Gypsy moth devastation

Depending on where you are in Muskoka, you may be horrified at the way your trees are starting to look, as gypsy moth caterpillars continue their work. Then again, you may be fortunate enough that you are seeing little if any sign of gypsy moths — also known as LDD moths. This is a bad […]

Keep on planting cilantro

Summer means guacamole season, and what’s guacamole without cilantro? This herb is easy to grow, but it does tend to go to seed quickly in the summer heat. The solution is to keep planting it in waves. Before we get into how to grow it, though, we need to address one unavoidable fact: some people […]

Make your own cottage regatta

For more than a century, Muskoka cottagers have been getting together for a little friendly competition on the water. In the early years of cottage in particular, the local regatta was a social and sporting highlight of the summer – in the days when many families stayed up at the cottage for weeks or even […]

Farmers markets return

It’s been a long time since we’ve had events happening in Muskoka, and most of the big summertime gatherings won’t be back until next year. But farmers markets have reopened, offering an excellent way to connect with food and with people. For some people, going to the market is a weekly ritual, a way to […]

Deep-fried pickles

Craving a bit of classic pub food, but you can’t get a spot on your favourite patio? Why not bring a little pub fare to the cottage instead? If you have an air fryer or a convection oven, you can create a home-based version of deep-fried pickles, a fun pub classic. Deep-fried pickles have been […]

Gardening with basil

Grow some of this delicious and fascinating herb at your cottage garden in Muskoka Ah, there’s nothing quite like the smell of fresh basil. Cooks know it as a fantastic addition to salads, lovely ground up into pesto, or used as one of three ingredients in a pizza margherita. Gardeners know it as a reliable […]

The lore of the poplar tree

The biggest creature in Muskoka is a clone that lives in the forest Poplars, or aspens, are one of our most common trees. Look around your cottage and you’ll probably see a group of them all growing together. But look closely and you may just find that you’re not looking at a group of trees […]

Placing a buoy at the cottage?

Here’s what you need to know to mark hazards in your Muskoka waterway The classic bleach bottle buoy isn’t as common as it once was, but there are still plenty of private buoys on the lakes around Muskoka, marking hidden rocks or keeping boats away from water lines. If you have one near your cottage, […]

Cherries Jubilee

Celebrate Victoria Day with this classic dessert recipe For nearly two centuries, Canadians have been celebrating the birthday of Queen Victoria, shooting off fireworks and having picnics on May 24 since at least the 1830s. The date is still the official birthday of the monarch, but for most of us the really significant part of […]

The joy of wooden boats

Classic antique boats are one of the delights of summer in Muskoka Some of the finest wooden boats ever built can be spotted on the lakes of Muskoka. Aficionados know many of these classic boats by name. But even if you can’t tell a Ditchburn from a Dispro, this handy guide will help you appreciate […]