Blog

Spring is such a difficult time for me. Indeed the weather is improving or so the story goes; the garden is starting to yawn, stretch and open its sleepy eyes… but, there’s so much to get exciting about where does a person start? Specifically what plants should be highlighted, what list presents itself as the absolute “got to have” and what might I be growing this year? Naturally there is a parade of the new and potentially most popular perennials, a bastion of bright...

Far East Fantasy

Dr. K.A. Beattie

Shanghai to Sydney aboard Oceania’s MS Insignia is a spectacular itinerary. Having spent only a couple of weeks aboard from Shanghai to Jeju and Incheon Korea, Tianjin and Beijing China to Kobe, Okinawa and Naha Japan, the first few days have been wonderful. Cherry blossom season held on just long enough for us to enjoy the fluffy pink clouds a...

Machu Picchu – Close Your Eyes and Step Back

K.A. Beattie

Majestic, mysterious and totally awe inspiring, this ancient site still beguiles our current sense of reality. Floating high in the Peruvian Andes, this centre of energy has been reported to revive tired souls and foster dreams for those who make the journey.

Designated by UNESCO as one of the new seven natural wonders of the world, an excursion to Machu Pi...

Madagascar – An Ancient, Living Museum

K.A. Beattie

Madagascar could be described as a floating remnant of the ancient landmass called Gondwana. This incredibly primeval ancestry provides the modern world with a glimpse of how our home may have looked long before humans ever walked the earth. Located off the eastern edge of Mozambique, there is little evidence on Madagascar that actually connects it with Africa. This i...

Chilean Fiords

Wine, Wonders and Whimsy

K.A. Beattie

Chile is an amazing place offering a banquet for the senses and provender a plenty for stimulating conversation. A lengthy ribbon of mountains, abrupt shorelines, magnificent plants and cultures with roots deep in a mysterious past describe Chile. As a North American I must admit that my understanding of Chile and it...

Rather a sad time of the season for many gardeners, then again, rather joyous for others. The bright colours and interesting textures that you have worked so hard on to perfect, the exact placement of that wonderful new perennial and those sultry summer days sniffing the fruits of your labours all ends now. Myself, I tend to support the joyous constituency; the work is (almost) completed, the garden is somewhat put to bed for the next several months of winter and I actually may have some time...

Gardeners who may be new to the art, science, passion and plague of horticulture must find it overwhelming and laden with rules, do’s and don’ts and ton of folklore. Seasoned gardeners, those of us who spin the tales and folklore, often find tasks such as perennial plant division a bit confusing as well. Like most things in gardening there are of course some technical guidelines surrounding the when and if’s of plant division. Defining what a perennial is may be...

There is a lot of buzz around pollinators lately, and with good cause. Populations of many common Canadian pollinators are shrinking at remarkable rates for a number of reasons. As with many global tragedies, the issues seem overwhelming, the predictions austere and for many, I assume a sense of hopelessness prevails. What can be done by the individual Canadian, what possible difference can one household make? The truth of the matter is that each of us with very little effort and expense can ...

There is a great deal more to growing plants and gardening than the obvious soil, pots, water and petunias. It’s a family affair, or certainly could be. Introducing and engaging young ones into the world of green and growing is rife with learning opportunities, lifestyle foundational development and just good old fashioned fun. In today’s busy and scheduled world many young parents rely on peer suggestion and electronic support for parental guidance and concepts for structured pla...

Spring is such a difficult time for me. Indeed the weather is improving or so the story goes; the garden is starting to yawn, stretch and open its sleepy eyes… but, there’s so much to get exciting about where does a person start? Specifically what plants should be highlighted, what list presents itself as the absolute “got to have” and what might I be growing this year? Naturally there is a parade of the new and potentially most popular perennials, a bastion of bright...