Garden Inspiration for 2014

Each year as spring gets closer, I get itching to get my hands covered in mud. Dan and I are both big fans of fresh local produce, and what better source than your own backyard? We are currently renting (and looking for a new place to call our own and plant some roots) so we aren't planning on growing a garden this year if we're still in this location. Regardless, when spring seems as though it's just around the corner, I love to daydream about toiling over the soil and reaping the delicious benefits in the fall. 

There are lots of verses and references in the Bible about gardening, growing and various analogies using gardening, showing the importance of gardening through the eyes of God. One of my favourite ones that I've discovered is from James 1:21:

In simple humility, let our gardener God, 

landscape you with the Word, 

making a salvation garden of your life.

I spent two years working in a flower shop and garden centre environment for a talented woman who would put the average gardener to shame. Working in such close proximity to a gardening expert made me feel even more strongly about growing my own food, and/or supporting local growers. The need to keep our produce production close to home is vital for our communities.

When I clicked over to Etsy this evening, I noticed that the treasury that was featured on the front page was gardening-inspired. I guess I'm not the only one that wants to get planting. Take a look!

Etsy "greenhouse" treasury by Diana

The link below the shot (as well as clicking on the photo itself) will take you to the actual treasury, if you are interested in making any Etsy purchases. I love the simple natural palette with pops of fresh greens. Nothing says spring like those fresh doses of green!

I've shared other gardening posts over the past few years. Here's some more green reading for you:

Herbs 101 - Advice about growing and using your own garden fresh herbs

Our very first garden adventure in 2011

My 2011 herb container garden

I created an Etsy treasury in 2012 to inspire me for the upcoming gardening season

Pansy eye-candy photos from my days of working in a garden centre circa 2012

Documenting my 2012 gardening adventures

... and a Margaret Atwood quote in 2013, during my time of gardening indecisiveness.

I hope that this post got your green (or black!) thumb itching to get a'plantin'. With a baby on the way in the prime of gardening prep, I'm unsure as to whether I'll tackle a garden this year. If I don't, thank goodness we have oodles of local farmers' markets and vendors supplying local veggies!

Happy Wednesday!

Spring is for Gardening : Polka Dot Soup

I am not sure if it's the inner-hippie in me or my years working at a garden centre, but every year, as the sun begins to warm the soil and little green bits of goodness pop up in nooks and crannies, I get the urge to get plantin'. 

I've shared my gardening adventures on Polka Dot Soup before: a vegetable garden two years ago, and a herb container garden and floral planters and window boxes last year. I created an Etsy treasury of garden goodness last spring. This year, Dan and I are undecided about what sort of garden adventure we should take. I love the idea of a full-fledged vegetable garden, digging on my hands and knees in the soil and watching my hard work bring fruit. I'm a bit of a romantic when it comes to gardening though, letting weeds grow between the rows until the plot looks like a tangled mess. Dan likes to keep things tidy: vegetables in the rows and all properly weeded and watered, all business. You can see his hesitation: I'm sure he has a bit of fear that he will be the one doing the hard work, with me coming up with the grand plans. I think I can convince him - reminding him of rows of crunchy green beans sounds like just the incentive that he needs.

We had a beautiful, sunshine-filled day yesterday and I took a stroll around our yard, getting ideas for outdoor projects to tackle over the next few weeks. I think getting a garden plot ready is one of those tasks. :)

Curious about herbs? I wrote a blog post on the topic called Herbs 101 last year. Lots of photos and information on growing and using herbs to get you informed. Let me know if you have any garden plans this spring!

Happy Monday!

Garden Update

I brought home three bright yellow strawflower plants today (or bracteantha, if you're feeling wordy) to brighten up our walkway. See that photo? I also worked on a little outdoor project that I can share as soon as I'm home when there is more sunlight! We have a little gravel path to our step, but there isn't a defined border between the walkway and the lawn. I hauled (well, Dan helped when I filled the wheelbarrow too much :) ) lots of large rocks to create a cute path edge. I love how it turned out!

Earlier in the week, my little brother helped me to get an old spool from the side of the highway. I have been looking for a while for one in good shape to turn into a coffee table. This one is a little shoddy, but it's a perfect herb stand. I was able to move my herbs into a spot that has more sunlight, out of the shadow of the house. 


I started a bunch of nasturtiums from seed and that's what I have around the base of the spool. If they take off, they'll be part of the decor for the wedding I'm helping with the end of August. Nasturtiums are so cool - they're a beautiful edible flower with large round foliage. Google them if you're interested in seeing the lovely colours!

My container is filling in quite nicely! I chose to go with mostly foliage for my container this year. Having a bee allergy, I find that I need to be careful about what I bring so close to the door of our home. I wouldn't want to invite trouble into our home! I'm not super paranoid about it, but I just try to be smart. I'm not sticking my head through the sunroof of a car or becoming a bee-keeper or anything :)


As I write this, Dan's outside building me a window box to hang from the side of our step. It pays to have a handy husband :) I just finished making supper, so it's a good trade-off. I hope to get the window box attached and fill it with plants before it gets too dark outside.


How about you? Do you have a green or brown thumb? Have you planted anything this year? Do share!


Happy Thursday!

Herbs 101

Are you new to the herb world? Welcome!


As a seasoned herb gardener of one year (muhahahaha!) I thought that you might like to learn a little bit about growing and using herbs. Starting out last spring, I knew little to nothing about growing and storing herbs. I had bought lots of fresh herbs from both the supermarket and farmers' market before, but hadn't had much luck growing them. Most of the time, in order to learn anything about herbs, you really need to dig, pun intended. I've learned a bit over the past year and a half that I'd like to share with you! Curious? Read on!


I took the photos of my very own little herb pots to share with you. They're growing so big and strong!

Basil
- does best with lots of sun and well-drained soil
- fertilize every two weeks
- use fresh for best results
- storing for a day: keep the stems in water away from the sunlight
- storing for several days: cover the jar with plastic and refrigerate

Chervil
- resembles flat-leaf parsley but is paler green and has finer leaves
- used in French cooking
- use to enhance white fish, chicken, eggs and zucchini, as well as soups, salads and sauces
- its flavour is best fresh - add it near the end of the cooking process
- prefers cool, moist conditions and enjoys a semi-shaded space

Cilantro
- used in chinese, indian, asian and mexican foods
- fresh and bright flavour; can be overwhelming if not balanced by other flavours
- always use fresh and add towwards the end of cooking
- may be refrigerated with a paper towel lined container

Dill
- can help with indigestion and ulcers
- often self-sows but is an annual
- add to salads, steamed vegetables or fish
- best fresh but can be used dried
- grows up to 18" and has a short growth span

Oregano
- prefers well-drained, chalky soil
- has shallow roots, so it will need to be watered often if grown in a container
- pests aren't a problem
- dries well, but flavour becomes more concentrated

Parsley
- high in vitamin C and antioxidants
- not good for those with osteoporosis, kidney disease or pregnancy
- prefers rich soil and lots of sun
- fertilize every four weeks
- keep plants well watered
- best fresh or frozen for a short period of time
- perfect for garnishing, salads, appetizers, soups and grains

Rosemary
- has shallow roots and can rot if overwatered
- prefers to be out of the wind
- certain varieties can be used as barbecue kebab sticks
- great in savoury dishes such as pork, stew, soup and shellfish

Thyme
- works well with vegetables, meat, chicken, eggs, cheese and fish
- used fresh but can be dried
- nice to make compound butters with
- needs good drainage
- can be grown in a variety of situations such as edges, ledges and containers
- fertilize containers once a month


There! That just about covers my knowledge of herbs. Let me know in the comments if your have any questions, and I'll share my answers with you. If I don't have the answer, I'll find it out!


Happy Wednesday!

How does your (herb) garden grow?

I've been getting my hands covered in dirt in my little herb container garden over the past few weeks. Herbs are something that I love working with, planting and enjoying. They are relatively easy to grow and store and their scent alone is enough to make a person want to become a gardener. Do you have any favourites?


I'm sharing some tips about herbs tomorrow morning - stay tuned!


Happy Tuesday!

Oh, you big pansy.

My busy work week is finally winding down. The garden centre and flower shop are officially opening for the season next Wednesday, so my days have been a little hectic. I've been ordering supplies and merchandise, contacting local artists regarding consignment, designing ads for our local paper, and creating our latest edition of the company newsletter - not to mention the fact that we rearranged the entire shop. Whew!

I did manage to snap some pretty pansy photos in the greenhouse yesterday, after I discovered our little visitor. There are so many varieties - who knew pansies could be cool?! Maybe these blooms will put a little spring in your step:

We just finished a yummy supper - mmm, barbecue! I'm about to haul my suitcase out of the basement to pack for a weekend getaway. I'll be leaving after work tomorrow to spend some much needed quality time with Kelsie - I'm so excited! The sound of a five hour bus ride isn't too appealing, but the darlings that I'll get to see make it totally worth it.

Happy Thursday!

Garden Dreamin'

With the beginning of March comes thoughts of warmer weather. Dan and I have been trying to decide if we are going to plant a garden again this year. It's a lot of work and takes a lot of commitment. We just need to decide if the benefits outweigh the negatives. I will definitely be planting herbs again - they're too easy and yummy to resist! There are several local farmers' markets that we buy most of our fresh produce from in the summer months, so that's a help as well.

I created an Etsy treasury to get some creative outdoor juices flowing. There are so many beautiful handmade items available! Check out the treasury for a little eye candy, and the links to each great item.

Happy Friday!

How Does Your (Herb) Garden Grow?

Parsley, rosemary, and thyme - with cilantro peeking out from the next container

 I finished off the latest and last of my herb additions to my little herb garden today! I'm so excited with the selection that I have. I have a great selection of annual and perennial herbs, and I'm already reaping the yummy benefits!

In my herb garden, I have:

Sweet basil

Thai basil

Rosemary

Pineapple sage

Lemon balm

Two types of thyme

Curry

Cilantro

Italian parsley

Chives

I pretty much exhuasted my list of herbs that I wanted to grow... the only other herb that I wanted was dill. There's a bunch of other random ones that I could have used, like black peppermint, lovage, and lavender, but I wasn't too interested. I like my selection!

Daniel was busy all evening making my stand for the herbs. It's going to run along our little walkway. All of the herbs are in containers, and the containers will rest on top of the stand. It's the cutest little setup! I can't wait to get a photo when it's all finished.

Over the summer, I hope to share a few recipes with you, using herbs from home. I'm excited to give a new recipe or two a try! Hopefully I can introduce you to new ways to use your herbs from home, farmers' markets, or the supermarket...

Happy Thursday!

It's Friday!

Wowee! 

This week flew by! I seriously can't believe that it's Friday - although I'm working both Saturday and Sunday, so I don't know why I'm so excited :) I like my job a lot, but not that much. Daniel and I have got some big plans for the evenings, though...

Beautiful perennials at my work

Gardening, gardening, gardening! We need to weed some rows in our little veggie garden, plant the remaining seeds and onions, and water 'til the cows come home. Today's weather is gorgeous: nice and warm and sunny, so our little seedlings need their moisture before the glorious sun dries them out. We're also hunting for an old rhubarb patch that Daniel remembers from his childhood. Hopefully it still exists!

Pretty little zinnias

Do you have any big plans for the next few days?

I hope that you have the lovliest of weekends! Happy Friday!

Garden, Shmarden

Daniel and I have been making a lot of progress with our garden lately, so I thought that I'd keep you up to date with what we have done.

The "tiller guy" came last week and tilled up the ground in the area that we had staked off. We measured it to be 10' by 20' but it ended up a little narrower, and a bit longer. Since the shape changed, we decided to run our garden in the opposite direction: lots of short rows, instead of a few long rows.

Saturday, we spent a lot of the afternoon picking rocks. Yay! My back was sore for a few days afterward. We also raked and leveled the area. We talked about how tough farmers must have been years ago: huge gardens, and doing every bit of the prep work by hand. We were tired after an hour or two!

Daniel had the day off from work on Monday, so he took all of the rocks that we picked over the weekend, and made a bordered edge around our garden with them. He also did a lot more raking of the soil to get it all prepped for planting.

Monday night, we headed out to our little plot to form our rows. We shaped each one of them, and make stake and string rows along each one to help keep our planting straight. We planted four veggies that night: beets, onions, mesclun salad mix, and turnip. The rest of the items will be planted a little bit later.

We've been watering our garden on the days that there hasn't been any rain. So far, nothing's sprouted, but it hasn't even been a full week yet. We plan on planting tomatoes in containers, and a big herb container as well. It's been so much fun to spend time outdoors together, working on a project that we'll get to reap benefits from!

Since there hasn't been an activity in the field where we have the garden in a long, long time, we have been finding lots of little treasures in the soil. There are tons of tiny pieces of metal, glass, and ceramic. I've been collecting the prettiest pieces to use in some cool way. Look at the colour of this teensy goodie:

Well, that's about it on the garden front. I hope to work on it a little over the weekend. The weather has been so beautiful lately, doing anything outside is fun. Take some time to get some fresh air over the weekend - I'm sure that you will enjoy it!

Happy Friday!