Put it on the table
“So, Theresa, tell us how it is you managed to have a profit this year.” “Well, that’s a really interesting question. Let me see. Oh! Oh! I got it. Like diets, the more you bring in and the less you put out equals a gain.” Who knew I could be so profitable? I can turn […]
Are meadows a good thing?
I have an interesting question for you; Do wildflower gardens help pollinators? Now the easy answer is yes, of course all of those happy blooms feed many of our at-risk pollinators, including several species of bees and butterflies. I have even removed my lawn in favour of a meadow to help reduce the ‘grass-monoculture’ in […]
What we build, and don’t build
I usually like to explore around the edges of County problems, but I feel it’s time to be uncharacteristically blunt. I’m not liking where we’re going. It’s like when you leave Quinte Mall, and can’t remember where you parked. So you roam around to try to find the memory of where you were when you […]
Choose your own adventure
On this last Sunday of February, I can’t help but think about the coming of warmer weather. And, with warmer weather approaching, I start to ponder all of the outdoor projects on my list. Projects like moving the raised garden I foolishly put too close to the crabapple tree. (The squirrels used the tree as […]
Who’s my ginger peachy
Valentine’s Day! I hope you celebrated in some way, shape or form. It’s one of my favourite days of the year, right after Boxing Day and the day after Valentine’s Day. When I was a youngster, in elementary school, Valentine’s Day was celebrated in the classroom with a decorated cardboard “mailbox” on the teacher’s desk […]
Reader beware
Recently a good friend of mine, and a respected horticulturalist, posted an article that he got from one of the social media sites on the 10 plants that you should never put into your backyard, written by a US celebrity known for home renovations. This list included plants like mint, bamboo, castor bean, wisteria and […]
Salad and booze
Whingeing. I did a lot of whingeing last week. I wasn’t alone. LOML shared my angst and chimed in now and then. It was angst over the upcoming departure of our family physician that brought about the bad case of complaining. We may have ignored the recommendation to keep our alcohol consumption down to two […]
Winter damage
Recently I posted several photos on social media of my trees and plants covered in a sheet of ice. I received so many questions and emails asking about the unusual weather patterns and how this will affect the gardens. People are worried about their outdoor spaces and the impact and global warming. Here are some […]
Blank space
So, it’s a “where’s my Chat- GPT I’m having a blank page staring at me” kind-of-day. I rarely have a problem getting ideas onto a piece of paper. However, here I am. Actually, there was one time when I was stopped dead in my writing margins. When I was an undergrad at University of Waterloo […]
Slowpoke
Dave Gray was a regular visitor at The Times office. Most often he would stop in with a short but punchy letter to the editor. He wasn’t afraid to voice his concerns or opinion, although he would often ask if I thought he would upset anyone. I recall one particular visit. Dave brought with him […]