Gardening
Get ready. Get set. Grow! in 2021
Spring is just around the corner and every Leaside gardener I know is itching to dig in. But this year, let’s take a quick look back first. …more
Culture
Gardening
My special message for green hearts!
It doesn’t matter that our February in the north is cold and snowy or that it can tease us with the promise of spring. February is a month we cherish because this is when we …more
Culture
Kung Hei Fat Choy! Happy Lunar New Year!
It’s the Year of the Ox and Leaside families are celebrating…including mine. We – my daughter Zhen, born in China, my husband Warren, and I – enjoy celebrating with family and friends. We indulge in …more
Gardening
The future looks bright for gardening in Leaside
No one knows for certain what this year will bring but if the garden trend forecasters are right, Leaside is on track to experience one of the most profound gardening seasons ever. And it’s all …more
Gardening
I’m dreaming of a winter harvest!
Now that it’s December, our Leaside gardens are left to rest. The growing season is over and the harvesting has all been done – right? Well, maybe for some green thumbs but not for …more
Food
Gooey! Baking real butter tarts for the virtual Royal Winter Fair
Many families have secret recipes passed down through the generations and savoured by family and friends – in my case, it’s butter tarts. My grandma made the best butter tarts with a buttery pastry and …more
Gardening
The Leaside harvest report 2020 Part 2: the backyard harvest
It’s suddenly November, that time when every Leaside gardener slows down, as nature does, preparing for a well-deserved rest. And it’s also the time when any gardener worth their salt looks over their garden journal …more
Gardening
The Leaside harvest report 2020 Part 1: community gardens
October is that special month when we celebrate the harvest with Thanksgiving, then Halloween, which originally marked the end of the harvest. This year, on October 1 at 5:05 p.m., the Harvest Moon will shine …more
Arts
The passions of Leaside’s Isabel Santos
When Isabel Santos was growing up in the Philippines, her mother bred parakeets, sometimes caring for up to 40 at a time. When the numbers became too much to handle, she sold them to pet …more
Gardening
After 100 issues of Leaside Life, I wonder, how green is my Leaside?
The cover story that graced the first issue of Leaside Life was a green one entitled ‘Green house looking for a buyer,’ by Alison Rockwell. This was an interesting article on many levels, but it …more