Gardening That Grows With Me
My first try with Alyssum was a McKenzie Seeds package picked up on a whim at a big box store – Carpet of Snow. I quickly fell in love, except Carpet of Snow is leggy, so needs frequent shearing if grown in a container. I’ve since switched to shorter varieties which will bloom longer without shearing or cutting back.
Kirigami is an ornamental oregano that is borderline hardy in my zone 5 garden. I planted some in my garden in 2023, we shall see if it overwinters. Having said that, Kirigami makes a great, drought-tolerant annual in containers. Plants have light green foliage with purple bracts and pink flowers that droop over the edges… Read more »
Heliotrope has a lot of flower characteristics that make it a perfect annual for both containers and in the garden. It has clusters of old-fashioned purple-blue blooms, a sweet, almost vanilla-like scent, and Heliotrope is deer tolerant. FAVOURITE VARIETIES AND SOURCES There are not a lot of choices when it comes to seed propagation. For… Read more »
I waffle every year on whether or not I want to have any coleus in my containers. I prefer coleus when it’s smaller, so it acts as a foliage accent. Containers of huge overflowing coleus just don’t appeal to me. The problem is coleus likes to grow big. Cutting it back too often leads to… Read more »
I love Silver Falls Dichondra dripping densely from my containers. Buying 40 or so plants a year is expensive, so I decided to try to germinate from seed in 2023. I tried both Silver Falls and Emerald Falls. I found germination difficult (especially Emerald Falls) and growth slow. I thought about over-wintering a mother-plant, but… Read more »
I grew Ageratum for the first time in 2023. Floss flower has a lovely soft purple colour that blends well with darker purples, deep and light pinks, whites, and silver foliage plants, so it was a great addition to my preferred container colour pallet. Ageratum is a long bloomer with little deadheading required. Deadheading shorter… Read more »
Another variation of a summer staple that uses up fresh zucchini grown in the garden. I also freeze extra loaves for the winter. This makes 2 loaves. INGREDIENTS 3 cups white flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon coconut milk powder 3 eggs 2 cups… Read more »
This is a nice change from regular zucchini loaf. It has a kind of morning-glory muffin taste but is easy to make since it’s in loaf form, and of coarse, uses up more of those summer zucchinis. Makes 2 loaves INGREDIENTS 4.5 cups flour 1.5 teaspoons baking powder 1.5 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon salt… Read more »
I make this in my large dutch oven Marinade together (can do a day ahead, but with instant pot this isn’t as necessary) 800g beef cubes (from chuck or sirloin roast) 1 tablespoon flour 1/4 cup soy sauce Mis en place 1 large onion, sliced end to end 2 celery stalks, diced small (because we… Read more »
After some testing I decided that the best pie crust is 50/50 butter and shortening. I make mine in the food processor which requires a little more water I find. 10 T cold butter (140 grams) 6 T shortening (1/2 cup / 71 grams) – chill in freezer for 20-30 minutes 2 3/4 cup cake… Read more »