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Peppers plants with their waxy leaves can be so beautiful. When I move them outdoors I often place them inside white fabric row cover bags, to temper the sun, wind, and cold. The peppers seem to like it in there-- but if they are too wet they can rot. So a little on the dry side can be...

Next up is a glimpse of tomatoes. I found the perfect white plastic basket to place over my seedlings when I want to cover them with row cover. I use the white spun fabric outdoors a lot-- and sometimes indoors too. The fabric keeps the seedlings warmer, and they don't dry out as fast either...

10" of rain so far in March, so there are lots and lots of trays of soil blocks keeping me company indoors. Thought it would be good to capture the moment in photos. To start things off, here are early bush beans at various stages of development. The nice looking seedlings in the second photo...

After watching my perennial Fama Blue Scabiosa bloom through much of the winter in zone 7, this plant has earned the distinction of being my current favourite flowering perennial. Blue blossoms are so rare-- and these flowers not only have an unusual colour but an intricate, delicate form too...

There were a few hours without rain this morning, so I dashed out the the garden with my trowel. First several beds had to be cleaned up; there are still lots of weeds left to pull, but I made good progress in several areas. Next I sowed Bolero, Green Arrow, and Wando shelling peas-- and...

I suspect that it would require scientific testing-- not my area of expertise though.

For several years I have been growing herbaceous peonies from seed, under the guidance of a mentor from the Canadian Peony Society. Growing peonies from seed is a long game, taking about five years from seed to bloom. The seeds need to be sown in July or thereabouts as they need several months...

I started three seeds of 'Mideast Peace' cucumber on March 12th, and two out of three germinated really quickly under a damp paper towel on a heat mat. Their root development after just a few days was really impressive. This morning I poked them into 3" soil blocks, made using damp peat moss...

They are indeed dead, and ready to nourish the soil. Much better than sprinkling iron pellets, and more effective than hand-picking them as they are hard to find among the leafy greens. ;)

13cm(5") of rain has fallen here in March, and the slugs are out in full force. For about a month I have been catching them using liquid bait traps filled with a slurry of flour, water, and a pinch of yeast-- and so far it's working really well. The slugs are attracted by the fragrance of the...

A warm welcome from British Columbia! :)

Daffodils, primroses, and anemones are all blooming. The forsythia is flowering too; that typically signals that it's time to trim the rose bushes in our area of the Pacific Northwest.

As I sort through and organize my collection of bean seeds I'm listening to Stan Rogers, an artist I consider to be a Canadian treasure. This song, 'The Field Behind the Plow', makes my thoughts go to all of you. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. :)

This Vibrant Joy bok choy was started in 1 1/2" soil blocks in late August, and planted out close to the house in September. We harvested it lightly a couple of times during the winter, and now that it's spring the plants have burst into growth. it's hard to capture the colours adequately; the...

When and if it ever stops raining all of these cute little 1 1/2" blocks of lettuce will get planted out in the garden. Frilly 'Green Reef' is a new one for me this year, as well as Red Mist and Alkindus. The bright yellowish green ones are an old favourite, Tom Thumb-- and it looks like there...

A milk jug could perhaps work-- but I kind of like to keep the roots of each plant separate, to make for easy transplanting. One year I tried cardboard rolls, but the cardboard stayed too wet in our rainy climate. With a little luck the soil blocks will keep the sweet peas happy enough until...

That's a gorgeous bean. I looked up ortza, and it translates from the Basque as 'rainbow'. Maybe they get lots of rainbows in the village of Elortza?? 🌈

Nothing but rain in the forecast for the next two weeks. Trading in my trowel for a snorkel. ☔

There were big jars of raspberries and blueberries tucked in the back of the freezer, so yesterday I pulled them out and made a yummy fruit crisp for dessert. It was delicious with vanilla ice cream. 🫐

Some people have an easy time of growing sweet peas, but for me it has been really hit or miss. This tray of 2" tall soil blocks have been sitting in our friend's unheated hoop house for about six weeks, since the end of January. They have developed LOTS of white fuzzies. I have been resisting...