I'm back!

Sorry for the lack of blogs lately. I've been in our nation's capital seeing the sights with my family! I haven't been since I was a kid and the our kids had never been so we thought it was time they went. The Parliament buildings are beautiful! Incredible architecture and design! Our kids were very excited to see the library because it reminded them of the library in the movie National Treasure 2! It was breathtaking and the history behind it is neat. Anyway, we had fun despite the rain and mosquitoes. I snapped a few pictures of the flower pots on the streets there. The downtown was very neat, clean and landscaped nicely. The canal flows through the city and there's a bike/run path all along it. We watched boats come in and out through the locks one day. Busy city!

Ways to use herbs

There are so many ways to use fresh, frozen or dried herbs. Teas and cooking are the most common.

Sprinkle on eggs when frying or in omelets.

Chop and throw in a salad or on top of pasta.

Fry onions and zucchini then sprinkle generously with herb of your choice.

Make a pesto sauce with fresh basil and serve with fettuccine.

Make your own blend of dried herbs and rub onto meats before cooking or BBQing.

Use in soups, stews or your own fresh tomato sauce!

Dried parsley is great when sprinkled on a cheese ball.

Try making homemade mac n'cheese with your own fresh herbs for a unique taste.

Sweet Marjoram and peppermint have been known to help with indigestion. Try a cup of this tea after a meal.

Herbs make great flavoured vinegars for salads.

Hope these ideas help to inspire the creative chef in you! Bon appetit!

Preserving your herbs

Drying herbs is a great way to preserve them. Moisture must be removed to preserve herbs. Harvest herbs at their peak , before they flower is best. Cut before the dew has dried in the morning, their oils are at their highest concentration. Wash the stems and leaves in cool running water to remove dirt and bugs. Shake them off and spread on a single layer on paper towels or a dish towel to dry completely. When the rinse water has evaporated, the real drying can begin. You can use a microwave by layering herbs between two paper towels. Cook on a medium setting for 3 minutes, checking frequently until the herbs are dry and brittle. This is a quick and easy method. A standard oven can be used at very low temperatures. Bake in a single layer on baking sheets at 150°F for 2 or 3 hours, stirring periodically for even drying. They overcook easily, so watch them carefully. I have a toaster oven which works quickly but doesn't dry a lot at one time. Dehydrators work slowly, and don't actually cook the herbs. Spread the leaves out in the trays in a single layer and follow the manufacturer's instructions. Layer clean, dry herbs with kosher salt in a shallow container covering herbs completely. In 2-3 weeks, you should be able to lift leaves from salt and shake it off. Another way to preserve herbs is to freeze them.Once frozen, herbs can be used in cooking only, not as a fresh garnish.Wash and dry herbs, strip the leaves and chop fine. Divide into small bunches, such as 1 or 2 tablespoons. Place in small freezer bags, forcing the air out before sealing to keep ice from forming. Label each bag. Herbs can be frozen in ice, for recipes that can stand a little extra water, like soups or stews. Using an ice cube tray, place 1 or 2 tablespoons of chopped herb into each section, cover with water, and freeze. Pop herb cubes out and store in labeled freezer bags, preferably zipper. Herbs can also be frozen as a puree, such as basil pesto. Puree herbs with a minimum amount of oil (I like using olive oil), then freeze in small plastic containers. Enjoy in cooking, baking and as hot or cold teas!

Ohio Field Trip

I've just returned home after a few mind-blowing days at Ohio Short Course in Columbus, Ohio, a 4 day greenhouse and garden centre conference and trade show. For four days, anyone in the green business, can take informative sessions, bus tours to see trial growing areas of new plant product, participate in design classes and competitions, and walk through the massive trade show. There are over 400 exhibitors showing what they have for us to bring into our stores and greenhouses. There are some amazing products out there but because we are in Canada, not all of the products are available to us. Nonetheless, we are able to tap into new information and ideas. There are so many amazing people with innovative ideas out there willing to share with us. (for a price :p!) There were people from Alaska, British Columbia, western United States and exhibitors from Australia, Hawaii, Germany, Netherlands, and of course Canada. Kevin and I left on Saturday around noon arriving at suppertime. We unpacked, then walked around to get our bearings for the next day. On Sunday, we attended the large Trade Show in between sessions. Monday was a similar day with sessions and trade show. At 6 pm Monday night, we headed over with Kev's hockey bag in tow, to the Nationwide Arena where the Columbus Blue Jackets play. A fun game of pick up hockey was organized by a plant supply company for anyone who wanted to play. It was also a fundraiser for America in Bloom to help beautify their cities. Lots of companies made a donation. A great chance for the guys to hang out on a more casual level and not talk shop. Kevin had fun and feels quite good today! Tuesday morning we headed over for one more walk-through of the large convention centre to take pictures of new varieties and neat displays. Unfortunately pictures don't do it justice but here are a few for you anyway.

Pictures from Ohio

Clearing out

We're still clearing out planters and hanging baskets at up to 50% off. Still a nice selection of pots. Our garden pharmacy is open if you need something to ward off those nasty pests or make your pots beautiful. We're open 9-5, Monday to Saturday. I know that if odour were visible, as colour is, I'd see the summer garden in rainbow clouds. ~Robert Bridges, "Testament of Beauty"

Belated Birthday wishes

Happy Belated Birthday Canada! Since the weather wasn't great for outdoor activities, I spent some of my day painting my daughter's room. (Today she's moving back in and it looks great!) We spent the evening down at the beach in Grand Bend, enjoying the bands and then the fireworks! The weather cooperated with the rain holding off and it was very still. The display of lights was fantastic as usual. Like myself and many others, you are most likely very happy to see the sun today! The past week has been a little depressing. Your petunias are flat, geraniums and other pots are wet and the foliage might be turning yellowish. During a rainy year like this, I recommend using slow release granular fertilizer. It looks like little grey pellets and they dissolve when wet. (We carry it here of course :) ) The fertilizer helps keep the plants foliage green and the flowers to keep on blooming. If you can move your pots into a little more sun this weekend to help dry out the soil, that would help. If you have a saucer underneath the pot, make sure it's dumped because the roots of a plant don't like to be saturated. The forecast for next week sounds wet again so if we can get some sun and fertilizer to our pots, they should improve. The cool weather is great for plants that like that such as pansies and osteospermum daisies, but not geraniums and other heat/sun loving plants. My garden is doing ok but could really use some warmth to bring on the peppers and tomatoes a little faster. So enjoy the sun this weekend and share some with your planters! Plants cry their gratitude for the sun in green joy. ~Astrid Alauda