‘Golden Nugget’ is a favourite “hot” pepper variety going way back to when I was a rooftop gardener. It’s a fruity flavoured little pepper with a bit of heat that can be used fresh or dried. I’ve found it to be very good infused in vinegar or tossed into a mixed vegetable pickle for a …
Just as I was once again pulled under by winter’s worst, the ‘Chico’ amaryllis that I received as a Holiday gift delivered its bright and cheerful promise, proving once again that anything that blooms in the drab winter months is worth having around. The best amaryllis flowers have a painterly quality about them, as if …
Over the 15 years that I have been publishing YouGrowGirl.com, Davin and I have collaborated on a range of garden-related projects and products, including books (I designed the 1st; he designed the last 3), t-shirts, buttons, embroidery patterns, and more. So for the forth giveaway I thought I’d reach right back to the very beginning …
Fiskars Project Orange Thumb awards grants to 30 community gardens in the US and Canada. At the beginning of this year I accepted a position with Project Orange Thumb® as a member of the editorial board to help select the winning applicants and bring attention to the project. Applications were due at the end of …
Speaking of books… Over the Holiday break I registered for the first public library card that I have had in over 15 years. For some time, a friend had been encouraging me to sign up again, since here in Toronto, a library card enables you to get a free family pass to a range of …
I have found it! I have found an almost perfect seed storage container. I recently went into Target to pick up replacement filters for my humidifier, and while searching for them happened upon the storage container aisle. I’ve been on the lookout for something to replace a bunch of my current seed storage bins that …
Until last week I had not been thinking much about my garden plans for the coming growing season. It’s difficult to suspend the reality of -26C (feels like -40C with the windchill) when you’re in the middle of it. After awhile, you start to believe that spring will never come again. Over the last few …
Winter is the season for reading. When spring comes I’ll put every spare moment into the garden, often staying out after dark. As the days grow longer and the feeling of new life permeates the air, I experience a renewed energy and I am less apt to sit still for any length of time. But …
I can’t put enough exclamation marks behind that title. My baby Internet website is 15 years old this month. I can’t recall exactly which day of Feb it was when I launched the site. What I do recall was that it was the start of the new millennium and I was 26 years old. These …
How and when to get seeds started differs with each crop. Some plants do best when sown outdoors directly into the ground or container where they will live out their lives. This is called direct sowing. Crops like basil, tomatoes, and peppers have a very long growing season that can’t be met in colder climates …
My garden here in Toronto is currently chilling on ice and will be for some time yet; however, in other parts of the world a brand new growing season has already begun. Questions about how to start a garden from scratch have already been pouring in and I’ve realized it is high time that I …
Welcome back. I hope you had a great holiday and were able to get in a solid break. Mine was very good, exceptional really. I tackled items on my to-do list, saw friends, cooked a few nice meals, read books, visited museums (The Textile Museum of Canada is amazing), laid about on the couch with …