Sunday Potager Ramblings #42 (Thriving In A Cool Summer)

Well, hi there! Happy Sunday.

You guys… we are freezing over here on the prairies! We have had lots of rain and many, many cool, grey days. I’m currently still wearing a hoodie over my flannel pj’s! All my cute summer dresses keep calling my name while I pull on sweat pants and hoodies.

This week, however, I see that the we have temps ranging from the low to mid 20’s and no rain for a few days. Phew. I am fine with the rain, I just need some heat ; )

Anyway… getting that weather thing out of the way… the gardens are thriving! Check out the lovely purple cauliflower that I just pulled from the garden. There are plenty more to come, too. I hope to take more pictures and videos to share with you on TikTok and Insta now that the temps are rising, but I can honestly say that while we are chilling (not in a good way), the gardens are booming & blooming.

So, here are this week’s fun or interesting finds….

Gardening Bits & Inspo!

A vibrant purple cauliflower with green leaves resting on a wooden surface against a blurred background of greenery.

How to grow cauliflower. I’ve said it before, but in case you missed it… purple cauliflower is so so so much easier to grow than the white!

Charles Dowding answers questions in early July. If you do not know who Charles is, but want to learn more about no-dig, no-till gardening, sign up for his emails. He is kind of the (current) king of no dig gardening. I say current because, of course, there have been others over the years. The most well known (probably) being Ruth Stout.

I am a no dig, no till gardener and have been for a dozen years now, probably longer. Not only is it easier on my body and better for my plants and gardens, I do a whole lot less weeding.

A cluster of purple catmint flowers blooming in a garden bed surrounded by mulch.

Catnip versus Catmint. Catmint is so pretty, you guys. It is one of my favourite plants to put in the garden. Bees love the flowers, I love the blue flowers. Cats like it and will nibble at it a bit when it is small, however, it does not make them crazy like catnip does, and they will not kill the plant. They lose interest in it as it gets bigger.

Close-up of pink and purple flowering plants in pots, surrounded by gravel. — *The flower on the left side is a lovely trailing lantana that I liked so much that I overwintered it in the greenhouse.*

How to grow lantana for the bees (and hummers love them, too). Lantana comes in so many different colours, in trailing and mounding form. There is a lantana for every place, every look, and they’re fairly easy to overwinter inside, too.

If you are on Instagram, here is an inspiring clover lawn.

And… oh my word! The al fresco table settings in this insta account are gorgeous! The whole account is just stunning!

Homey Bits of Inspo!

From Martha… What is a larder? And why you need one.

Isn’t this the prettiest colour combo?

Make a ‘Mosquito Bucket Of Doom’.

Even if you do not want to make a bucket of doom, you get Mmosquito Dunks, little donut shaped mosquito getter-ridders, to put in your water barrels, to break into small pieces and add to your indoor watering can to kill off fungus gnats, plus anywhere you have standing water. Safe for pets, bees, birds.

A floral arrangement in a blue and white patterned pitcher, featuring purple flowers and greenery, placed on a blue patterned cloth with pruning scissors nearby. — *The Complete Guide to Arranging Garden Flowers & Herbs – On Sutton Place*

The complete guide to arranging garden flowers/herbs into bouquets. I am so glad I read this article as I kept thinking that I have nothing to bring in yet to make bouquets from. Turns out that I have so much to choose from!

No sew linen napkins. I am fairly certain that I have some linen in my fabric stash in the craft room. If it’s not linen it is cotton, and that works just as well. We have a family dinner once a month and I always feel guilty going through so many paper napkins. Though, I sure do love all the lovely colours and patterns that they come in.

Recipes & Foodie Bits

19 of the best sandwich recipes. So many of these look yummy.

Simple cabbage salad (aka coleslaw)

Zucchini quesadillas.

Corn and zucchini orzo salad.

Mexican street corn salad

Nectarine salad with arugula

A tart filled with pastry cream and topped with fresh raspberries and blueberries on a wooden countertop. — *This tart pan is huge, the tart is huge… enough for a large crowd. Make the shell and pastry cream, top with whatever berries are in season. You will come out looking like a rock star!*

Raspberry pastry cream tart. You will need a tart pan to make this, but honestly, it will come in so handy. We have two. This one and then a huge one that will feed a crowd!
7 Lemon recipes. Lemon and lime anything is my favourite.
Lemon zucchini muffins. These look easy, straight forward to make, plus sound yummy. Here is a recipe for peach pecan muffins that look so good! And it is peach season!
Mmm, this look cherry clafouti recipe looks yummy, fast and easy, andis made with sour cream.

5 best iced tea recipes.

I see from my fb memories that my plum trees would now be full of plums ripe for the picking. Here is a no-pectin (you know I always love those best) easy plum jam recipe.