Herbs on the windowsill
I am starting 2024 back at the basics for all of the new gardeners out there. One of the first spots that future gardeners often start is with herbs in the windowsill. If you can keep these alive, you can pretty much grow anything! Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as you think. Just ask my […]
Agriculture
I was born on a farm. Yes, on a wooden table in the kitchen surrounded by midwives and people waving sage. I would like this to go into my official biography, but I was actually born in the old Picton hospital. It was still operating then, so I wasn’t born in an empty hospital, with […]
Just saying
So, COVID is still hanging around. Did I mention that last week? I believe I did. According to the statistics I’ve read, the number of cases reported is going up. Add Respiratory Syncytial Virus to the COVID numbers and we’re looking at a long, miserable winter. But the good news is I noticed a lot […]
Eponymous wines
No other wine region in the world has had eponymous wine names for as long as the wines from Champagne. You are undoubtedly familiar with some of the names; Veuve Clicquot, Moët & Chandon, Dom Pérignon, or even Krug and Louis Roederer. But it less likely that you know their stories. Who were the people […]
Growth
A friend of mine brought in some old newspaper clippings. Some more than 10 years old. They outlined problems in the County and, surprisingly, we have the same problems today we had in 2012. Affordable housing was on the agenda then. Ten years ago. Anything changed? Remaking County Road 49? Still in limbo. But remaking […]
Medicinal Purposes
It’s half past January. Imagine that! I’m always surprised by how quickly time passes. I find it hard to believe about four years ago I had an appointment at Hotel Dieu Hospital in Kingston with an Endocrinologist. Upon entering the hospital, that day, we were asked all kinds of questions about our current health. Did […]
Learning to taste wine
As friends and family gather around this time of year, it is the perfect time for a wine tasting. Chances are there will be many bottles on hand and what if instead of opening one after the other, you open them all and taste them side by side? There is no better way to understand […]
Berries for the holidays
Including real red berries in your outdoor designs is a fantastic way to incorporate a bit of nature and a POP of great colours. Many of the berries that grow on our landscape plants look bright and beautiful against a backdrop of fresh snow. This is all to plan—Mother Nature’s plan. The red berries attract […]
HO HO HO
It’s that time of year again. The last column for this year and Jingle Bells all in the same space! I’m not what you’d call a religious person, but I believe in a good miracle and in Santa Claus. I was a grown-up, non-believer when about twenty years ago I read a marvellous book. How […]
Last chance for 2023
I have to confess; I got caught with my proverbial gardening pants down. With all of this beautiful weather, I delayed a lot of the yard work that I should have been doing and then everything went sideways and now December has actually decided to arrive. If you are like me and didn’t get everything […]