The garden as it happens with the seasons.
I had to tiptoe and grasp, move slowly, carefully over treacherous ice. Every move counts. I do not want to die this way, not here, not yet please and thanks. But wouldn’t you know it at the back of the garden where the land is higher and the sun is brighter Way down low, hidden …
Small, but meaningful shifts are taking place in the garden. Over the weekend (April 13), I made my first, small leafy greens harvest of the season. It included: Radicchio, dandelion, stinging nettle, garlic, ‘Egyptian Walking’ onion, bloody dock, and strawberry leaves, as well as some chickweed, kale, and dandelion (including a flower) that are further …
Garden season is underway and a sudden burst in activity has prompted a frenzy of posts to my social media accounts. I’ve made several quick minute-long videos and thought I’d share some of them with you here. The first set of videos were shot impromptu from my kitchen counter and are quick little snapshots highlighting …
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 …
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 …
For flower lovers, spring is the time to visit the woodlands here in Southern Ontario. This time when the forests are bright, just before the trees get their leaves is when you can see an abundance of wildflowers in bloom. Last weekend, we took a short trip just outside of the city to Rattlesnake Point …
Earlier today I was doing some writing on the book I hope to publish in the near future. One of the sections I was working on was about particularly aromatic plants and I got the sudden urge to invite readers via social media to share their favourite plant smell, whether from foliage, flower, or otherwise. …
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, …
Since last weekend we’ve been enjoying a sudden burst of spring here in Toronto. On Saturday Davin and I did a big walk about the city wearing winter jackets and sometimes even gloves, and on Sunday we were out cleaning up the garden in t-shirts! The warmth has held, which means that growth in the …
Spring is technically on the books, but here in the northeast there is a difference between what’s marked on the calendar and the state of things outside. These very early days of spring remind me of a spiral effect in that once the first signs of growth appear, the weather will keep circling back to …
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 …
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 …