Bees in the garden

Keeping your garden plants happy and healthy takes more than just honey bees When we talk about pollinators, most of us picture a honey bee. And if you’ve seen The Bee Movie, the animated feature film from a few years back, chances are you can even hear Jerry Seinfeld’s voice every time you see a […]

Annual flowers for the cottage

Now’s the time to start planting masses of colourful blooms to enjoy all season long If you’re craving a burst of colour this year — and aren’t we all? — then planting plenty of annuals is the way to get it at the cottage. It’s not too late to have us fill your flower beds, […]

Our favourite nature apps

Smart phone apps make it easier to identify all the plants, animals and other creatures in Muskoka It wasn’t that long ago that the only way to identify plants was to flip through field guides and identification keys. Unless you were a professional naturalist, you probably only knew a handful of species that live around […]

Firework alternatives

Enjoy your cottage weekend without the bang of fireworks Fireworks are a great way to celebrate special occasions, but not everyone loves them… particularly in Muskoka, where the exploding sounds travel easily across the water, terrifying dogs and other animals as well as disturbing cottage neighbours. We understand that fireworks are a celebration, but our […]

Gypsy Tart recipe

With just five ingredients, this is a great sweet treat for a weekend at the Muskoka cottage What could be better for Victoria Day at the cottage than a Victorian dessert? Gypsy Tart is sweet, simple, and incredibly delicious, using just two ingredients for the filling and three more in the simple, nutty crust. The […]

Pour yourself a Gimlet

The century-old gin Gimlet is a great way to toast a cottage weekend Let’s celebrate Victoria Day with a cocktail that was popular when her majesty was on the throne and Britannia ruled the waves: the gin Gimlet. The drink is a classic naval drink. The British navy has a long history of supplying sailors […]

Growing thyme in the cottage garden

It’s always a good time in Muskoka You can walk on it and bathe with it, eat it, drink it, or just enjoy its scent. It’s supposed to boost your courage and decrease your melancholy, repel snakes and attract faeries to your garden. It’s a trouble-free garden plant that asks for nothing more than dry […]

More than monarch butterflies

Native plants like milkweed are good for monarchs, but what about all the other butterflies? Monarch butterflies are the poster child of the butterfly world, and with good reason. Their annual migration is one of the true miracles of nature, a multi-generational epic trek that sees great-great-great grandchildren going from Mexico to Muskoka, returning to […]

Colour and texture in the garden

Crafting a great Muskoka landscape with nature’s bounty By Andrew Wagner-Chazalon The sunlight gently filters through the tall pines and hemlocks on the point as a gentle breeze ruffles the blooms and leaves of the plants growing below. It’s an idyllic scene, but it’s also one that captures so many of the features Muskoka cottage […]

Hummingbird feeder

Meet the bird that keeps the hummingbirds fed before the flowers open We love to hang bright red hummingbird feeders to welcome these gorgeous birds when they arrive at the Muskoka cottage in May. But without flowers in bloom, how would they feed themselves without our help? The yellow-bellied sapsucker keeps them fed. You may […]