Sommaire pour Winter 2018 de Harrowsmith

MICHAEL BUMA is the author of Refereeing Identity: The Cultural Work of Canadian Hockey Novels. His writing about sports and culture has appeared in Canadian Literature, The Allrounder, Matrix, Studies in Canadian Literature and several edited essay collections. After teaching literature, culture and sport for a number of years at Western University in London, Ontario, he is now working in product development, where he typically focuses on software, rather than backpack Zambonis. MARK AND BEN CULLEN Mark is an expert gardener, author, broadcaster and tree advocate and holds the Order of Canada. His son, Ben, is a fourth-generation urban gardener and a graduate of the University of Guelph and Dalhousie University in Halifax. Follow them at markcullen.com and facebook.com/markcullengardening and catch them biweekly on Global TV’s national morning show, The…

1 Holly “The Holly and the Ivy” are not figments of some songwriter’s imagination; they exist. Winter hardy (to Zone 4), blue holly has been around for a generation now and is a staple in many Canadian gardens. Don’t be afraid to cut stems this time of year, as no harm will be done. Note that female holly is the one that bears the fruit, a universal rule for asexual plants. Ivy needs to be evergreen to be useful, and it is generally less hardy than blue holly. However, if you are lucky enough to have some, feel free to cut it down and use it around door frames and wind it up railings. 2 Evergreen branches This is big business. You can go to your local retailer and buy…

Planting spring-flowering bulbs and wrapping trees in burlap as part of your winter prep ensures a thriving garden once the warmer weather arrives. Plant spring-flowering bulbs Spring-flowering bulbs are the ultimate testament to this ethos of thinking ahead—we only see their bright colours to herald spring if we think to plant them in the fall. It is probably too late to plant daffodils and narcissus, as they require about six weeks of frost-free soil to put roots down before the winter. However, tulips, crocuses and hyacinths will perform well, provided the soil isn’t too frozen to get them in the ground. An added benefit: Many retailers have discounted what is remaining of their bulb inventory to make way for Christmas merchandise—a perfect opportunity to load up. Get wrapping Gardening is…

Heating a home is one of the most important considerations for those living in Canada. And while plenty of advances have been made in technology, there are still many of us using the old-fashioned method of using a wood stove to stay warm all season long. Now pellet stoves are here, and it looks like they’re here to stay. Which is better? Most of Canada has an abundance of forests, and this means that wood can be a sustainable, economical option for heating if we manage things right. The question is, Which kind of wood heat will you choose? There are two main options. For longer than Canada has been a country, burning firewood in a stove of some kind has been one way people kept from freezing to death.…

Unless you’ve been hiding under a woolly blanket—which would be very hygge of you—we’re sure you’ve heard of this before. The word (pronounced hoog-uh) is Danish, and it’s the sort of word, like umami or terroir, that doesn’t translate neatly into one English word. It can be distilled, though, into a collection of emotions, activities and ways of being in the world. It’s about togetherness, breaking bread, lighting a fire, keeping warm and cozy, and buoying one another up through a long, dark, cold winter, Scandi-style. For Nordic folks, it’s a wintertime way of life: an embracing of winter while at the same time creating a fuzzy shield against it by cooking up some venison stew over a campfire; going for a walk or playing in the snow; locking mittens…

The phrase “salt of the earth” denotes a very good, honest person, and speaking to Peter Burt of Newfoundland Salt Company in Bonavista, Newfoundland, we realize the term couldn’t be more fitting. Burt and his partner, Robin Crane, make salt in Bonavista and sell it to chefs and retailers across the country. “Robin is from St. John’s, and my family is from Clarenville, about an hour away,” says Burt. “We moved here a year ago.” Burt and Crane started the business back in 2012, when Burt was a chef at Raymonds in St. John’s. “I was making salt out of Raymonds on the two days we were closed, and selling it at the farmers’ market and a couple of stores,” says Burt. Eventually, that wore them out and they decided…

Countertop Gardens: Easily Grow Kitchen Edibles Indoors for Year-Round Enjoyment by Shelley Levis (Cool Springs Press, 2018) With the cooler weather bringing Canadians indoors, it’s a relief to know we can still enjoy fresh fare using just our kitchen window. In Countertop Gardens, Shelley Levis shares her tips for growing indoors year-round. A passionate horticulturist and blogger at Sow & Dipity, Levis is also a contributor to a variety of publications where she offers her thoughts and tips on growing and garden design. Here, she focuses her attention on growing indoors, and it turns out there’s a range of countertop garden methods to explore. In the book, Levis shares her tips on growing basics, reviews countertop growing devices, and shows you how to create your own DIY systems and containers.…

TIP! Editor’s note: Harrowsmith editor-in-chief Jules Torti posted the following on Facebook, which spurred a whole lot of tip sharing on butterfly conservation programs. “Our ‘country neighbours’ (*neighbours within a 10km radius) dropped by yesterday with a magnificent surprise. Loretta Roger is rearing monarchs on the Bruce Peninsula to help ensure a healthy generation migration to wintering grounds in Mexico. Each year, the 3000 mile flight south is a daunting one—from predators to deforestation, it’s a battle from the get-go for our winged friends. Volunteers and butterfly ambassadors like Loretta have turned rearing into a full time job, nursing monarchs from both egg and caterpillar stage to their maiden voyage—as witnessed below. Intrigued? Here’s a primer on raising monarchs: https://monarchbutterflygarden.net/raising-monarch-butterflies-resources/.” Fabulous! My yard is dedicated to both bees &…

Boxwood (Buxus) A great choice for a low hedge. Can also be grown as a single specimen for green accents throughout the landscape. Boxwoods tolerate annual pruning in formal settings. Hardy to Zone 5. Euonymus (Euonymus fortunei) There are several evergreen varieties of euonymus. These shrubs are very easy to grow and have many uses. Plant in full sun to part shade. Hardy to Zone 5. Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster sp.) Hardy, fast-growing shrubs with interwoven branches. Berries ranging from bright red to orange add interest to the shrubs from autumn through winter. Hardy to Zone 4. Emerald cedar (Thuja occidentalis ‘Smaragd’) An upright evergreen shrub that retains its bright emerald green colour throughout the year. Hardy to Zone 3. Purple winter creeper (Euonymus fortunei ‘Coloratus’) A dense, broadleaf evergreen that comes…

For 96 years, the country has come to the city of Toronto. Aside from a six-year period around the Second World War, The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair has been a fixture in Toronto’s event scene and an important patch in Canada’s cultural quilt. After the country had been tied together by the railroad at the end of the 19th century, a new and truly national agricultural economy thrived. Finally, beef and grains from Western Canada could be sent east, and dairy and potatoes could be sent west. This led to incredible growth within the farming sector, and those at the forefront of its growth felt a sense of well-earned pride in the quality of the fruits, vegetables, grains and livestock they were producing. They believed that it was some of…

Syrups, or simple syrups, as they are often called, are, well, simple to make, and really useful in the kitchen or behind the bar. With the basic unflavoured simple syrup there are three sweetness levels that call for three different sugar-to-water ratios: 1:1, 2:1 and even 3:1. For an all-purpose syrup, go with 1:1; it’s versatile and not too sweet. Simply heat equal amounts of water and sugar over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Transfer to a bottle while still very warm, cover and store in the pantry to use another day. Or, while the syrup is still warm, add your favourite herbs and allow to steep in the fridge for about 1 week, then strain through cheesecloth and re-bottle. For our Rose Simple Syrup, we used a…

White paper birch (Betula papyrifera) A deciduous tree that grows up to 30 metres (98 feet) tall. Valued for its decorative bark, which is coppery brown when young, turning white with age. Hardy to Zone 2. Pin oak (Quercus palustris) Great fall colour with leaves turning bronze or red. Retain their leaves through the winter. Hardy to Zone 4. Red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea ‘Cardinal’) Deep red branches are a great winter accent. Popular in outdoor urns and window boxes for seasonal decoration in winter. Best grown in rich, moist soils in full sun to part shade. Hardy to Zone 2. Yellow twig dogwood (Cornus sericea ‘Flaviramea’) Dogwoods can be grown in full sun to partial shade. When grown in full sun, the colour of the bark is brighter and…

After a freshly fallen snow, it’s a delight to see tracks indicating that our furry and feathered friends have been passing through. Not sure what you’re looking at? Our friends at the Canadian Wildlife Federation’s Hinterland Who’s Who program fill us in on who we might be tracking and what they’re up to. Grizzly bear A solitary animal, the grizzly bear digs its den on a slope, where snow adds insulation. The grizzly bear typically hibernates for five to seven months, starting in late autumn through to March, though females emerge in April or May. Contrary to popular belief, grizzlies are not true hibernators: in winter, their body temperature drops only a few degrees and their respiration rate is only slightly below normal. They also don’t fall into a deep…

“Christmas in a lighthouse! How romantic!” “Not always,” I say to myself, thinking how unlikely it is that early lightkeepers working in drafty, leaking buildings ever felt like they were living a life of romance. I think of those early keepers and their families waiting for the good ship, Estevan (which served B.C. lighthouses from 1912 to 1969), to chug up the coast with three months’ worth of groceries and freight. Precious Christmas cards, letters, gifts and culinary ingredients would be on the final ship of the year, often in late October. In 1928, one lightkeeper and father of seven drowned while trying to row out to the ship in heavy seas, so desperate was he to please the family waiting for him on Kains Island. I spoke to his…

My wife, Grayce, and I were in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, enjoying the swim-up pool, sun and margarita after margarita. While there, we visited the resort’s authentic Mexican fine-dining restaurant on a recommendation from a friend, who raved about the poblano soup. Our meal started with the tableside prepared guacamole, Mexican white wine and truly amazing margaritas, which led to the soup. We each ordered a bowl. When it arrived, it was admittedly underwhelming in its appearance, with little attention paid to presentation and garnish. We agreed to try it in 3, 2, 1... The next five minutes were followed by the type of silence only amazing food can bring to a meal. Our taste buds were ignited with the smooth heat of the poblano, but with a note of smoke—thanks…

Thanks to its long, cold winters, Canada has plenty of excellent ice-fishing spots coast to coast. Here are just a few popular destinations, and some of the local tour guides and outfitters who can help you during your first time out. Cold Lake, Alberta and Saskatchewan Located on the Alberta-Saskatchewan border, northeast of Edmonton, Cold Lake is popular for lake trout and is also home to pike, whitefish and perch. Cold Lake is so deep that it often doesn’t freeze until late December or early January, making February and March the best times to fish. Guides/rentals: O-fishial Business Fishing Charters, travelalberta.com/ca/listings/o-fishial-businessfishing-charters-6082 Ice Fishing Alberta, icefishingalberta.com Lake of the Woods, Manitoba and Ontario Sitting on the Canada-U.S. border, Lake of the Woods is one of the largest freshwater lakes in North…

Biologists tell us that edge communities produce the greatest diversity of species. In the band where the savannah meets the rainforest or the city meets the country, you will find creatures who have figured out how to adapt to both environments. Coyotes, squirrels, skunks, raccoons, rabbits, rats and mice all push their way into our lives as they try to make a living. It’s a natural instinct for us to push back. We have kept sheep for 30 years on this little farm, and we take the usual precautions. They graze up near the house during the day, and we lock them into a barn at dark. We’ve lost only one lamb over that time, and that was from a daylight raid by a big mongrel animal who disrupted the…

Modified (DVD) Modified (DVD), the multi-award-winning documentary from Canadian food blogger, filmmaker and gardener Aube Giroux, is a bittersweet exposé of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in our food system. But it’s also so much more, and it’s the more that will have viewers reaching for a tissue. (Sorry, no spoilers!) Modified is also a love story, casting a tender eye on the bond between a daughter and her mother; a woman and her garden; and a filmmaker and the food she cooks, and the small, sustainable farms that produce it. It’s also about loss: the loss of biodiversity, communities, small farms and even small towns. In the hands of a lesser storyteller, this documentary might have been as dry as a biscuit, but Giroux peppers the film with humour; clever…