My Kitchen Garden: Early Summer 2021

May 2021 was a month of extremes; one week I was desperately covering my tomatoes to protect them from frost, the next week there were heat advisories.  

My direct-sown spinach hated the temperature swings, bolting as soon as it germinated.  Everything else pretty much soldiered on with the help of a lot of hand watering necessitated by the driest May in recorded history.  By mid-month I had emptied all of my rain barrels and resorted to tap water.

All that loving attention paid off in June with the garlic producing a lovely batch of scapes.

The peas have also been sweet & plentiful ...

... and so far the tomatoes look very promising.

On the hardscaping side, I gave all the cedar garden boxes two coats of stain and a wonderful arch trellis was custom designed and installed by Ines & Eric of My Nordic Garden.

Garden Trellis by Ines Batterton

I also took advantage of Ines's coaching services and I highly recommend her to anyone interested in improving their kitchen garden knowledge.

Over in the flower gardens, I was delighted with the beautiful Aveyron Tulips, a new addition to my sunny border.

I'm also thrilled that many old friends survived being moved to new locations and are now thriving.  

These include the Siberina Bugloss that brings a lot of joy first thing in spring ...

... as well as my Jackmanii Clematis which has never looked better.  It was well worth using that backhoe to move twenty-plus years of roots over to the new garden!

All-in-all, May and June 2021 were a whole lot of work and a whole lot of fun!

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My Kitchen Garden: Early Summer 2021 by Tatiana Dokuchic on 2021-07-01 A Whole Lot of Fun!

Images: Garden Trellis by Ines of My Nordic Garden; All other images by Tatiana Dokuchic

My Kitchen Garden: May 2021

Welcome to the marvelous month of May! 

After months of plotting and planning it's finally time to get growing.

Having been started from seed, Sweet Peas, Snap Peas, & Everyhardy White Scallions have now been transplanted into the raised beds while Laxton's Peas, Napoli Carrots, Verdil Spinach, Astro Arugula, & Mix Lettuce were sown directly.  The Russian Red & Music Garlic, planted last November, seem to be enjoying the early spring weather.

Cosmos Sensation Mix, China Aster Crego Mix, Orchid Cream Nasturtiums, & Tall Climbing Nasturtiums are hanging out in the cottage at night after enjoying some hardening off time in the garden during the day.

Brandywine Pink Beefsteak Tomatoes, Waltham Broccoli, Alpine Strawberries, & more White Scallions are enjoying the grow light and sunny window in the laundry room waiting for their turn to be hardened off.  I've potted up the tomatoes twice now so I'm really hoping that night time temperatures will warm up enough for me to get them at least into the unheated cottage.

With the exception of two White Spruce and four established Boxwoods all the residents of my old flower gardens were rearranged into brand new beds last November.  It really was a long winter waiting to see what would come up this spring.

I was delighted that my little Siberian Bugloss not only survived the move but managed to produce the very first flowers in my new landscape.  Allium, Hostas, Tulips, Hydrangea & Clematis are all taking a look around at their new locations but sadly it doesn't look like any of my ferns will be making an appearance.  Perhaps they just need a bit more time to defrost.

All the shelving has been added between the studs of the cottage and the cedar planks of the raised beds have been prepped for staining.  As soon as the weather clears I'll be ready to slap that stain on.

The compost bins, rather neglected last year, have all been revitalized and are ready to roll.

Whew!

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My Kitchen Garden: May 2021 by Tatiana Dokuchic on 2021-05-08 Time to get growing!

Images: Tatiana Dokuchic

My Kitchen Garden: March 2021

 

It's been a long time coming but will soon be planting in my new kitchen garden. Garlic went in last fall and spring seedlings are just waiting for warmer weather.

The potting shed/mini greenhouse/cottage is coming along nicely with lots of work happening on the interior. It also awaits a roof and some paint for the door.

Spring projects are the best!

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My Kitchen Garden: March 2021 by Tatiana Dokuchic on 2021-04-02 My new kitchen garden

Images: Tatiana Dokuchic

Adventures of an Earth Day Tree

In celebration of Earth Day 2017, a happy little story of an Earth Day tree.

It started out as a scrawny seedling not much bigger than my thumb.  I was on my way to a meeting when I stumbled upon it nestled amongst its fellow at an Earth Day Expo held in the building's lobby. It didn't look very promising, a miniature Charlie Brown's Christmas tree comes to mind, but it was free so I tucked it into my purse and continued on my way.

It sat on my kitchen counter seemingly content to wait until I found a spot for it.  Given its size I didn't think it would stand a chance in my yard especially with three energetic dogs running around so I procrastinated.

When my parents came for a visit that summer, I gifted it to my mother and so it found its way from Ottawa to Thunder Bay safe in my mom's suitcase.  As my father was a bit "tree adverse" it was then handed over to my Auntie Annie who had the perfect spot for it beside her garden out at camp.

And there it flourished.

For the last 30+ years I have received reports of "my" tree, enjoying life in a place that I think of as heaven on earth.  It must be over 20 feet tall now, happy & healthy, and I continue to wish it a long and prosperous life.

It's been said that:

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago
The next best time is today.

So if you've been gifted with an Earth Day tree get planting!  May it bring you as much joy as this little tree has brought me & mine.
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Adventures of an Earth Day Tree by Tatiana Dokuchic on 2017-04-22 A happy little story of an Earth Day Tree

Images: Full Grown Tree by Cousin Bill; Seedling by Unknown; Graphics by Tatiana Dokuchic

Book Love: The Nix:

Not my regular genre, but I absolutely loved The Nix: A novel by Nathan Hill.  I stumbled on it after seeing a tweet from author Stephen King saying how funny he had found the first fifty pages.  Given his background as a teacher I assume that he could definitely relate to Samuel Andresen-Anderson's opening predicament.

Meet Samuel Andresen-Anderson - stalled writer, bored teacher at a local college, obsessive player of online video games. He hasn't seen his mother, Faye, in decades, not since she abandoned her family when he was a boy. Now she has suddenly reappeared, having committed an absurd politically-motivated crime that electrifies the nightly news, beguiles the Internet, and inflames a divided country. The media paints Faye as a radical hippie with a sordid past, but as far as Samuel knows, his mother was an ordinary girl who married her high school sweetheart. Which version of his mother is true? Two facts are certain - she's facing some serious charges, and she needs Samuel's help.

As Samuel begins to excavate his mother's - and his country's - history, the story moves from the rural Midwest of the 1960s, to New York City during the Great Recession and the Occupy Wall Street movement, and back to the infamous riots at the 1968 Chicago Democratic National Convention. Finally, the trail leads him to wartime Norway, home of the mysterious Nix that his mother told him about as a child, a spirit that can take the shape of a white horse, luring children to their deaths. And in these places, Samuel will unexpectedly find that he has to rethink everything he ever knew about his mother - a woman with an epic story of her own, a story she has kept hidden from the world.

Well-drawn characters; I was rooting for some and really hoping others would get their just deserts.  Loved the insights, including the guys that play a fictional MMO called Elfscape.  The team leader spends five hours a day just in preparation for "having fun" later in the evening with his crew.  A cautionary tale for sure.

The plot kept me guessing and I ended up binge-reading to get to the conclusion.

Highly recommended!



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Book Love: The Nix by Tatiana Dokuchic on 2016-11-07 Not my regular genre, but I absolutely loved The Nix!

Step by Step: Walking the Scottish Highlands

There's definitely an extra spring in my step as I set out to walk the Scottish Highlands Way.  This virtual journey will take me just over 200 miles, from Glasgow to Inverness, and I'm looking forward to seeing many interesting & beautiful sights along the way.  I'm also wondering if I'll be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of Nessy, the Loch Ness monster, as I make my around the shores of her home.

As someone who's already done a virtual Walk to Mordor stranger things have happened!

Now walking in the footsteps of Frodo & Sam was quite a bit of fun, especially at the start, but I found that as I neared Mount Doom my feet started to drag.  It turns out that the thought of entering such desolate wasteland wasn't exactly the best motivator to keep me walking.  Go figure!

I'm certain I won't be experiencing the same buzzkill on this adventure as the creative force behind Walking 4 Fun has done an amazing job re-creating the virtual trails and making the journey most enjoyable.   Encouragement abounds in the maps, pictures. badges & descriptions provided by the site and, as an added bonus, Fitbit fanatics like myself can have their mileage automatically logged.

The Potager or Ornamental Kitchen Garden

A Potager at Château de Villandry, France

Designed to feed both body and soul, the potager or ornamental kitchen garden is the ultimate combination of parterre and vegetable patch.

Fruits & vegetables, flowers & herbs, are artfully arranged in symmetrical garden beds that are surrounded by low clipped box hedges.  These individual plots, separated by sand or gravel paths,  are precisely placed to form striking geometric patterns.

Embracing Canada's 30x30 Nature Challenge

Will I become happier & healthier by participating in Canada's 30x30 Nature Challenge?

Will my well-being be increased by adding a daily dose of nature to my routine?

I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that all these good things will indeed be coming my way!

It's not that my crystal ball is extra shiny this spring, it's just that I'm already convinced of the restorative powers of nature. I believe that devoting thirty minutes a day for thirty days will give me a boost and so it will, even if only because of the placebo effect!

Happy Easter Bunnies

I have bunnies on the brain this Easter

Vintage Bunnies

Chocolate Bunnies

Cartoon Bunnies

Beatrix Potter Bunnies

Kitchen Renovation: Updating a U-Shaped Layout

I'm sure that the thought of undertaking a kitchen renovation has given pause to many.  After all, the kitchen is known for its potential to be one of the most expensive areas of the home to update.  Add to that the inconvenience & time required and even the most stout-hearted homeowner must become trepidatious.

I knew that careful planning was in order. To start with, I needed a clear understanding of the benefits that we already enjoyed as well as  the problems that we expected this renovation to solve.  In other words, I needed to identify The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly!

Now I've had years of experience analyzing & architecting computer systems but experience reviewing a kitchen, not so much.  Let's face it, developing a critical eye can take years and though I was capable of doing the research I was unwilling to pay for the mistakes I knew I would make along the way.  So I took a practical approach and consulted with experts.

Tanya Collins (Tanya Collins Design) and Richard Heller (Richard Heller Renovations) helped me navigate the renovation perils and revealed wonderful options that I never would have discovered on my own.  I could write a whole article on the benefits of including experts on your renovation team (and probably will at some point) but right now I'll return to the task at hand, analyzing the state of the old kitchen against my family's current requirements.

Here's what we came up with.

Friday Flowers: Cornelis van Spaendonck - Still Life with Flowers, 1789

Welcoming the weekend

with beautiful blooms

and a wonderful surprise 

Still Life with Flowers, 1789 by  Cornelis van Spaendonck

Anyone who's read my post A Passion for Porcelain knows about my love for Sevres Porcelain and will understand my delight in discovering that the artist, Cornelis van Spaendonck. was also the head of the porcelain works there from 1785 to 1800.

No wonder I was drawn to this image!

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Friday Flowers: Cornelis van Spaendonck - Still Life with Flowers, 1789 by Tatiana Dokuchic on 2014-04-11 A wonderful bouquet to greet the weekend.

Find Tatiana Dokuchic on Google+

Reluctant Renovator: Are We There Yet?

It's been eighteen months since we embarked on 

our renovation journey 

(Reluctant Renovator: And so it Begins) 

and I've finally gotten around to asking myself if "we're there yet".

I have a sneaking suspicion that, for me at least, when it comes to our home renovation we're never actually going to arrive, simply because my "there" is a tad too Utopian.

Far from being frustrated, I'm actually very content with this idea of a never-ending renovation journey especially since I'm now enjoying some major accomplishments.  All this to say that it's a excellent time to take stock of what we've done, where we are, and where we want to go from here.

First things first though ...

Friday Flowers: Severin Roesen - Still Life, Flowers & Fruit

Thought this beautiful bouquet

was a wonderful way

 to greet the weekend

Still Life, Flowers & Fruit by Severin Roesen

If you're still craving a Friday-flower-fix (can one ever really get enough of fantastic flowers?) you can always check out my Pinterest boards,  Beautiful Blooms and Botanicals.
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Friday Flowers: Severin Roesen - Still Life, Flowers & Fruit by Tatiana Dokuchic on 2014-04-04 A wonderful bouquet to greet the weekend.

Images: Severin Roesen via Widimedia

Find Tatiana Dokuchic on Google+

Spring Clean Your Blogs: Reap the Rewards of Renewal

It's Spring!!  It's Spring!!  After a particularly trying Canadian winter I'm more than ready for this season of renewal and since Mother Nature still hasn't gotten the spring memo for my neck-of-the-woods I'm expending my new found energy on a much needed blog cleaning.

Truth be told, I really enjoy this creative process and so I thought I would share some of my enthusiasm.

First off, I'm really not talking about the little maintenance tasks that you should be doing all year round. Ensuring that your links are still working & your pictures are still posting are best dealt with on a regular basis otherwise they become a bit of a slog.  If you have fallen behind, and who doesn't on occasion, you may want to take some time to get those in order before proceeding.

Now on to de-cluttering!

The older I get the more I value a well curated space be.  Since this appreciation for restrained elegance is constantly at war with my natural magpie tendencies I have to compromise.  I find it helps to take a step back and try to look at my blogs with fresh eyes all the while mumbling "... less is more ... less is more".

Joyland: Stephen King pits Pulp against Pixels

Another Canadian Labour Day Weekend has rolled around and as usual I'm in denial about the summer coming to a close.  My summer 2013 reading (now read) list turned out to be as eclectic as always and I've just finished reading Joyland by Stephen King which means that it just squeezed in under the wire for inclusion on that list.

There's a bit of a story concerning Joyland's late addition.  In May I heard early whispers about the book and knew that it was going to be published by Hard Case Crime same as The Colorado Kid (waves hello to fellow Haven fans) so I was eagerly anticipating an e-book download in June.  Then came the news, trumpeted by the Wall Street Journal no less, Stephen King Says No to E-Book, to Scare Up Business.

Seems that Joyland wasn't destined to reside companionably beside The Colorado Kid on my e-reader after all!

Pinning My Garden Together

My husband often teases me about the photos that I take of my garden.  I like to think of them as lovely little vignettes but truth-be-told the tight focus hides many of my gardening sins, like all those weeds that have managed to make themselves right at home alongside their more distinguished cousins.

I thoroughly enjoy my little garden though it pales in comparison to the photo fantasies of Beautiful Blooms or Potagers & Parterres over which I swoon.  Of course I'm well aware that these dream gardens result from a level of expertise and effort that I will never attain and I'm more than okay with that.  There's no way I'm going to be crawling "commando style" through my garden beds to get all the last little imperfections out (as I read one avid 80 year old gardener did right before her magazine photo shoot) but I am open to any practical ideas that would help to improve my little plots.

And that's where Pinterest came in.

Ho Hey: Dancing into the Weekend

Thinking this is the perfect way to dance into a summer weekend.

Thinking Friday is the perfect day to start that dance.

Ho Hey by The Lumineers

Definitely not to be confused with Heigh-Ho by the seven dwarfs ;)

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Find Tatiana Dokuchic on Google+

In Other Related News

I've never been a prodigious poster.  Perhaps it's because I really like to ponder over my posts before I actually write them.  Perhaps it's because there are just so many hours in the day and I'm not the quickest scribe in the west.  Whatever the reasons, I knew that having two blogs was apt to complicate my life and make my blogging frequency appear even more sporadic than it actually was.  I went ahead and created them both anyway.

Tatiana's Tea Room, the first of my blogging endeavours, grew out of my adventures in Second Life® including the small business that I run there.  I often describe Renaissance Daze, TTR's younger sister, as my "real life" blog which is kind of an inside joke since both blogs deal equally with real life and fantasy.

Reluctant Renovator: Spring?!

Spring Cleaning has taken on a whole new meaning this year!

Scrubbing, washing, vacuuming, dusting.

I've actually caught myself muttering "Wax on, wax off" while cursing Mr. Miagi under my breath.

Talking to other renovation veterans, I've learned that this is a common condition and it makes me wonder why I never considered hiring professional cleaners as part of the overall renovation budget.  Truth be told, I just cannot wrap my mind around paying someone to do something that I'm fully capabale of and the money really would be much better spent on getting the air ducts cleaned.  I keep imagining them wheezing through decades of accumulated dust with a new layer of construction dirt sprinkled liberally on top.

Reluctant Renovator: Striptease

We're two weeks into the renovation and I'm daring to hope that the worst is over!

Almost everything that had to go has been stripped away and a bit of newness has begun creeping in.

It took about a week for the tile floor to make its exit and I'm still cursing the original installers that did such a poor job that the floor failed and had to be replaced.  Considering that there was 650 sq. ft. of tile it was a big job and you can just imagine the dust generated from all the cement & grout.  Have I mentioned recently that I'm allergic to dust?  Where's the Benadryl!