heather sees sea heather down by the sea shore

Now before botanists correct me, yes, this is technically sea lavender (Limonium carolinianum to be precise) also known as marsh rosemary or statice.  But in our house it's sea heather and that's all there is to it!

Could there be a better way to pick wildflowers than guiding silently along shore in a kayak? I'm a lifelong Grand Manan-er but it's only been in the past five years or so that I've discovered sea heather. My childhood home was in a different part of the island from where my parents live now and the conditions weren't right for this flower which grows in profusion in and near salt marshes.

From midsummer to early autumn clouds of sea heather rise from the marshy shores.

Kayaking along the coast at high tide is a favourite activity for my dad and me and once the sea heather starts to bloom its lovely to glide along and pluck it from the shore.  Beautiful when freshly picked, it also dries very well making it a perfect choice for a centrepiece or wreath.  In 2008, we hosted a family reunion at my parents' place and I made table arrangements of mason jars full of sea heather.  Four years later, I still have mine on display.   One word of warning, because the sea heather is often partially submerged by the ocean it will absorb some of the smell of the ocean floor so depending on where you pick it, it can be a little pungent.  I find a little time out in the fresh air takes care of that though.

Sea heather partially underwater at high tide.

A note on the pitcher featured at the top of the page.  It came from the Mavourneen a barque out of Yarmouth, NS which sank off the coast of Grand Manan in October 1866 and now rests under 85 feet of water off Bradford's Cove (all crew saved!).  My father, a nautical historian and underwater archaeologist, dove on the wreck many times and brought the pitcher up in 1973.  It's lived in our house every since.  I can't lie - I was a little nervous to do these photos as I had visions of smashing an artifact that had survived a shipwreck! 

Dad on the Mav wreck in 1973 (a few feet from where the pitcher was found) and his rendering off the wreck on the ocean floor.

the secret garden

On Sunday, before the truly depressing weather and not one but two flu bugs set in,  I escaped my kitchen adventures (see here and here) to get some fresh air in the Fredericton Botanic Garden.  Hugging the southwest edge of Odell Park, a wander through the Botanic Garden is a great way to clear your head (and snap some lovely photos.) 

a perennial favourite

It's become one of my favourite rites of spring: the Fredericton Botanic Garden annual plant sale.   Last Sunday after platefuls of eggs and hummus and our favourite quattros and rodrigos at Cedar Tree Cafe, Denis and I headed to the Boyce Farmers Market for the sale.   While I love my planters of colourful annuals, perennials are the "set it and forget it" plants of the garden and this sale is a great chance to pick these up at a low cost.  An added bonus is the chance to chat with some of the city's most avid and knowledgeable gardening enthusiasts.  And the proceeds from the sale go to the ongoing development of the Botanic Garden.

Interestingly, the smart phone has become the must have plant sale accessory among younger attendees.   Saw more than a few people looking up various plants on their iPhones to determine if a plant was a good match for their garden.

The annual sale may be over but there's still an opportunity to take advantage of the garden know-how of the FBG folks with their Talks in the Garden. Here are the sessions I'm looking forward to:

• June 21, 2012: "Cooking with Herbs" by Marg Routledge.
• August 16, 2012: "Eating and Preserving Local Produce", by Margaret Langille.
• September 20, 2012: "Storing Vegetables for Winter Use", by Karen Davidge.
• October 18, 2012: "Forcing bulbs Indoors for Spring Bloom", by Mary Pugh.  

And I'm crossing my fingers for some good weather next week to take a wander through the gardens and snap some shots particularly of the rhododendrons.

It's the weekend. Bundle up.

Happy weekend!  I am spending a good part of my weekend in a rink which apparently is totally normal for many, many Canadians but kind of a novelty for me. Tonight I get to watch some former NHL players in my home town (surreal, right?) and tomorrow I hope to hit the same ice with some of my family for a little skating myself (even more surreal, I imagine).  Whatever you are up to this weekend, bundle up and stay warm!

Some of my favourite things this week:

I still love classic children's books.  Check out the stories behind the most beloved stories:

An oldie but a goodie, this 20-minute skirt tutorial has me dreaming about all the pretty spring skirts I could make.

2 ingredients + 5 minutes to "the best chocolate mousse of your life?" This I've gotta try!

What I love: things that are wee.  This micro-planter how-to on Etsy will delight the tiniest green thumb. 

Seeing the beautiful people having fun and looking human on Awesome People Hanging Out Together always makes me smile

And because you just can't see it enough, Tina Fey photobombs Amy Poehler- I would love to be either of these women when I grow up.  (Especially Amy Poehler. Why? See above.)

bloom where you're planted

Winter finally head in full force this past week:  snow, freezing rain, ice and frigid wind chill. It's sure to send you dreaming about warmer climates (and if my Facebook feed is any indication it's sending a lot of you to travel agents and airline seat sales.)   A mid-winter trip south is not in the cards for me this year but I did escape the cold at our local nursery on Saturday morning.  Outside the sun was out, the city was blanketed in snow and the temperature had dropped well below freezing.  But inside the greenhouse it was warm and bright and humid and full of tropical plants and flowers.  It's probably the warmest I'll be until June!

More than just a pleasure to look at, houseplant can improve the air quality in your home which is especially valuable when you're cooped up indoors in the winter months. I once had a friend describe my decorating style as "funky grandma" so it shouldn't be surprising that I left the nursery on Saturday with a few 'old-fashioned' plants in hand.  It's not quite a trip south but they do brighten up the winter months!

soap opera

Inspired by an article in Martha Stewart Living, I decided to whip up a quick batch of soap this morning.  Martha's basil soap used an herb puree but I decided whole sprigs from my basil bonsai from Sweet Valley Herbs would look lovely suspended in soap.  And because this was going in the kitchen, I also added some lemon zest. 

Melt.  Start with a plain unscented glycerine soap base which is available at craft stores.  (I actually think I will experiment with some other soap bases as well - how great would strawberry swirled in goat's milk be?) chop the glycerine and melt it over a double boiler. You can also use the microwave but when melting anything I always feel like I have more control using the boiler. Be sure to stir occasionally using a rubber spatula.

Prep.  While the soap base is melting, prepare your herbs and zest your lemon.  If you're making a berry soup, puree them a blender or food processor.  The suggested ratio is one teaspoon of herbs or puree to every cup of glycerine but you may want to experiment based on the colour or texture you want.

Mix.  Once the glycerine is completely melted, remove it from the double boiler and add the herbs or puree.  The glycerine cools quickly so you'll want to get it into the mold as soon as you can. 

Mold. Pour the mixture into a mold that's been sprayed with cooking oil.  You can buy soap molds but really there are lots of great options around the house - plastic containers, even rinsed, empty milk cartons - depending on the size and shape of the soaps you want.  The main thing is to choose a mold that's got some give or can be cut away for unmolding

One of the advantages of the purees is that they distribute evenly through the base.  With zest and whole herbs, you may have to accept that they will settle how they will.  In the case of this soap the basil settled at the surface and the zest at the bottom which actually kind of works as each side of the soap is different.  I'd resist the urge to try to stir the herbs and zest through the base too much.  If you stir after the base has started to firm up you can end up introducing imperfections and cloudiness.






Once you've poured the soap into the mold spray the surface with rubbing alcohol to get rid of bubbles.  Let the soap set for about half and hour on the counter and then move it to the freezer for an hour or two.

Release.  Once the soap has hardened, release it from the mold.  You can trim the edges with a paring knife and then cut the bars into the desired size.  I go four smallish bars from this soap.

Enjoy. Pretty and practical - this lightly-scented soap looks lovely by the kitchen sink.

 

Store. With one bar by the sink, I wrapped the remaining three in parchment paper.  The soaps should be good to use for three to four months.  And why keep it to yourself?  These would be great as part of a hostess gift or tossed into a house-warming basket. 

This project is so simple, I can't believe I never tried it before! Thinking of what else is in my herb garden - lemon balm, lavender, apple mint -has me in quite a lather!

hi, stakes!

 

A couple of weekends ago I hit a Fredericton Crafters market at Charlotte Street Art Centre.  One of my favourite vendors was Isabelle Pineau from An Oddity or Two.  Isabelle creates quirky and whimsical jewellry and curios.  And as these cute plant stakes prove, she has a cheeky sense of humour.  You can check out a small selection of her offerings on her etsy shop or keep up with her adventures on her blog

find a peony, pick it up...

 

 

People from a planet without flowers would think we must be mad with joy the whole time to have such things about us.  ~Iris Murdoch

 

This year I've had a fondness for begonias and a little floral crush on Sweet William but my very favourite flower remains the peony.  Oddly for one of the showiest flowers in the garden, in the language of flowers the peony stands for bashfulness due in part to the legend that mischievous nymphs hide in the petals.   When I bought my house it was March and I only had blurry summer photos from the realtor to go on but I thought I spotted a peony bush in bloom.   All I could do was wait.  I was rewarded shortly later that spring when the reddish sprouts pushed their way through the earth.    I still wait all spring for the all-too-brief window when  bushes are in bloom so I can pick one fragrant blossom to bring indoors.

 

progress!

The combination of hot hot heat and drenching rains this week have been great for my first vegetable garden.  (I say "first" but I did begin one last year but a combination of bad placement and leaving for Australia for two weeks in June kind of undid my plans).  In any case this year, I have a lovely sun-drenched spot and a much better sense of garden maintenance.
Everything in the garden except the cucumbers was started from seeds back when the snow was still on the ground.  So amazing to watch them grow! 

Cool beans!

Cucumber

onions

Peas

Zucchini

tomatoes

I've also got some carrots and beets started - in need of thinning! - as well as lettuce and a pumpkin patch...  so much fun! 

herbal magic

As soon as I saw the basil bonsai on the Sweet Valley Herbs site, I knew I had to head to the market on Saturday to pick one up.  Thyme-size basil leaves grow in a perfect globe on a hardy stalk - no pruning required.  Don't let the pint-sized leaves fool you; they pack full size fragrance and flavour.

Sweet Valley Herbs are no strangers to Boyce market regulars.  For several years Aaron and Anna Randall, their three daughters and Aaron's dad Bud have been getting up bright and early to offer up delicious fresh herbs for market-goers.  You might not know they also supply garden centres around the Maritimes.

A major greenhouse expansion last year meant they could diversify into new products, of which the basil bonsai is only one.  You can check out the all their great products on their new web-site as well as tips on growing herbs and recipes from Chef Aaron (he actually started growing herbs in order to have fresh product for his restaurant kitchens 15 years ago).  Ooooh.... basil scones? Bonsai!

fresh start

We're chock full of new beginnings these days which is keeping me pretty busy.  But I'm still finding time to get the seedlings started for this year's garden.  I'm basing my veg garden on this design that chef Jamie Oliver created for Better Homes and Gardens.  So far I've got the tomatoes, broccoli and marigolds started.

It's designed as a schoolyard garden so I figure if Jamie thinks young children can tend it, it's just about the right level for me!  You can find all the specs on this garden plan here.

Anyone else planning a garden this year?  Would love to hear what you've got started or what you're plotting for summer 2011!

before and after digging in the garden

getting my first vegetable garden dug up and ready.  Henry was a big, erm, help...

finds

After a successful afternoon of tutoring, I treated myself to a trip to the Owl's Nest to see what I could find in the way of used books.  I was rewarded with this copy of Modern Guide to Successful Gardening written in 1934 at a time when authours felt that it was as important to be charming as edifying.

Almost as satisfying as finding the book itself was finding numerous clippings from the home and garden sections of war-time newspapers tucked inside along with these colourful old brochures from a local nursery.

They'll look great framed on the wall of the new potting room!

grow food

I was actually working on another post (to come later) and I came across Joe Wirtheim from Portland, OR.  His Victory Garden of Tomorrow project deserves its own post.  I want the whole set!

From his etsy shop description:

VGoT is an art project posing as a propaganda campaign for new, American homefront values. The style draws from American mid-century homefront propaganda, and the 21st century messages are inspired by the sustainability movement.

You can learn more about the whole project at http://victorygardenoftomorrow.com/

Now go get your hands dirty!

Beginner's Botany

How does your garden grow?

The sun has finally come out just in time for a long holiday weekend.  Having conquered my fear of trying to make plants grow (and now wondering what I will do with 50 tomato plants...) I am looking forward to finally making something of my big backyard.  Loving some of these finds on Etsy:

Antique Spoon Garden Marker - Hammermann; Midwest Seed Bombs - Visualingual; Rescued Galvanized Hanging Bucket - oldcrowfarm; A.R. Bee Keep Mason Bee House - andrewsreclaimed