Explore Garden Wildlife

Monarch Butterfly

The Monarch butterfly is one of the most striking and recognizable species of butterfly. It was listed by the Committee for the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada as Endangered in 2016.

I found this beauty on my car – he did turn to look at me as I took his picture which could be a little alarming for some of us – but leaving aside the initial fear of that stare, they are without a doubt quite exquisite.

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Chives

By: Meriel Bradley Chives are a perennial herb in zones 3 - 9 and are part of the allium family. You can direct sow the tiny seeds in the spring as soon as the ground can be worked - loved by bees they also make for a good pollinator plant. They are a great companion...

Candy Striped Spider

By: Meriel Bradley This was an interesting find on the speedwell in my garden - a Candy Striped Spider. According to Wikipedia, it is: Native to Europe and has been introduced to North America a long time ago Belongs to the family Theridiidae It's not a very big...

How to Grow Beets

Planting: early springDays to harvest: 45 - 60Light: full sunBy: Meriel Bradley Beets are such a versatile crop to grow in your garden and you can eat them at all stages - the young greens, as baby beets, and as mature beets. If you are like me and have a really hard...

Growing Climbing Beans

Planting: outside after last frostDays to harvest: 55 - 60Light: full sunBy: Meriel Bradley Climbing beans are a must-have addition to the vegetable garden if you enjoy beans. They produce all summer long once they mature - as long as you keep picking them they will...

Black Swallowtail Butterfly

By: Meriel Bradley The Black Swallowtail Butterfly is so beautiful with an impressive wingspan of about 4 inches. It doesn't land in one spot for very long so is quite hard to capture, but it finally landed in my vegetable garden on a mulch path just long enough for...

Broccolini

By: Meriel Bradley Broccolini is a great addition to your vegetable garden. It will produce a small main head which when harvested early pushes the plant into producing side shoots which you can harvest on a regular basis over several weeks. I like the Artwork variety...

Hi, I’m Meriel

Welcome to my creative space. I’m very happy to have you here!

This space is for all the foodies out there - all of you who love to browse cookbooks and recipe sites for inspiration, try new foods and learn new things about food and cooking.

And equally, this space is for all the garden lovers – all the folks who love to get their hands dirty in the garden and watch their plants grow and thrive.

Enjoy browsing!

Meriel x

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