This is the navel-gazing section where I ponder gardening beyond the how-to and sometimes go off-topic entirely.
I am standing in front of a community garden taking photos when a youngish dude (I am not good at guesstimating age) holding a guitar and a large, open bottle of vodka approaches me. Him: What are you doing? Me: I’m taking pictures of these beans and bean flowers. Him: Why? Me: Because I think …
Homesteading — the kind that involved living in tents and no machinery — was terribly difficult. I’m sure of it. Of course I already knew this, camping merely drove that point home in a new way. Simple tasks take longer, requiring more planning. Who wants tea? Well, first you’ve got to make a fire. This …
We’re going camping! I haven’t been really, truly camping since I was a kid. As a non-driver I’ve never been able to get my feet wet in the world of tent pitching in the wilderness since getting out of the city into the great outdoors is a bit of a jaunt without a car. Sure …
“What that kind of attitude and approach is saying over and over again is that gardening is not for you; you don’t belong here.” I met up with Teresa Cheng a few weeks ago for lunch at my favourite long-time local eatery, Cafe Bernate for an in-person interview to talk about urban gardening, growing food, …
I was recently profiled in Ascent Magazine’s sustainability issue. This article is the result of one of the best interviews/conversations I have ever had the pleasure of taking part in. I kind of wish we could read the interview although I’d imagine it would be a hard one to follow given how much I hemmed …
… especially when it is initiated by plant loss. To be clear these plants will not be living in THAT garden. They are for my community plot and the roof. I spent $18.99 plus federal and provincial taxes of my hard-earned dollars on this plant, an Echeveria ‘Black Prince.’ I think we can all agree …
Sakura’s White Bleeding Heart in the street garden I wanted to write and thank you all for your very kind words and wishes about yesterday’s post. I’ve been overwhelmed. Thank you. I have to admit I have felt a little bit of embarrassed by what I wrote. On the one hand it reads so dramatic, …
The street garden has been significantly damaged again, this time by a painter my landlord hired to paint a so-called mural on the wall. He had to have the mural done to save the garden from “graffiti peoples”, he told me in a letter left in my mailbox as a so-called apology. Yet “graffiti peoples” …
This whole Earth Day thing has me a bit puzzled. Come to think of it most [Insert Cause Here] Days are oddly perplexing. Maybe it’s just human nature to take things for granted, but I’ve never been able to wrap my head around the fact that we have to set aside a special day once …
Sounds like meat, as opposed to accompanying meat. ‘Bacon’ Bush Bean – I am guessing it doesn’t actually taste like bacon although meat lovers everywhere would like for someone to get on that, stat! ‘Caseknife’ Bush Bean ‘Bloody Butcher’ Tomato – Don’t hurt me! ‘Jack Rabbit Kidney’ Snap Bean ‘Deer Tongue’ Leaf Lettuce – Has …
For the gardener with an unsophisticated sense of humor. Myself included. Tomato’s tend to dominate this theme. ‘Cannibal’ Tomato ‘Bloody Butcher’ Tomato ‘Beaver Lodge Slicer’ Tomato ‘Black Seaman’ Tomato – No matter how I say it “seaman” always gets a snicker from the audience when I mention it in presentations and workshops. ‘Blow Fleisch’ Tomato …
This is the first package of seeds I have purchased for the 2008 growing season. Of course I have acquired other seeds via trades but this was the first I bought. It has a decidedly Canadian sounding name, no? It makes sense given that the plant heralds from Beverlodge Research Center in Alberta. I bought …