Absolute Ananda

Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving enjoying the bounty of your garden with loved ones!

My dwarf blueberry bush has been gifting me more blueberries than ever before - and, bonus, this summer I've managed to pick and enjoy them before the squirrels, raccoons, birds, and general urban wildlife get a chance to steal them. Ditto with my raspberries.

My begonias haven't been so lucky, though! My enemy squirrel had no shame marching right in front of me with a full begonia stem in his mouth.

As for my regular blueberries bush: the opposite is true. Despite getting full sun benefits and equal fertilizer as the dwarf one, it hasn't produced anything!! Any tips out there?

My parsley overwintered, so it had a head start in spring growth and basically went into overdrive, and is now at mid-season volumes. The burning question: How to consume it all??

Tabouli!! Not only did I manage to use two massive bunches worth, but the recipe I used also called for a decent amount of mint, which is also flourishing.

This tabouli recipe is absolutely delish and keeps well in the fridge. If you can swing it, please use a premium olive oil - it will give the tabouli a gorgeous and mouth-watering flavour.

Do you have a favourite tabouli recipe or another recipe that calls for a ton of parsley?? Let me know! I still have lots!

Tabouli Salad Recipe (Tabbouleh) | The Mediterranean Dish Traditional tabouli salad recipe with parsley, mint, bulgur wheat, finely chopped vegetables and a zesty dressing. Full tutorial and video!

It's been a wildly colourful spring! Whether it's because I'm fertilizing more consistently or because this spring has been sunnier than normal, or a combination of both, my garden has been blessing us with more blooms, more growth and a root of colour to lose yourself in.

My yellow rose bloomed for the first time in three years! A bush I don't remember ever flowering did so this year. These are gorgeous gifts I don't take for granted.

I'm already at midsummer levels with my array of herbs, so it's time to whip out the infused oil, butter, and vinegar recipes!

How is your garden growing?

We've been having such good weather, if somewhat dry, which is a little unusual (but am afraid saying such things will jinx things and we'll end up with days and weeks of endless rain 😬), and anything in the ground has been absolutely loving it. Me too, above the ground!

Here's a sample of the glorious colour in my garden. How's yours doing?

Spring has sprung and we are blessed with an abundance of vibrant and breathtaking colour.

Things have been hectic, so I'm playing catch-up.

My typical complaint of early Vancouver spring is that it rains so much, you can miss the emergence of the earliest flowers, many of which are short-lived. This year was no exception, but I made an effort to look out for them.

Happy International Women's Day! Here's are early and 🌞 mini daffodils to celebrate and to usher in spring. They're blooming before my magnolia, which has never happened! New beginnings?

Happy Valentine's Day! Sow the seeds of love in your garden, nurture it with care and attention, and welcome its blooms.

May you embrace nature's essential gifts in 2025! And may they bring you joy, energy, confidence, serenity, calm, and bliss when needed. Whatever your mood or your desired mental and emotional space, there's an essential oil or herb for it!

Let us always remember the scourge and sacrifices of war.