Tag: #yegwinter

I watch Jamie Oliver cooking shows with such envy. I covet his wonderful kitchen garden.

For about half of the year I have a garden, but then the Canadian winter comes and my access to fresh veggies, herbs and cheerful flowers gets blanketed in ice and snow.

This year we had a kitchen renovation done, which included running a counter under a west facing window. I’ve tried to grow herbs indoors before with spotty success – I am infamous for my annual early winter rosemary death watch. Part of the new kitchen plan was that to create this sunny spot that would, hopefully, be able to support a few potted herbs and cheery flowers.

The kitchen renovation dragged out a bit longer than I had hoped, and potted kitchen herbs aren’t in stores right now,  but shortly before Christmas I managed to pick up a ‘turkey’ herb mix and some bulbs at Home Depot. The herbs and some tulips are sitting in my kitchen window now, and I have some some crocuses are in my office.

I’ve already used snips of rosemary for some roasted grapes and some fresh parsley in chicken soup. Hopefully I will find further uses for some of the four herbs I have.

I’m gaining daily consolation from my tulips and crocuses. They remind me spring will come back sooner, rather than later.

Hopefully I will be able to find and nurture a broader range of herbs and repeat my spring bulb success over all my future winters in my new sunny kitchen window.