The Garden Report #41

Sunday, March 13th, 2011

Morden Blush Rose

• Writers write: I have been pleasantly surprised with the volume of emails this week from our readers. Thirty of you took the time to write, proffer opinions and ask questions. This leads me to believe that readers feel invested in what appears here every Sunday. I always feel as if I should walk a fine line when it comes to asking people to participate in events or to donate money to causes. On the one hand, I have a passion for certain portions of our cultural mosaic and on the other hand, I don’t want to be viewed as a pest, always with my hand out. Having written that, I will take my chances with the following. The Regina Fringe Festival operates on a shoe string budget and many hours of volunteer labor. They have to raise money in order to present the festival. This is the fourth year that they have had a fundraiser night. There is music with Roberta Nichol who is worth the price of admission herself, there are good things to eat courtesy of Carlos and The Italian Star Deli, and the feature performance this year is my show ‘Glory Days’. The fundraiser is set for Friday, March 25th at The RSM. Tickets in advance are thirty dollars. I have promised The Fringe that I will sell fifty tickets for the night. This is where you come in. Would you consider purchasing some tickets from me? You will get a great night out and you will be assisting The Regina Fringe to develop the festival for Regina audiences. Send me an email and let me know how many tickets you would like. Thank you.

Morden Cardinette Rose

• Readers write: Joana Cook writes regarding my mentioning of our international readership, “You forgot your regular reader in London, England.” Joana is working on her Masters at King’s College. Catherine Parker writes “Another fun Garden Report. That’s a cute baby!” Marcus Fernando has commented on memorizing scripts. Marcus theorizes that if we store our scripts in the long term memory part of our brain, it is more difficult to memorize but it will stay there forever. If we utilize our short term memory, we can memorize scripts quicker, but we will not retain them for any length. That is a great theory. Who did you say you were again? Roberta Nichol agrees with Rob van Zaten in that ‘Winnipeg Parks’ is a first rate, prairie hardy rose. Reader Joan Kortje is moving from The Kidney Foundation to The YWCA and she is taking The Garden Report with her. June Blau writes “Once again you have hit on my favorite topics: cute babies, roses and food.” Yes…we are a triple threat here at the blog. Brock Silversides out of Toronto is appreciative of the readers who have reminisces of two local dance bands, The Adantes and Wascana. Chris Pasterfield who lives across the street writes in to say that he totally agrees with my assessment of our neighborhood. Chris enjoys both the people and the trees. Sarah Wills from Toronto writes “Enjoyed your ramblings as always. Really enjoyed the photos of ‘Winnipeg Parks’ rose and of Pascal.” June Mayhew is going to try out The Falafel King in Vancouver. She also has a friend in Edmonton who she has added to the mailing list. Georgia Hearn writes “Another enjoyable read.” Denise Cook writes that her mother had a stay at City Hospital in Saskatoon and Denise noticed that it is a very well run hospital. Cheryl Hutton from Calgary sent along a nice compliment regarding the titles within The Garden Report. She wrote: “ They are so fun and always describe the upcoming thought without being too blatantly obvious. In fact, sometimes there is great satisfaction taking a second glance at them after I've read the paragraph as I usually have an extra chuckle of appreciation for them.” Wendy Richardson from London, Ontario wrote: “I loved that you mentioned me in your Garden Report. It made me feel very special.” Well, now you can feel special a second time. Penney Pike out of Calgary writes “Look forward to Sundays and The Garden Report. Keep ‘em coming.” Reader Bobbi Jo Cook is home from Fort McMurray and she dropped by for a visit. She will be moving out to Vancouver to attend film school.

Morden Sunrise Rose

• Garden Tip: Reader Rob van Zanten who is one of the owners of Pan American Nursery Company, took the photographs of the three roses that are featured this week.  Rob took the photos last summer. ‘Morden Sunrise’ is one that I have growing in my own garden. It is not overly hardy and it does take a bit of mulching and snow mounding to get it through each winter. It usually dies back, quite close to the ground but it does come back and usually has many blooms on it towards the end of June. ‘Morden Cardinette’ is a petite rose as it does not grow too big. When it was first released in 1980, Dieter Martin gave me a rooted cutting of this rose. I grew it over the winter in my kitchen and I believe that the first Regina bloom of ‘Cardinette’ occurred in that room. Somewhere in my basement, there is a box of photographs and one is of that bloom from many years ago. ‘ Morden Blush’ is a lovely rose. As the blooms mature, they fade to a lighter color than what appears in the photograph. All three of these roses are worth growing. If you are obsessed with hardiness, The ‘Morden Blush’ is the hardiest of the three.

Northern Dazzle Lily

• Garden Tip: Two more photos this week of plants, courtesy of Dr. Phillip Ronald at Jeffries’ Nursery in Portage la Prairie. Phillip sent along a new lily called ‘Northern Dazzle’ and a ‘Diabolo Ninebark’ in a tree form. This is a purple leafed plant and it will grow around the six foot mark. It is a wonderful accent plant in a flower bed. You can plant all sorts of flowers or perennials underneath it.

• Mothers never understand: My friend Ian was going out of town and he shipped his sixteen year old boy Andrew, over to Uncle Rod’s for the weekend. His first night at our place, he wore his baseball cap to the table, a definite no-no at our house. I took his cap off and spit in it, handing it back to him. He thought I was the coolest dad for doing that. Maureen was less than impressed with what I had done but she was equally surprised that Andrew thought it was a fine thing to do. She asked: “How did you know to do that?” I used to be sixteen.

• Garden Tip: Reader Catherine Parker wanted to know how to get her four inch primulas, that she purchases at this time of year, to last long enough to transplant into the garden. Over the years, I have not had very good luck with these plants making it through to the spring. They seem to wither away to nothing. I suspect that they are meant to be enjoyed for a short time only, but they sure are a fresh breath of spring when they are in bloom. That was my answer and here is one from reader Michiel Verheul, who is one of Canada’s leading greenhouse growers: “Primula bloom once and then not again for a long time. They bloom under cool conditions. We see them available in the stores put them in our warm homes and by the time it gets warm enough to plant outside the flowers are done. Primula should be bought early, enjoyed like a spring bulb and then planted outside and maybe they will bloom in the fall for you to enjoy. Or just toss it and buy something fresh."

• The Galloping Gourmet: When Number Two Son had his seventh birthday party, somehow I was assigned to prepare the birthday supper for him and ten of his friends. I cooked wieners and beans and as I did not want ketchup all over the kitchen, I added it directly into the pot. The kids were really excited. The ketchup was already in the beans. I told them it was ‘gourmet wieners and beans.’. The next day, my phone started to ring. It was the mothers of these little boys inquiring as to my recipe for the gourmet dish their boys were raving over. When I told the mothers what I had done, each was disappointed. “That’s it? You added ketchup into the pot and called it ‘gourmet’?” Hey! It was a success with the seven year olds. Let it ride.

Diabolo Ninebark in a tree form

• Garden Tip: Reader Kim Lytle out of Saskatoon is concerned that last year was a terrible gardening year for many vegetable crops. She is worried that the forecast for this year is even worse. Should she plant a vegetable garden? Here is the answer: Gardeners by their very nature, are optimists. They persist in spite of Mother Nature and nosy neighbors. They grow plants that books say cannot be grown here. They are up early in the morning to get a start on the watering and they are out after dark with flashlights, squishing slugs. Gardeners order seeds when it is minus thirty-eight Celsius. Why? Because they just know that this year is going to be perfect. Last year Kim noticed that her root crops were not up to par, in part due to the wet and the cold. Yes, but the top crops such as spinach, Swiss Chard, and lettuce were decent. One of my friends had a wonderful crop of beets because she planted them in a raised garden box, which utilized the heat in a better fashion than if planted in the ground. Am I going to plant as much as I did last year and the year before? Does Murphy love tins of tuna? Stay tuned for these answers and more.

• Good Globe: We have season tickets for The Globe and this past week we took in ‘Shakespeare’s Will.’ Now I must confess, I have worked in the realm of one handers for a long time and do love the format. This one was outstanding. The woman playing the only role on stage, that of Anne Hathaway, carried the seventy-five minute performance extraordinarily well. There are those cultural snobs who insist that one handers are not real theater, but to watch this actor work was amazing. She created her own tension, joy and sadness. She created her own angst and irritants. This is theater in its simplest and yet most engaging format. It requires the audience to listen and to align themselves with the character on stage. When she announces that her husband’s sister is a “real bitch”, we empathize, each of us having a family member who can be trying. Leaving the theater and arriving home, there was a story on the television regarding the complexity and science involved in the creation of ‘Avatar’. I thought of the show we had just seen, less than an hour ago. This is theater that is a thousand years old. One person, stranding in the middle of the tribe, telling us a story of love and loss. This is a story teller with no place left to hide. There are no special effects or technology to save her. Either she carries the story or it fails. That is living on the tightrope. She deserved the standing ovation.

• ‘Shakespeare’s Will’ trivia: This play was written by Vern Thiessen, one on Canada’s top playwrights. His sister Ingrid is one of our regular readers and is also one of Regina’s finest Landscape Architects. Ingrid tells the story of being provided two comp tickets for a Shakespeare play while in university. For her date, she took along her kid brother, Vern, who was just entering his teens. Ingrid says he loved the play.

• Too funny: My friend Peter McGarry is an Irish playwright. Peter loves to perform in the nude, something I have never been persuaded to do, at least publicly. Our youngest son attended one of Peter’s plays. His review: “If I wanted to see a fat, middle aged, naked man, I would just have breakfast with my dad. I don’t need to pay eight dollars to do that.”

• Garden Tip: The spring edition of ‘Gardening for the Prairies’ has arrived. Absolutely stunning magazine. There was a time when our gardening magazines were produced in Toronto and New York, hardly regional. This magazine is a class act and produced in Saskatoon. For more information, go to www.gardenermagazine.ca

• Really, I’m straight: Anyone got two tickets for Elton John they want to sell to me at face value? I detest scalpers. They are slime personified. Prefer to sit in the stands and Thursday would be great.

• Garden Tip: Gardeners love to talk about gardening and they love to read about it. One could even write that gardeners are an obsessive lot. And what is my point? Don’t have one. There is a new book out from local publishing house, Coteau Books. The book is written by the well known Sara Williams and Hugh Skinner. The title is ‘Gardening Naturally: a chemical free handbook for the Prairies.’ I have not read it yet but my copy is on its way.

• Writers who help: Congratulations go out to Ed Willet who is now our new ‘Writer in Residence’ at The Regina Public Library. Ed is an excellent writer and he is a very good choice for the position. If you are dying to be a writer or if you have a script as yet unfinished, you can secure an appointment to see Ed at the downtown library and he will assist you with your project.

• A new audience: We were at The Symphony last night. I found myself chatting with two eight year old girls. I cracked a joke about me auditioning to be a dancer in ‘Chitty Chitty, Bang Bang’. They laughed. I had no idea I could be funny to such a young audience. I am now working on some new material for that group. Jokes about why mommies are so mean, why boys are stupid and how immature seven year olds can be at times. It’s Grade Three all over without the pressure to succeed.

Murphy says: "Hurry up spring!  I want to chase some squirrels."

• Thanks for reading…Rod McDonald in Regina



The Garden Report #40

Sunday, March 6th, 2011

My garden

• Writers Write: It has been thirty-eight years since I started living on the corner of Regina Avenue and Angus Street. I moved in February 26th, 1973. It is a wonderful neighborhood. One that I have come to appreciate over the years. I have often written that you have to live somewhere and wherever that somewhere is, then it is best if you enjoy the area. My neighbors have always been good to me. They too enjoy the area, filled with trees and bounded by two beautiful parks, Wascana and Rotary. We have a decent social scene in the neighborhood, with Christmas and New Year’s celebrated at different houses. And the summer barbecues can fill a backyard and sometimes we spill over into Rotary Park for our get together. People tend to stay a long time in the area. Athol Forbes lived across the street for seventy-five years. I mention this because I have read that in some neighborhoods, an average stay is somewhere around three years. There are neighborhoods where you can live for several years and no one will ever knock on your door to welcome you to the block, let alone extend an invitation for supper. I originally started this blog for my neighbors and a few friends who live close by. It has now grown in its first year so that we have over a thousand regular readers in Germany, Russia and Denmark as well as all across Canada. That’s nice but I still have to live somewhere. Somewhere for me is this corner of Old Lakeview. I have never regretted my choice.

Pascal in a sweater (our youngest reader)

• Readers Write: June Mayhew writes: “Pascal is too cute. Thanks for another delicious blog.” Kate Berringer writes “I laughed out loud” regarding the thought of putting Clearasil on Murphy’s chin to hide his zits. Cheryl Hutton out of Calgary wonders why I spell it theater instead of theatre? Good question, no answer. Marg Hryniuk agrees with me that acne and crow’s feet should not occur at the same time. Reader and actor, Colette Nichol has been residing in Ecuador for the last few years. She sent an email this week letting us know that she got married at Christmas! Congratulations. Joanne Terry writes that she is looking forward to seeing me perform on March 25th at The RSM. Reader Ann Anderson wishes to confess her sin. Even though she fully realizes that I am a proponent of the slow food movement, she admits to every now and again, enjoying Hamburger Helper and Kraft Dinner. Good grief, our sins are certainly boring these days. Our resident Reader/Doctor appreciated my editing of her advice on how to recover from disease. She wrote “you did a wonderful job of summarizing.” Not surprisingly, our readers who are living with cancer were most interested. I have included another photo of our resident cute baby, Pascal, in the attachments. Nothing sells like a cute baby, right? Reader Wendy Richardson who resides in London, Ontario writes that she is tired of snow and is looking forward to seeing the green, green grass of spring. For those with long memories, Wendy used to be Wendy Campbell who was in Fine Arts School with me during the sixties. Along with Wendy in that class, there were two other readers of this blog, Penney Pike from Calgary and Susan Patryluk. Reader and artist Marsha Kennedy was at school with us but she was a year behind. Marsha wants that noted as she prefers to be seen as the punk kid of the group.

Winnipeg Parks Rose

• Garden Tip: Rob van Zanten’ from Pan American Nursery Products wrote: “I have been looking over our 60+ prairie hardy selections and keep coming back to one variety that has been my favorite over the years.” Rob’s favorite is Winnipeg Parks and I have included a photo of this Morden Rose as an attachment.

• The Casino Blues: Reader Greg Morley had a story to share in regards to the rude drunks we experienced at the Johnny Winter gig. Greg was at The Casino last year, for a blues night. Seated beside him were three drunks who talked loudly throughout the set. He asked them to stop. It escalated. Greg asked the security officer for The Casino to intercede. He did nothing. It almost came to blows. As I wrote before, I really think The Casino should have two sections: One for people who want to listen to the music and a separate one for the drunks who wish to talk throughout the show. I am not certain if that qualifies for a ‘win/win’ solution?

• Orange Boot: I have tried the whole wheat, the Volker’s Rye, the Bird Seed and the Sourdough. All are well baked with great crusts but the hands down winner is the Sourdough. I didn’t include the baguettes because that is a totally different category.

• Le Macaron: I have been hearing good things from our readers about this place. I was in the neighborhood so I decided to check it out. As I was on the fly, I got a couple of things to go and I shared them with a friend. The first treat was the three dollar, poppy seed Danish. It was good but not great. It did not compare with the Danish I had from la Baguette in Vancouver. The second treat was their namesake, a macaron for two dollars. I have never had this French cookie before and I found it quite tasty. I will stop in again and check out some of their slices which looked lovely, especially a coconut/lime piece in the display case. As well, they bake fresh bread on Wednesdays and Fridays.

• Garden Tip: I mentioned in a previous Garden Report that alstromeria is one of my favorite cut flowers. The bouquet that I purchased for Valentine’s lasted a full three weeks. Now that is good value!

• Listen to your elders: In 1964, The Beatles swept North America with their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. We were in Grade Seven and our teacher told us that in one year, no one would remember who The Beatles were. He assured us they were nothing more than a flash in the pan.

• Listen to me: Around 1970, I had a friend who was working on a new genre of music that he referred to as ‘country rock’. All of us laughed at him because we knew that rock would fuse with jazz or blues, but never with country. A year later, The Eagles arrived.

• It’s official: Maureen had her hearing tested and the report indicates she is fine. She now insists that I mumble and somehow she believes she has the proof. One day she will discover that I mumble because I am not paying attention. By the way, I am not the only husband with this habit.

• A tale of two hospitals: I spend a fair amount of time at The General Hospital in Regina so when I was booked for a procedure at City Hospital in Saskatoon this week, I took the opportunity to compare them. I arrived at City Hospital at 7:45 a.m. and I had the choice of plenty of on street, metered parking or in the paid parking lot. That was a plus. There was not one soul outside of the main entrance smoking. Another plus. I found the admitting department and expected a twenty to thirty minute wait similar to The General. I was admitted within three minutes upon arrival. I asked the admitting clerk where I should go and she said “the woman behind you will show you the way.” I looked behind me and standing there was a volunteer who guided me to The Outpatient Clinic. She introduced me to the receptionist who immediately looked after my paperwork and then asked me to change into a gown and robe. Now, I had to sit in the patient waiting area for forty-five minutes, not because the doctor was late, but because I was so dammed early. I had not expected to be processed so quickly. I was seen on time, the procedure was carried out and I was sent on my way. I was left thinking, “this is the way it should be done.” Seeing as both hospitals are in our beautiful province, I cannot understand the level of problems at our Regina General. Is it, God forbid, an administration issue?

• Café Sola: This newer place in Saskatoon has come highly recommended. It is an industrial building, across the street from The Bus Depot. I loved the ambiance of the place, so reminiscent of a hippie/beatnik coffee house of many years ago. The pastries looked absolutely divine but as I had had a full breakfast, I had to leave them for another time. After all, I was there for their latte, one that was supposed to be the absolute finest. Sorry to the fans of this place. It was good, very good, but it does not dethrone the coffee from The Broadway at Five Corners which I rate as the best I have ever tasted. What was the difference between the two? The beverage from Café Sola was missing that bite, that slight bitterness that contrasts with the sweetness of the milk that is ever so present in the latte and cappuccino from The Broadway.

• Tasty dives: I love those little, out of the way places that draw no attention to themselves by their presence or their décor. One of my all time favorites is a place with one of the hokiest names imaginable. The Falafel King in Vancouver. There are two locations, both in the West End. One is a modern spot, tucked into a tiny strip mall at the corner of Davie and Thurlow. The other location is much grungier, located in the hubbub of Denman Street, not far from English Bay. They serve identical fare that is incredibly tasty and cheap. For seven bucks, you can get what they call their Shawarma plate. It is a paper plate filled with rice topped with chicken roasted on a rotating spit and then shaved, dressed with a tatziki sauce. A house made humus is the finest I have ever tasted and it is served with a basket of pita. There is also some tabouli salad served on the plate. It is so filling, that if we are not absolutely starving, two of us share one plate. For another $2.50, you can get a bowl of their carrot soup. As with the humus, it is the finest I have tasted. How high do I rank it? Reader Han de Jong, his wife Lynn, and the two of us often celebrate my birthday at a nice restaurant such as The Fish House at Stanley Park. One year, I insisted we take in The Falafel King. Han was a little dubious of the place at first, then he was astonished at the big flavors. He picked up the check and dinner for four came to thirty bucks, a price that makes any Dutchman or Scotsman celebrate.

• Garden Tip: Not so much a tip as a reason to start a vegetable garden this year. Loblaw’s/Superstore has announced a five per cent across the board increase in the price of groceries this spring. I suspect that in the produce department, it could climb even higher. If you are new to vegetable gardening, a ten by ten garden which is approximately a hundred square feet, is more than adequate for your first year. And even if you live in an apartment, if you have a balcony, you can grow tomatoes in pots.

• Garden Tip: I have been seeing potted, miniature roses for sale around town. These lovely little plants will not only provide a breath of spring freshness to your home, but they can also be planted into your garden come the spring. Keep them growing in the sunniest spot you have in the house. Do not overwater and feed them a water soluble fertilizer every week. Plant in full sun after the danger of frost. With a bit of luck, you can get miniature roses to overwinter. I found that your chances of overwintering them in the garden range between thirty and fifty percent. And even if they don’t’ make it to next year, you enjoyed their company this season.

Our Legislative Building

• Can you help? We have a new reader from Toronto, who would love to hear from any reader with stories of either The Adantes or Wascana, dance bands from the sixties and seventies. If you have any, let me know and I will hook you up.

• Thanks for reading this week…Rod McDonald in ‘Old Lakeview’, Regina



The Garden Report #39

Sunday, February 27th, 2011

Yellow Twig Dogwood

• Writers write: Here we are again on an intensely sunny, Sunday afternoon. The temperature has risen to a balmy minus nine and after a few nights in the minus thirty range, it is indeed balmy. I did not miswrite, as any prairie boy or girl will testify. There has been lots of correspondence this week from readers, including photos of our resident cute baby, Pascal. As readers know, I have been on my high horse regarding the importance of the slow food movement, the reduction of salt and sugar in our diets and other health issues. This week, I have included some sage advice from a reader who specializes in the treatment of cancer patients. This doctor is well loved within our community and has touched many lives. I too am touched that so many of you have taken the time to be engaged and participate in The Garden Report. When I first started writing, I acknowledged I had no idea where this blog was going…but I have certainly enjoyed the ride.

• Readers write: Margaret Bessai wrote: “Thanks for another edition of The Garden Report. Love seeing those pics of New Zealand.” Heather Lowe wrote “The New Zealand pictures are so nice.” Kate Berringer writes “Loved this one, Rod. Well done.” Catherine Parker shared that she staggers her amaryllis planting times so that she gets blooms for at least three months. Joanne Vollbrecht’ writes that she has seen hearing aids improve the life of those who need one. Susan Rollins proclaims that a life without chocolate brownies is a life not worth living. Roberta Nichol has discovered how wonderful the sour dough bread is at Orange Boot. Catherine Parker inquires if any reader has memories of the youth center that used to be at the corner of Broad and Dewdney. Actor and reader Courtney Cunningham wrote in to say that she has moved from New Mexico to Los Angeles. Courtney is trying to get her film into Cannes. It is a seven minute piece titled ‘The Last Animals.’ Reader Marcus Fernando sends along a photo (in the attachment) of his baby Pascal, who is celebrating his one year birthday. Holding Pascal in the photo is his mom, Tina Hoffman.

• Very good news: Reader Richard Gustin who has been sending us the lovely photos of New Zealand has let us know that he is just fine. Richard is on the North Island, far away from the devastating earth quake.

• Garden Tip: There will be a seed exchange of open pollinated garden seed on March 5th at St. Mary’s Anglican. For further information, open the attachment ‘2011 Seedy Saturday’. This information is courtesy of reader Kate Berringer.

• Cancer: One of our readers is a physician who specializes in treating people who have cancer. She has done so for thirty-five years. She has seen thousands of patients in her practice. I asked her to write the three things that a patient can do to improve their healing. These three things can be utilized by anyone suffering from a debilitating disease. She asked to remain anonymous. Her original answers are quite detailed. I have distilled them to their essence. Any reader who wishes the entire response, please send me an email and I will forward the original (minus identifying information) as an attachment:

a) Set your goals and a timeline in which to accomplish them.

b) Believe that you can accomplish your goals. (This is extremely important)

c) Ensure that you are surrounded by positive influences. Do not allow people who are negative to be in your life. Learn to forgive others as well as yourself. Pray for your enemies. Do not allow resentments to fester as they cause many illnesses.

Her last piece of advice regarding resentments is so true. I have seen, and no doubt you as well, people who carried so much anger towards another person or institution, that they actually became sick from their own emotions. One other piece of advice our reader/physician writes: Creativity is very healing. How true.

• Humor as healing: Maureen has been a nurse for many years and she agreed with everything in the above heading. She also added that she has seen humor reduce pain levels in suffering patients. Laughter is very medicinal because it increases your endorphins.

• Poverty and the theater: Over the years, I have heard now and again, a complaint in regards to theater and other cultural events. The complaint is that they are not accessible to those with limited incomes. Here is the reality. There are many cultural events in this city that require volunteers, and in turn, those volunteers are treated to many perks, including free admission into events. At The Fringe Festivals across Canada, volunteers receive free admission to plays based upon hours worked and they also receive perks from the performers. It was a common occurrence on tour for a volunteer to ask if they could “slip into the show” and permission was always given. At The Folk Festival here in Regina, they asked me to assist one year in setting up a stage. No problem. They gave me free admission for that assistance plus they fed me. The Globe uses volunteers for ushers, the coat check and ticket takers. Those people get an opportunity to enjoy the show as well. If you are willing to do a little bit of volunteer work, there are many opportunities to take in cultural happenings.

• Today’s observation: Being young and cute is only phase that most of us experience. Eventually, we manage to get through it.

• Close but not right: When our middle son was in Grade Three, he came home from school and informed us that one of his friends had explained prostitution to him that day. I asked him to explain it to me. He told me that prostitution was when women stood on a street corner and men drove by in their cars. When the woman saw a man that she liked, she paid him to have sex with her. “Well son…you are close,” I told him. I explained that it was usually the men who paid. He looked at me and said “Oh! That’s gross!” And the conversation was finished.

Poster for March 25th show

• Glory Days: I am now ‘off book’ which means I have memorized the play. Once you are ‘off book’ you can start blocking the show which means, sorting out where the actor delivers the lines from, the motion of the play. People ask how long it takes to work up a play. For me at least, it takes about sixty hours to memorize a one hour script, about an hour per minute of stage time. Then it takes about sixty hours of rehearsal to get the show up to stage presentation. A number of our readers are from the theater and each actor has a different process. Some are able to memorize a script with two or three readings. I am not so fortunate.

• Cold night/hot soup: Wednesday night it was approaching minus thirty, a perfect evening for a bowl of good soup. I made French Onion Soup, something that most of us adore and it is surprisingly easy to make. Here is what I do:

Chop up one large onion or two medium ones, brown them in a large pot on a higher heat, use two or three tablespoons of canola oil to get them started. After ten minutes, turn the heat down to a low medium, add in two tablespoons of butter and cook for another forty to fifty minutes until the onions are caramelized or brown. Ten minutes before the onions are finished cooking, add in half of a clove of chopped garlic and a pinch of salt.

With the onions cooked, pour in one liter (four cups) of beef broth. Your own beef broth is best but if you have none, then use a store bought variety, preferably one low in sodium/salt. Bring to a boil. Add in four tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, a bit of ground black pepper and reduce to a simmer.

Preheat the oven or the toaster oven to 450. Take four or five larger soup bowls, and place close to a cup of soup into each one. Then place a slice of French bread that has been toasted on top of the soup. Cover the toast with shredded Swiss, Gruyere or Emmental cheese. Place the bowls in the oven and change the setting to broil. Bake for five to seven minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and getting a crust on it. When removing from the oven, use oven mitts and warn your guests that the bowl is very hot.

If you want, you can use a different bread for the toast or even croutons in a pinch. The two key things to getting this one right is to cook the onions close to an hour and use a good broth.

• Blues night: We took in The Johnny Winter show at Casino Regina on Thursday night. It was part of the Mid Winter Blues Festival, a cultural event that has really taken off. I read some on line reviews that said Winter has lost his touch. While it was obvious that the man is in failing health, if he has lost his touch, I could not see it. He played an incredible guitar. For reasons unknown to me, his singing voice did not come through very well at all. There was so much distortion in the speakers. I was sitting close to center, so it was not a balance issue. I have heard from musicians that the room at The Casino is poorly tuned and it was ever so evident on Thursday. Too bad.

• Not nice: Seated behind us at The Casino on Thursday, were a group of drunks. They yapped all the way through both of the excellent opening acts. All eight of us at our table had difficulty listening to the openers because the table of drunks talked loudly throughout the show, and constantly. We kept turning around to give them our best ‘shut up’ look, but subtly was lost on them. After ruining the first act, I slipped over to their table at intermission and asked if they could quit talking during the next show as we wanted to hear the music. “Yeah, yeah,” they said. They were good for about five minutes and then started up again. This time, my sister went over to their table and they said they would stop, but they didn’t. Then my brother-in-law shouted “did you come here to talk or to listen to the music.” Unbelievable that someone would pay forty bucks to talk through a show. At the end of the evening, I heard from several other friends that there were similar tables scattered throughout The Casino that yapped through both of the opening acts. Perhaps, and it is just a suggestion, The Blues Festival and The Casino should set up two sections. One for the drunks who want to be the center of attention and another for those of us who want to listen to the show. For what it was worth, my sister and her husband took in Friday night’s show at The RSM. She said that show was outstanding and no one was holding court through any of the performances. She writes that the vibe was totally different from Thursday night, much more enjoyable.

• What?: I took Murphy to the vet on Thursday afternoon. His chin appeared at first to have a scrape on it. As the week had gone by, the size of the damage increased. The vet informed me that he was suffering from ‘feline acne’. At his age? He is either fifteen or sixteen. Now I have to put Clearasil on his chin so he can go to the big dance.

Allium

• Garden Tip: I have been asked this question a few times. What temperature should a greenhouse be kept at? As a general rule, sixty-eight degree days and sixty-two degree nights are what is recommended. More important than air temperature is root zone temperature which is sometimes called bottom heat. You can run a cooler greenhouse if you have heating cables installed underneath your growing trays. There are heating cables available for home greenhouses.

• Negotiating with God: Whenever I get an outbreak of acne, I tell God “make up your mind. Either zits or crow’s feet but not both at the same time!”

• Garden Tip: For those of you starting your plants, I recommend that you use a Premier product called Pro Mix. It is a good quality potting soil that should give you good results.

• Lucky guess: I brought home a box of chocolates for Maureen on Friday night. A ‘just because’ box. She opened the box and asked who had made the selection of the chocolates. I told her I had chosen all caramels and toffees, because those are her favorites. Her memory must be going because she assured me that she loves nut chocolates and that caramels are my favorites. Who knew that buying a box of chocolates could go so wrong? Saturday morning, I got up. On the kitchen counter was a note for me. It read that she was at her studio painting. She used to be a RN. Now she is ‘the artist formerly known as Nurse Maureen’. The note finished off with a threatening tone: “Don’t eat all of the chocolates!” In military language, that was a pre-emptive strike. I can’t help but to remember when we first met, she let me eat all of the chocolates I wanted. I think I will stick to flowers from here on in…way less controversial.

Thanks for reading…Rod McDonald in Regina!

Lovely tulips grown in the garden, cut and placed in a vase

The Garden Report #38

Sunday, February 20th, 2011

New Zealand by Richard Gustin

• Writers write: The afternoon sun is strong even on a cold, winter’s day. The snow banks in our garden get higher with each passing week. As gardening season is still in the future, I have time to spend on theater. Each year, The Regina Fringe Festival produces a fund raiser. The Festival is truly a shoe string operation, scraping by with minimal funds and any monies raised are appreciated and needed. This year, Jodi Sadowsky will be producing the event, Roberta Nichol will be the musical act and yours truly will be presenting Glory Days. Of my six plays, this one has been the most popular with audiences. It has played to full houses and standing ovations in Winnipeg, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Calgary and Regina. I just happen to have some tickets for sale and if you would be willing to support The Regina Fringe, send me an email. The show is Friday, March 25th at 7:30. The venue is The Royal Saskatchewan Museum. Tickets are $30 advance and $35 at the door, if there are any left.

• Readers write: Reader Richard Gustin writes that he is enjoying his trip through New Zealand. Richard was kind enough to forward a few photos of his journey. New reader but old friend Joanne Bonneville writes “I look forward to reading about gardens while ours is still covered with the highest snow banks we have seen in years.” Lyn Goldman writes that she can relate to my dad’s voice reincarnated in my body. Lyn claims that her mother is often channeled through her body when she sees someone wearing inappropriate attire. Regular contributor Cheryl Hutton writes that the bit about cooking bacon in the buff is indeed funny. Sure it’s funny Cheryl, until you get splattered with some grease. Cheryl and her fellow actor/husband Aaron Coates have purchased their first house in Calgary, after living in the same apartment for seven years. I can relate to their enthusiasm. It was February 26th, 1973 when I purchased my first house just across the street from where I am living and writing, today. Nancy Topping writes “Spring will be here one day.” Ah, the voice of faith. Jodi Sadowsky writes that she made the Yorkshire Pudding from the recipe here at The Garden Report and that it was delicious. Roberta Nichol writes that she enjoys all of The Garden Reports but she adds that #37 “is so damn funny and entertaining.” Are we talking Reader’s Digest funny or George Carlin funny? Piet Berkenpas out of Vancouver thinks that #37 was funny as well. Piet wrote “I will probably be found smiling all day.” If my kids are reading this, please note that there are a few people out there who find me entertaining.

Silver Leaf Dogwood

• Fashion police: In 1969, I was a first year student at The University. I had a favorite pair of Levis’ jeans that were threadbare and faded. A real fashion statement for the times as they went with my tie dyed t-shirt. Go ahead and laugh. Every Friday, I would stop into the university cafeteria for lunch because they prepared a decent fish and chip meal. The cashier who would ring up my purchase took me aside one day. She was a woman in her sixties. She said in a quiet voice “I don’t want to embarrass you but I can’t help to notice how poor you are as your jeans are past the rag bag stage. I mean, they are so worn out. My husband died last year and he was about your size. If you don’t’ mind, I will bring his pants to work next week so you can have a decent pair to wear.” I thanked the woman for her kindness but I assured her that I preferred my threadbare Levis’ over her husband’s slacks. She was somewhat surprised by my refusal but life carried on. A few years later, I run into this woman, her name was Jean, and she was with my mother. When my mother introduced me to Jean as her son, Jean turned to my mother and said “this is the boy I told you about. The one too proud to wear my husband’s pants even though his ass was sticking out of his jeans.” My mother responded “I know, I know. I’ve tried to get him to stop wearing those but he won’t. It’s so embarrassing.”

• What? I had a recent visit with a long time friend. He is in his seventies and still going strong, but his hearing has diminished. As with many men, he refuses to get a hearing aid. He kept providing me with great answers to questions that I didn’t ask. It was as if we were playing a bizarre game of Jeopardy. He would provide the answer and I had to guess the question. The conversation went something like this: Q. What is the name of your church choir? A. Church? A small Alliance one in Saskatoon. Q. What? A. That’s where the funeral is being held. Q. What funeral? A. Didn’t you ask about Don’s funeral? Q. When did Don die? A. Aren’t you keeping up with the conversation?

• What? A second time: We had a lovely man who worked at Lakeview. His hearing was going and the conversations were getting increasingly bizarre. I had to ask him to get a hearing aid, which is a delicate subject to broach with anyone. I asked him point blank “have you thought about getting a hearing aid?” His response: “Sure. Have you thought that you should quit mumbling.” As far as he was concerned, the problem was solved, once I did my part.



Little Princess Spirea-one of my favourites

 • Garden Tip: For myself and for many people who work in the greenhouse/florist world, alstromeria is a favorite flower. It is a complex flower and yet simple at the same time, if that makes sense to you. They last a long time and their colors are not harsh. A bouquet of alstromeria is a lovely addition to any room, especially at this time of year. Can anyone guess what I got my Mrs. for Valentines?

• Today’s Thought: I have spent the better part of my life believing that happiness was a destination, only to discover that it was a part of the journey.

• A Scottish dream come true: Most of us remember when it was illegal to advertise beer or liquor in this province. Molson’s wanted to thank their customers so they sent out sales reps with an advertising budget of sorts. The reps hung around off sale vendors and if you purchased a Molson’s product, they matched your purchase with additional product. My buddies and I were around twenty or twenty-one and we stopped at The Plains off sale to pick up a dozen Pilsner. In I go and the Molson rep introduces himself after my purchase, thanks me, and he buys me another dozen. So, I asked him had I purchased twenty-four, would he have matched that and he said “yes”. Pushing the point, I asked if I had purchased thirty-six, would he have matched that number and again, he said “yes.” I had to quit asking because that was all of the money I had so I bought my thirty-six and he bought me an additional thirty-six. My buddies were expecting me to come out with a dozen beer under my arm. They were pleasantly surprised, and then overjoyed, when I emerged carrying three cases of twenty-four beer each. There might have been a party that night.

• Garden Tip: Reader Sherri Tutt asks about starting her saved begonias and her tomato seeds. Begonia tubers should be started at the end of February or the beginning of March. If they grow too big for a four inch pot, they can be bumped up to a five or even a six inch container. The key is not to overwater a begonia tuber. In the greenhouse, tomato seeds are started in early April for a four inch finished pot. They need about five to six weeks to look nice at that size. If you are wanting to grow your tomatoes in the conventional six pack size, tomato seeds only need around four weeks growing time. If your tomato seedlings are getting too tall, then pinch them back. I always prefer a short and stocky plant over a tall and lanky one. Also, in a window sill situation, it is always best to rotate your plants with a quarter turn every day. This allows the plant to develop on all sides.

• Germany calling: I have just found out that The Garden Report is now being read more in Germany than in Denmark, which used to occupy third place. I have no idea why it is popular in Germany. I have to assume that there are quite a few people there who read English. Sadly, I know a thousand Dutch jokes, five thousand Scottish jokes and twenty-thousand Canadian jokes, but I don’t know a single Danish or German joke.

• Garden Tip: If you are planning on rebuilding your garden or starting a new one, best to get some decent design advice. Two people who can assist you, though they are booking up quickly, are Heather Lowe at 545-1519 and Ingrid Thiessen at 789-5449.

• The staple of life: Good bread is a very popular topic amongst our readers. When you are in Vancouver, visit La Baguette on Grandville Island. It is an incredible, old school bakery that sells artisan breads. I must confess that I am rarely a big fan of Danishes but at this bakery, they are heavenly. Nothing is more enjoyable than one of their Danishes with a strong cup of coffee, sitting on a wooden bench at dockside during a sunny afternoon.

• Winnipeg too: In Winnipeg, we wander over to The Forks which is located just south of downtown to buy good bread from Tall Grass Prairie Bread Company. They are also known for their whole wheat cinnamon buns which are very popular, though they have never appealed to me.

• More good stuff: I wrote that while I have never been fond of Danishes, I have experienced ecstasy eating one from La Baguette in Vancouver. A similar situation applies to brownies. I rarely eat one even when they appear on a dessert buffet. I am always more tempted by matrimonial cake or a lemon tart. Regardless, when we are in Winnipeg for The Fringe, Maureen and I share a brownie from The Fyxx Coffee Shop in The Exchange District, every day. There is something about their brownies that is highly addictive and better than any others.

New Zealand by Richard Gustin

• Excellent product: We had a loaf of ‘Saskatchewan Sourdough’ from Orange Boot this week. The crust was incredibly chewy, just the way I want it to be. Great taste on the inside as well. We ate it with supper and we never serve bread with supper.

• Saturday Night out: A lovely night at the symphony with readers Jim and Susan Rollins. The title for the concert was ‘The RSO Goes to The Oscars’ and they played a number of scores including ‘The Godfather’, ‘Gone With The Wind’ and ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’. What really shone through for me were the oboe and the English horn, two instruments that are not always noticeable, but last night they were given their chance in the spotlight. There is a new oboe player within the orchestra and she has brought a sense of passion with her to the chair. Only the concertmaster provides more character than her.

My garden-photo makes for a great screensaver

• Thank you: With my mother’s passing, our family requested in lieu of flowers, a donation be made to The Care and Share Group. The group is comprised of around sixty seniors from North Central, who meet every Tuesday for lunch and a social at The Albert Scott Community Center. Mom was active in that group for thirty years. Twelve of you took the time and found the generosity to send checks, and we want each of you to know how much that is appreciated. 

 • God’s grace: Many of us believe that God’s grace is available to everyone, even a condemned prisoner standing on the scaffold awaiting execution, yet we find it difficult to accept that it is available for us as well.

• Thanks for reading…Rod McDonald in still cold and snowy Regina.



The Garden Report #37

Sunday, February 13th, 2011

Michiel's Greenhouse - plug production

• Writers write: The Valentine’s issue is here. Along with the Sports Illustrated swim suit edition, this is what men have been waiting for all year. Not really. My friend Don Keith who is now deceased, used to come into the greenhouse every Valentine’s Day and buy his wife an azalea. A lovely azalea. How thoughtful. But he would never take one of the florist cards and sign his name to it, even though there was no extra charge. I even offered to write out the card for him but he refused, always explaining “she’ll know who it’s from.” As much as I dearly love my male buddies, they are idiots. All of them. Complete idiots! They never understand that for women, the card is the most important part of the gift. The flowers will be finished in short order, and the chocolates will be eaten, but the card remains forever, in a drawer somewhere, proof that love exists. Best card ever written by a seventeen year old boy to his girlfriend… “I love you so much that I would give you my last beer.” Here’s to love in all of its forms.

Pink Spire Flowering Crab

• Readers write: Michiel Verheul of Alberta sent along a photo of his greenhouse this week. Michiel grows plugs which he sells to other greenhouses. They, in turn, grow the plugs into a finished product. Spring must be getting close because I can smell the peat moss. ‘Pink Spire’ Flowering Crab is displayed as well. This is a variety that was developed by Les Kerr out of Saskatoon and the photo is courtesy of Jeffries Nursery. Number Three Son and his new bride are in Hawaii for a vacation. They sent dad some photos and three are included in this blog. Lyn Goldman, Kate Berringer and Jodi Sadowsky all wrote the same thing: “Beautiful photos” in reference to last week’s attachments. The photos were courtesy of Jeffries’ Nursery. Audrey Drummond liked the one liner about middle age. Audrey suggests that we have a contest to coin a new phrase to replace ‘middle age’, which mathematically is not a correct description of people in their fifties and sixties. New reader Susan Patryluk writes that she is pleased to be included on the list as she has enjoyed her first Report. Joanne Terry writes “you get more hilarious each week”. I assume the thought of me cooking bacon in the buff set Joanne off. Reader Daniel Redenbach informs us that he has applied to a number of festivals to host the premiere of his short film ‘Close to Here’. I have seen the final cut and he did a wonderful job. New reader Bob Leeson wrote that Marg Hryniuk’ ability as a reporter is first rate. June Blau wrote “keep writing so we can keep reading.” Richard Gustin wrote he was reading #36 in New Zealand where it is plus twenty-five. Orange Boot Bakery is pleased that good bread is being promoted within The Garden Report. We do like to eat. Gwen Scott out of Ft. Langley, B.C. writes “I continue to enjoy your banter on all things ‘gardeny’ and ‘kitcheny’. Well, that is just ‘peacheny’.

• The King’s Speech: This movie has been nominated for several Oscar’s and it will probably win Best Picture. It is one of the best movies I have ever seen. Writing of historical movies, TBS had on late at night, ‘Anne of a Thousand Days’. Richard Burton plays the role of Henry and his acting skills are phenomenal.

• Oh well: Greg Morley and Susan Hardy joined us at The Globe last Sunday. Within the play, the husband is caught not listening to his wife’s instructions. For whatever reason, Greg and I were laughing at this situation, in a loud and vigorous manner. Now, some might suspect that we were laughing because we could identify with not listening, but that is not true. Greg and I are very good listeners. We just have short memories.

A hibiscus in Hawaii growing outside

• Garden Tip: Reader Marcus Fernando has a small plot of land available to develop as his first garden and he sought advice on where to begin. I always advise new gardeners to start off with a small ‘salad garden’ which will be easy to manage. One can always increase the size the following year. A ‘salad garden’ should contain everything you would want in a salad including lettuce, green tail onions, carrots, tomatoes, basil, thyme and a few marigolds to reduce insects. It is always a good idea to stagger your seed times with lettuce so that you have continuous ripening times. Tomatoes can be jarred, carrots can be stored, herbs can be dried, but lettuce has to be eaten when it is ready. Even in a small area, I might be tempted to plant a few garlic toes and a rhubarb plant. For those who are not gardeners, rhubarb plants are perennial and they can live for fifty years or longer.

• Garden Tip: A perennial is a plant that had it lived, would have bloomed the following year.

• Garden Tip: Rhubarb leaves are quite attractive and they lend themselves to being planted for ornamental purposes in perennial beds. Similarly, ‘Northern Lights’ Swiss Chard is being used as an ornamental and not as an edible. There was some planted in front of The Legislature last year.

Patrick in Hawaii

• Community: We received and invitation to a supper hosted by Christ Lutheran Church on Dewdney Avenue, Saturday night. The meal was excellent but more importantly, I always enjoy these events for their sense of community. It was a chance to visit with people that we have not seen for a while and to meet new friends. I met a woman whose father I had worked with forty years ago. Her dad is still going strong at 105! Patrons of community events invariable turn out to be some of the nicest people one can meet.

• Sir?: Les Anderson who was my greenhouse manager said it best. “Maturity begins when the kid at Safeway turns to you and asks ‘would you like help out with that, sir?’” The first time that occurs, Les says you have to realize you are no longer hip. You have become your father.

• I swore it would not happen: One night when the kids were small, they were supposed to be getting ready for bed but of course, they were fooling around. I gave them a warning. They did not heed it. Without thinking, I was standing at the bottom of the stairs shouting upwards, “So help me God…if you two don’t have your pajamas on and get into bed in five seconds, I am coming up there. Don’t make me come up there!” I had no idea where that voice had come from. It was as if my dad had been transposed into my body. And I had sworn that it would never happen.

• Something is not right: I have this doctor in Saskatoon who is quite distinguished looking. He has grey hair and his face tells you that he has been practicing medicine for many, many years. I always assumed he was ever so much my elder, by at least ten years. This week, he was being interviewed on the news and they reported his age as being two years less than mine! That must be a mistake, right?

• Language Reform: In Saskatoon a few years ago there were two theater reviews. One was for a performance with Robbie Benz who is thirty pounds heavier than me. The reviewer wrote “the powerfully built Robbie Benz”. Fair enough. Then the same reviewer described me in a different play as “the stocky Rod McDonald”. If any reviewer is reading this, in the future, I would prefer to be described as “the powerfully built.” And to that other reviewer who wrote “the aging Rod McDonald”, does he not realize that he is bald? Glass houses man, glass houses. For the record, I would prefer the word ‘aging’ be substituted with the adjective ‘timeless’. Ah, that feels better.

• Cyber Space: A hot topic in the news continues to be cyber bullying which apparently, is not confined to teen aged girls. It has now leapt into the adult demographics. Along a similar vein, when I read my favorite blog sites, often historical ones, I am amazed by the insane comments posted by anonymous readers. Not just opinions that I disagree with, but plain old fashioned, crude comments. I am often left wondering if they are posted by twelve year old boys. Most of us remember when the bulk of stupid, anonymous phone calls were made by adolescent boys who had nothing better to do with their time. Now with all of the technology available, cranks calls have decreased but cyber crap has increased. One of the major problems as I see it is that posters are not required to reveal their names, and they hide behind their anonymity. A part of democracy has always been the freedom to write and to speak what you believe to be true, which has to go hand in hand with assuming responsibility for what you write. Many of you write in to express your opinions on various subjects and I post your views, but I would never allow someone to post without identifying themselves. Anonymous posters are nothing more than new age cowards.

• Old age cowards: When I wrote for The Free Press, every now and again I would receive a letter that was absolutely off the wall, and unsigned. The writer would be waging a vendetta against some enemy, real or imagined. In contrast, the signed letters were always much more coherent and thought out, even if I disagreed with their conclusions.

• Garden Tip: Your amaryllis is through blooming and you don’t know what to do. Here is the scoop. Continue to water the plant. It should have three, four or five long, strappy leaves on it. After the danger of frost has passed, plant it outside in the garden in dappled light. I plant mine underneath my flowering crabapple tree. It could bloom again in September. Allow the plant to get a couple of frosts on it, just enough to turn the leaves. Lift the bulb out of the soil, allow it to dry out in the sun for a day or so and then store it in a cool, dark place (such as the attic) for six weeks. Repot the bulb and start growing it again. It will usually bloom five years out of eight. Not bad chances, eh?

• Funny: A woman at the grocery store asked Maureen how she stays so skinny. I told the questioner it was because I chase her around the house every night. The woman asked me how come I am not skinny. Maureen replied “he doesn’t chase me very fast.”

• Restaurant time at Ngoc Anh: Maureen and her book club have been to this place for dim sum and they have been quite pleased with their experience. The restaurant occupies the premises once home to Mieka’s and later on, Ming’s at 1810 Smith St. We decided to check it out for an early Valentine’s supper on Friday. First, the owner does the serving and she is extremely friendly and nurturing. A definite plus. Her husband is the cook. Another plus. The place is clean. Plus, yet again. We started out with a basic hot and sour soup. It was filled with a great assortment of vegetables however it was not sour, it was sweet. Correctly labeled, it was hot and sweet soup. Our next dish was cashew chicken which again was filled with an array of fresh veggies, but a little shy on the chicken and the cashews. Dish number three was the Singapore noodles which were cooked with curry. This dish was very tasty and I really enjoyed it. Our last dish was a hot plate, something we have not ordered for years. We chose one with scallops and black bean sauce. It also had some nice flavors going on and it was filled with fresh veggies, including green beans and fresh pea pods, but not a lot of scallops, especially for sixteen bucks. Total price for the meal including tip (no alcohol) was fifty-eight dollars. I don’t dole out stars. What it comes down to is this: Would I go back? I would give them another chance based upon their friendly service, their cleanliness and their wonderful selection of veggies. I would definitely ask them for dishes with more flavor and oomph. I have been told by others that they offer up a decent lunch time buffet for around nine bucks, but I have not checked that out.

A lovely photo of Hawaii

• Back to school: I have a little friend who is four years old. She loves to be scared and I accommodate her when we play ‘lion in the jungle’. I wanted to change things up a bit so I introduced a new character, a mean spirited pirate who chases little girls around the house. After we were through playing, she pointed out that my ‘lion’ and my ‘pirate’ sound quite similar to each other. Damn! Now I have to sign up for another acting class. Everyone is a theater critic these days.

• Thanks for reading…Rod McDonald in Regina

The Garden Report #36

Sunday, February 6th, 2011

Starlite Flowering Crab

• Writers Write: There is a company that tracks the readership of The Garden Report. Not surprisingly, the readership is comprised of mainly Canadians, followed by a solid base in The U.S.A. For third place, I would have expected England but I was wrong. For some unexplained reason, we are being read quite nicely in Denmark. Perhaps they like my jokes about the Scots. Next in line is Germany, Slovenia, Russia, Poland, The United Kingdom, Hong Kong and Japan. Eighty per cent of you read this with a PC and fifty-three per cent of you are using Explorer. There are only 17 of you reading this on your I Pod and 8 of you who read it on your I Phone. There are no statistics available as to how many of you are reading this in your underwear. For some strange reason, I am actually dressed this morning and it is not because I am cooking bacon. That is my idea of living dangerously these days, cooking bacon in the buff.

Starlite Flowering Crab

• Readers Write: I was quite surprised by the number of responses to the ‘salad wars’ blurb. There were several different perspectives. Some readers shared how they had gone through their own battles many years ago including reader Jean Freeman. Jean wrote that her war was with a defiant six year old daughter over whether six year olds should eat brussel sprouts: And then the younger parents such as Noelle Chorney from Saskatoon wrote: “Thanks also for the parenting tip on the ‘salad wars’. I read it to my husband, and we both appreciated the good advice, since we are currently navigating parenthood with a 2 and a half year old and a six month old, and are learning the hard way to avoid power struggles at all costs.” Noelle also wants readers to know that she has a blog of her own and it is about food. You can read her blog at www.amazoninthekitchen.ca . Marcus Fernando writes that his young niece filed a complaint regarding her mother. She ledged her mean mother made her “eat leaves.” Nancy Topping was interested in making Yorkshire Pudding. A recipe for this lovely dish appeared a few Garden Reports back. June Blau writes that she and Dave enjoy the smell of ‘bone soup’ as it simmers in their kitchen. Ingrid Thiessen suggests that I am an enigma because I have requested airplane passengers to dress in a respectful manner yet I insist that we be allowed to eat brunch in our underwear at The Hotel Saskatchewan. I had to explain that flying is a formal experience whereas brunch is much more casual, thus I am no longer an enigma. Marg Hryniuk pointed out my grammatical error from last week. I wrote that “our priorities lay…”. According to Marg, chickens lay eggs and priorities lie. Good to know. Reader Gail Bowen wrote “Thanks for the recipes, for the wit and the wisdom and for all the lovely memories…” Wisdom, eh? I have to send that comment along to the kids. They won’t believe it. Paula Grolle writes that she really enjoys British shows including ‘Doc Martin’ and ‘Coronation Street’. Peg St. Goddard wrote “As always, I am enjoying The Garden Report." Jodi Sadowsky has been passing us along to her parents. They made Johnny Cake from the recipe presented here and they enjoyed it. Reader Joana Cook is in London, England, working on her Masters. She writes that it is a balmy twelve above and quite sunny today. That’s beach weather here.

• Gross joke: Whilst we discuss our versions of the ‘salad wars’, I wish to relay a vegetable joke told to me by a Grade One girl, many years ago. What is the difference between broccoli and ‘boogers’? Six year old boys won’t eat broccoli. Yuck!

• Salad Wars: During the ‘salad wars’ of 1983/84, positions not only became entrenched but they expanded. One afternoon I was making a batch of cabbage rolls on top of the stove. Patrick climbs up onto his stool, lifts the pot cover to inspect the product and proclaims in disgust “cooked salad!”

Starlite Flowering Crab

• Garden Tip: Readers have been asking about fertilizing their house plants at this time of year. I like to use a 10 30 20 or a 15 30 15 or even a 20 20 20 water soluble fertilizer. I mix a teaspoon of fertilizer (five mm.) into two liters of water. That is a very weak strength and I use it each time I water. The point is to keep your leaves a dark, healthy green. As a rule, light green leaves or slightly yellow ones indicate a need for some plant food. Needless to write but I will, most plants can tolerate all the light you want to give them at this time of year. A south window will not be too warm and sunny until we are well into March.

• Light: We are six weeks past the winter solstice and the increased light is now noticeable and much appreciated. It is amazing how a little bit of extra sunlight can perk people up. My friends who suffer with SAD (seasonal affective disorder) which is triggered by low light levels, should hopefully be feeling better.

• Garden Tip: Reader Peg St. Goddard wrote to ask about geranium seeds, as in where can you buy them. I used to sell a lot of them but I am not certain if any independent is open right now and has them in stock. If you cannot find them locally, check with T and T Seeds out of Winnipeg, Mackenzie Seeds out of Brandon or with Stokes out of Ontario. All three of them are reputable companies. The only mail order company that you should avoid is Rockwood Nurseries.

• Arguments you can’t win: Several years back when my niece Michelle, was four years old, the two of us were going out to Regina Beach for an afternoon of swimming. Before we left, Michelle’s mother was fretting, saying “I hope Uncle Rod doesn’t speed with you in the car.” At the time, I might have had a reputation within the family for being a little heavy on the gas pedal. So Michelle and I are cruising down the highway and she begins to bark out “don’t speed Uncle Rod! Stop your speeding!” I glanced down at my speedometer and I saw that I was doing 100 in a 110 zone, well under the speed limit. I was explaining this to Michelle but she wasn’t buying it. “You cannot speed with me in the car!” she insisted as I continued to plead my innocence. Finally, it dawned on me that I am arguing with someone who doesn’t know how to read, tell time or to drive! Add into this equation, that she is woman, albeit a woman in training, but there is no way she is going to let me win this battle. What could I do but say, “thank you Michelle. I have stopped my speeding and now I am driving much more careful.” Order in the universe was restored and we had a good time swimming in the lake and eating at Butler’s.

• Garden Tip: There are some lovely little flowering plants starting to show up in the different stores. I really suggest that you treat yourself to a bit of spring color to brighten your day. Not a brilliant tip but a gentle reminder to be good to yourself.

Top Graft Little Leaf Lilac

• A cruel disease: We had lunch this week with a friend whose wife suffers with Alzheimer’s Disease. I asked him how far the disease has advanced. He told us that she no longer knows his name and that she can’t make toast. All I could do was to listen, nodding my empathy. Then he stated the inevitable, “and soon she will get worse.” I often refer to this as ‘a cruel disease’ because it takes the mind from a healthy body and how it impacts the family.

• Bring on the good stuff: Readers got onto their computers and let me know their joy of eating good bread. A few years ago, each I time left Vancouver to return to Regina, I did so with the regret that I could no longer purchase quality bread. This is no longer the situation as today we have several choices. Orange Boot has been baking some incredible tastiness, Koko’s offers up some great stuff, and Beer Brothers produces some terrific loaves. Now, Jean McKay writes in telling us that la Macaron in the east end on Quance Street has entered the derby with a rye and walnut loaf. This is a wonderful situation, to have several different artesian bakers working on our behalf. Don over at Lakeview Fine Foods has just started to carry Koko’s breads on Saturdays. Don said his first sales day, everything was gone by noon, so he will be increasing his order. Get the butter ready!

• What is old is new again: My mom told me this last year. She said in the 1920’s and ‘30’s, they grew their own grain, ground it, mixed it, proofed it, formed it and then baked it in the wood fired oven. It was a wholesome bread with no chemicals or additives. Mom’s brother went to work for a bakery in Regina and when he would return to the farm for a visit, he would bring sliced bread made at the bakery. Mom and her sibling would go wild. Store bought bread was so much better in their minds, than their home made loaves. Then mom pointed out “and now, they make the bread like we used to but they call it artesian bread…and they charge five bucks a loaf for it!” Here’s to the return to slow and pure food movement.

• Not so good for us: A recent study found that wherever there is a Wal-Mart Super Center, that people gain weight. It has to do with their reduced pricing on processed foods. All of the stuff that is not good for us is now cheaper and consumers who eat processed foods gain weight, amongst other health issues.

• Fast food joints: Reader Jean McKay is very involved with decent nutrition for children, especially breakfast. Jean is on The National Board of www.breakfastforlearning.org. Jean and her organization know of children who start the school day without breakfast and other kids who are sent by their parents to a fast food place for their meals. There was a kid at the boxing club whose mother sent him to McDonald’s everyday for supper. After years of this, he was actually addicted to a Quarter Pounder, fries and a Coke, and he ate them all the time. It is difficult to be an athlete with a fast food diet.

• Good for us: I love telling this story. In the 1960’s and early 1970’s, you could not purchase yogurt anywhere in this province. The Milk Control Board did not allow yogurt sales. Hippies returning from Europe were the first proponents of yogurt and they started to make their own, albeit yogurt did exist in small pockets of immigrants, especially Greeks. While you could not sell yogurt, you could give away the culture to a friend and the hippies loved to share. I had a little taste of the stuff and I loved it. I was given a small jar of the culture along with instructions regarding how to produce it. I would make a batch every week and my family started to eat it, but we kind of kept that quiet. Eating yogurt was considered a weird or a revolutionary act, at the time. Quit your laughing. I only record history, I don’t make it up. Now today, yogurt appears in every convenience store and in every format conceivable. The one thing I have noticed is how few of the products are really true yogurts. Most are imitations. To be real yogurt, all there needs to be is milk and a culture. Having gelatin products as a thickener is not a yogurt. It is more of a jellied milk.

• History continues: Along with yogurt, hippies introduced granola to the Canadian public. It was not sold in stores. It was baked in the oven at home. Because of its hippie influence, there was a principal at a high school in Minnesota who actually prohibited his students from bringing granola to school. Why? Because hippies made granola and they were involved in anarchism and that would leave the door open to communism which would lead to the downfall of America and all of its freedoms. I can’t make this stuff up. As with the yogurt, granola is now sold in many forms in many stores and America has not fallen, at least not from eating granola.

• What? Along with the weird history of yogurt and granola, here is another kicker. When typewriters first came on the market, doctors decided that women should not be allowed to operate them. Why? Because the strain of typing would interfere with their reproductive organs. Just about all of the first typists were male.

• New math: I have to stop referring to myself as ‘middle aged’ or else I have to live to be 120.

Thanks for reading this week….Rod in even more snowy Regina