Home & Garden

Bromeliad flower; Photo credit Karen Thiessen, 2012

A month ago I was ready to donate this plant to my local thrift store but I'm glad I didn't. Every two years the plant sends out a bloom that lasts several months. Then the plant produces a baby plant that I call a pup. When the pup reaches a certain size, the host parent dies, and the cycle begins anew. This is the third or fourth generation of the original plant that the previous home owners left with the house.

Bromeliad flower; Photo credit Karen Thiessen, 2012

With the help of a generous scoop of compost per plant each month and a new sunny raised bed, our 2012 zucchini crop is our best ever. Even with eight plants, we still don't have the problem of so many zucchini that we need to share them with friends, family, neighbours, and unsuspecting passersby. There's always next year...

Yellow zucchini; Photo credit Karen Thiessen, 2012