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Garlic Chive & Dill Refrigerator Pickles Ingredients For the brine: 2 1/4 L water 2 1/4 L 5% white vinegar 1 tbsp sugar 1 tbsp coarse salt Or, if the sizes of jars you have differ; 1:1 ratio of water to vinegar, plus 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1 tablespoon coarse salt For the sterilized jars: Fresh cucumbers, sliced into rounds Fresh garlic chives Fresh dill sprigs Garlic cloves, peeled Whole black peppercorns Prepare the Cucumbers Wash the cucumbers thoroughly and slice them in

Roasted Pumpkin Sage Alfredo Serves 4 Ingredients For the roasted pumpkin: 1 small sugar pumpkin, about 2-3 lb 1 tablespoon olive oil Pinch of salt For the pasta and sauce: 12 oz fusilli bucati corti 3 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon dehydrated Ceres sage, crushed 2 cups fresh roasted sugar pumpkin purée 1-1½ cups half-and-half cream 2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan Pinch of salt Splash of freshly cracked peppercorns, to taste Shaved or freshly grated Parmesan for serving Roast

Rich Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake Oven: 350°F Pan: 10 to 12-cup Bundt pan Bake time: 50 to 65 minutes, or longer if needed Ingredients Cake: 2 cups homemade pumpkin purée 3 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda ½ teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1½ teaspoons ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon ground ginger ½ teaspoon ground cloves 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened 1½ cups granulated sugar ½ cup packed brown sugar 4 large eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla

Fresh Sugar Pumpkin Spice Bread Makes: 1 large loaf Pan: 6 x 10-inch loaf pan Oven: 325°F Bake time: 65-75 minutes or longer if needed Ingredients 2 cups all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon baking powder 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, slightly heaping 1 ½ teaspoons ground nutmeg, slightly heaping 1 ½ teaspoons ground cloves 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, softened 2 cups granulated sugar 2 large eggs 2 cups homemade sugar pumpkin purée Crisco plant

Baked Red Kuri Squash Mac & Cheese Makes: 10-16 servings Pan: 9 × 16 inch baking dish Oven: 375°F (190°C) Ingredients 340 g (12 oz) elbow macaroni 3 cups cooked Red Kuri squash purée 7-8 tbsp butter, approximately 6 heaping tbsp all-purpose flour, approximately Half-and-half cream, as needed 2 cups shredded old/sharp cheddar cheese, approximately 1 tsp salt Paprika, to taste A few pinches black pepper Reserved pasta water, as needed Directions Prepare the Red Kuri squash Cut

Wild Rice Stuffed Stripe Tiger Pumpkins Makes 3 stuffed mini pumpkins Ingredients 3 small Stripe Tiger pumpkins 1 package (132 g) Ben's Original Fine Herb & Wild Rice ¼ cup mushrooms, finely chopped ¼ cup carrot, finely diced ¼ cup corn Olive oil, for coating the pumpkins 1 tbsp butter, for cooking the vegetables 3 tsp butter, divided, for topping the stuffed pumpkins ⅛ tsp rubbed sage (optional: increase to ⅜ tsp for a fuller-bodied sage flavour) Pinch of salt Black pepper,

Mashed Sweet Dumpling Squash Makes: About 4 servings Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 10 to 15 minutes Ingredients 3 medium Sweet Dumpling squash 2 tbsp butter ½ tsp salt, plus more to taste ⅛ tsp black pepper, optional 1-3 tbsp milk or cream, only if needed Instructions Prepare the squash Cut the squash into sections, scoop out the seeds and stringy centres, and cut off the skin. Cut the peeled flesh into roughly 1-2 inch chunks. Boil the squash Bring a large pot of water to

Rich Cortland, Lobo & McIntosh Applesauce Makes: approximately 3 to 4 cups Ingredients 10 apples, mixed Cortland, Lobo and McIntosh 1 cup fresh apple juice ¼ cup packed brown sugar 2 tbsp lemon juice 2 tsp ground cinnamon ¼ tsp ground nutmeg Pinch of salt Instructions Prepare the apples Peel, core and roughly chop the apples. Combine Place the chopped apples in a large saucepan or pot. Add the fresh apple juice, brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg and a pinch of salt.

From May to the end of July, Cara Gardens ran Project Kindness, a free plant giveaway created to help individuals, families, seniors, and community members access plants without financial barriers. The original goal was to give away 500 plants. Once that goal was reached within only a few days, it became clear that the project could go much further. What started as a simple act of sharing quickly grew into a much larger community effort, eventually reaching 1,792 potted plant

In 2026, Cara Gardens contributed a large supply donation to the S.O.S. Steps Off the Street Initiative, a community outreach effort led by Gerald, who spends his weekends walking through the downtown area to provide free essential items, food, and support to people experiencing homelessness. This donation was focused on hygiene, dignity, and practical daily care. Many people living without stable housing do not have regular access to basic supplies that others may take for g

Cara Gardens worked with a local neighbour to create a diverse pollinator garden designed to support wildlife while also becoming a beautiful and peaceful outdoor space for people to enjoy. The garden was planned with a blend of native and non-native plant species, balancing ecological value with ornamental appeal. The goal was to create a planting that could support pollinators throughout the growing season while still feeling welcoming, colourful, and visually enjoyable for

In 2026, Cara Gardens completed the installation of three new raised garden beds for a local neighbour, creating a productive food garden designed to make fresh herbs, vegetables, and edible flowers more accessible at home. The purpose of the project was to turn a small growing area into a practical food-producing space that could support the household throughout the season. Raised beds were used to keep the garden organized, manageable, and easier to maintain, while still al

In 2026, Cara Gardens developed the Local Community Food Garden and Pollinator Patch, a community garden proposal designed to expand local food access while strengthening urban biodiversity. The existing food garden raised bed allotment is already in place, but the current wooden boxes limit how much food can realistically be grown. Raised beds are useful, especially for accessibility and organized planting, but they can also restrict spacing, crop selection, root development

In 2025, Cara Gardens sent a large seed donation to an Indigenous community in the Sandy Lake region to help support the beginning of a community food-growing project. The purpose of the donation was to contribute to local food sovereignty by providing seeds and growing information that could help residents produce fresh vegetables, herbs, and traditional plants closer to home. For isolated communities, access to fresh whole foods can be limited, expensive, and inconsistent,

In 2024, Cara Gardens was asked to help transform an overgrown backyard in another neighbourhood into a productive food garden. The space had fallen into disrepair and needed a full cleanup before anything could be planted. Over the course of a week, the area was cut back, cleared, and prepared for growing. This included trimming overgrown sections, cutting back tree lines, removing undesirable plants, uprooting problem growth, tilling the ground, and turning the backyard int

The cheapest seed is not always the best seed. When buying in bulk, the real value comes from comparing the cost per gram, cost per seed, germination rate, shipping, currency conversion, and how much seed you can realistically use before it declines in viability. A $3 packet can be expensive if it only contains 15 seeds. A $20 bulk packet can be affordable if it contains hundreds or thousands. At the same time, a 25 lb bag is wasteful if you only need a few hundred plants. Bu

If you're struggling to put food on the table, you're not alone. Many individuals and families across Ottawa rely on community programs to help make ends meet. Finding the right resource, however, can be overwhelming, especially during a difficult time. This guide was created to make that process easier by organizing food assistance programs into three categories: Need Food Today: Free meals that can often be accessed the same day. Groceries for Home: Food banks and community

Golden Summer Crookneck Squash Scientific Name: Cucurbita pepo Plant Type: Annual Difficulty: Easy Sun: Full Sun Height: 2-3 feet (60-90 cm) Spread: 3-4 feet (90-120 cm) Seeds Produced: Approximately 200-500 seeds per mature squash What Is It? Golden Summer Crookneck Squash is a classic heirloom summer squash recognized for its bright yellow skin and distinctive curved neck. The fruits are harvested while young and tender, offering a mild, buttery flavor that is excellent for

Wild Strawberry Scientific Name: Fragaria virginiana Plant Type: Perennial Difficulty: Easy Sun: Full Sun to Partial Shade Height: 4-8 inches (10-20 cm) Spread: 12-24 inches (30-60 cm) through runners Seeds Produced: Approximately 150-300 seeds per berry What Is It? Wild Strawberry is a low-growing perennial native to North America and the ancestor of many modern cultivated strawberry varieties. It produces white five-petaled flowers in spring followed by small, bright red be

Motherwort Scientific Name: Leonurus cardiaca Plant Type: Perennial Difficulty: Easy Sun: Full Sun to Partial Shade Height: 3-5 feet (90-150 cm) Seeds Produced: Approximately 1,000-5,000+ seeds per plant What Is It? Motherwort is a hardy perennial herb in the mint family native to Europe and Asia that has become naturalized throughout much of North America. It produces square stems, deeply lobed leaves, and clusters of small pink to pale purple flowers that bloom throughout t