Backyard Stories – My Slice of Mexico

Scarborough Fair – A European-Themed Garden in Canada for the Mexican Kitchen

May 31, 2020May 31, 2020by Irene15 Comments

One of my garden beds has a "Scarborough Fair" herb theme, stealing directly from the lyrics: "Are you going to Scarborough Fair? Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme". The photo at the top of this post was taken this morning, and shows my "Scarborough Fair" patch with green parsley, sage starting to bud, potted rosemary and thyme in full bloom. Although all of these and many other herbs and spices, such as cinnamon, are not native to the American continent, skillful cooks in Mexico embraced European influence to create amazingly rich and aromatic dishes that have become part of traditional Mexican cuisine. … click on title for more

Backyard Stories, gardening

About the Birds and the Bugs, and the Flowers on the Trees

May 26, 2020May 26, 2020by Irene26 Comments

As the end of May is fast approaching,mowing grass, transplanting young plants and sowing seed is now going on almost non-stop in my backyard, but those are just some of the tasks for us humans; the Flora and Fauna have been pretty active, as well … click on title for more

Backyard Stories, International Topics

FOTD – Cherry Blossoms

May 7, 2020May 7, 2020by Irene10 Comments

In my garden, I have a young Stella (Prunus avium), a great variety of cherry tree for the small backyard: it grows slowly, does not need cross-pollination, and the beautiful blooms produce sweet dark fruit … click on title for more

Backyard Stories, environment

Earth Day 2020 – Climate Action

April 22, 2020April 22, 2020by Irene8 Comments

Climate change is now the biggest challenge to the future of humanity and the conditions that make our world habitable, hence the decision to choose CLIMATE ACTION as the theme for the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. Although this year’s Earth Day events are running digitally due to covid19, the pandemic has given us a chance to see in real time that fewer motorized vehicles on the streets, less pollution from factories, and less waste from superfluous consumerism, can clear the air and considerably reduce garbage in a matter of weeks, when there is a global effort involved … click on title for more

Backyard Stories, gardening