Sunday Potager Ramblings #72 (growing eggplants, spring gardens, and family)

You all… I am wiped out. Was going along just fine and then bam, just lost all my oomph.

My son came to spend Reading Week with us. (which was so lovely). Plus, we had a family dinner on Friday with the whole clan here (10 people and two birthday boys) and it was my turn to host the monthly neighbourhood ladies coffee klatch.

So, there was a lot of laundry, baking, and cleaning going on. When it was all done and over, I crashed. It appears that one does not bounce back as quickly at my age ; )

That said, it has been such a lovely week. Busy is always good.

View of a wooden staircase leading down to a landscaped yard with a patterned concrete path and a white fence in the background.

A snowy scene showing a wooden railing and steps leading down to a snow-covered yard, with a harness hanging on the railing.

The weather has tanked again. Ugh! We went from gorgeous spring like weather back to winter again.

Everyone’s interest in gardening took a plunge, including mine. That said, if you are local, I have workshops listed now to get started for spring. We still have to get things started, eh? Spring is only 25 days away. Come learn how to make Seed Snails with me : )

Here is my favourite seed calculator. It is the most accurate one that I have found. You put in your last frost date ( I use May 25th here and used April 29th in Nanaimo) and it will tell you when to start your seeds and when to direct sow, too.

This potting bench from IKEA. Cute, eh? You can also get it as a double or a triple, as they sell it as an outdoor kitchen unit.

A vibrant cluster of orange flowers with green leaves in a garden setting. — *Orange Geums*

Discover Sue Martin’s Kent cottage garden – what a nice garden, homey garden. I need to find me some geums! (even though I posted the orange ones, they come in several other colours, too, including a really pretty blush pink).

Sensational Orange Flowers: Favorites for Your Garden

Three Dogs in a Garden: The Beautiful Garden of Liz Primeau – this is a pretty spring garden. Very colourful and cheery.

A bunch of freshly harvested purple and white turnips with dirt still on them, lying on a wooden surface. — *Turnips from my garden on the acreage.*

Turnips: How to Plant, Grow, and Harvest Turnips

*Eggplants in early summer in my greenhouse. They produce better if grown in pots or raised beds.*

How To Grow Eggplants In Zone 3-5 (A Complete Guide For Short Growing Seasons)
10 Fast-Growing Cool-Weather Vegetables to Plant Early This Spring – those of you on the west coast can direct sow this month already, if you have a dry enough day to get into the garden without damaging your soil. We are still waiting at least a month here on the prairies, especially as we just got a big dump of snow and bitter cold temps.

How to Install Drip Irrigation in Raised Garden Beds (Drip Tape) – added this as I know many of you are interested in drip irrigation, and it truly is the best way to water, but I will stick to my weeping hoses, as I find this so over-whelming ; )

How and When to Thin Seedlings: Tips for Fast Healthy Growth

The Old Farmer’s Almanac Garden Journal Volume 2 – The Old Farmer’s Almanac Store – I like the looks of this. Is more than a journal with lovely illustrations and tips, too.

A beautifully arranged table with two types of cakes, a coffee pot, and elegant glassware, showcasing a cozy dessert setting. — *Photo by Jonathan Borba*

Recipes & Foodie Things

Anti-Inflammatory Winter Diet: What to Eat for Energy and Immunity

These recipes caught my eye this week…

A close-up of an apple cake with a golden-brown crust, topped with a white icing drizzle, displayed on a white plate against a turquoise background.

For the family dinner party (two birthdays) we made a Finnish birthday cake. I can share the recipe for this cake, if someone wants it (is similar to a British Victorian Sponge cake).

My son and I rated the goodies that I made for the neighbourhood coffee klatch. I forgot to take pictures (insert crying face here). It was such a pretty coffee klatch table, too!

Kitchen Sink Cookies – 7/10 – they were more solid than I like, not soft chewy cookies, but all the additions made them yummy. I added Smarties, pretzels, chocolate chunks, pecans, cashews. I will make these again but find a different recipe.
Apple Cake – 9/10 – I felt it could have used a bit more apples, but my son said it was good the way it was. More apples would have been fine, but he says not needed. This went over super well, with some people taking second helpings. I did not have an 8 inch pan, used a 10 inch, felt it was the perfect size slice.
Sour Cream Lemon Pie – 7/10 (I made it with about 1/2 cup less sugar to make it more lemony tasting. Hubby said I could have even cut back a bit more. We all felt that the sour cream does not really add anything to it. A lemon cream pie would have been as good… or better.

The Marigold Potager – A Zone 3 Prairie Garden