Sunday Potager Ramblings #77

This week is all about spring and Easter… what are you all doing for Easter next weekend? I hope you spend it with family and friends.

Although Easter is my second favourite holiday (after Thanksgiving), I am doing nothing this year. Have told the family that I am out, not participating… but I am kind of sad about it.

Turns out that hubby is not at home for Easter this year so I decided to start on a new anti-inflammatory diet while he is away. I am always working on foods that will give me relief from allergies and chronic arthritis pain. So… that means no sugar, no gluten, no dairy, and no wine. That doesn’t leave me much to celebrate with ; )

I am excited to share recipes and ideas with you nevertheless! I love this time of year. Check out all the Easter crafts and recipes at the bottom of this post! Wow!

Spring is slow to come to Alberta this year. We had that lovely weather in mid March, but have since been cold, snowy, and windy. So hard to get into spring mode. These ideas are sure to help you get into spring mode…

Gardening Inspiration

Planting Gladiolus Bulbs: How to Plant and Grow – pick up those glads now so that you can start pre-soaking them after the long weekend. They can be soaked 3 to 6 weeks weeks prior to your last frost.

Photo by Benigno Hoyuela

Lawns, Mulch, & Grants

Grass Alternatives: 12 Low-Maintenance Lawn Replacements – great ideas, some new ones in this read! I am always looking for more ideas to add to my lawn-free front yard.
10 Low-Maintenance Front Yard Landscaping Ideas
The Complete List of Gardening Grants, Programs, and Resources for Home Gardeners – Canadian sources!

6 Reasons to Skip Landscape Fabric—and What to Use Instead – (I hate this stuff, lol.) We had to rip out yards and yards of it on the acreage. It was a trend in the late 1900’s to put it 6 to 12 inches under ground so to get rid of it was a massive job (nothing thrived on top of it, of course).
not mentioned here is that fabric will also hold in rain/water so many plants will actually die of root rot as they get no air flow to the roots/do not dry out.
The fabric often shows along the sides, is ugly to look at.
Is impossible to weed – hoes rip the fabric, weeds root in.

Mulches and Mulching – THE GARDEN WEBSITE.COM

*Peppers and tomatoes growing in pots in my greenhouse.*

Growing Edibles

A yellow and black butterfly perched on pink flowers in a garden setting, surrounded by lush green leaves.

Plant This, Not That | Native Plant Swaps – love some of these ideas! Joe Pye is such a gorgeous, easy to grow perennial, too.
The garden design no-nos that all experts can agree on – I really liked this article, such a good read.
How to take a cutting from a plant

Close-up of flowering plants with purple blooms and green foliage in a natural setting.

Flowers

10 Easy-to-Grow Flowers for Pest Control – 9 great ideas. I just cannot get behind that last one, hahaha.
Cath Kidston’s personal guide to growing potted geraniums
7 Best Blue Flowers That Grow in the Shade
Scatter these Amazon Zinnia Seeds Now for Bold Blooms – while I wouldn’t buy any seeds from Amazon, I do agree that zinnias are the very best, easy to grow flowers. Toss the seeds in the ground (mid-April for warm, coastal zone, mid-May for the rest of us), water, do nothing. They will grow and bloom for months on end. I do not even pinch them.
Grow Your Own Birdseed With These 6 Garden-Worthy Plants
Attract Hummingbirds With a Hanging Basket of Nectarous Blooms – remember that most of the newer petunias are all self-deadheading, no need to pinch!

While the bright reds and yellows of Gaillardia might not fit in your spring and summer garden, this long lasting, mid to late-summer bloomer will bloom it’s heart out till frost, feeding the bees.

And… ending with this fun, light post for ‘how to live out your ultimate Martha Girl Summer’ (I have also heard it called the garden girl trend) – 10 Must-Try Garden Projects to Embrace a ‘Martha Stewart Summer’

A carton of dyed eggs with labels indicating natural dye sources such as spinach, turmeric, purple cabbage, beet juice, coffee, purple onion, parsley, blueberries, tea, and white onion, placed on a wooden surface.

Crafty Easter Ideas (that you still have time to do)

How To Make Natural Egg Dyes For Easter |
Free Tea Towel Tote Bag Sewing Pattern – I am always looking for new tote bag ideas. This would make fun Easter bags for the kids (young or old). This looks like a fun site if you are looking for all sorts of crafty ideas.
Free Printable Easter Gift Tags: 10 Aesthetic Designs for 2026
How To DIY Handmade Seeded Paper Gift Tags
Easter Wreath DIY – so simple, but oh so cute.
DIY Easy Cupcake Wrapper Tutorial
Petals & Roots: How to Create a Living Table Centerpiece

Layered chocolate dessert bars with chocolate chips, Oreo cookies, and cookie dough, stacked on parchment paper.

Foodie Bits

Seniors Who Eat More Meat Are Less Likely to Develop Dementia Study Find – a Swedish survey shows that seniors who eat meat are less likely to get dementia. I am not sure what to think of this. You all know that I am a vegetarian, so it is disturbing. That said, my maternal grandmother and grandfather both had dementia (she had vascular dementia, I am not sure which one he had as they did not live here in Canada). My sweet momma had vascular dementia, as well. I think I am doomed – eek! Btw, that 870 grams turns out to be 4oz/day, so is not excessive by any means.
11 Uses for Wax Paper Around the House (That Don’t Involve Cooking)
You Shouldn’t Bother With Mexican Restaurant Margaritas (But Here’s The Perfect Replacement Drink)

Sugar ‘n’ Spice Doughnuts – my grandmother used to make these in spring for us, but hers would be filled with jam.
Gluten Free Easter Desserts – so many of these are tantalising! Mmm. (see the photo above)