We are always trying new ways of becoming DIY’ers, at home producers and all around re-skillers.
The last tomatoes of the season are hanging on the vine in my container garden. I have to admit it has been a little bit of a disappointing gardening year. I’ve had lots and lots of container gardening fails. Some from my over-exhuberance planting (ahem…over-crowding) and some from crappy, cold weather. But there are always … [Read more…]
Mary in front of Notre Dame, Paris, 2013. It’s been a cold, wet summer here in Ontario but us canners are dedicated to the art of food preservation. We know that pulling out a jar of homemade jam in February will help us through the winter grumps. The requests for favourite Peace Flag House recipes … [Read more…]
It’s -25C. Again. Juliana and I keep dreaming of seed starting and debating how we should divvy up the resources of our backyards - who should grow what? The need to dream in green continues. A great article from Radical Montreal on starting seeds. From Radical Montreal. Another from Mother Earth News. From Mother Earth … [Read more…]
I think we all need a little time to dream while we are in the depths of winter. After writing about Nana and Bucko and all their making, I’m dreaming about all the jimmy-rigging I’ve done and all the jimmy-rigging I’d like to do. Oh Pete. You’re the best. Some of my making… Materials: Old … [Read more…]
My Nana and Bucko could make anything. Nana and Bucko (the name I christened my Grandfather with when I was three…it’s a long story) tended a huge kitchen garden, kept bees and were generally makers and fixers of a lot of stuff. They could “jimmy-rig” anything with skills they learned as children of WWII and … [Read more…]
Peace Flag House has been quietly rolling along this summer with the support of my brother, James. Our downstairs neighbours have moved on (good luck Caitlin and Olivia!), my cousin came and went as his housing needs shifted, our new downstairs neighbour has moved in (welcome Reagan!), and our roommate Erica has departed for law … [Read more…]
This past weekend I had the pleasure of visiting one of my gardening mentors, Sheila Clarke, in Stratford, Ontario. Our gardening friendship is the product of Black Walnut Trees (Juglans nigra). Beautiful, hard wood specimens that provide wonderful shade and are also allelopathic. Black Walnuts produce juglone, a substance released into the soil through its … [Read more…]
Growing up on the farm I raised chickens to make the money needed to pay for my winter after-school activity of figure skating. I raised 300 chickens at a time. Yep, 300. I was a kid raising 300 chickens. Successfully. Sure, I hated having to find someone (a sibling) to do my chores when … [Read more…]
We’re on a post-holiday, welcome-2012 cleanse here at Peace Flag House. This is our first time cleansing and we’re starting with the Wild Rose Cleanse. Everyone I’ve known who has done a cleanse goes on and on about how wonderful you feel after the first few days. They have so much energy, clear skin, happy … [Read more…]
