Tuesday tidbits.

March 6, 2018 by Sheryl @ Flowery Prose

If you love peonies, this post about “peony anatomy” may be of interest. Or you can just ogle the beautiful photos. Either way, it’s a win.

I found a really cool site containing microscope photography by Dr. Gary Greenberg – my favourite pics are of the jewel-like sand grains, here, but the whole gallery is worth a gander.

Yummy recipe alert: these muffins are tops! Except I didn’t have ube and substituted yellow-fleshed sweet potatoes…plus, I didn’t add walnuts due to my allergies, and I skipped the glaze, as it really isn’t necessary and sort of makes them cupcakes instead of muffins, doesn’t it? They’re sweet enough as they are, but the glaze would make them special-occasion-worthy: like a “I managed to get out of bed this morning to go to work, so let’s celebrate!” kind of muffin/cupcake/whatever.

Even if you’re not a fan of Martha Stewart, her latest book Martha’s Flowers is absolutely droolicious (drooleriffic?). I know, I’m making words up here but there aren’t sufficient superlatives in the English language to describe the photography and artful styling in this book. If you can get your hands on a copy from your local library, do treat yourself. I haven’t even gotten around to reading the text yet (ahem) as I keep staring at the photos and stammering out awe-struck gibberish.

From the Boast and Braggart files…a couple of articles I wrote about herb gardening have been recently published: “Tea Time: Growing Herbs for Tisanes” appears in the Winter 2018 issue of Archive magazine, and “Designing a Meadow Garden” is featured in the Winter issue of Herb Quarterly.

Have a wonderful week!

Fairness for All: Equity.

November 8, 2017 by Sheryl @ Flowery Prose

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One of my most rewarding writing projects this year was the work I did on a children’s nonfiction book for a series called “To Be Canadian,” published by Beech Street Books in September. My contribution is called Fairness for All: Equity, and I only recently managed to get my hands on a copy, hence the reason I haven’t posted about it until now. Designated for school-age children in grades 2 to 4, the series covers topics such as freedom, democracy, just society, sustainability, and inclusion.

The research for Fairness for All: Equity was hugely engrossing and fascinating – let’s just say I logged in many, many hours on the Statistics Canada website and I now know significantly more about the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Canadian Human Rights Commission than I did before! And fine-tuning an age-appropriate example to define “equity” versus “equality” was an interesting challenge, to be sure. The book covers a wide range of topics, from gender stereotypes and pay inequity in the workplace, to discrimination based on language, culture, race, or ability – and, of course – includes some suggestions for treating one another fairly and with respect. I hope Fairness for All: Equity and the other titles in the “To Be Canadian” series will be helpful for children and educators as they explore key concepts such as responsibility, community, and family in the curriculum.

July blog fun.

July 16, 2016 by Sheryl @ Flowery Prose

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I’m running a bit late with my monthly round-up, but you know the old cliché….

Here’s the interesting story of how the library that straddles the U.S.-Canada border in Derby Line, Vermont and Stanstead, Quebec navigates the delicate technicalities of security while providing the reading materials patrons want (in both countries!).

Tulip season is long over, but these aerial photographs of the tulip fields in The Netherlands are delightful any time of the year.

The living installation that The Flower Council of Holland created in front of the National Gallery of London earlier this summer featured 26,500 fresh flowers – wow! See photos and a video illustrating the making of A Still Life of Flowers in a Wan-Li Vase here.

This brief account of French horticulturist Victor Lemoine’s work with hybridization and lilac breeding in the 19th century is absolutely fascinating.

Blogger circles are tight, so you may already be familiar with the writings of Cynthia Reyes. Her post about “Creative Complaining” is a truly thoughtful read.

Some of the articles I was busy working on late last year and early this spring have been published – here is a sampling:

“Processing, Storing, and Preserving Sea Buckthorn Berries” in The Canadian Organic Grower magazine, Summer 2016 issue (available for order on their website)
“How To: Site a Garden Pond” in The Gardener for the Prairies, Summer 2016 issue (available on Canadian newsstands now)
“Herbal Wax Melts” in The Herb Quarterly, Summer 2016 issue (available on North American newsstands now)

I’ve also put together a short e-book of GF recipes up on Amazon – you can find On the Go Gluten Free Snacks here.

I squeaked out a new post on my Grit.com blog Blooms and Spoons, this one about drying strawberries (if you haven’t done this yet, do try – they are delicious!).

And a few more books were mentioned on The Door is Ajar:

Moira Young – Rebel Heart.

Louise Penny – Still Life.

Orest Stelmach – The Boy from Reactor 4.

I hope you enjoyed these links! Have a wonderful weekend!