My Everchanging Garden

Until the last few years, April in my gardens meant mostly daffodils. Adding some woodland garden plants changed all that. My three go-to perennials for April: Hellebore, Lungwort (Pulmonaria) and Carex. These perennials combine very well in a woodland or shade to part-shade situation and add a lot of spring interest. Here’s what my April… Read more »

I can’t believe we’ve lived here for 18 years and I’m finally getting around to planting a dedicated strawberry bed. I did try strawberries in the back when we first moved, but the only mammals that got to enjoy them were the chipmunks. I even tried covering the plants with an elaborate chicken wire cage… Read more »

It never ceases to amaze me how much a garden evolves over time. When we first moved here in 2004, our gardens were pretty bare, with just a few small evergreens and a lot of ground cover. Bit by bit, I started adding different features and creating separate garden spaces. One of my favourites was… Read more »

I’ve been into stuffing either a port tenderloin or 2-3 chicken breasts each week with a different stuffing. This works out to a good serving size for two people with a little left over for a lunch. My general recipe is a vegetable, cheese, some herbs along with some kind of spread. The method is… Read more »

Almost everything tastes better with home grown maple syrup! This was a small batch soup made with left over roasted butternut squash and made just after finishing our maple syrup for the season. Measurements are very rough INGREDIENTS 1 tablespoon butter 1/2 onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped large bunch thyme, left on stems… Read more »

It’s hard to get a strong maple flavoured cookie without maple extract. Since I only make these cookies once or twice a year (definitely right after making our own maple syrup) I don’t feel like buying maple extract. To boost the flavour a little I added butterscotch chips which I always have on hand. I… Read more »

I bought a gigantic head of cauliflower this week so decided to make a savoury flavoured soup. It turned out quite well. The pancetta adds a real deep flavour and the zest adds some nice acidity. INGREDIENTS 1 large head cauliflower, break into florets 200g pancetta 1 onion, chopped medium 2 stalks celery, chopped fine… Read more »

My garden landscape has evolved over the years. When I first started, I focused on designing a garden with shrubs and trees, thinking woody plants would be low maintenance for my big yard. I worked hard to add trees and shrubs that bloomed at different times during the season or offered interesting foliage. I supplemented… Read more »