Traced Elements

Tag: landscaping

  • May Two-Four

    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.

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    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.

  • Blank Canvas

    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.

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    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! IMG_3346