A post shared by Davin Risk (@langueverte) on Nov 18, 2017 at 11:34am PST Davin shot this ethereal, slow motion video in the garden last weekend. I believe these were the same midges that danced around me one afternoon a few weeks ago as I was constructing a cold frame over this bed in anticipation …
The first real snow is on the ground. I say “real snow” to differentiate it from the first threatening flakes of the season that fall and quickly evaporate on contact. That snow is a precursor to the real snow and doesn’t count. It is more or less a warning to say, We are coming. Be …
The first hard frost is predicted for this weekend, either Friday or Sunday. I don’t know which because the various weather apps I keep on my phone (and check religiously) are giving conflicting forecasts. At this point I am hustling to clean up for Friday, expecting the worst, but hoping for more time. As is …
I grew up in the Niagara Region, an area known for a microclimate that produces an abundance of fruit. Grapes in particular are kind-of a big deal there, even more-so now that the wine industry has taken off. Even before the industry got big there was an annual festival to commemorate the harvest. The festival …
Colourful fall leaves collected from the 7 small Japanese maple trees I am growing in my garden. The colder days and nights of fall have really brought the city’s Japanese maples (Acer) trees into full form. Lately, as I walk through Toronto neighbourhoods, I am blown away again and again by the vibrant reds, oranges, …
It was a fall evening some years ago, just before the golden hour (my favourite time of the day). My friend Laura was headed out to Humber Nurseries to take some photos in their private garden and offered to take me along. Not one to forgo a chance to get out of the city or …
2011. It was the first year in my new garden, and with what initially felt like space to spare, I went wild, starting seed from every tomato that caught my fancy. I had heard about Italian long keeping tomatoes and was eager to try them. These are tomatoes that don’t ripen well on the vine …
Last weekend we dug up a boatload of Jerusalem artichokes aka sunchokes from the garden, right on schedule. Believe it or not, many of the tubers are even bigger this year than last. And there are more of them! God help us. When we began digging, I told Davin that we would only be excavating …
Hey guys, I did it! I unlocked the Prepare the Garden For Winter achievement! The weather this week has been beautiful, sunny, and mild so I resolved to take advantage of what are surely our final nice days to complete all of the garden chores that have been nagging me. I don’t know about you …
One of the first homemade brews I made last year when the bug for fermenting things caught me was a jug of hard apple cider. I played it safe that first time out of fear and trepidation, which in hindsight could have entirely ruined those good bottles of expensive, unpasteurized, organic cider had it not …
Here we are again folks. It’s too many green tomatoes time! Friends, I was smart and totally on top of my shit this year. I picked away at the harvest in manageable chunks rather than frantically hauling them all inside at once. But today, with the high winds and heavy rains of hurricane Sandy looming, …
The quest to preserve what remains of the fall garden bounty continues at a fevered pitch. I used to complain that I didn’t have enough green tomatoes at the end of the season, and now… let’s just say, Be careful what you wish for. One nice way to use up the last of the herbs …