As always, use multiple reference guides before eating any plant. Hostas are considered ornamental in Canada but they’re considered an edible leafy green in the old world. The plants come back year after year (perennials) and they grow with little attention and do well even in the shade. You want to harvest the hostas before […]
Tag: gardening
Growing Chives in Canada
Chives are one of those herbs that springs up early and bounces back after each cutting. They can be substituted for garlic and onions (in marinades, roasted veggies, salad dressings, sour cream dip or cream cheese/butter spreads), but I find they’re mostly useful for freshly flavouring mashed and baked potatoes. Chives need little to no […]
Summertime Drinks: A Canadian Mint Julep
Whisky is a great drink. But whisky straight is best reserved for the fall and winter months to warm the soul. In the hot weather, sometimes a cocktail is more enjoyable. A mint julep is a simple classic cocktail that’s easy to make in the summer time: Find a mint plant. Mint is impossible to […]
Lemon balm
Lemon balm is a great starter herb since it’s unkillable, much like mint. I’d recommend planting it in less productive parts of your land (or in pots) and away from any other plants that might get crowded out. If the lemon balm spreads, just harvest it right away in the unwanted areas. The lemon balm […]
Growing Potatoes
Introducing the Humble Potato Tuber The potato isn’t actually a root vegetable. The potato is a tuber, which is a part of the underground stem. The tuber survives the winter frost underground as a source of stored energy in the form of carbohydrates – which is why potatoes are so damn delicious; they’re mostly complex […]
Gardening: Sprouting Seedlings
Most of Canada has a very short growing season. To take full advantage of gardening in our great country, you should start seedlings indoors to have plants ready the minute the frost breaks. Peppers can be grown through the spring, summer and early fall. Since pepper seeds are so abundant, you can start indoor seedlings […]
Herbs for Beginners: Mint, Lemonbalm, Basil, Parsley, Cilantro
Herbs are expensive to buy, often a dollar or two for a small bunch. You can cut that cost out with your garden path in the summer and indoor herb garden in the winter. Mint is one of the first herbs you should start planting: fast growing, essentially unkillable and has a few different uses. […]