This recipe uses arrowroot powder mixed with milk or soy milk in the place of eggs to thicken the filling. Sugar is substituted with maple syrup. The quantity of maple syrup used in this recipe is minimal. More can be added if you have a heavy sweet tooth, but do keep in mind that maple …
Your parents probably tried to instill the virtues of sharing when you were in your formative years. The reasoning is that it’s a nice way to treat your peers and it teaches you to be unselfish and thoughtful. When it comes to gardening, sharing plants through propagation isn’t just a friendly gesture but is actually …
There are a variety of reasons for harvesting your own seeds; some personal, some environmental. Perhaps you have a variety that you like and you are concerned that seed companies may discontinue stocking it. You saw some wildflowers while on an outdoor hike that you’d like to grow in your own garden. You have a …
Guest post by Beate Schwirtlich What Happens When A Seed Germinates? The whole purpose of starting seeds indoors is to cheat winter a little. Ironically, even as we cheat nature, we must imitate her. Light, soil, water, air, and a basic understanding of the process of germination are all you need. Once you know the …
Guest post by Arzeena Hamir If the holidays have pretty much wiped you out, here is a simple activity that will not only save you money but will help organize your garden for the upcoming year. Like many gardeners, my stash of seeds has accumulated over the years to the extent that I often forget …
Guest post by Arzeena Hamir No matter what zone you live in, garden peas are one of the first crops that can be planted outdoors. Even though the weather may be mild at this time of the year in your zone, the soil is still quite cold which often results in poor germination. In addition, …
Guest post by Arzeena Hamir Tomatoes are one of the easiest vegetables to grow from seed. However, unless you live in the tropics, your summers are probably too short to direct seed these heat loving plants. Starting tomato seeds indoors gives them a jump on the season, especially with late maturing varieties. Start seed 6-8 …
This fall, while strolling through my neighbourhood, I caught out of the corner of my eye two cactus plants sitting next to the garbage bins of a large high rise. Not being one to shy away from free, discarded stuff, I casually veered off path to check it out. What I discovered were two, fairly …
Dorm Plants: Beyond Their Beauty or Pleasing Appearance Guest post by Beate Schwirtlich Science confirms what we already know. Plants make people feel better. They benefit us in a way any student who has ever looked up from a book at cold cinder block dorm walls at 3:30 in the morning will appreciate. One researcher …
Guest post by Beate Schwirtlich It costs nothing to bring the branches of flowering trees indoors for forcing. A mild day late in the winter or early in the spring is a good time to prune apple and other flowering trees anyway and collecting a few branches won’t damage the tree or shrub. So you …
Guest post by Beate Schwirtlich Seed Rot or ‘Damping Off’… What is damping off? This gentle term describes the death of seedlings by fungal disease, either before or after they emerge from the pod. This sudden plant death can happen for up to four weeks after seeds are started. It actually describers a few different …
Guest post by Felicia Friesema Gardening, as you may well know, is a constantly changing learning process that tests our willingness to give in to the natural world, to submit ourselves wholeheartedly to a process that denies us what we think we want in favor of what the garden wants. You want fresh zukes? Battle …