The act of gardening is a very rewarding activity. The experience can be as simple or as profound as you want it to be. For me, gardening has generally been a function of utility. I focus on vegetables that I can use to supplement what I buy from the grocer and that have longevity in… Continue reading The Garden as a Teacher
Earlier this summer, I went to Atlantic Canada for the first time, visiting New Brunswick and PEI on vacation. Driving from Ottawa made the New Brunswick town of Edmundston an ideal stopping point for a night. While I was there, I wanted to visit the New Brunswick Botanical Garden, which is just outside of town.… Continue reading The New Brunswick Botanical Garden
Spring is an exciting time of year in the garden and for nature lovers in general. After the experience of winter, the burst of buds and bright green leaves is rousing, and it is a welcome relief from the previous dark months of winter. I often think that the contrast between the Canadian winters and… Continue reading From Spring Bulbs to Summer Abundance
Sparrows are wonderful birds to have in the garden. The hedges surrounding my yard are home to several different species of sparrow throughout the year. In the autumn and winter, there is a thriving community of Juncos, and in the spring and summer, other types of sparrows, such as Song Sparrows and White-throated Sparrows, move… Continue reading Sparrows in the Garden
A large portion of my small garden is allotted to just growing vegetables and, to a lesser extent, herbs. While they are generally not as attractive or stunning as a show garden full of flowers, the practical value of being able to grow my own vegetables is important to me. I grow vegetables for seasonal… Continue reading My Favourite Vegetables to Grow
I have always considered autumn to be my favourite season, with its cool, crisp air and distinctly autumnal scent of drying leaves that come together to create a moody atmospheric aesthetic. In recent years, I have come to see the simple beauty of spring and find in it a message of optimism and inspiration. The… Continue reading The Lessons of Spring
One of my favourite things about gardening and spending time outdoors is the opportunity to see new-to-me birds, insects, and other wildlife that I would have otherwise missed had I still maintained my old habits of sticking with primarily indoor hobbies and activities. While my two bird feeders are always busy with birds throughout the… Continue reading Garden Birds: Cedar Waxwing
This week is officially the start of spring 2023. The weather forecast for the first day of spring was for 2 °C (36 °F) and flurries. The beginning of spring can be difficult living in a cold and snowy climate, but there are also beautiful aspects as well. Grass emerges from under the receding snow… Continue reading The Spring Garden in a Northern Climate
Roses are some of my favourite flowers to grow in the garden. The more domesticated varieties can be captivating, but the simplicity of the 'wild' rose varieties makes them some of the prettiest flowers in the garden, in my opinion. They are fast in their growth, have a nice fragrance, and the bees and other… Continue reading Wild Roses in the Garden
Blue Jay and Cardinal birds are both present year round in my region. These two species of birds are some of the most colourful birds that visit my yard. The behaviour and eating habits of these two species are quite different. Blue Jay on a clothes line Blue Jays stand out among the birds in… Continue reading Blue Jays and Cardinals in the Garden
The Heron and Rose 