Gardening That Grows With Me
An easy to make, healthy oatmeal breakfast. Lot’s of fruit makes it sweet enough that you don’t need a lot of added sweetener (I used honey, you could swap with maple syrup). Ingredients 2 ripe bananas 300 grams high protein plain yogurt (just under 1 ¼ cups) 1 cup milk* 1/4 cup maple syrup or… Read more »
I purchased some annual vinca (Catharanthus roseus), also known as Madagascar periwinkle, part way through the season last year to rejuvenate some tired planters. These are amazing annuals for hot, dry conditions. They bloomed not stop, even better than verbena. And, lucky for me, they are deer and rabbit resistant. Varieties and Sources I’m not… Read more »
I tried growing annual verbena from seed in 2025 and while I had success with germination the plants were VERY small when I wanted to put them in pots. I ended up buying replacement plants. I think this happened for two reasons: I didn’t start them early enough I didn’t have enough supplemental heat and… Read more »
Marigolds are easy to grow from seed but I’ve generally had issues with them becoming root bound or drying out. Once they dry out the plants suffer. The key – use larger pots and start later than you think. This is my personal garden growing guide. I use it to track seed sources, when to… Read more »
This year I am intentionally changing how I start my annual flowers, and what I’m growing. In the past, I’ve had a tendency to sow too early and start too many varieties. While some plants did beautifully, those requiring a long indoor growing period before planting out often struggled. I wasn’t consistently matching heat and… Read more »
I made these little appetizers for my Winter Garden Party. I used both regular oranges and red blood oranges, which made for a very colourful topping. Most of the preparation can be done ahead, making these easy to assemble just before serving. You could use any thyme-infused jelly. Mine came from The Watering Can in… Read more »
I originally planned this cocktail for a garden party in the middle of winter with friends. However, I return to it often as an nice, light cocktail on the patio or in the evening when I want something not to alcohol-forward. INGREDIENTS 1 ½ oz elderflower liqueur (St-Germain) 1 ¼ oz fresh lemon juice ¾… Read more »
By February, I’m usually thoroughly tired of winter and miss the garden. I’m ready for a little colour, some fresh flowers, and a reminder that spring will come. So what better excuse to invite a few friends over for a Winter Garden Party? The idea was to have a nice lunch with the girls, and… Read more »
I have been craving this since the 80’s when I used to live near the Danforth in Toronto. This has to be made with home-made chicken stock. The recipe ratios are based on the amount of stock I had on hand. The carrot is not necessarily traditional, but I added a small amount for colour.… Read more »
A cabbage and beef casserole or deconstructed cabbage rolls without the fuss. You can use a fresh cabbage but in the winter, when I prefer to eat this, I find it easier to use a package of precut cabbage slaw mix to reduce the prep time. Just be sure the slaw is more shredded and… Read more »