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Strange weather, with tomatoes on the way
Hello dear readers, I write to you from my office, where a surprisingly strong pineapple-scented candle burns. The candle was bought at a thrift store just yesterday, and had never been burned before, which surprised me to no end. I had just used up the rest of a lemon-scented candle, and needed something fruity for…
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The final gourds have gone in, despite the weather
Hello dear readers, I write to you from my kitchen desk while a storm brews outside. The last few days have been more October than June, and I can’t say I’m not enjoying it. I’ve never been all that fond of summer, with my opinion only changing in adulthood once I became a gardener. Speaking…
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Exploring historic homes & sprouting too many sunflowers
Hello dear readers, I write to you from my office, my basil and pear candle burning next to me. I’ve just spent a wonderful, busy day with my family, touring heritage homes in a nearby city before sitting down for sushi in our backyard. I’ve been enamoured with old houses, especially their floor plans, since…
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Birdhouse gourds and an abundance of oregano
Hello dear readers, I write to you from my office today after a long day in several gardens. Little half-moons of dirt still live under my fingernails, and I’m quite certain my back is sunburned, despite my best efforts. But it was all worth it, because the many garden projects I’ve had on the go…
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Spring is here & new seeds in the garden
Hello dear readers, I write to you from our kitchen table, an oversized mug of coffee beside me. Franklin sleeps at the far side of the table, where he catches his paws in the lace half curtains, one of his favourite pastimes¹. This weekend is the first real sign of spring after six months of…
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Hollyhocks, lupins, and battling the weeds
Hello dear readers, I write to you from my kitchen desk; sun shines through the window and, outside, wind batters the cedar hedges. It’s a second cup of coffee kind of day, partly because we turned the clocks forward in the night¹, and partly because I drank coffee far too late in the day yesterday…
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Physical gardening records & the first signs of spring
Hello dear readers, I write to you from my kitchen desk, where I look out on sun-drenched cedars, a cool breeze blowing through the open window. The past week has been unseasonably warm¹, and I’ve spent much of it pining for real spring, not this false one that gets my hopes up. But if it’s…
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Blue poppies, wheat, and pickled radishes; dreaming of the spring planting season
Hello dear readers, I’m writing this to you from the middle of a storm. I’m at my kitchen desk, which faces out onto a row of cedars, which are being thrown wildly about in the wind. The rain is coming down in sheets, and every so often a snowflake falls between drops. And yet, I…
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The last of the garden cleanup & plans for next spring
Hello dear readers, It’s been a little while since I’ve done a garden update, and while you might expect that, a lot has happened! Yesterday the weather turned and we were back to ten degrees, the wind comparatively warm to the wet cold we’ve had the past few weeks. With a break in the rain,…
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October’s end feels like a new year
Hello dear readers, This morning I woke to a thin fog out the window and icy floors through the house. While I would usually make a pot of coffee and sit down to read, today is my grandma’s birthday, and so I forgo my usual morning and drive to my grandparents’ house. Sometime in summer—I…
