Love gardening, but struggle to find a balance between function and aesthetic? Want to impress your dinner party guests with fresh, classy beverages while showcasing your green thumb? Perhaps you need your own iced tea container garden! Planters and container gardens are more popular than ever as urban dwellings become more compact, and outdoor spaces limited. Not having to worry about cutting the grass is definitely a bonus, but it doesn’t mean you can’t have beautiful, fragrant greenery to add wild vibrance to your patio or windowsill.
Our lovely pals at Nabuurs Gardens in Brudenell know a thing or two about growing herbs, and all things “planty.” Creating your own container garden is much easier than you think, especially with the help of these experts. “Container planting is the easiest way to garden, because you avoid all the weeding and grubs you get with planting a full-fledged garden. It’s really the most time-efficient way to bring fresh food to your plate,” says Jennifer MacLean, a longtime staff member at the greenhouse. She would most certainly know. With thirteen years of gardening experience under her belt, MacLean spends every single day helping
iced tea to your guests decorated with an edible pansy garnish, or iced with fresh-frozen violet ice cubes? I bet they’d think, “Who are you, Martha Stewart?” as they munched away on the spicy delicacy, impressed by your seemingly-perfect combination of “country homemaker meets urban sophisticate” in the kitchen. For container upkeep: as I mentioned before, just keep cutting the herbs back, and don’t be afraid! Inexperienced gardeners are often nervous to cut the tops off plants, but in most cases, there’s no wrong way to do it. Just make sure you leave lots of foliage behind, so the plant can continue to photosynthesize and
I’ll admit that fresh herbs can be intimidating. What do you do with them? How do you prepare them? Well, I’m here to shed light on all that.
I’ll admit that fresh herbs can be intimidating. What do you do with them? How do you prepare them? Well, I’m here to shed light on all that. Herbs are incredibly easy to grow, and can be cultivated in a pot, container, window box, or even on a windowsill indoors. Once established, the key is simply to use them. Keep cutting them back, and they’ll continue to produce all season long. Consume them in salads, sauces, and stir fries; on meat, potatoes, and fish. Or, if you want to really kick it up a notch, try using them for teas. In the hot summer months, iced teas are even better.
customers make the right choices to fit their lifestyles and green spaces.
flourish. Remember chia pets? Yep. Do it just like that. Bring out your inner child, and hack away! And don’t throw those cuttings away; if you don’t have a use for them immediately, simply bundle them and hang them in your kitchen. They’ll dry, perfect for tea down the road. Plus, they add a lovely, decorative touch in your kitchen or pantry. To make this whole endeavor even easier, I’ve included four simple-yet-creative herbal iced tea recipes for you on the next page. From mint, all the way to chamomile lemonade, there’s a recipe for every taste bud. All the herbs mentioned are available at Nabuurs Gardens.
Nabuurs has a great selection of herbs, containers, and more soil than you would know what to do with, making the whole process a cinch for even gardening newcomers. With everything from chamomile to sage and beyond, you’ll have a wide variety of plants to choose from to create the perfect container just for you. Feel free to add a splash of colour to your planter with a flower or two. (There are no rules here, folks!) Lovely edible flowers, such as pansies and nasturtiums, make a perfect addition, adding colour and functionality in one breath. Imagine serving refreshing
Nabuurs Gardens Ltd. | 4986 A - Hwy. A A MacDonald, Montague, | 902.838.4510 | www.nabuursgardens.com
SUMMER 2019 www.pei-living.ca
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