Halifax Public Gardens

Halifax Public Gardens gate; © Karen Thiessen 2012

Long before I lived there, Halifax was my soul city. It still is. My husband and I just returned from ten days in Nova Scotia. Halifax was our base and from there we took several day trips. One of my favourite places in Halifax is the public gardens and on this trip we visited it almost daily.

The folks at the public gardens are creative. One highlight was seeing this bed planted with a perimeter of swiss chard. This summer I ate my very first swiss chard (it's delicious, what took me so long?), so I was thrilled to see it planted in a flower bed. After testing the red and the green varieties, hubby and I have decided that the green jives best with our taste buds. Next year we're going to plant Fordhook swiss chard in our perennial garden. 

Halifax Public Gardens kale; © Karen Thiessen 2012

The best thing about travel is that it takes me out of my comfort zone and allows me to see things in a new way, like swiss chard in a flower garden. Air travel forces me to pack as lightly as possible. There's something to be said for living out of a suitcase for a few weeks and seeing how much you really (don't) need. I'm back to work now inspired and refreshed.