuben Waffle Fries caught my eye for some reason, too. Which makes no sense at all as I do not like sauerkraut! However, I started thinking maybe I could replace it with a vinegary coleslaw?? I mean, yeah, maybe, eh? Have a beautiful week ~ Tanja

The first thing you probably noticed is that I have changed the name of the weekly gardening post. Thought this name made more sense. Whether your potting shed is your kitchen table, your greenhouse, studio, she shed... Mine is currently in the house but I will soon be able to move out to the studio, it is well on the way. Cannot wait to share that with you guys. The walls are painted, the shelves are going up, the lights are in... lots happening every day. What I have been up to this week... I started my snaps, seed dahlias, asters, thunbergia. Just as I was putting my tray of snapdragons on the heat mat, it slipped from my hands and fell to the floor. I scooped everything up but honestly not sure what will happen with them as the seeds need to be on top of the soil to germinate. Ugh! If they do not germinate, the only thing I can think to do, that might save the seeds, is to dump the soil thinly out in the garden. The seeds would get then get light.... Crossing my fingers that they do just fine. The celery has been transplanted into it's own wee cells. I am growing Tall Utah this year. I have grown many types over the years, the pink and red heirloom ones always stay skinny, no matter how you grow them. They will not fatten up. The Tango and Tall Utah are always lovely with thick, tasty stalks. I have started feeding all the seedlings with mild liquid seaweed water (fertiliser Fridays), everything looks really good, amazing even. The other two eggplant varieties did not germinate after 2 weeks in the wet paper towel either. I contacted Revival Seeds, they are sending me new seeds, plus an extra variety to try. I will start the seeds as soon as they get here so that they have time (hopefully) to do their thing. The Morden Midgets are doing great. I just started a bucket load of tomatoes seeds today, a bunch more than I need just in case my family and friends want some of the seedlings. Oh, and this... Now is not the time to start cucumbers. I have noticed over the seasons that it is fairly common for folks start cucumbers and tomatoes at the same time. I am not sure why cucumber sowing is equated with tomatoes? Maybe because they both like the summer heat? Maybe because they are two of the most popular summer crops? I hear it every year though, and as you can guess, when I tell them they should throw those seedlings away and start anew later in the season, they are really not happy with me. There is a huge difference in the way the two crops grow. Unlike tomatoes, cucumbers germinate and grow very, very quickly, do not like their roots disturbed, and do not transplant well. They prefer to be direct sown into warm soil, where they quickly take off. If one really wants to start them a bit earlier, to get a bit of a head start on the season, a cold frame is a really good idea. I used to have a small square cold frame (when we lived in Bon Accord, just outside of Edmonton) that I used just for cucumbers. It had a window pane top that could be vented with a stick (fancy, eh?) and then taken off once the weather was warm and the cukes started to outgrow the space. I planted 2 or 3 seeds in each corner. I did not separate, cut them out, or remove them if all the seeds germinated, just left them be. I have always done this. The cukes always thrive. Alternately, if you are wanting to prestart your cucumbers indoors, do so just 3 weeks before you want to plant them out. Bigger is not better in this case, the smaller seedlings will transplant better, and root bound ones will never thrive, will stall out. How to transplant.. Dig a hole, tip the plant into your hand, drop it into the hole, tuck it in. Water. I found a little rosemary plant so picked it up right away. We love rosemary at our house, they are not perennial here like they are on the west coast, so the sooner I get it going, the better. I just now tossed some parsley and dill seeds in the raised bed on the south side of the house. This bed is always the hottest spot, where all the snow melts from first. It is under the eaves so gets little to no rain, is really dependent on me to give it a shot of water once a week in summer. In other words, herbs will thrive there! I got my pots with trays in from Vesey's. These will be my tomato pots. I really wish I had bought another two trays! These are super handy, I have used them before. I will just wash them up and reuse year after year till they fall apart. I also found these pots at Canadian Tire. These will be my eggplant pots. If you have tried eggplants in the past and they have not done well for you, try growing them in pots. They love the heat. I put the pots in the greenhouse, let them go dry between each watering, and then soak they really well. Water just once a week. Yes, I found my seed potatoes already, too! Norland Red are my favourite potatoes. They are sweet and perfect all the time. The first time I ever grew Norland spuds, my dad came over for supper and was raving over how great they tasted. Being a Finn who had eaten spuds for dinner most every night all his life, it was a big deal for him to rave over a potato. On the agenda for this week... The snow is melting fast, we are down to hard, crunchy snow and ice in the areas where the ground has not yet thawed enough to soak up the water when the snow melts. In other words, she is scary slippery in some areas of the yard. We will empty out the greenhouse this weekend so I can prep it for spring planting and growing. In winter, it is our hold-all area for patio furniture, flower pots, wagons, all sorts of garden and yard supplies. Time to haul all that stuff out of there. I'll let you know if I need a small heater out there later, or if just using gutter cables will keep things warm enough. Not sure what I do with gutter cables, see that here. Whether your greenhouse sits empty in winter or does double duty as a storage centre, March is the month to clean it up and get it ready for planting. Pick a nice, sunny warm day to get in there to dust out the dirt and cobwebs, top up the beds with a bit of compost if you did not do so in fall, hang up a rod or two for hanging baskets, set up your planting area soil, compost/manure, pots, trays, all that stuff. Get yourself ready to go. Adding a layer of bubble wrap or poly to the walls is a great idea for better heat retention. We will be pruning our apple tree this weekend, or next, depending on the snow melt. We will do ours and then head over to my brother's farm to help him with his, as they have not been pruned since he moved in. If you are following from the west coast, a much warmer zone, here is a mid March post of some more things you can be doing, sowing, and growing right now : ) This Week's FAQ's. (These are so fun, please keep sending them) Brannan Min Max (the one I use) / Bluetooth Thermometer / ThermoPro with remote sensor *As an Amazon affiliate, if you purchase an item from one of these links, I make a teeny bit of money to support my blog. It does not cost you a penny more than it would if you went to the item on your own, without my link. Huge thanks : ) Question: a while back you posted an amazon link for a greenhouse thermometer. I cant seem to find it. Can you post that again please?? I've "inherited" a fiberglass 8 × 10 green house and I have no clue what I'm doing lol. Tanja - Congrats on the greenhouse, oh the fun that you will have! It is very important to know how low temps go during the night so you know if you need to add a temporary heat source, or wait to bring your plants out there. The max is also very beneficial so you know whether you need to add shade cloth, etc... in summer. So many uses. I pinned three up top that are popular with greenhouse growers. I use the first one, it sits in the greenhouse, tells you the temp now, high and low. Basic, easy. The middle one hooks up to your phone if you want to keep track (kinda cool). The third one has a remote sensor that you put in the greenhouse but read from inside the house. I had one of these many years ago, it was handy. Question/Comment - I am in the garden pulling all the small green plants with white flowers to stop them “popping “ the seeds. I hear you in my mind when I pull them this time of year! I wonder if you get them in Alberta. Take care! Tanja- We do not have hairy bittercress here, not in central Alberta anyways. Probably does not like the cold. Fun fact, I had lived and gardened in Nanaimo for 5 years before I came upon this horrible weed! It came in by way of one of my roses, I actually brought it to the acreage in Cedar! Ugh, eh? Question - Why are my pepper starts leaves going yellow? Tanja - It sounds very much like they are too wet. Peppers like to dry out in between each watering. Either you have poor drainage, are watering too often, or they are sitting in water. Put a fan on them, remedy the problem by watering less often and transplanting into a better pot if the drainage is poor. Question - I am confused. Some sites say to fertilise seedlings, some say not to. What do I do? Tanja - While they are little/young and until you have some active growth going on, there is no need to fertilise your seedlings. If you mixed some compost, manure, or worm castings in with the potting soil, you do not have to feed them. If you feel that they need something more, you can give them a foliar feed (spray on) of liquid seaweed or kelp. If you did not mix anything in with the potting soil, you can start giving them a foliar feed and water in with liquid seaweed/kelp once they have made true leaves. As they get bigger, you can give them a watered down, weaker feed with any liquid fertiliser. I like tomato food, but even a 20-20-20 is fine. Start with quarter strength and work your way up as the plant grows and requires more food. Too much food will make them get lanky, spindly, weak. So, that is this week's recap. I am looking at starting brussels, cabbage, maybe basil and alyssum this week. Maybe. Maybe nothing else till I get the greenhouse cleaned up. Will let you know. Check out the onions in the cold room. They are still perfect, I have maybe a dozen yellows left, less than that of the reds. Probably not quite enough to take us through till this year's crop is ready, but doing great. These are Red Wethersfield and Yellow of Parma. Both highly recommended. Till next week... happy sowing and growing, eh? ~ Tanja

Thanks to the long lovely warm fall we had, we were able to get the raised beds built and mostly filled up. These new raised beds are so beautiful, and so big! Both deep and long, that kind of big! Hubby built these lovely thigh high beds (my thighs, anyway, as I am super tiny), so I'd have less bending and no more crawling about on my knees. The beds are 4 feet wide, 12 feet long, and 2 feet deep. They have been trimmed out nicely on top for a finished look. We have room for more, if we find that we have the need, but are now set for a season of good food growing in 2023. To grow great veggies of any kind, your raised beds do not have to be very deep. A depth of 10 to 12 inches of good garden soil is perfect. Whether that means just one board high, so the veggies grow into the ground beneath them, or if you are on rock or hardpan, build it 2 boards (2"x6") high. This will grow everything nicely, from root crops to tomatoes and everything in between. *Note - if you are on hardpan, you want to have that 10 to 12 inches. This bed above was originally only one board high. As it was going to be for growing strawberries and they have shallow root systems, I thought 6 inches would be enough. However, it was too hot and dried out much too fast being so shallow, nothing would thrive. So, we built it up again and everything did fine after that. If you have soil underneath, you will be fine with just 6 inches, but if you are on a rock, you need to go higher. I am pretty excited about these new deep beds, am going to try to grow really long imperator type carrots. Imperators are long skinny carrots, the ones that they generally sell in grocery stores. I have grown nice imperators before (see them above) but am going to try to grow real whoppers in these deep ones. The ones in the picture are called 'Atomic Red' and are always on my must grow list, such great tasting carrots but I'm also tempted to try the Manpukuji carrots from Baker Creek, that can grow to 2 feet long! You know how I love to try new things and carrots are a family favourite. To make these beds, we screwed the ends of the boards together to make a big rectangle. We built 4 rectangles and stacked them one on top of the other. We then braced them together with scrap wood we had from an earlier demo. This will keep the boards from shifting, was easy to do and cost nothing. The edges and tops were then trimmed with 1"x4"'s to make them pretty. Not a necessary step unless you want yours to look more finished. These are my very first trimmed out, pretty beds ever. Hubby also put rebar on the outsides to keep the boards from bowing out from the weight of the soil. You can use wood to do this if you do not like the look, or you can do it from inside, but I really love the look of rusty metal! Will match my rusty spiral plant supports. I heard that in some parts of town, folks are having issues with moles in their garden beds, so we put down some of this hardware cloth, a very sturdy metal mesh that they cannot dig through.... just in case. It cost us $25 per bed. Well worth it. We then topped that with cardboard to keep out any grasses or weeds. They should not come through a 2-foot-high bed but because we are not filling the beds to the brim till spring, this is a precaution. Besides, we have lots of boxes from the move. To completely fill these beds with compost and garden soil from a supplier would be costly, but is certainly an option. One that we have used in the past. However, the only 'good' garden soil or compost that I have found in the area thus far is very heavy and clumpy. We want these beds full of organic matter, soil life, earthworms, all sorts of good stuff to break up the soil for the best tasting and healthiest veggies. Good soil is key to successful gardening, you want the very best soil that you can get so that the veggies are healthy. Healthy plants are less prone to bugs or diseases, plus taste so much better. We tossed in all the tree trimmings, leaves, branches, cardboard, packing paper... anything organic that we could scrounge together from the yard and house. If you can, the ideal way to fill these beds would be to put in logs and bigger pieces of hardwood for the bottom layer first, and then top with the branches and twigs, organic trimmings, leaves and such. For additional organic matter, we got some straw from Farmer Jason, put a bale in each raised bed and added a bag of Pro-Mix potting soil, too. All this organic matter will attract soil life to the beds to break down the clippings and trimmings... which is exactly what we want for healthy soil. This is how they look right now and may stay like this till spring unless I find a good manure or compost supplier this fall. Moving to a new place is hard as you need to find all new contacts! (Turns out we had a foot of snow two days after this so no time for the soil after all). This will all start to break down over the winter, bringing in all sorts of lovely soil life, and we will be topping it in spring with that 'good' garden soil you saw in my garlic post earlier this month. As it is such heavy soil, we will be mixing it with bales of Promix and as much compost or manure as we can find. If you have the funds and the time, bite the bullet and do it all this year. We are still looking for contacts and the best places to get everything here, plus are pretty much pooped out. It has been a really long summer; we are more than ready to rest our bodies and minds so that we are fresh and ready to tackle it again in spring. That is how we built our raised beds. Here is a link from another blog about how to make similar beds but with metal sides instead of wood. I am not sure how I feel about the tin on the sides... will they rust up? Will they heat up and thus dry out the soil faster? They look good though, we had considered them, here is an in-depth how-to on making them. So, here we are... beds are half full of organic matter and winter on our doorstep. Time to rest up and plan my spring plantings. Happy Gardening ~ Tanja