Traced Elements

Tag: green thumb

Gifts for Soil Lovers
HOE HOE HOE: a gardener’s salute to the holidays!

The countdown is officially on to the day jolly ol’ Saint Nick gobbles up treats left by excited little people, adds a splash of rum to a glass of eggnog and leaves gifts for all. I thought it a perfect time to share a few thing that graze my wish list/need list throughout the year, in hopes it may inspire some of you stuck on stocking stuffers.

Promise me this — you will source locally as much as possible. For the love of sustainability and supporting our community, we need to tighten up our game.

So, here we go (in no particular order): fun ideas for the chef, gardener and wanna-be green thumb in your life.
1. GLOVES – I’m the first to admit I use them sparingly but I’m sure happy to have a set around and nothing beats a new pair; like the feeling of a fresh pair of socks.
2. NAIL BRUSH – Many of us are proud of the dirt under our nails and our calluses but sometimes life calls for clean hands. Small Potatoes Bazaar has you covered.
3. FELCO PRUNERS – My personal favourite are the #2; an essential component to any gardener’s kit and the holster is a mandatory accessory. Available at Pemberton Valley Nursery and their Whistler location along with a great selection of gloves and number 12 on this list!
4. GARDNER’S DREAM CREAM – Treat your hands – they do so much hard work. Stay Wild keeps their shelves stocked with the goods.
5. SCANDINAVE SPA PASS w/ MASSAGE – The heavy lifting and bending is over; this gift is a no brainer.
6. BOOKS! – There are so many options out there but here are my current top three picks: Floret Flowers (Erin Benzakein, Julia Chai), Seed to Seed (Susan Ashworth) and Putting Food By (Ruth Hertzberg). The folks at Armchair Books are great. They don’t always have what you’re looking for in stock but they are amazing at getting you what you need as fast as the other guys.
7. WEST COAST SEEDS GC – Their seed selection is top notch and their website is like a bible for home and pro-gardeners alike. Grow and eat your way to happiness.
8. GROWOYA – A self-watering terracotta pot that you sink into your garden… AKA: a pretty nifty idea that a girlfriend introduced to me as a way to deal with the summer watering restrictions. It doesn’t work for all vegetables but their website is full of information on how to get the most out of this efficient irrigation style.
9. CRINKLE VEGGIE CUTTER – We live in Spud valley and are ruled by potatoes so why not have a cool device on hand to make some funky fries from time to time!
10. VANDUESEN GARDEN PASS – This place is the Willy Wonka factory for plant lovers: so easy to lose track of time, so easy to get “lost”. (Insert the words to ‘Pure Imagination’ from said mentioned movie and you’ll find they’re quite fitting). Plus, you’ll forget you’re even in the city. Every season boasts new blooms and something to discover making it, easily, one of my favourite places to go and geek out.
11. A JOURNAL – note taking and random reminders are a great aid from year to year. They are also a great place to doodle, write down new recipes along with your hopes and greens.
12. PRETTY POTS – There is always a use for a beautiful ceramic pot… be it to house an indoor plant or something outside. But since you’re at the plant store you mind as well plop a plant in there too!
From my sleeping garden to yours… happy semi-hibernation and snow days!
December 15, 2018
May Two-Four

There are essentially a couple groups you would’ve fallen into this past weekend: camping, working or planting your garden (ideally a combo). No doubt in my younger years I was way more into packing the truck with a tent, sleeping material, coolers full of beer, sausages, buns, ketchup, cans of beans and chips – lots of chips – and getting the hell outta of Dodge. Now as I age “gracefully” my focus has changed or maybe temporarily wandered and there is also that work thing. The exception is chips; there will always be lots of chips.

But let’s focus on gardening… What is it about the May long weekend, no matter where you are in Canada, it’s viewed as “the time to plant your garden”? Surely it’s some sort of phenomenon or maybe a myth.

Firstly, I’d like to draw your attention to a key fact. Our growing zone here in Pemberton is radically different from that of my family in Kenora, Ontario and those in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. Yet, we all assume it’s totally kosher to plant tomatoes and basically everything else outside the same weekend. We can all also agree that one of our garden’s biggest nemeses is frost. So really, by accepting this planting time frame we are all pretty much assuming that frost is off the plate as of May long weekend. Hereby committing our plants to a life outside producing us a bountiful harvest.

It’s as if the universe is giving us a chance to all exist on the same plane for a mere moment in time; I’ll take it.

Here in Pemberton the mercury levels on our thermometers have been reading higher then normal for May. Which has made it easy to get crazy and just start sowing things. And, of course, I am all for this and 100% participated. It speaks to that whole experimental element in gardening that I love. You just have to be ready to face the fact that some things may not survive. Like a game of Monopoly; sometime you pass go and collect $200 and sometime you go to jail. I’m willing to bet the vegetables that prefer the cooler growing season of spring are probably wondering this year like the rest of us why it’s July’ing in May.

Early direct sow experiment with Borage… Status: alive & thriving. Stoked to have this gem in my garden this season.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining about the sunshine and the extra early lake dips but I am hot and bothered that my garden already needs to be watered twice a day… I genuinely miss Spring – She was super cool.

May 25, 2018
Blank Canvas

The summer I turned 11, my family packed our camper and set off on a massive adventure that lasted over a month. The leg of our trip that resonated the most with me was the coast of BC. There was something about the mountains and ocean that spoke to me – it made me feel free. I vowed right then that I would return to live in this place.

Life on the west coast became a reality when my art skills got me into the University of Victoria. However, I quickly discovered I was not like my classmates and had zero desire to become any entity that encompassed being an artist. I lasted 2 years before I bought a car, learned to drive standard in a mall parking lot and set forth for Whistler because it seemed like a cool place to go and get lost.

Fast forward to my years in landscape construction and maintenance where I learned design and plant knowledge and in time I was let loose to create spaces for clients. These playful experiences naturally paired well with my understanding colour and sense of flow. Eventually I realized that I was still creating; it was just a different type of medium.

Now I spend countless hours every year drafting my garden plans for the following season. Notes on notes on notes as to what was great, what was horrible, where to plant what, what not to plant, what I want more of. Lots of mindless staring out the window at my plot fantasizing its potential; then scavenging bits of wood and rocks to add into the landscape. And, like clockwork when it comes to planting time, the plans that have come to fruition are loosely used and I stuff seeds and starters in the beds as I see fit.

Maybe it’s the old artist in me coming out to play and wanting to just be free to experiment with what feels good at the last minute. This is an integral part of the learning process in gardening and I highly encourage it. Sure we can read books and learn what we should or shouldn’t do but at the end of the day if we are satisfied with the results then, who gives a shit.

Feel it out. Plant what makes sense. Plant what you love. Look at your space and see it as a blank canvas in which to create your sanctuary. It can be whatever you want it to be. Let it evolve. You can always return to your canvas and paint over something you don’t love.

Eighteen year later since arriving home in the Sea to Sky I have finally accepted that I’m a gardener and a landscaper: an artist after all.

Photo notes – The main photo (above) was taken out the window when I moved into our current residence from where I sit every day drinking coffee. The picture below was taken this morning and I can guarantee in a month it will look even different. Stay tuned!

April 24, 2018
Honor Thy Weeding

It’s funny how life can throw us curveballs when we least expect. Call it coincidence that I have struck out during a season that literally celebrates rebirth and renewal. But as the saying goes; everything happens for a reason. What has kept me sane is my garden.

When you’re forced to slow down in a life that is typically robust it’s truly hard to cope – every day brings new challenges. Many of which I am not comfortable with and have had a hard time accepting.

So, what does an active gal do when forced to step outside of her skin and just be?

She sits with her garlic. She weeds. She envisions where all the little seedling starters will eventually go and thrive. She checks on these seedlings at least 20 times a day. She walks and appreciates the revival of the forest after a long winter. She watches the ants. She buys plants (retail therapy for the win).

A calming sensation genuinely lifts me up when I’m gardening. It’s my therapy. No stress involved – just the dirt and me. It has always been this way: before I was concussed, now while I’m concussed, and indefinitely when I’m past it.

There is something to be said about stopping to smell the roses. Going back to the simpler things gives us a greater appreciation of the bigger picture. Through my minor setback I have learned the importance of this phrase and will celebrate it beyond my recovery. Gardening has an effortless way of healing.

Spring. I surrender my ego to you… and the weeds in my garden.

April 18, 2018
Passion Prevails

My childhood subconscious began manifesting my green thumb life long before I understood the benefit of my compost chore or using the excuse, “I’m thinning them out” when caught eating baby carrots. When you grow up surrounded by gardeners you’re bound to inherit some level of love for the same hobby.

Basically, I’m a full pledged geek when it comes to everything plant related.

For example… I have pulled illegal U-turns moments after spotting a nursery. I carry pruners in my car to pluck wild flowers bouquets from ditches. I save plants from becoming garbage and give them new homes. I take pictures while traveling of unrecognizable vegetation so I can come home and identify them… and so on.

(Insert crazy garden lady photo here.)

It was during my years as an on again off again landscaper that solidified my love affair with horticulture. The jobs I held in between seasons never really satisfied my soul. I genuinely missed cleaning dirt out of my nails.

One instance that really stands out in my head happened while emptying my pockets after a day of work in the city. Out came my keys, my wallet and a whole bunch of deadheaded flowers. A big smile graced my face upon seeing the blossoms. I had visited a nursery on my way home but for the life of me could not remember committing the act. No doubt it was my subconscious giving me a little nudge. I gave my two weeks notice the next day and promptly returned to my happy place slinging dirt.

Now I’ve really come to realize that I glow when I talk about gardening. I mean I get giddy like a little schoolgirl talking about this shit. (Giggity)! The other side of my coin is that I love to cook and preserve all the wonderful things that come out of my backyard and our bountiful valley but I’ll save that for later.

In January I figured there was no point in fighting the feelings anymore. Time to take my passion by the reins and just go for it! And although I’m not exactly sure what will grow from this adventure one thing is for sure: I want to share my love of gardening with people, inspire them to grow their own food and experience the simple pleasures that come with the failures and the successes along the way.

Welcome to my journey back to dirt.

March 24, 2018