Mina's Garden toolbox

12/10/2021

Winter time equates to dry skin for me! Made a small batch of sheabutter bodycream with jojoba oil, almond oil, coconut oil, vitamin E and beeswax. All natural ingredients.

Helps to protect the skin from the harsh drying effects of winter. You can even use it for a rejuvenating facial massage before bed-time. Wake up to younger looking skin!!

11/01/2021

Be mindful of the candies and treats kids love to eat!
Stay away from brightly colored candies!!

In the fall of 1950, a Halloween nightmare was unfolding. There was something in the candy and it was making kids sick. Across the country, dozens of children were suffering from severe diarrhea and abdominal cramps.

09/06/2021

Determining the dominant force in our lives!

The dominant force of consumerism in our lives shifts our moral compass and stifles our moral imagination. How does this force get projected in our lives? With the help of celebrities and social media influencers who give a mask to corporations selling their products to consumers. All aspects of our life are being monetized. The beauty filter settings on mobile phones that digitally enhance our features and makes us look like our ‘other’ self, creates insecurities within us. We are then drawn to beauty products and surgeries to enhance our features and end up losing the total connection with our real self, effectively turn us into a commodity ourselves. According to numerous studies, those most invested in celebrity culture are most disconnected with families and nature.
We build relationships based on what the person can do for us rather than simply being with person and finding out what they are like. We put a price to everything, commodifying all objects and living things around us. This dominant force destroys our mind and detaches us from reality. Fortunately, what the pandemic has shown us is that virtual connections alone are not enough. We crave real and meaningful relationships and connections. Most importantly, it has given us time to reassess our relationships and to rekindle our imagination and to set our moral compass right. It has helped us become closer to nature and to build healthy relationships with the environment and the ecosystems around us.
Follow these simple steps to regain control over your lives:
- set mini goals for yourself
-unplug from social media and take walks in nature
- pick up a good book at least once a month by visiting your local library or bookstore
- build and nurture a small, healthy habitat in your yard or balcony with native plants
- visit your friends or family and share a meal with them from time to time
- laugh a lot, find joy in little things
- learn a new skill like a language
-learn to love yourself!!
- before learning to love yourself, learn to forgive others
- build and nurture positive relationships
- donate or give away what you don't need
- practice meditation daily 😊

07/07/2021

A little about Kohlrabi!

This year we grew Kohlrabi at our garden thanks to Chelsea at the Stop Community Centre. Honestly, I wasn't sure what that vegetable was and I had never tried or tasted it before. Or so, I thought. I cooked it like opa squash, using very few ingredients. The taste and flavor reminded me of turnips back home in the rich, alluvial fields of Punjab, Pakistan. I simply loved it!!

I teamed it with chapati/flatbread but you can have it with rice, or, as a side-dish. And not to forget, Kohlrabi is loaded with Vitamin C, rich in B6 and an important source of potassium. Because of the seedlings we received, it was relatively easy to grow. Maybe we'll try to grow it from seed for a fall harvest!!

If you have tried an interesting recipie from our garden, please feel free to share it with us. Or, just send us photos!
Email: [email protected]

07/06/2021

Comfrey oil plus calendula oil, still waiting!
Expected end result: comfrey salve!! Excellent for healing bruises, pulled muscles, sprains, strains and osteoarthritis!!

04/19/2021

In case anyone was wondering how long to leave the grow lights on. Read the article below.

https://www.urbanorganicyield.com/leaving-grow-lights-on-24-hours/

04/18/2021

Spring indicates a rush for renewal and regrowth. Everything seems in a hurry to grow. So it's natural that gardeners want to see an early start to growing their summer-loving crops and flowers. A good time to consider starting seeds indoors is mid-April.

Choose the seeds and germinate them in baggies. Place the seeds in the centre of a wet kitchen towel, cover the seeds with either ends of the towel and place it in a zip lock bag. Label the bags! I tried the instant pot method for about 24 hours and then gave up not knowing whether I would overcook them or actually get fruitful results.

I transferred the bags, draining any excess moisture buildup, to a tray and kept it in a dark spot. Almost all the seeds sprouted by the 3rd or 4th day. By day 5, these were again transferred to seedling starter trays. I have used gro-lights this time to avoid disappointment.

Hopefully they will grow into robust seedlings and be ready for planting outdoors in 6-8 weeks!!

Just remember to transplant the seedlings to larger individual containers if they get too leggy and weather is not warm enough for planting them outdoors, or, there is danger of frost.

08/19/2020

Lovely to see autumn colours filling in!! And, finally, a watermelon 🍉

08/19/2020

Great post on how to save seeds for your favorite tomatoes!!

08/08/2020

The veggies and flowers are loving this weather!!

07/19/2020

Sunflowers and bee balm - great for pollinators!

07/13/2020

Natural recipes for insecticides and fungicides by Toronto Green Community!