The stereotype of an entrepreneur is someone who obsesses about business at all hours of the day. It’s good for me to be able to relax and enjoy hobbies, though. It preserves that feeling of an abundance of time, which makes it easier and less stressful to make good decisions and to keep my values in mind. Hobbies also give me a way to refresh myself.

This is a picture I took at sunset in High Park. I like the muted colours and the blurriness of the sun just visible through the trees in the distance.

Many houses are slated for demolition along Bloor Street, to be replaced by a tall condominium building that spans the entire block. I took the picture on the left because the hole in the window looked like a cat sitting on the sill and looking out, as cats often do. On the right, you can see a tree fort behind the construction fence.

Ah, cats. =)

Not much in the garden to take pictures of yet, but maybe the seeds I planted will germinate soon. This year, we’re looking forward to growing more bitter melons (ampalaya), basil, snow peas, lettuce, spinach, blueberries, and nasturtiums. (Edible gardens for the win!)

It’s a quiet weekend, my favourite kind.

The blueberries are so shockingly flavourful that I wonder what the local supermarket has been selling us all this time.

Another garden milestone: We’re growing and enjoying our own blueberries. The nets were a great idea. I can see why the birds and squirrels didn’t leave us any berries last year. Now I want to edge the backyard in blueberry bushes.

Blueberry blueberry blueberry.

The cherry tomato plants are hitting their growth spurt. I’ve got two that I bought, four that I started, and three that just volunteered in the garden. No flowers yet, but we’ll get there eventually.

Blueberries, strawberries, tomatoes, basil, peas. I wonder what other garden joys I’ll discover.

Awesome Garden Lady down the street gave us two large bunches of lettuce and a bag of cilantro, so I made an Asian-inspired salad yesterday: toasted sesame seeds, cilantro, tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, and the rest of our bag of baby greens, dressed with tamari and olive oil. The cilantro made it feel like eating one of those Vietnamese sandwiches, except without the meat. Yum.

Today I spent the morning chopping up the rest of the cilantro and packing it into our ice-cube tray for freezing. That way, we can easily add cilantro to stir-fries, soups, and other meals.

Many herbs freeze well, which is a good thing because they usually come in large bundles.

In other news, look at what’s in the garden:

The first of many, I hope!

One of my gardening goals this year was to have a cut-and-come-again bed for leafy greens. The idea is to grow lettuce and other greens for continuous harvesting instead of waiting until the head has fully formed. We’re using a self-watering planter from Rona perched on the deck rail. I can even harvest barefoot. (Well, in my slippers.)

I started these plants from seed, which was another one of my goals. I’ve gotten two salad lunches out of this box already. The lettuce is starting to set seed and the leaves are a little more bitter, but they’re still good to eat. I’ve got bok choi and other plants starting there, too, and I tend to putter around and plant more every week.

I should’ve considered the community-supported agriculture box too, because we’re now swimming in lettuce. Today I changed my salad dressing by using tamari instead of balsamic vinegar, topping it with sliced egg. Bit more of an Asian taste. Next time, I’ll toss in some sesame seeds, too.

Salad greens are actually better in some shade than in the hot sun, so if you’ve been looking for things to grow on a balcony, consider growing your own salad bowl. With the cut-and-come again method, you could get quite a few harvests out of them.

One of the first things J- did when she woke up this morning was to pick fresh vegetables from the garden. She came in with a bowl of sugar peas, green beans, and cherry tomatoes, all plump and perfect.

The tomatoes have hit their stride and are ripening at a rate of 3-4 tomatoes or so a day, which is just right for snacking. The peas are starting to wind down, and it's about time to start a second crop. I should harvest the cilantro seeds and start those again, too. Some volunteer zucchini has snuck into my garden by way of the compost.

Pesto is on my cooking plan this weekend: different kinds of basil, garlic scapes, mmm…

Ah, the garden. Have kings and queens ever eaten as well as this?