Ashikaga Flower Park

As much as I like looking at flowers, I've always been more of a practical gardener. Planting flowers around my house/apartment seems like such a waste of space when fruits, vegetables, and herbs could be grown instead. Last summer I successfully transformed a portion of my half-dead garden into a mini vegetable farm that included tomatoes, jalapenos, onions, dill, parsley, mint, chives, and edamame. That being said, I do appreciate (other people's) well-tended gardens especially the ones that strive for perfection.

The Ashikaga Flower Park in Japan is arguably one of the most magnificent collection of flowers that I've ever seen. Just Google the words and an abundance of unbelievably beautiful florals will flood your screen. Although I did visit Kyoto a few years ago, I unfortunately could not explore this part of the country. The more I learn about beautiful places around the world, the less I understand people who never travel. Hopefully one day I'll get to see this awesomely purple park which seems like it should be protected by UNESCO or something.

For information about this wonderful park: Ashikaga Flower Park

Dirty Dozen vs. Clean 15

Since gardens and nutrition seem to be at the heart of this blog, I thought I'd lay out two terms that I had heard long ago, but never quite explored. The "Dirty Dozen" and "Clean 15" are basically a set of fruits and vegetables that either contain too many (dirty) or very few (clean) pesticides. Why this information may be important is when choosing whether or not to go organic. An item on the "clean" list doesn't really to be organic as it's generally free from pesticides anyway and paying extra for the organic version would be considered somewhat of a waste of money. In the case of the dirty dozen, however, going organic is probably the best way to go if you can afford it. Of course eating a salad with all every item on the dirty list is still a thousand times better than consuming fast-food.

This list is obviously subject to change on a seasonal basis so be sure to do some research every so often. Also, it is mostly a list that affects America so there may be some variations for Canada, but not many as we tend to get more and more of our groceries from the US anyway. In is also important to note that washing produce is always the first step to take regardless of whether something it is organic or not. I can't say I always stick to this list as I'm currently a student and tend to save wherever I can, but it's always in the back of my mind, I do my best, and intend to do better once I start my career.

A few websites to check out on this topic would be: Environmental Working Group  PBS: Need to Know and/or Food Matters. 

Dirty Dozen: 
Foods with the MOST pesticides.

1. Apples
2. Bell Peppers
3. Blueberries
4. Celery
5. Cherries
6. Grapes (imported)
7. Kale/Spinach
8. Lettuce
9. Nectarines
10. Peaches
11. Potatoes
12. Strawberries

Clean 15: 

Foods with the LEAST pesticides. 

1. Asparagus
2. Avocados
3. Cabbage
4. Cantaloupe
5. Eggplant
6. Grapefruit
7. Kiwi
8. Mango
9. Onions
10. Pineapples
11. Sweet Corn
12. Sweet Onions
13. Sweet Peas
14. Sweet Potatoes
15. Watermelon

HAPPY EATING!!

Museum of Nature

Anyway can say that Ottawa is full of great museums, but everyone knows and talks about the Museum of Civilization and the National Art Gallery, but lesser known is the wonderful Canadian Museum of Nature. The building itself has four floors and is quite unique, resembling a castle of sorts. The entrance is also splattered with stained glass and millions of tiles in various animal shapes. Last summer the Governor General David Johnston attended a volunteer event at the Museum of Nature and remarked on the beautiful setting. As part of Ottawa's "Winterlude", the next exhibition at the museum is on from February 1-18 and showcases giant photographs from the Arctic. It also has ongoing educational workshops and 3D movies on a wide range of nature-related topics. For only $12, a trip to this museum is definitely a day well spent. 

For more on the museum: Nature or Governor General: David Johnston

To learn more about nature in general: David Suzuki

Grape Gardens

This past summer I traveled a little bit everywhere but by far my favorite trip was the one I made with my mother to Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia on the east coast of Canada. The latter had some of the most beautiful vineyards I'd ever seen anywhere. Grand Pre is a region in the north of the province that is rich in history but whose people suffered greatly in the mid-late 18th century due to turmoil between the English and French, leading up to the Acadian expulsion. Apparently when people first arrived on the land, it was not suitable for farming as the levels of salt water were too high. Some Acadian farmers then created dykes which held back the salt through logs and other contraptions that I'm not too familiar with, allowing the land to be fertile for generations to come. Eastern Canada was never top on my list of travel destinations, but it certainly proved to be one of the most beautiful of all time!

For more on Acadian history: Nova Scotia or a timeline: Acadian Expulsion

Some information about the famous vineyard: Domaine du Grand Pre

Vineyard at Grand Pre, Nova Scotia