Food for the eyes, and sometimes for the stomach, too.
Winter is halfway through and I’m sick of it. Over it. Tired of the back and forth freezing and thaw. This week snow and ice, next week thaw and mud. I’m missing the garden big time, but what I’m missing most aren’t flowers, bright colours, smells, or living soil, although I miss those things too. …
Borage (Borago officials) flowers shot against a backdrop of Golden Jubilee Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum ‘Golden Jubilee’) leaves.
Over the weekend we made a day trip to Richters Herbs, so I could partake in my yearly bacchanalian overdose on herbs. This was our first time driving alone (rather than hitching a ride with friends) and I was pleased to find out that they are a dog-friendly business, allowing us to bring Molly inside …
What a surprise when a flower stalk suddenly appeared on the Manfreda undulata ‘Chocolate Chip’ that currently resides in the jungle of potted succulents that is my office window! Manfreda is closely related to the agave (Family Agavaceae), a favourite genus that I have mentioned here and there on this website. Like agaves, manfredas grow …
Last spring a friend with a car took me out of town to Richters Herbs, an all herb greenhouse that is about an hour or so outside of Toronto. As a non-highway driver without a car, I am always grateful for any opportunity to go out of town to a far flung greenhouse, garden centre, …
When it comes to borage there is always too much and never enough. I’ve been growing regular ole blue borage flowers for years; first at my community garden plot and now here in my small urban backyard where they are happy — too happy — growing into monstrous, prickly sea creature-like things that make my …
I’m noticing more oddities mutations [please see discussion in comments about mutations versus deformations] in the garden this year. I’m not yet certain if I am noticing more because there ARE more, or because I’ve developed a deeper interest in them and am more observant. I documented a few oddities last summer over here. Most …
I like salvias. I like any and all salvias; from the delicious, culinary sages to the nectar-rich, super smellerific and sticky sweet types that aren’t hardy in my region. I even like the ones that aren’t edible or aromatic. I’m not sure what it is about this genus. Is it their drought tolerance? Their snapdragon-like …
I usually avoid republishing images that were recently posted to one of my social media accounts, but when you consider how hard won this spring feels and the fact that this little flower was trapped underneath a deep lake of ice less than a week ago… I think it begs repeating here. And now, we …
Two weeks ago I posted a series of desert wildflower images that I took in and around Joshua Tree, California with the promise of more. When I started working on this second set, I realized I have enough for three posts, so I am limiting this one to a specific spot in the Mojave rather …
I recently had the good fortune to visit the Mojave desert just after the area received a few days of much-needed springtime rain. The rain was followed by warm, springtime temperatures and sun, and you know what that means… FLOWERS!
Fresh sage blossoms are a tasty garnish in savoury, tomato-based beverages. Fortunately, it feels like my toothy saga is nearing the finish line. After a few consultations, I opted for an extraction of the offending tooth. It had a significant crack, and due to an experience Davin had some years ago and the options presented …