Certain vegetables—fennel, for one—are unaccountably absent from most Canadian kitchens. Ask a German about Fenchel, or an Italian about finocchio, and they will tell you how mild and sweet it is, how crisp and refreshing eaten raw, how delicious braised or in a stew, how its anise flavour is distinct but not overpowering. Ask someone over here about fennel, and they may look puzzled: “Not sure I’ve ever tasted it.” Or they may think you mean the herb fennel, source of licorice-flavoured seeds sometimes used in cakes and confections or brewed as a digestive tea. But there is a big difference between that wispy dill-like herb and the bulbous vegetable often called Florence fennel.
Make your own reusable shopping bags, and customize them for all your shopping needs. Whether you need a simple tote to take to the farmer’s market, or smaller bags for purchasing things from bulk bins, we’ve got an idea for you!
1. Burlap Bag Burlap is inexpensive and sturdy. It’s easy to dress up a burlap bag by using colorful contrasting fabric for the handles and some handy pockets.
2. Coffee Tote Fuse together coffee bags to make this clever tote.
3. Convertible Grocery Tote/Backpack This bag can be used messenger bag style, or worn as a backpack for when you carry home groceries on your bike.
4 Reversible Tote This pretty tote has a zippered pouch attached.
Most people don’t give a second thought to tossing junk mail in the recycling bin. But with over 100 billion pieces delivered annually, some savvy recipients are seeing it differently. Instead of seeing junk mail as junk, they see it as a gold mine. As the saying goes, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure.
For this reason, some people order as much junk mail as they can. I once read about a man who burned his junk mail. He received enough of it to keep his house warm all winter. In another vein, JunkMailGems.com strictly sells products made from re-purposed junk mail.
Here is a list of creative and useful things you can do with your junk mail.
Each year, the American Rhododendron Society (ARS) carefully selects plants that will receive “Rhododendron of the Year” honours. The awards are designed to help gardeners choose rhododendrons and azaleas that will thrive in their area—they are selected based on what has historically done well in the gardens of ARS members. The winners represent all seven geographic regions of North America, so you’re bound to find a plant that will do well in your zone.
Northeastern
Elepidote: ‘Janet Blair’ (Dexter hybrid x unknown)
(not pictured)
A vigorous plant with frilled light pink flowers that have a golden bronze flare on the upper petal. It is
