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If you have been waiting on pins and needles (hah) for my 2024 flower list, it'll be ready next week... I have been dragging my feet a little bit. Truth be told, it is the shipping costs from the States that just make me cringe. No fault of the seed suppliers, of course, it is out of their hands. If I bought a whole bunch of seeds from just one company (like Baker's Creek), I wouldn't even hesitate. That would be a whole different story. However, being a bit of a fickle sort, the sort that wants all manner of kinds of things, looks for those treasures... So, I've been poking about at Canadian sources, small seed houses with unique seeds. I love the little unique mom and pops, they always have some of the best things on offer, eh? Plus, I can order from up to 3 different places for the same shipping cost. So that has opened up the possibilities. The does not include Floret Flower Farm, hah! They have their seeds becoming available on the 6th, with zinnia and dahlias (from seed) like we have never seen before, so I will be putting in an order with them come hell or high water, as they say. If you, like me, are nuts about zinnias and dahlias from seed, check them out on the 6th! Gardening Tips By February, many of my favourite gardening mags will start to come out. I don't mean seed catalogues, but the actual gardening ones with pictures and articles about gardens. I do so love poking through them all, especially the British ones, even though the weather no longer applies to me here in Alberta. How do you feel about junipers? Not the lovely blue upright ones that the birds like to nest in, but the sprawling ones (that tend to be over used in low maintenance, low water needs landscaping). Are you like me? Do you hate them? I am seriously not a fan, they smell bad and they often look dreadful after a few seasons. I have three, and will be keeping two as I cannot think of anything better to take their place. They grow low, add a bit of colour and dimension, but mostly... they can handle ice melt/salt from our often icy winter driveway. It is what it is. The one in front is definitely going this summer though, to be replaced by flowering shrubs and perennials of some sort. More on that at another time though. What I really wanted to share with you is this article about cloud pruning. Why have I not thought of it before? It looks terrific! I am all about the bonsai look! Maybe that is what happens to the 2 that I keep? How to grow spider plants. Here are 23 of the best houseplants for your low light office. The picture is of my one and only houseplant in the office. I know, I know, it is kind of ugly but I really love these Swiss Cheese plants! It's still just a baby (TikTok makes that funny, iykyk) I just repotted it this past week, into a larger pot, so it'll will soon thank me with new growth. It is very low light in here, the room gets no direct sunshine ever. Just indirect light. I took the screen off to let in more light, mosquitoes be darned. Daylight LED lightbulbs make all the difference, too. Just a reminder that it is now time to restart feeding your houseplants (and your citrus). Their winter break is over, days are longer, they will soon start to put on new growth, and blooms, if they are the flowering kind. Just an all-purpose feed is fine. Hubs and I are considering getting chickens this summer. After visiting our friends out in Errington (on the island), with his 3 coops and 70-ish chickens, I became a wee bit intrigued about getting some now that our town allows folks to have up to 5 chickens. We already have a small shed that we can turn (half of) into a nice coop, and build them a safe, fenced run all their own... seems like it might be the perfect spot. Will brew on the idea. I know absolutely nothing (zero, nada, zilch) about having chickens, so it would be a big leap. I am also terrible with death and illnesses, so they have to stay healthy for ever and ever ; ) Anyway, if you are also thinking about it, here is how to build a coop, a good place to start. Ten easy flowers to start from seed and this link that tells you when to start flowers from seed. A guide to growing Oyster Mushrooms. How to make your own kit and grow them inside the house. Here is a link to King Oyster liquid culture. Here are some spawn plugs. Here is a link to grain spawn. Try it a few ways, see which one you prefer. If you prefer the kits, here are some good links. I am ordering a few different kinds for my brother, for his 50th birthday. Shitake is my favourite. The one's in the brown boxes are from Vancouver Island!! Grow shitake mushroom kit Grow golden oyster mushrooms kit Grow snow oyster mushroom kit Grow blue oyster mushrooms kit Grow lion's mane mushrooms in a kit. Improves brain fog : ) Home Bits Fun things I found for spring. These Swedish dishcloths are one of my most favourite things! I even give these as hostess gifts! This lovely eucalyptus wreath that says spring is on the way ( I debated between that one and this olive branch wreath for my front door). This lovely farmhouse style table runner. These rustic black hooks. I am on my second set of these, they can be used just about anywhere! I'll soon be putting some up in the new workshop. This lovely vintage farmhouse style vase (for all the tulips that will soon be popping out). This handsome distressed leather laptop bag. My son got this bag from his in-laws for law school and really loves it! A big upgrade to the backpack. *Disclaimer. As an Amazon affiliate, if you were to purchase an item(s) from the links, I get a wee small amount of money to support my blog. It does not cost you any extra to purchase through my link than if you went to that item on your own. Thank you! Homey Bits These 20 little, easy things you can do to upgrade your home. I do the paint thing all the time! A cute DIY. These Valentine's Day cookie boxes are pretty sweet (hah, pun intended)! If you follow the link, the woody station wagon is another one of my favourites. Alternately, check out the link for those old fashioned card boxes. Such cute ideas. I wonder who I can give cookies to? A Palooza of Recipes This Week! Salad pizza! Yes, please! Just me that thinks this sounds super yummy. Minus the sausage for me, of course. Check out this simple, yummy recipe if you are on Insta. Ever since I had the crispy tofu bowl at Cactus Club, I have been on a power bowl kick. Here is a spicy tofu rice bowl that looks good. I do not like spicy so I would have to tone that down a whole lot, and I would add some avocado to the bowl to make it just perfect ; ) This crispy tofu recipe is one I am going to try this week. I will use corn starch instead of arrowroot as I have none of that at home. I always eat baked tofu as a treat, better than potato chips, but I usually just slice it real thin, cover it with tamari and bake on high for 20 minutes to make it crisp. I'm hosting the ladies coffee this month, so saving my favourite recipes to make. We usually offer a small sampling of about 4 or 5 things, so I like to do a bit of an assortment. Thinking a cookie or two, a cake, some squares or cupcakes... not sure what all I will make, but these browned butter rice crispy squares are topping the list right now. Who doesn't love this childhood favourite, eh? Maybe some of this Crazy Cake? Also known as depression cake, has no eggs, milk, or butter. These snickerdoodle doughnut muffins are on the make it list. They sound yummy. I love cakey doughnuts so this might be right up my alley! I have two scone recipes for you this week. Truth? I have always been nervous about making scones. They seem so tricky. But turns out that they are pretty easy! Here is a recipe for Cranberry Orange Scones and these Strawberry Scones, too. Both look yummy. I made the orange ones, they are divine. I used blood oranges for a bit more colour. They are at their best this time of year, and I am a big fan. The seeding post coming on Tuesday! Happy Sunday : ) Winter has returned so we are hunkering down! ~ Tanja

We woke up to +5°C this morning! Isn't that lovely? It's even warmer now, but a grey day, with no sun to be found. This is when the snow pack in the backyard starts to melt and then turns into a deadly skating rink... scary for humans and dogs. Bring out the ice melt and then in spring wonder what happened to the lawn. Hahaha. Every year. Is a lovely Sunday, actually. I am still plotting away at my seed lists and puttering on my crafting. I've signed up for one free month of PBS and so have been bingeing Poldark, a British series that I read about in a Cornish novel. Apparently her husband resembles Ross Poldark. What a lucky gal, eh? I keep telling myself that I will only watch one more show to find out what happens to so and so... and then, well, here we are in Season 5 already. This Sunday's Gardening Tips! Trying to decide what to plant this summer? Have limited space? Maybe just grow these top 10 healthiest vegetables. I really enjoyed this read about what flowers and vegetables one can plant as soon as the snow melts. This works on the island, too, your dates are a couple weeks earlier than here on the prairies. These are all cool weather tolerant so I say go for it! You don't have a lot to lose by trying! I have always sown zinnia/cosmo/calendula seeds a couple weeks before last frost because they don't pop up till the time is right anyways. Always works out just fine. Even plants are just fine if they get a wee bit frosted. (The only time I would not plant zinnias in mid-April on the island is if we were having tons of rain, wait till the soil is not soggy before you work in it). These guys are the worst, not only in the house, but also in the greenhouse! How to get rid of fungus gnats in your houseplants. I am starting my peppers this afternoon. Have pulled out my heating pads, setting up a small table in the grandies bedroom. It is my brightest window and least used room. Here is a link to how to grow peppers, from planting till harvest. Traditional native gardening ideas. If you do the 3 Sisters, I recommend growing the beans up a trellis beside your squash and corn so they do not take down your corn stalks! Ask me how I know ; ) We just had the photographer come to take pictures of our renovation the other day. It is going into some builder catalogues plus being entered into a builder and designer awards event. Hubby and I scrubbed like fiends for 2 days to make sure the house was sparkling for the photos. What a task! The renovation was completed last April, is unfortunate that the photographer just came now... there has been a lot of living in these rooms in the past 9 months with two huge, drooly dogs, hah! This awards thing is for the renovation company, nothing for us per se, except the joy of having a lovely renovated home, plus all that crazy cleaning. I do get the professional pictures after the event though, which I am very excited about. Do you have issues with hard water? Soap scum? We have hard water here in Innisfail, the kind that leaves spots and film on everything and seems to make soap scum a bigger problem. Our shower (above) is pretty big so I've been dreading cleaning it, as that would be a lot of chemicals and harsh odors. Ugh. Just by fluke, while I was washing the floor tiles (with my spin mop), I thought I'd try it on the walls, as well. It only took a couple of swipes with that mop and they were shiny and smooth again. Not even kidding. The magic ingredient? Mint Cleaning floor wash. I have no glass door so not sure if it works on that, but they also have a glass cleaner that is said to keep the soap scum from building up. Totally worth trying. Everything I have tried from Mint Cleaning thus far is amazing. Just mentioning this because... a) I love this stuff, and b) it's a small mom and mom business, and c) is totally friendly for the environment (and us people, too) so want to tell the world how awesome they are. Okay ... Onwards with the other Bits of Stuff.... The other product that I use a lot of is Mrs Meyers. Love the Lemon Verbena scented one best. However, they have a couple of new ones right now, including this Daisy scented one on sale right now. Get a Mrs Meyer's Cleaning Bundle from well.ca and save! You can also get Mint from well.ca. This read gives you 30 tips to make your house look expensive on a budget. Lots of great affordable ideas. The one thing I really love about this wee cottage is the glossy white tongue and groove on the walls. Inspo for my wee shop! I am still waffling between clear varnish, a white wash, or the glossy white you see in this cottage. See the pic above. Thoughts? I had never heard of the coquette trend with bows everywhere, but these sure are cute. Recipe Bits I think I mentioned this before... we went to Cactus Club in early January (twice) and I had the crispy tofu bowl. Well, I am still dreaming about that meal. It is so good. Therefore, I was super happy when I saw how to make crispy tofu bites in this article... 5 recipes worth memorising. These sweet potato tacos look so delish. I have been on a real kick lately, craving sweet potatoes baked as discs in the oven, with just a bit of evoo and pink Himalayan salt. This would be the entire meal! I will make some quick pickled onions to go on top, and replace the refried beans with something healthier... and tastier, hah! Maybe some lion's mane mushrooms, or falafels... anyway, these are now on my make it list! This also looks delish! Roasted Beet and Egg Salad with Rye Croutons. Heart shaped, homemade pretzels? Yes, please! These lemony shortbread cookies. I am with the author... I was not a fan of shortbread, but am now a sort of convert ; ) Anything tastes great with lemons in it! These caramel chocolate chip cookies! and these Salted Honey Pistachio cookies! And lastly, this easy apple strudel recipe. I am hosting the ladies coffee date in February so am on the look out for anything easy, but super yummy! We make about 5 different offerings. Some do savoury and some of us just do sweet, but all are amazing. That is this Sunday's Bits of this and that... how is your week going? Your month? Our January is ending on a bit of a low. Started great but now we need a plumber/gas fitter... ah well, not to dwell. See you next week~ Tanja

I get asked this one a lot... How does one grow really great onions that size up well and taste great? 1 - Start with great soil! The secret to great onions is to have really great soil to grow them in. Great soil is always the answer : ) You want to start with rich, fertile, well-draining soil, that is loose, friable, weed-free, to a depth of 6 inches. Ensure that you have great drainage as onions will rot if grown in wet beds. Raised beds are great for growing onions and root crops. If you have great soil already, top dress with 1/2 to 1 inch of compost or manure. Lightly scratch in. Do not dig or turn. Onions do not have deep roots so no need to dig or turn the soil. If your soil is 'tired', has not been fed with organic matter for years, add more compost or manure, a good 2 inches, if possible. You can also mix bonemeal and sulphate of potash in with the compost (yes, these are organic amendments), if you like. Lightly scratch in. *Note- to scratch in means to spread compost on top of the bed, take a hoe and run it through the top inch of soil, mixing the old soil in with the compost. We just started new raised garden beds last spring at this new house so filled our beds with fantastic compost, adding just a light layer of black earth on top. The onions grew like mad. If you are in the Red Deer area, check out Kamen Landscaping for terrific compost. We bought straight compost. 2 - Start your onions from seeds, seedlings, or sets Seeds come in a huge variety, a wide array of colours and tastes. They are my preference, as I can choose exactly what I want to grow each year, plus try new ones, too. I find that onions from seed size up better than sets do. Sets are readily available at most garden centres and even many box stores in spring. Generally available are multipliers (shallots), yellow, white and red. Though there is not a huge selection in varieties, they are super easy to plant up and care for, to get a decent crop of onions. Seedlings/transplants, (see picture further down) though less readily available, are generally found at garden centres in late spring. Transplants are seedlings that have been grown on for several months from seed. They are the favourite of most gardeners. Simple to plant up in trenches and they grow better and bigger bulbs. If you live in Canada or the northern states, you want to grow Long Season or Intermediate/Day Neutral varieties. My favourite long season onions are... Walla-Walla and Ailsa Craig are lovely, large, sweet onions. Sweet onions do not keep well, so you will want to eat them throughout the summer and within 3 months of harvest. Early Yellow Globe, Yellow of Parma, Stuttgarter are great storage onions, last for many months. Red Globe, Red Wethersfield - great keepers. Starting from Seed I grow my onions from seed as I love having choices, and being able to choose heirlooms. -Start seeds in flats, trays or 6 packs in Late January or Early February. -Use a soil-less potting mix with some compost added in. I like Pro-Mix. -Sow the seeds, lightly cover with the compost mix to about 1/4 inch in depth, water in. --Place on bottom heat till you see shoots for faster germination, or simply place in a sunny spot and they will come up just fine. -Keep soil moist. -Feed now and then with liquid seaweed (spray tops for a foliar feed) or water in with either an organic all purpose or vegetable food. -Each time the green tops grow to about 3 or 4 inches high, cut them back again to 1" tall. This encourages bigger, better bulbs. *Note- Though most places say to plant when your seedlings are the size of a pencil, I have never had mine size up that much and yet they have always grown really well. Never have they failed, so plant them even if they are skinny! Growing Onions from Sets Onion sets are small onions, grown the season before and then put into dormancy. They are the easiest onions to plant and grow. -Can be planted in the garden 4 to 6 weeks before last frost (late March in the Nanaimo area, a few weeks later here on the prairies) if your ground is dry and ready to go. Do not plant into wet, soggy soil. -They will grow just fine and size up just fine if you do not get them planted till April or May. Ideally, plant so that they have time to make roots before the temps get warm. -Discard any onion set that is mouldy or shrivelled up, as it will not grow. -Push into loose and friable earth with the root end down, pointy end up. Place about one inch deep, just deep enough that the tip of the set is showing. -Plant 4 inches apart, in rows that are 6 to 8 inches apart. Planting Seedlings/Transplants -Make a trench 3 inches deep. -Place seedlings into the trench, 4 to 6 inches apart. -Push the sides of the trench/furrow so that seedlings are sitting up straight. -Cut tops to an inch high. This helps form a bigger and better bulb. -When the tops start to grow again, you know that your onion is well rooted in and is in growing mode. -Water in. How to Care for the Onion Seedlings -Water deeply once or twice a week for strong, sturdy root systems, even in hot dry spells. -Do not be tempted to overwater onions, they like the hot weather, will rot or go soft if overwatered. -Do not feed. If you have amended your soil and have great soil, you do not need to feed them during the growing period. You will get soft onions if you feed. -If you really feel that they are lacking and not thriving, spray with liquid seaweed/kelp as a foliar feed every two weeks in June and maybe once in July. Then stop. How & When to Harvest You can harvest immature onions at any time, or size, during the summer for salads or cooking. -To harvest for curing, stop watering when tops begin to fold over. -When most of the onion tops have folded (80% or more), give the others a hand by pushing them down yourself so that they all finish at the same time. -Leave in the ground for another week to 10 days to finish maturing. -If you leave them in the garden for too long after the tops flop over, they will begin to rot and die as they are no longer growing, their job is done, they are maxed out. -On a sunny day, pull the onions gently from the ground. They can be left on top of the garden bed for a day or two to start the curing process. -Do not wash or spray down with water. How to Cure Onions -Brush the soil off of the onions. Do not remove tops or roots yet. -Onions can now be braided and hung to dry in a shaded area, somewhere with good air flow and no direct sunlight... carport, porch, open sided shed.... -They can be also be laid out on tables to dry. I have antique bulb trays that I lay them on, stack the trays, and leave them to dry for several weeks. I rotate the trays now and again. -You can also simply lay cardboard or newspaper on the carport floor and spread the onions on top to cure. -Leave to dry completely for three weeks. If they are not completely dry, they will rot in storage. When dry, they will feel light, skins will be papery and dry. -Clean up onions by removing the roots and tops. How to Store Onions Once cure, place into mesh bags, crates, baskets, trays, and store in a cool, well-ventilated area. Or, hang the cured braided bunches. Check occasionally for rot or sprouting. These are my onions in the store room at the end of January, so about 5 months later. They look and feel great, not a bad one in the bunch. The ones with tops on them were put into storage with their tops on as they were still green. I was not sure how they would fare but they look just as good as the others do. *Note: Any onions with bull necks (thick, fat necks) will not cure properly and thus are not suitable for storage. Take these ones into the kitchen with you, clean them up and use them up first. They will store in your fridge or pantry for a week or two. Can also be chopped and thrown into the freezer for soups or stews. This is part 2 of how to grow great onions. See here for Part 1 - Four Simple Methods To Start Onions From Seeds. Onions have few pests or problems. The onion maggot is their biggest threat. The best (only) way to prevent maggots from getting at your onions is to cover them with a tight bug mesh after you plant them. This keeps the fly from laying her eggs on your onions. Buy one that is large enough and wide enough that you can pin in down (as in my pic) rather than just laying it on top and hoping for the best ; ) Here is one more that is a good size. *Disclaimer. As an Amazon affiliate, if you were to purchase an item(s) from the links, I get a wee small amount of money to support my blog. It does not cost you any extra to purchase through my link than if you went to that item on your own. Thank you! You can do this! They are easy. Just don't water or fuss over them, basically ignore them, and they will be great.

Growing onions is super easy and inexpensive. They cost just a couple pennies per onion seed, require little water to grow well, no fussing required. Many gardeners start their onions from sets (basically dormant baby onions) they get from the nursery in spring. They are easy to plant, just push into the ground about an inch, water once a week, watch them grow. The biggest drawback with sets is the lack of variety as they tend to just come in white, yellow, red, or multiplier. Sometimes they are not the freshest either, so you get dried out duds in the package, and I find that not all the onions break dormancy, basically do nothing at all. I started growing my onions from seed by fluke and out of necessity many, many years ago. I broke my left wrist badly enough that I needed pins and a cast to hold it in place, so driving my standard/manual SUV to the city for shopping was not happening. I, luckily, happened to have onion seeds at home that I had ordered on a whim that year. I decided to direct sow a few rows of seeds and hope for the best. They turned out to be the best onions I had ever grown! Best germination and size. This was in my Zone 2/3 garden just outside of Edmonton. See them in the potager bed above. I have been growing from seed ever since. I love all the selections available to me, all colours and kinds and most importantly, I can choose where I order the seeds from, to make sure that I am buying from a company that has taken the 'Seed Safe Pledge'. Ordering tips! 1. Buy fresh seeds annually as they do not keep well. 2. When ordering seeds, make sure that you are getting long-day seeds in Canada and the northern States. They like our long summer days whereas short-day seeds will just go to seed with all the hours of daylight we get up here. 3. Make sure to check how long the onions store in your pantry if you are looking for keepers. Some of the sweet onions, like Walla Walla and Spanish, do not keep very long (2 months). This year, I am growing Red Wethersfield and Yellow of Parma, both are really good storage onions at 8 plus months. Okay, let's get to the good stuff. Here are FOUR ways to start your onions from seed. 1. Winter Sowing The time to start growing onions from seed is right now, late January or early February. Winter sowing is super simple and does not require much by way of supplies. Sow them now and they sprout when the conditions and timing is right. They do it on their own time. Use 4 litre milk jugs for this, pastry clamshells, salad green containers, pop bottles, or those roasted chicken containers that come with a clear lid. See here for more information about what winter sowing is... Poke holes into the bottom of the container for drainage and cut milk jugs in half, leaving one side intact. Check out this link about winter sowing for pictures. Fill bottom part with a good soilless potting mix, like Sunshine #4 or ProMix HP. Do not water. Scatter seeds on top of the dry soil, press in lightly. If using a bottle or jug, leave the lid off for ventilation, if using a clamshell, poke holes into the top cover. Label the container with what you planted! Place outside in a shaded spot outside, in the snowbank is fine, does not matter if it rains or snows on them. The onions will stay dormant till the time is right. When the days are long enough and warm enough, the onions will begin to sprout. When you see sprouting, give them some water and then as needed to keep the soil damp. Keep it in the shade so that you do not cook your seedlings. As days get warmer in spring, open the tops during the day, close at night. Each time the green tops grow to 3 inches tall, cut them back to 1 inch tall. This will encourage bigger, better bulbs. Feed with liquid seaweed or kelp every couple of weeks. 2. Starting Indoors This method requires a bit more equipment. You need bottom heat from a heating mat and good, bright lights. Start seeds in flats, trays or 6 packs in February for planting out in late spring. Use a soil-less potting mix, with some compost added in. Do not use garden loam in pots or trays. Scatter seeds, lightly cover with your compost mix to about 1/4 inch in depth, water in. Place on bottom heat till you see shoots for faster germination, or simply place in a sunny spot and they will come up just fine. Keep soil moist. You should see the tops popping through in about a week's time. Take off the heat, if using it, and place under the lights. Each time the green tops grow to 3 inches tall, cut them back to 1 inch tall. This will encourage bigger, better bulbs. Feed with liquid seaweed or kelp every couple of weeks. They will be ready to go into a cold frame in late April to harden off and acclimate and then into the garden beds in May. April if you are in a warmer zone. They can take light frosts and are even fine in snow! 3. Direct Sowing This is my favourite way. Given a choice, I am always going to choose direct sowing. It means no fussing with pots, potting soils, lights, heat mats... just popping the seeds directly into the garden bed. The biggest drawback with this is, of course, the timing. Onions take 80 to 105 days to go from germination to harvest so need to get into the potager early enough. In my zone 3 garden, I will be sowing on a nice day in early May. They can handle light frosts, snow, rain, and cool-ish temps so no need to wait till last frost. As mentioned, I did it when I broke my wrist, with great results, so should be able to do it again. If you are in a warmer zone (maybe you're a follower from the island - zone 7), no reason not to sow in April, or even May, as your late summer gives you plenty of time to harvest. Soak seeds for 12 to 24 hours to help them germinate much faster. Sow in a weed free bed with really great soil that has been amended with compost or manure. Sow in very shallow furrows, covered with 1/4 inch of soil, 3 inches apart for no thinning. If you don't mind thinning, or want to eat every second onion as baby-sized, sow 2 inches apart. Seeds are large and easy to work with. Plant rows 6 inches apart. Keep soil moist till you see germination. 4. A Twist on Starting Indoors ..No lights? Have a Greenhouse? This is the way I grow mine. I do not have lights, do not want to buy lights, hah! This is a twist on the indoor starts but maybe you have no lights? Maybe you have a greenhouse that you can heat in the cusp seasons? Or a cold frame and frost blankets? -Start seeds indoors on heating mats, as mentioned above, in February. Once they have germinated, take off heat and place in a bright, cool window. -If your greenhouse is heated, place them out there, keep greenhouse just above freezing, ideally at 5-10°C (40-50°F). -Leave in the bright, cool, greenhouse, water and feed as above. -If you have no heated greenhouse, keep indoors, in a bright window until temps are higher and you are no longer getting super hard frosts (March on the island/April in zone 3). -Cover at night with a frost blanket, or bring indoors for the night. -I have a coldframe (mini greenhouse) in my unheated greenhouse so I pop them in there. They stay cosy and warm, till I plant them out. Part two, coming soon, is everything you need to know about planting and growing for a successful harvest of really great onions. Happy Growing ~ Tanja

It's that time again. Seed time! Garden Planning time! One of the best things about January is planning for summer while it snows and blows outside. I have just been going through my seed cabinet, organising this year's seeds into this two sided wooden tray that holds the seed packages just right. Flowers and herbs on one side, veggies in the other, in alphabetical order so that it is easy to see, at a glance, what I need to order this year. Once the seeds have been ordered, I then switch the seeds into 'when to plant' order from January through till mid-summer. So, in front will be things like celery, peppers, eggplants, onions, leeks, which can all be started this month. At the back will be cucumbers and squash as they are directly sown outside, into warm soil. I just happen to have this little green two sided little wooden tray/box, but you can use anything at all. Photo storage boxes are great for filing them in, add cardboard slips between the packages with the sowing date on them. Even a shoe box will work for this. I love this compartmented Seed Box above! Look how much room there is to keep everything tidy and organised. I would put tomatoes in one, flowers in one, veggies in the other. Alternately, this Seed Box is a bit smaller with just the two sides, but equally pretty... maybe herbs and flowers on one side, veggies on the other? For a less expensive option, I have seen these clear flat boxes used for seeds, too. They labeled the bins with dates for what to start 10 to 12 weeks before last frost, 6 to 8 weeks, etc.. I think it is ingenious! *Disclaimer. As an Amazon affiliate, if you were to purchase an item(s) from any of the links in this post, I get a wee small amount of money to support my blog. It does not cost you any extra to purchase through my link than if you went to that item on your own. Thank you so much! I am still very surprised at how much further seeds go now that we have downsized to a city lot garden, from an acreage. I still have many left from last year as I did not have room to sow the entire package. I also ordered some seeds when they went on sale at the end of the season, so had quite a bit less to buy now, at full price. Do you get overwhelmed with seed purchasing? Maybe you just buy anything you like and end up with a bunch of extra seeds that you do not have room for in your garden? Do you wonder what to buy as seeds and what to buy as plants in spring? Do you have a room/space suitable for starting seeds? Do you like fussing with seeds, potting soil, containers? Do you have access to heirloom vegetable starts at a local greenhouse? Some people really enjoy pre-starting all sorts of things, but let me tell you a secret.... I heartily dislike fussing with potting soil, water, lighting, all the things that you need to grow starter plants. Especially doing it in the house. I want none of that mess inside the house, truth be told. So, I prestart as few things as I possibly can. I am big on direct sowing. I direct sow anything and everything that I can. This means all the lettuces, peas, beans, all the cucumbers and squash, many of the brassicas. Root crops like carrots, parsnips, and beets are direct sown, of course. That means all I have to start earlier are the tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and onions from seed. I have a passion for heirlooms, especially tomatoes, and want to grow only heirlooms and open pollinated types. They are very hard to source from other suppliers as starter plants. That is actually why I started my wee greenhouse business on the island. While I sold many, many other things, all things that I really love (DA roses, fruiting shrubs and trees, dwarf blueberries, annual flowers), the main event for me has always been the hot weather crops that were nigh on impossible to buy at other greenhouses or shops. I'd already been growing them for years, and even though I worked at a greenhouse, they did not sell these things. So, I knew when I started my business that I wanted to create a homey, friendly place where they could buy all the great varieties, learn how to grow them, and chat one on one with me as much as they liked. Or as little, hahaha, as I sure do love to talk with folks about growing! Anywho, I digress. If I have a good source for purchasing organic cool weather crops, I will buy my brussels, broccoli, cauliflower starts from them. Here, I do not yet have that. There is no place close by that sells these things. Therefor, anything I do not direct sow, I need to prestart at home. I use a heating mat so that the seeds germinate quickly. I grow them in a bright south-facing window, no grow lights or big set ups. I do not start things weeks earlier than needed as I want to put them outside into the coldframe as soon as possible. Even if that is only for daytime, bringing them in for the night. This is my coldframe (aka mini greenhouse) that I bought last year. I love it! I use it either on the deck, or inside the greenhouse to hold my seedlings after they get to the right size, to keep them from stretching out in the heat inside the house. This green poly one would do the same, is less costly. Inside the unheated greenhouse, my wee wooden coldframe keeps the seedlings 3 to 4 degrees warmer than the greenhouse itself. Just enough to keep your cool season crops, like broccoli and lettuce, thriving. You really do not need all the fancy lights, stands, and such to prestart your seeds. The key is not to start them too early. You do not even need the pretty coldframe, you can just use clear tote bins to harden off your seedlings. We folks tend to get itchy fingers, and maybe a bit of boredom sets in after the holidays, so we want to get started with starting seeds. Check the back of the package for when to start the seeds for the best results. Here is a quick idea of what to start in February. This is my Vegetable Grow List for 2024, and where I bought the seeds from. I had many of these seeds already on hand, as mentioned above. While most seeds are good for 3 to 5 years, without much decline in germination rates, some do not keep well and should be purchased fresh each year, or every 2nd, at minimum. Onions - all kinds, including leeks, scallions/green onions, and chives Dill Okra Parsley Parsnip Lettuce Pepper Sweet corn You may have noticed that I have no broccoli as of yet. I have just not found what I am looking for so will pick some up at the shops, instead. I would like either Calabrese, DiCicco, or Waltham 29. I will consider Green Magic, a hybrid, if I find that one first. Don't get me wrong, there are many on-line shops selling these varieties, just not any of the ones I have ordered from this year. How & Why I Chose These Varieties? Beans - I have them already, no need to buy new. I like the Kentucky Wonders a lot. Tender, sweet, like to eat them while I putter in the garden. The long ones are an experiment : ) Beets - They both did so well last year, tasted so good, I am doing them again. Brussels - Well, these ones are just good ones! I have grown them many times before so I know they perform well in all sorts of conditions. Carrots - I had many of the seeds already. Hubby said he prefers these long imperator types so for the first time ever, I am not growing any of the heirlooms stubby ones, like Danvers or Chantenay. The dogs seem to prefer the flavour of the orange to the reds, so I am sticking with just orange this year, too. A very unusual carrot year for me. Cauliflower - the purple ones are so much easier to grow than the whites. Celery - I only ever grow Tango or Tall Utah as I know they are easy to grow and the stalks size up well with no particular care required. The heirloom types, from the early 1900's, do not size up. The stalks stay thin. Back in the day, celery was used more adding flavour than for fresh eating. The pink ones is awfully pretty though, just not fat stalks. Cucumbers - the cornichons because I want to make pickled baby cukes. The others because I have the seeds, they are great cucumbers, thin skins, tried and true. Eggplants - I have grown all these varieties before, and like them all. The midget I am growing because it has a short season, the other two because they are pretty and tasty! Listada de Gandia is so nice and sweet, grills up well for a lovely sandwich topping. Lettuces - I am not big on lettuce, truth be told. I am the one who picks out all the goodies from the salad and leaves all the lettuce. However, I do like a good Caesar salad, and also adding dark green, crisp leaves to tacos, burgers, everything. The leaf lettuce was chosen because it is fast and easy to grow. Onions - chosen simply because they are good storage onions. I want something that I can harvest throughout the summer, as needed, but store the rest in the cold room for many months. Last year's onions were terrific, would have bought them both again, but the suppliers I ordered from did not have them, so I chose these instead. Peas - well, I have been growing these ever since I tried them on a friend's recommendation. The only other one I would consider is the dwarf Little Crunch, from Renee's. They are sugar snap peas, so eat them off the vine! Peppers - My pepper choices vary from year to year, depending on what we want to do with them. I bought the hot ones for pickling, my hubs and the kids love pickled peppers. The sweets are for me. I love sweet peppers and munch on them like candy! Pumpkins - I have loads of seeds, but not loads of room, and I love to grow pumpkins. Am thinking of growing some in the front yard, too, letting them sprawl all over the yard. Radishes - I love the tender, delicate flavour of French Breakfast and the Plum ones intrigue me. I knew that there were radishes that you sow in mid summer for fall and early winter (depending on location), like watermelon radishes and daikon, but had not heard of radishes that are heat tolerant. Will see! Rutabaga - trying again as I did not follow through with them last year, sadly. Time got away from me. Scallions/Green Onions - are a must grow for me. I love them. Especially the multipliers. I toss some in the greenhouse in early spring to harvest quickly, and then outside just as soon as the snow melts. They are cool weather crops so love the colder temps. Spinach - another cool weather crop that I grow both in the greenhouse and outdoors, sowing as early as I possibly can. I have no favourite variety. Anything goes ; ) Melons - I have tons of melon seeds, both muskmelon and watermelon, so am going to grow some of each to see which ones fare best in this shorter growing season area. Will grow some in the greenhouse and some on the southside of the house, warm and sheltered from winds. Zucchini and other squash - like the pumpkins, I just love to grow them. We bake a lot with the zucchinis, and the others are good in storage and fun to grow. Dogs love them, I love them. They are so pretty, too. Space is the only issue now. Will see how that plays out. I direct sow so the seeds will not go to waste if I change my mind when planting. Potatoes - I will pick up some up from the local shops in spring. I am pretty easy about which ones I grow, love them all. Norland are my favourites but honestly, almost anything goes. That is my vegetable grow list for this year. The tomato list and flower list will be posted separately, as there are many of them.

Happy Sunday! We have a lazy, puttering day on the roster today. The weather is not ugly, but not nice either. Kind of perfect for puttering indoors. We have finally caught up on most of the clean up after the new floors went in, so today is a me-day... a day to do things that I have been wanting to get to for a while. They say that learning new things helps to avoid the winter blues, so I am going to try a whole bunch of new things. Feeling optimistic, busy, and happy. I've been doodling around with watercolour Valentine's Day cards. Not sure what I am going to do with them, I just really like playing around with new ideas. Going to keep at it, trying different things so that I get better at it ; ) The black drawing pens make the art. Even if they look like doo-doo, the black lines make everything better, hah! I tried the finer ones and also the thickest one... for this, I prefer the fine lines. I also bought some paper making screens as I want to make my own organic, pretty gift tags, and some plantable ones with seeds in them. Just my latest thing to try. I will share the diy (if it turns out nicely, hah!) but here is the video that inspired this idea. Top on the list today though, is making flag banners/bunting for the grandies' room. We are completely redoing this room (on a thrifty budget) now that we have nice, clean flooring in there. It is turning out so super cute. Gardening Bits Have you ever wanted to grow really big pumpkins? I don't want to grow the really, really big ones, but I sure do like to grow nice ones for the kids to carve for the holidays. Read this giant pumpkin grower's tips for how to grow a good sized pumpkin. Blooms in Spring - Check out these lovely shrubs and flowers for for that early pop of spring blossoms. *tip - I love crocuses, but they can be a bit of a let down some years. In a dry spring, if it is really warm, they blow out so fast that you barely get to see them. For the biggest impact when growing crocuses, plant them in big clumps or wide bands along a pathway, or a pollinator strip rather than here and there in the yard. People will stop in their tracks. This is the best 'when to start seeds' calculator that I have ever found. The most accurate and easy to use. Just put your last frost date at the top and it figures out everything for you. I use May 21st for the date here in Central Alberta, but it varies quite a bit between Edmonton and Calgary (all those chinooks). To find your last frost date in Alberta, you can find that here. In Nanaimo, I always used April 28th as last frost date in Nanaimo. Some went with an earlier date, by two weeks even, but I find it you use the later date, plants were less apt to be spindly, overgrown, were healthier with less chance of being frosted when planted out. Other Bits Tips for a Happier You! Love some of these ideas, whether one is in a funk, has cabin fever, or just looking for some lovely ideas to brighten their mood. This article about the new TikTok book trend... like, uhm, what? I can promise you that I have read every book on the shelf, and in my house, at least once. How to decorate with vintage quilts. I love those luggage tags so much. Recipes Ch-ch-ch-changes .... Last year, I started baking our snacks and breads, making healthier versions where I can control the sugars and fats. Homemade cookies, muffins, or cakes to satisfy the sweet tooth. I also starting shopping the sales and seasonal fruits/veggies, to save on the budget, and to come up with new, seasonal recipe ideas. I then started intermittent fasting a few months ago and must say, I feel much better for it. Though I am not much for stepping on the scale, prefer to go by how I feel rather than numbers on a scale, I've lost some weight (about 5 lbs) without even trying. And... added Lion's Mane capsules. I was talking with some friends the other day and nearly all of them find that these capsules help with mental clarity and brain health. I have had such brain fog since hitting menopause (and the stress of the pandemic years), really hoping that these make a difference. I looked up the top recommended capsules, these were pretty high up on the list. Will let you know how it goes.... (don't take on empty stomach!). The mushrooms also have many other benefits, like aiding in the prevention of dementia and gut health. Eating the mushrooms themselves would be better for you than the capsules, but not sure that I can go to the Field and Forge daily for their mushroom buffalo wings ; ) Heart shaped, easy to make, cinnamon buns. Check out these muffin recipes! This healthy meal in a jar, for work or home. If you like this idea and you are on Tik Tok, please check out Fayette Nyehn. I have saved so many of her healthy salad and meal ideas. Simple foods, quick to make, healthy eating. We went to Ikea a few weeks back so I looked for the jars that Fayette uses. They were all sold out, so I bought these wooden lids for wide mouth mason jars instead. I have the jars already anyways, love these lids. *Disclaimer. As an Amazon affiliate, if you were to purchase an item(s) from the links, I get a wee small amount of money to support my blog. It does not cost you any extra to purchase through my link than if you went to that item on your own. Thank you! That is my Sunday rambling thoughts this week. My head has been on the cleaning and organising of the house and rooms lately, so just now starting to get into the January things. Looking forward to a couple of weeks of 'puttering' with fun new things. I'd love to hear what you are doing/learning/trying this month, in the comments below : ) Happy Sunday~ Tanja

Updated on January 19th, 2024 with a few new thoughts... I have always purchased a whole lot of seeds annually, like I mean, a crazy lot! Some were for my own potager, of course, while the majority were for the greenhouse to start and sell to you as plants in spring. Now that I no longer have that wonderful wee greenhouse, I have been getting a lot of questions about where I source my seeds from so that you can grow your own, especially heirloom and open-pollinated tomatoes, but also all the things every home gardener wants in their yard and potager. I have a real love affair with heirlooms, I like that there is a backstory to how they came to be, that someone loved it enough to save it and carry it on for generation. Some of the new open-pollinated types will become the heirlooms of tomorrow, they are that good! You can save the seeds from any heirloom or open-pollinated plant growing in your garden and you will get the exact same vegetable next year. If you were to take seeds from a hybrid, you will get some version of the parentage that went into hybridizing that veggie, but it will not be true to what you grew this year. If you are into self-sustainability and seed saving, leave the hybrids off your shopping list. I love to shop around and support all sorts of different seed houses, especially the smaller mom and pop ones, but shipping costs can add up really fast. It is pricey to shop around. If you want to order from several seed houses, maybe look into ordering with a group of friends? If you are in the Innisfail area, I would love to get together with you, we can become 'garden groupies'! One more thing of note when buying seeds in person, or online - always check to see how many seeds you are getting for the price that you are paying. Some send only 10 seeds for the same price that others charge for 25 seeds (and no, that does not necessarily mean that their seeds are superior). Also, the seeds may cost more if it is brand new to (their) market, if organically and sustainably grown, or when being grown and sold by a small independent mom and pop company. You choose what you want to pay more for, if anything. Sometimes I will just pay whatever it costs as I really want it, while other times I decide that my mainstay is fine, I will wait till it goes down in price or find it elsewhere. Here are my favourite Seed Sources & what I buy from them. Renee's Garden Seeds - has been my go-to for over 20 years, for both veggies and flowers. I love the packaging with the pretty pictures, and the seeds are of superb quality. I have always had the fastest and best germination from their seeds. The price point is really good, and you get a decent number of seeds per package. Flowers - Their mixed colour selections are superb, so well thought out and many combos to choose from. I especially love their zinnias. Where most seed houses give you one mixed colour choice (always with yellow in it, urgh) or just one single colour per package, at Renee's you have a wide selection of both colours and combos to choose from. New selections this year are the verbena (love!), a gorgeous dark purple scabiosa, a new Cosmo blend in cranberry, rose, coral, and white. They also have great alyssum, nasturtiums, and Gem marigolds (signets), which are best for pest control and pollinators love them. Veggies - I have been growing with their seeds for years and years, all are great, but here are some of my personal favourite Renee's veggies. New this year is the Bubba chili pepper, the pastel duo of turnips (pink and white!), and a striped grape tomato called Bronze Torch. Cucumbers - Best cucumbers ever! Green Fingers, Chelsea Prize, Tasty Green, Bush Cucumbers, and the new French Cornichons for pickling. I grow them all! Melons/Watermelons - I have always had really great success with all of them, love the wee little watermelons. They are all really good so I cannot give you a favourite. They have a great array to choose from in carrots, lettuces, and the mesclun mixes are the best. Oh, the purple cauliflower is so pretty, tasty, and I find it less fussy to grow than white. T&T Seeds - Manitoba, Canada What I love most about this seed source is that they take shipping costs into consideration. I spend a lot on shipping, so I really appreciate a good deal. You can order up to 10 regular sized packages of flowers or veggies for just $5.75 in shipping (within Canada). You really cannot go wrong with prices like that. If you want more than 10 packages, I would just put in two orders; ) Flowers - They have a nice selection of petunias this year, even carrying the Waves! and check out the geraniums, too. Both of these can be started right away. Gem Marigolds - these are one of the very best flowers you can grow in your vegetable garden to for the pollinators and other beneficial insects. The flowers come in yellow, red, and orange. When I could get my hands on these guys, I put them in the pollinator packs that I sold you each spring. White Swan Marigold - tall lovely creamy white marigolds with a light marshmallow scent. I sold many flats of these at the ngp annually, they are that amazing! Nasturtiums - They have the new compact Baby Rose and a stunning one called Black Velvet that is to die for. So pretty. I would put that one in baskets. Sunflowers - Strawberry Blonde, a lovely pale pink one. Vegetables - A good selection to choose from in most all the categories, here are a few of my favourites. Beets - I like every single one but my favourites are Chioggia and Cylindrical. The cylindrical ones are great for pickling in slices. Carrots - a whole lot of great ones! Red Atomic, Danvers, Healthmaster. The Rainbow mix is my favourite (has no whites, I am not a fan of the taste of the white ones). Cucumbers - So many pickling types to choose from! All amazing. Tomatoes - Rapunzel. This is a very cool open-pollinated cherry that I am going to trial. Floret Flower Farm - Skagit Valley, USA. This beautiful flower farm grows their own seeds, they are organically grown, come direct from the source, and they have a stunning selection. You cannot go wrong with any of the choices. The hardest part will be getting your hands of some of their seeds, as they sell out quickly. Stems Flower Farm - Ontario, Canada Known for their flowers, of course, but they also have a wee bit of most every vegetable so you can buy both veggies and specialty flowers all at one source to save on shipping. The very best thing? They sell mixed variety packs of nearly every herb and veggie you would want to grow and don't charge extra for making a mix! You get a bunch of varieties in one package, so you save money and have a great blend with different maturity dates for an extended harvest season. Flowers - A beautiful, huge selection of hard to find, unique varieties. The amaranths- oh my! The zinnias, cosmos, phlox, and snapdragons! I can go crazy with the shopping at Stems. Some of the veggies that they sell a variety of... Eggplant mix, pickling cucumber mix, cucumber mix, sweet pepper, hot pepper, summer squash, winter squash, kale, lettuce mixes of many sorts, paste tomato (for canners!), cherry tomato, slicing tomato mix.... *Honestly, you gotta check out the great veggies and variety packs . Johnny's Selected Seeds - this is a new one to me but I am going to purchase quite a few flower seed packets and see how they fare. The shipping to Canada is on the pricier side but I am going to give it a go as I am quite taken with what they have to offer... Flowers- I think zinnias are just about the most perfect flower... easy to grow, drought tolerant, direct seeded, and come in a wide array of colours. Again, if you want wonderful combo packs, check out Renee's, but if you want rows or blocks of single colours, you need to check out the large selection at Johnny's. Their cosmo selection is also exceptional. They have the doubles, the cupcakes, the ruffled, dark reds, pinks, whites, blushes, apricots, they have so many lovelies to choose from. So many great flowers and veggies (tomatoes, peppers, beets....) that I cannot begin to tell you where to start, you just need to check them all out ; ) This is where I am getting Lucky Tiger and Pink Berkeley Tie-dye from this year. Vesey's Seeds - This is the link to the Canadian shop but if you are from the States, just click at the top where the Canadian flag is, and the America shop will pop up for you. The shipping rates are reasonable (for Canada Post). I mostly buy perennials and flower bulbs from Vesey's, they have great lilies, grape hyacinths, gladiolas, and just about everything else. They also have a sales section at the back of their catalogue, if you get it shipped to you, where they have plants of all sorts for $5 and $10. Flowers- Just this spring, I saw a picture someone sent in of the petunias they grew from seed, especially the climbing ones! Wow! Veggies - They have a really great Year of Squash offer this year, get 5 varieties for just $18.50. They have a really decent selection in all the veggie types. You could probably order just about everything you need from this one company, they have it all. Lots of tomatoes to choose from; hybrids, heirlooms, open-pollinated ones. Their onion selection is really good, with several types of shallots to choose from, as well. I am big on growing onions, all sizes, shapes, and colours. Make sure to grow at least one type that is a good storage onion, not all of them are. Tomatoes... I have a great love affair with growing tomatoes. I've been growing anywhere from 500 to 1200 a year for the past 15 years or so, while I was selling the starter plants, and growing up to 100 plants just for our family. Some for fresh eating, most for canning. The seed houses that I buy the majority of my tomato seeds from are Heritage Harvest Seeds in Canada, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, and TomatoFest in the USA. They all have an extensive list of heirloom and open pollinated seeds to choose from. Baker Creek is charging a flat rate of $12 USD for shipping to Canada (eek) so the more you get from them, the more worth your while it is. Hence the group purchase, if you can. TomatoFest - Really affordable shipping and personalised customer service. I bought 13 tomatoes from them this year and shipping was just $5.95 US. Heritage Harvest offers free shipping on orders over $300 CDN but even though I order a swack of seeds, I have never made it to that dollar value. Mostly because I like to order a great variety so I just pay whatever it is because the seeds are worth it. I probably order 80% of my tomato, pepper, and eggplant seeds from these 3 companies, plus odds and sods, of course. The quality is exceptional, the seeds have great germination rates, and you get a decent number of seeds per package. Baker Creek I buy my favourite paste tomato here, Martino's Roma, but they also carry many of the new open-pollinated tomatoes from Brad at Wild Boar Farms, like the Pink Berkeley Tie Dye, Brad's Atomic Grape, etc... or you can go straight to Wild Boar Farms and order direct. I have often done that, as well. They have super decent shipping rates so go crazy! Tomato Fest is where I buy the seeds from The Dwarf Tomato Project. My favourites to date, are Hannah's Prize, Purple Heart, Dwarf Audrey's Love, Tasmanian Chocolate, and Uluru Ochre. I also buy many of my cherry types from here, early determinates, and some of the pastes for canning. Yonder Hill Farm - a small seed house in Nova Scotia that I buy some staple tomatoes from that I cannot get anywhere else. This is where I get Heinz 2653, Glacier, and White Cherry (I had a few customers who absolutely love this pale-yellow cherry tomato and come back for it year after year) and sometimes also Black Plum, Sweet Tumbler, Tiger Mix, and Black Prince. The shipping has now gone up to $6, very affordable. Adaptive Seeds - is another small supplier that carries some of my must grow tomatoes but is from the States. This is where I get Ropreco (hard to come by anywhere else), Sasha's Altai, and Gardener's Sweetheart. The shipping cost to Canada is killer so I order as many packages as I can to get right under that minimum dollar amount as I can, so will often throw in something new to try at the same time, like 'Dancing With Smurfs'. They also have a lovely selection of Amaranth. Artisan Seeds - They sell the unique new varieties of open-pollinated seeds, like the different Bumblebees (Pink, Purple, Sunrise) and Tigers, plus Marzano's Fire but it looks like they are currently not selling to Canada, sadly. You can always email and ask, never hurts, (I have done that before). The website is a bit of a mess, but they have some fun varieties and are totally worth checking out. Victory Seeds - Also a small American seed house with some really great varieties. The shipping to Canada is pretty costly. They carry the Dwarf Tomato Project seeds that I mentioned above, and also Heidi, Oroma, Glacier, Gill's All-Purpose. Their website is super easy to shop as they break down into early, midseason, late, and into all the colours, or you can shop by determinate or indeterminate. They carry all sorts of other heirloom veggies, too, like Ping Tung eggplants, one of my favourites. Peppers Peppers - are you into growing the super-hot or the super unique? Check out the Pepper Merchant from Ontario. Or, I have ordered from this American company quite a few times, check out Pepper Joe's. Joe sells only a few sweet varieties but has almost every sort of mild to super stinking crazy hot pepper you can possibly imagine. He also gives growing advice. I usually buy most of my sweet peppers (and eggplants) from Heritage Harvest Seeds, in Manitoba but will pick up one or two from the others, if they have something that catches my eye. I am always on the lookout for small, tasty eggplants, as well. Eggplants have pretty much exactly the same growing needs as peppers, so I often lump them together. This year, I am getting most of my peppers from Johnny's and just a couple from T&T Seeds. Johnny's has a good selection, and I am getting a bunch of other things from them, too, so it all works out. The shipping to Canada is pretty steep though. Wildrose Heritage Seed Company has a great selection of both sweet and hot peppers. They sell most all of the ones (hot and sweet) that were the best sellers at my greenhouse, plus have the elusive Thai Dragon, as well. Other.... Stokes Seeds - I very seldom order from here but often use it as a resource guide, or did when I was starting out the greenhouse, growing lots of new things. Want to know how to successfully start snapdragons or pansies? Yep, go here. They are a grower's seed supplier, have all sorts of things, but if you are new to starting seeds, or want to try growing something new, this is a great site to check out. They give you the dates, timing, heat, all the tips on how to grow just about everything. Wildrose Heritage Seed Company - Lethbridge, Alberta This little company has a good selection of veggies, especially love their pepper selection, as mentioned above. I have grown nearly all of the sweets over the years, all have done exceptionally well. I especially recommend King of the North, Orange King, and Marconi. Annapolis Seeds - Nova Scotia - They have Ropreco, Heinz 2653, Speckled Roman, and Heidi paste tomatoes! (my reliable favourites) and a great selection of soybeans! They also have the $5 shipping thing though it does not say how many packages you can ship for that amount. You would have to play with your order to put in as many packages as you can get... or call them ; ) *Revival Seeds - My friend Laura told me about this company just yesterday so I had to do a quick amendment to this post to add them in. They have a really good selection of heirloom and open pollinated vegetables, plus some flowers and herbs, too. The only flower I ordered is the Black Eyed Susan Vine, cannot live without that one for hanging baskets. The vegetable selection, however, was really good so I have onions, beets, peppers, and 3 kinds of eggplant coming my way. Shipping is only $5 within Canada, too! Have any recommendations for your favourite flowers or veggies that you want to share? Pop it in the comments below. Questions? Let me know! Happy Seed Shopping! ~ Tanja

You guys! It is colder than a witch's heart here on the prairies! We have had -40° temps, with daytime high in the high 30'C's. They say that this cold snap will break this evening and go back to normal winter temps. Thank goodness, it sure has been a long week! In times like this, when you do not want to venture outside for anything, not even groceries, what does one do? I look for a warm chenille throw, a good book, cosy loungewear, and a spot in front of the fireplace. I have oh so many throws (can one ever have too many?) but I really love my chenille ones best of all. They are cosy and warm, but also have a bit of weight to them. They just feel warmer. Maybe it is like the weighted blanket thing, just makes you feel safe and settled? The books I have been reading lately - I finished my Stephen King Christmas prezzie book weeks ago. This year, it was 'Holly', a spin off from the Mr Mercedes trilogy. If you liked the trilogy, you will really like this one, too. It is in the same vein... kinda creepy, in that good way that only SK can do. Though, I must admit, I think Fairy Tale is one of his very best. If you like the tv series/books 'Call The Midwife', you may enjoy reading this light reading series by Jo Bartlett called 'The Cornish Midwife'. I just finished the series on my kobo, where I get the books for free with my Kobo Plus subscription. Let me know if you want to know more about that.... Travel & Just Because Favourites.... Shortly after the holidays, we flew to the island to visit my son for a quick trip as he was unable to come home at Christmas. As it always goes, we stayed up too late each night, drank way, way too much coffee as we visited with old friends, ate too much, laughed a whole lot, had a really great time. We stayed at an airbnb for the very first time ever. It was so easy to book and nicer/homier than staying at a hotel. I wanted something with a coffee maker (of course!) and a wee kitchen for easy breakfasts and quick lunches. We indulged with a really lovely supper out each night, always at a different restaurant. If you go to Nanaimo at any point, you must eat at Asteras, a Greek restaurant. I'd give it 5 stars! The whole trip was so wonderful, even with the delayed flights home. Be sure to make a reservation though, or you won't get in! Before I left, I picked up some comfy lounge wear to travel in. Here are some of my favourites. This lounge outfit! I have it in this green colour, love it so much that I am thinking of getting it in the navy blue, dark grey or maybe coffee, too. The fabric is on the thinner side, so is perfect for comfort while traveling, lounging around at home or the airbnb, and outdoors in spring. This ribbed set is also lovely, great for those with longer legs than mine ( I have to roll up the legs). No gonna lie, this knit one is my favourite! In green or brown, looks stylish enough to wear about town/anywhere. Remember those vintage suede colour, bags I bought all us 'girls' at Christmas? It now also comes in this denim look, which is super cute (and on sale!) It also comes in a lovely vintage red, if that is more your style, also on sale right now! Oh, my daughter and DIL love it, too! I bought it with the intent to use it for shopping here at home, but it made a super handy travel bag. I love that it stands up, does not flop over. Held my kobo e-reader, magazines, purse, travel goodies, make-up touch up bag, Gravol (hah), and all sorts of other goodies, too. Easy access, fits under the front seat. Just perfect. Oh, one more... also come in this beautiful, classy looking grey. The only other thing I would mention as a travel favourite, is a good pair of slippers. I had these in my carry on bag, they do not take a lot of space, came in super handy on the trip. The airbnb that we stayed at had laminate floors, so was cool on the feet. I also wore them in the Air Canada lounge while we were stuck at the Vancouver airport with delay after delay. So much comfier to pop than winter boots. Perfect at home, too, of course, for inside and sweeping snow off the deck. Those were my favourites for the travel, though I only travel once in a blue moon, hahaha, so these are all wonderful for us homebodies and work from home peeps, too. At home, these are this month's favourite things.... These deep blue velvet curtains! I LOVE them so much, cannot begin to tell you how well they suit the room. They make the rooms look so cosy and classy. I have always had a thing for velvet though. Give me a green velvet couch and I will be all set. We went with a simple, black, 1 inch diameter curtain rod, and rings. I wanted the finial to not be fussy but look substantial. For the curtain rings, I went with antique bronze to mix the metals. Just makes for a homier, less formal look. Gold would also have looked really nice. In fact, I think I ordered gold but got these bronze ones. I used 9 clip on rings for each curtain, so spaced about 5 inches apart. I also love the green, or maybe gold for the fall. My curtains, by the way, are 90 inches long, not a super common size. I had to go that length to get them to go right up close to the ceiling though. I saw this throw (blanket) on another blog and had to have it! It is so lovely. I use it to protect my sofa from Little Lulu kitty. It works with both my winter and summer drapes, washes well, is comfortable, and looks good to boot. It is reversible so go lighter or darker to suit your mood. Our entire home is in total chaos at the moment. We are replacing the carpet in the basement as the old one was very dirty and worn, and removing carpet from the two bedrooms upstairs. Carpet is so much cosier underfoot but hard to keep clean with dogs, plus I have allergies. It just made sense to go with hardwood. We chose something that would (almost) match the existing flooring, so didn't have much choice in the matter. This made choosing a type of wood and colour super quick and easy. All the furniture and 'stuff' has been jammed into any space it fits during the install so I am unable to get to the potting soil and pots to start my seeds. I will be starting onions, peppers, and indoor tomatoes, but more on that once I can get started. There is no hurry so do not fret if you are not yet in the mood. Crafty things that I am loving this month. As soon as the carpet layer is finished in the basement, we can put the craft room back to order. I have several craft ideas planned that I cannot wait to get started on.... As an amateur doodler, I don't need anything fancy or expensive to make my cards and tags. Some watercolour paper, basic paints, brushes, and line makers. The line makers are key to making your art look great, btw : ) If you cannot find anything at your local dollar store, or Michaels, these vintage paints are cute! Or something like this paint set is fun to get you going for Valentine's Day, lots of colours for very little money. This paint brush set, and these line makers to accent your art. I like these postcards for watercolour paint, but you can also get the cards or paper from this link. I picked up these little wooden paper makers for making seed paper and gift tags. The cute how-to coming soon. The colourful markers that you see in my pic above are for the words on the cards, and also for making my garden plans : ) *Disclaimer. As an Amazon affiliate, if you were to purchase an item(s) from the links, I get a wee small amount of money to support my blog. It does not cost you any extra to purchase through my link than if you went to that item on your own : ) These white cupcake cosmos were also one of my most favourite things last summer. See HERE for these, and other Cosmo seeds. The most lovely array of selections I have ever found. Direct sow them in the spring, along with your zinnias, for the best results. They are late summer bloomers and keep going till the frost (or heavy rains) do them in. As always, thank you so much for reading and commenting. The 'Favourite Things' posts in December were in the top 3 reads of the year, and I so enjoyed reading all your comments and messages. Hope you enjoy this one just as much. There is nothing better than shopping from your armchair (during winter flu season ) Coming up next time... Seeds! ~ Tanja

It's been a hot minute since I was last on here. If you don't follow me on fb, you will likely have been wondering on earth I've gone, and what I have been up to. Last week, we went to visit my son on the island for a post Christmas visit, as he was unable to come 'home' for the holidays. Vancouver Island, that is. We stayed up too late every day, drank way too much coffee as we visited with friends, ate so much yummy food (Asteras is homey, yummy, amazing) and had an absolutely wonderful time. As always, it was too short a visit. While we were on the island, we had typical west coast weather, rainy and grey and cool. Cool enough that we had snow the last day there. We then came home to a major cold snap. Here on the prairies, we are in the -36°C range, and in the -40's with the windchill. Did you know that 40 below is the same in both Fahrenheit and Celsius? Yep, equally frigid any way you look at it! Holy doodle. Berkeley, our Saint Bernard, can handle it okay for the short while that she goes out to do her business, but even she is lifting her paws while she piddles. Hemingway, our English Mastiff... well, he is not built for this weather. He is great in rain, could not give a fig newton if it is pouring out there, but cold is not his thing. As it is nigh on impossible to find a coat and boots for his size (250lbs) we pull on toddler socks to protect his paws, and he wears dad's fleece vest to give some warmth. He looks ridiculous, and hates every moment of it, hahaha, but momma is keeping her baby safe. Psst, if you know someone who makes coats his size, let me know, okay? When we got home, I was thinking I would have about 2 weeks of slow time to tidy, clean, organise, blog... putter at my own pace. Slowly ease into the new year. However, was not to be. Turns out the flooring guys had a cancellation so could fit us in right away. Of course, we said yes, the sooner it's done, the sooner we can put things back to rights. That meant emptying pretty much the entire basement for the new carpeting, plus the two bedrooms upstairs for hardwood. Now, the house is in total chaos as our furniture and stuff has been shoved into the bathrooms, laundry room, living room.... and then we get to put the rooms back together again, in a new and improved way. Of course I want to make changes. It's a chain reaction kind of thing ; ) This early arrival of the flooring people means some of those promised blog posts will be a week or two later in coming as I currently cannot take a pretty picture in any room. Chaos reigns! I have my favourite things post coming out tomorrow, though, with so many great things! Till then, here are this week's Sunday Bits that caught my eye Gardening Bits These 20 Seed Companies for heirloom and open-pollinated seeds. And, if you liked that one, you are going to love this one. A very comprehensive list of seed companies all over the world. This is a great read... do metal raised garden beds heat up more than wooden ones? These 13 blue and purple potato varieties. I have tried several and love them! My kids like the mixed colours of fried potatoes. Homey Bits This article with 10 Tips for Boosting your Winter Wellness. We are working on #2, though that is only happening now because of the new flooring. Either way, it will be lovely. I have ordered the prettiest wallpaper! Number #5 is so good! We have been using eucalyptus oil in the sauna lately, it smells so good. Other scents to try are lemongrass, pine needles (sounds very woodsy and Finnish), and Birch Sweet is a very traditional sauna scent. If you do not have a sauna, these shower steamers from Mint (a small mom & mom shop) are amazing! Heck, even if you do have a sauna, this would be lovely in the shower afterwards. Or, their lovely bath soak made with Lavender, Bergamot, and Mint essential oils. Mmm! I love everything these ladies make! You should check out their fabric softener! You will never use anything else again! Number #6 is a must if you have pets and allergies. I have this air purifier right beside my bed, it makes a huge difference to getting a good night's sleep. I am working on #7. Our pantry needs a big overhaul. Number #8 is also going to happen, I have my call list ready as soon as things settle down just a titch, and # 10 is a given. I am all about the hygge, with candles, throws, books, and good cuppa tea. *Disclaimer. As an affiliate, if you were to purchase an item(s) from the links, I will get a wee small amount of money to support my blog. It does not cost you any extra to purchase through my link than if you went to that item on your own. Many thanks for your support! Decor Bits... This scullery... honestly, I was not sure what a scullery was, but this is so nice! Sounds so posh, eh? This cute house. Loving the dark green and wicker accents! That toddler room is so pretty, too. Love this farmhouse! The kitchen, of course, and those bathroom tiles, but the whole house is lovely. Are you an Ikea fan? You need to check out these room ideas! The nursery, that mudroom/hallway. Foodie Bits I don't quite know how it happened, but I have been craving sweet potatoes these past few weeks. I would generally say that while I like sweet potatoes, they are okay, they have never been my go to! I tend to prefer regular spuds. This is new for me, but they are good for you... and taste great. This recipe has pepitas and sweet potatoes, two of my latest favourite things. Yes, you can replace them with pumpkin seeds. These 15 no bake desserts. I am putting this here so that I can save it for later, in spring, when I will be craving something fast and yummy. These though... I want to make right now. Overnight cinnamon buns. Could not be easier! You can also make them with raspberries! So happy to be back with you again. See you tomorrow with all my January favourite things ~ Tanja

Here we are, at the start of a brand new year. A year full of new possibilities. I am so itching to get at it but have to wait just a few more days as we are going away for the weekend. Then I will start on all those ideas... and my new year's resolutions. Yes, plural. Oj vej! Last year was my first year at this new house, this new yard, a new garden back in a zone 3 growing zone. Thank you all for following me on this new journey, for your comments and questions! Here are your top 10 favourite blog posts from last year. A couple of them surprised me (in a good way, of course) like your most favourite one : ) #10 - My 2023 Vegetable Grow List How to go about deciding what to grow each year, and how much of everything to grow for your family. Includes my own grow list for the first summer in this new yard. It is hard to downsize, you all... is much easier to go bigger and grow more, more, more ; ) #9 - How To Grow Great Zinnias - It's Super Easy! This one makes me happy. You all know how much I love zinnias! So great for attracting birds to eat the bugs, plus all sorts of beneficial insects, too. And hey, they are super easy to grow so give you a big bang for just a few bucks. #8 - Growing Great Garlic This post about how to grow garlic, how deep to plant, when to plant, for all the zones. I can hardly wait to harvest the garlic in summer... and we have just started winter, hahaha. Want to see how my new bed grows. #7 Four Ways to Grow Great Onions From Seed I stopped growing from onion sets one spring long ago when I broke my wrist. I had no way to drive my standard (yep, that is how old I am) vehicle to the shops so I ordered seeds online and had the best onions of my life. Since then, I have always grown from seed, and always had much better, bigger onions. Check out the how to grow from seed. It's easy, you all! So much better than sets! #6 - Citrus Trees - Lemons & Limes - (how to keep them healthy and happy, even in winter) How to care for lemon and lime trees in all the seasons, how to keep it happy and thriving even in winter... that's the hard part : ) #5 - Companion Planting With Flowers For Pest Control How to avoid sprays of any kind and fight pests in the vegetable garden with flowers. Why flowers in the food garden are a really big deal. #4 - How I Keep My House Clean with Big Dogs & Little Kids Those of you with big dogs know how much work it is to keep the house clean. They drool, they shed, they track in dirt.... they are super lovable, but oh so messy. This is what I do to keep my sanity. #3 - My Secret Trick for Starting Seeds On The Cheap I ran a greenhouse business from my backyard for 13 years, selling heirloom vegetables, flowers for the pollinators, roses, fruit trees, and more. This is how I started and grew 1000's of seedlings from seed on the cheap! #2 Planning Your Potager Layout This is a long read but if you follow it step by step, you will do great. Planning out a garden is not a quick thing. It takes time, even for the pros who do this for a living. You get a bit faster at it when you have been growing for a few years, but it always takes time. That is why we start in January with our dreaming, plotting, and planning. If you want clarification or more information about any of these things, please put it in the comments below. I would love to talk more about gardening : ) #1 Beautiful & All-Natural Birdseed Wreaths You number one read last year was this one. Yay for the birdies! An easy thing that you can do to keep the birds coming to your home (you want them in summer to eat those bugs), plus they are fun to watch. Thank you all for the past year. What a great year it was, eh? The upcoming year of 2024 is going to be even better, I feel it in my bones. We are running away from home for a few days, so there will be no Bits post on Sunday. I have so many fun things to share with you when we get back though, from gardening, seeds, the renovation, to the grandies bedroom redo! Take Care, See You All Very Soon~ Tanja

Making birdseed wreaths has become an annual winter tradition. I make one just a bit before Christmas, and then a couple more times in the new year... one a month through the wintriest months (or as needed). I used to make these for my birds on the acreage, plus loads more to sell at the Christmas Pop-Up's, now I just make about 3 of them per winter, for my own birdies. The birdseed wreath I traditionally make appeals to all birds, the big guys and the littles, too. Lots of nuthatches, chickadees, finches, and sparrows. 1 cup cornmeal 1 cup suet 1 cup peanut butter 4 cups really good quality birdseed Melt the suet slowly in a medium sized pan, stir to keep it from burning or browning. Add the peanut butter to meld with the suet. Add seeds and cornmeal, mix well and remove from heat right away to keep the cornmeal from cooking. Make a small ring out of branches to help keep the wreath from cracking in half when the birds peck at it. (optional) Pour half the seed mix into a small bundt pan, place the twig ring on top, fill up the pan with the rest of the seed mix. Push down to make sure the seeds are firmly in place. Place in fridge or freezer to set. To remove seed wreath from pan, run hot water over the side of the pan till you feel it loosening. Add a ribbon or string, hang outside on a fence, wall, tree, or post. If you can, go to a local birdseed supplier (not a big box store) as they will carry some of the best seeds for your local birds. If you prefer to shop on-line, try these birdseed mixes from Amazon. This premium seed, or this peanut-free seed if someone has allergies, or you just want a really good seed with no filler seeds. Great for all sorts of birds. (*The filler seeds in the cheaper blends are the ones that the birds scatter to the ground and germinate as weeds in summer.) This bag of just black oil sunflower seeds is one of my favourites to use as all the birds (everywhere) love them, the big and the small. Here is the link to the one for just peanuts that I used below for the sapsuckers and woodpeckers. This sturdy 4 cup bundt pan is perfect for this recipe and the one below. You can also often find them at thrift stores. The ones at the dollar store tend to have too large a hole in the middle, which is fine for cakes, but will cause the birdseed wreath to fall to pieces very quickly. You want the hole to be small so that that it stays together well... plus it looks prettier. You can also use this pretty mint coloured pan to make a bigger wreath! I do this often, as well. Just make it with 6 cups of birdseed instead of 4, double the suet. If you bought a large wreath from me, this is the size I used. *Disclaimer. As an Amazon affiliate, if you purchase an item(s) from the links, I get a wee small amount of money to support my blog. It does not cost you any extra to purchase through my link than if you went to that item on your own. Many thanks for your support! Just over a week ago, I saw a lovely woodpecker looking for treats inside my gutters ,so I decided to make a special wreath, just to entice him back to the yard. This wreath will appeal mostly to the larger birds, like woodpeckers and sapsuckers. I have the other seeded one for the little birdies. For this wreath, I used just 2 things. Lots of suet and lots of peanuts. 3 cups of suet 4 cups of peanuts These are the quantities I used today, but you can use less, if you like. You can also add peanut butter to the suet, as above for the little birds. Knowing that sapsuckers/ woodpeckers like suet best, I wanted to use a lot, and 3 cups is what I just happened to have on hand. There is not right or wrong amount. I put 2 small rings made of mockorange twigs to keep the wreath from breaking in half when the birds start pecking away at it. You can use grapevines or any kind of slender shrub branches. I have seen others use a ring made from a metal hanger (can be reused), but I have just found it easier to use twigs. bio-degradable. The branches, vines, twigs will be brittle. If you want to take the time, you can soak them in warm water for an hour or two to soften them up first. This would probably be a great idea if you were making many of them. Now that I am no longer making these for the Christmas pop-up, I just twist them up. They do not have to be perfect circles, just need to hold things together. I used simple garden twine and hung it up on the post from my basket hook. Isn't she pretty all in white? Let's see what they think of this wreath! Happy New Year ~ Tanja

Welcome to the last Bits post of the year, and what a year it has been, eh? Looking forward to seeing what 2024 has to bring. Check out some of these fun rituals that folks traditionally do on the eve of the new year in my New Year's Eve post : ) Have a great evening! Okay on to all these fun Bits that I have been gathering for you for the past 2 weeks. There are quite a few this week as last week was Christmas. In The Garden Bits.... The sale on heirloom tomato seeds ends January 2nd! I got my order in a few days back, it is on it's way! TomatoFest is a super good company, I have been growing their seeds for a great many years and you usually always get a personal note from Gary. Did you know that tulips last longer if you do not water them? Or they do not get much rainfall? I had no idea! So, that explains why the tulips under the eaves of my workshop lasted much longer than the ones in my long potager/garden beds. More fun info in this short read about tulips. Are you like me and want to read most everything about making your own compost? This is winter composting tips! How to make compost in 18 days! This would be a great thing to trial in summer, not right now, not anywhere in Canada, hahaha. It is easy though! Start saving your cardboard and other 'browns' now to use in summer. Can you use leaves to fill your raised beds? Different ways to fence in your vegetable garden... depending on who you are trying to keep out. We had deer fencing around the entire acreage and this wooden pencil post fence around the potager to keep the pups out. Penelope used to love digging up carrots! A really good post about how to successfully start marigolds indoors. How to grow fruit trees successfully... from planting to feeding and watering. I really love her recommendation for feeding your trees (because that is how I feed mine, lol). This read about seed catalogs we love. This is a good idea! How to get Glad's to bloom earlier? Start them indoors ahead of time. I'm not sure that I would do this in the house, but I will certainly start some in the greenhouse to get a bit of a head start on them. Is always such a long wait till they bloom ; ) In The Home Bits Ten easy things to do in January to stay organised. I love some of these ideas. What do you think of these backsplash tiles? Not just the colour, but how they look on the wall? I mean, I like it, both the colour and the look, but not sure how easy it is to clean and I know, for sure, that hubs would never go for it. On the other hand, the backsplash in this adorable tiny little cottage is amazing. Love this kitchen! It says green and pink but looks like a white and green kitchen to me... It's so pretty, in any case. And do-able. All these kitchens. Are you looking at a kitchen reno? Need some ideas? This post has them all, from floors to backsplashes, cabinets and more, tons of ideas. My kitchen is done so now I poke through pictures and live vicariously through my daughter, sending her ideas and plans as she looks into doing her big kitchen renovation (which involves building a pantry, too!). Recipe Bits Just two recipes this week. I think we are all a bit 'cooked and baked out'. This one is fun and perfect as we settle into the winter months. Maybe tonight around the campfire? Ten hot chocolate recipes. Sweet potato muffins for breakfast, made with spelt flour and applesauce. These look and sound yummy to me, must try! Happy New Year's Eve ~ Tanja