Welcome to my new garden blog!

Hi all,

I've turned my former travel blog into a chronicle of my attempts to transform my urban backyard garden into a productive permaculture garden. As of late, I've become a garden nut, spending every spare minute that I am at home with daylight planning, planting and propagating.

We moved into this house in November, and the first project was to install a composter. The city subsidizes these for residents, so I promptly installed one in the corner of the yard under the Japanese maple tree. Five months later, it's working well, and absorbing all our biodegradable waste without seeming to fill up much. I still have a worm bin as well, so have no problems handling all we can produce.

The next job was to remove two rows of hedging cedars which weren't contributing a lot to the yard, just taking up space and blocking light. Ben did this while I was out of town for work. I came home and voila - no cedars! Thanks to Sara F. for giving them a good home.

Next major project was to move a number of viburnums and a rhodo from in front of the house windows. This is the only really sunny area of the yard and thus prime real estate for veggie beds. The shrubs got moved to other places in the yard (shadier locations), and I dug out turf, added sea soil and manure, and edged with the bricks I already had. I tried to create a version of the permaculture "keyhole" bed, which enables the gardener to manage the entire bed at arm's length. Still debating if I'll need to make these raised beds eventually - we shall see how this season goes, then decide.
Once set up, I planted radishes, peas, mesculun greens, pac choi, kale (that I had overwintered), and spinach. All but the peas have come up. Unfortunately, the slugs seem to have a taste for radish. I installed some beer traps, and have caught one in the last week. Maybe the sole culprit? I recently planted some mustard greens and corn salad (Mache), and another round of peas, as the first ones didn't germinate being too close to the house with not enough moisture. Everything else is up, but going slowly due to the cold start to spring.

I also trellised (with Ben's help) the espalliered apple tree that came with the yard. It's hard to find a place with enough light, but I think its current home between the garage and fence is the best bet, unfortunately. Hope I get some fruit! It has spartan, gala, macintosh, and gravenstein grafts on it, so it would be amazing if it produced this year.

I've also been planting a number of perennials. A hardy kiwi will grow up the arbour along the westernmost fence, I hope. It will have to compete with overhanging fruit trees and a trailing rose, so we'll see how it does. Also planted a blueberry, so I'm excited for fall! Raspberries from Ben's parent's old house were planted, and they've all got leaves. Hurrah! Also found a couple canes abandoned in the mud in the yard, so moved them and they seem happy too. Got a rhubarb as well, which has another leaf coming since planting.

I finally made it out to pick up a rain barrel from the city's transfer station (they subsidize the cost), so installing that with the necessary diverter piping will be this weekend's project.

Tonight I just started some tomatoes (2 varieties), cucumbers, and peppers in my propagator inside - I hope it's warm enough for them to germinate! We have radiant floors, but don't keep the heat turned up all that high, so I'll have to see what I can do. I might cave in and pickup a heated mat from Lee Valley to speed things along.

Phew! That's just an overview of the past five months. I'll try to post some photos soon so you can actually see what I'm talking about. From now on I should be updating more frequently, so you won't have to read as much.

Would love comments, ideas, hints and tips from you experienced gardeners out there, and from those I haven't heard from in a while!

Till next post,
-K

Graduation Redux

Well, it's obviously been a while since I last posted. This was brought home to me today when a colleague I was meeting for the first time commented on my blog. I'd all but forgotten about it.

So, an update:

A couple weeks ago I attended my convocation ceremony for my Master's degree in Planning from UBC. It was a good feeling, particularly since I already had a job. I'm working at the Design Centre for Sustainability at UBC, an applied research group in the School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture that consults with communities around sustainable planning and collaborative design processes. It's a great group of people to work with and I'm learning a lot. Currently I'm working on a project in Calgary so find myself over there quite frequently. I'm enjoying it though, so we'll see where it takes me!

In non-career related news, Ben and I moved into a 1/2 Duplex near Commercial Drive in Vancouver, and are loving the neighbourhood. I'm busily planning my small permaculture garden, so we'll see how that shapes up in the months to come. Ben gets back from a month long photojournalism trip to Southeast Asia in a week, so I'm looking forward to that. Then, Christmas is here before we know it!

We did the West Coast Trail this past summer, too, which was an amazing experience. I'm so far behind in my photos that I'm still posting them, so check out my flickr site to see the images.

For those I haven't had the opportunity to meet, thanks for reading! For old timers, I'd love to hear from you again and see what you're up to.

Till next time,

-K

Trio

Trio
Originally uploaded by kristi_t.

Taken on a recent walk on Iona Jetty, near Vancouver Intl. Airport. This is the Fraser RIver, looking East. It was amazing, how sound traveled across the water & through the mist. You could hear planes approaching but could see nothing, until they suddenly materialized right in front of you.

SCARP at UBC

Hi everyone,

Well, if you haven't heard by now, I've begun my Master's degree in Planning at the School of Community and Regional Planning at UBC. It's keeping me very busy (hence the lack of recent posts!), but I'm really enjoying it. Great people and all kinds of interesting things to pull me away from my studies ;-)

Currently I'm taking a planning history and theory course, a course in negotiation, facilitation and mediation (very interesting), quantitative methods, and an omnibus class taken by all in my year. Next term I have more ecologically-focused classes, which I'm really looking forward to.

Hope you're all well wherever you are! Take care and drop me a line sometime!

Cheers,
Kristi

Home again, Home again...

Hi All!

Apologies, it has been a while since my last update.

After Cairns, I traveled down the East Coast to Airlie Beach and the tropical Whitsunday Islands. This was where I managed to get out to the Great Barrier Reef to dive. What an amazing experience! Such a strange diversity of life down there. Turtles, sharks, eels, damselfish, angelfish, giant clams, sea cucumbers, amazing varieties of hard and soft coral, and 'Wally," the metre-long Maori Wrasse that likes to be petted by the divers! It was something I've dreamed of doing since my aspirations in marine biology at a young age, so was a great experience.

Then it was on to Noosa and the great Fraser Island. This island is entirely composed of sand. Transport is in 4x4 vehicles on the beach/road/airstrip. It has amazing freshwater lakes with brilliant white silica sand, next to tropical rainforests. Utterly otherworldly! Also, Fraser is home to the purest line of dingoes (wild dogs). They're becoming a bit of a problem as they're less afraid of tourism, and I myself was circled by one while meditating on the beach at sunrise! Luckily a ranger was driving by and happened to notice and chased it away. I felt badly for it, as it was only following its instinct. Another case of human/nature interactions and conflicts.

Then down to Crystal Waters Ecovillage to work for a family for a few days. What a neat place. The whole property is designed according to permaculture principles, and houses close to 200 people. What struck me here was that it didn't feel like everyone was living on top of each other. Perhaps because the lots are an acre each, but more likely because of the planning (the houses are designed so they don't visually extend beyond ridgelines, and so many trees have been planted that it is really quite quiet). Though only there a few short days, it was once again a really great learning opportunity. Plus, I stayed with a young family (with a three year old boy), so things were lively and entertaining!

Finally to Brisbane, where I spent a day and met up with my friend who is skating with Disney on Ice. Saw a show and then it was to the airport and home! It's hard to belive all that I've seen and done in the past six months. I've accomplished all the things I set out to do, and am so thankful for all the wonderful people, opportunities and experiences.

Settling back into life in Canada and at home is going well, though is not without its challenges! Everywhere I look I see unsustainability, but then opportunities to use permaculture in positive ways. It will take me a while to adjust I think, but I am excited about the possibilities and keen to start my studies in a couple months.

This will be my last update. Thank you to all that have followed and supported me on my journey. I'm thankful to each and every one of you!

I'll be uploading photos of the whole trip now.... so check the photo site frequently to see pictures! Also, I'll continue to update my blog site with thoughts and reflections, but won't send them out on email to avoid filling your inboxes. Please feel free to get in touch and catch up! I'd love to hear from you!

Love,

Kristi

Australian Adventures

Hi everyone!

 

It's been a while since my last update.  Flew to Melbourne, and felt I was in another world entirely!  Having been on farms in the country the past while, I found the people and pace of the city pretty claustrophobic.  As cities go though, Melbourne was nice.  Quite cosmopolitain and artsy.  Did a day trip out onto the Great Ocean Road..... miles of great surf beaches and rugged coastline with amazing limestone formations.  Saw koalas in the wild (very sleepy and slow!).  Then went to Sydney and spent a couple days there exploring the Opera House, harbour and surrounding beaches and suburbs.  I liked it as a city as well..... a very beautiful harbour that reminded me of Vancouver!  They'd just taken the shark nets out of the beaches a couple weeks ago..... the last attack was in 2000.  Great Whites aren't uncommon.  Hmmm......

 

Then it was to the dry Red Centre.  Alice springs was an interesting place.  A large Aboriginal population, but largely destitute and struggling with social problems.  Quite different to the urban Maori I encountered in New Zealand.  The landscape in the centre is amazing..... red sand dunes stretching on for miles, and brilliantly coloured rocks left from an ancient age.  That's what I kept feeling there, the sheer age of Earth.  Ayers Rock has looked the same for as long as humans can remember, but once it was a large mountain range to rival the Himalayas.  I can't imagine the scale of time that it has existed to come to its present state.  Awesome doesn't begin to describe the feelings one has.  For me, it felt like a Holy pilgrimage.  Uluru and Kata-Tjuta (Aboriginal names for Ayers Rock and the Olgas) are some of the most sacred places I've been blessed with visiting.  They have an otherworldly feel to them, and I'll never forget their flaming red presences as the sun set in the desert.  Many many photos to come!  It was surprisingly cold in the desert at night.  Nearly zero degrees and as I was camping it made for some chilly toes! 

 

What a change coming to Cairns in North Queensland!  It was like stepping off the plane and into another world!  Lush, tropical vegetation and mangrove forests, and the Great Barrier Reef.  Unfortunately the seas are really rough at the moment, so I'm just waiting a couple days for things to settle down before going snorkeling/diving. 

 

Then, down the coast to Brisbane and home!  Just 20 days left.  I'm enjoying myeslf, but really looking forward to coming home and integrating all that I've learned and experienced.  The East Coast is quite touristy and I'm not too into that scene.  Hope to spend a few days at Crystal Waters Ecovillage before I leave and reinforce my interests.  I just finished reading Coelho's "The Pilgrimage" and was amazed at the parallels with my journeys. 

 

Hope you are all well and enjoying summer there!  Can't wait to catch up with you all.

 

Love and Light,

Kristi

Farewell to Aotearoa

Hi Everyone.

 

Apologies for the late update.  I had a good week wwoofing for a family doing garden work, and then to the beautiful Otamatea ecovillage in Kaiwaka, Northland.  Lynne and Reinhold were wonderful people, with a beautiful 5 acres of permaculture-designed property, strawbale house with green roof, composting toilets and a beautiful woodfired outdoor sauna/hot tub.  They were also the initiators of Otamatea ecovillage, and as such a great wealth of information on intentional communities.  I learned a lot, pruning and weaving a living willow fence, mulching, reading all I could about intentional communities and permaculture, kayaking, laughing and generally trying to take it all in.  Their land (and the adjoining common lands) was a very special place, surrounded by tidal estuaries and mangroves.  I'm thankful for my time with them, their hospitality and knowledge. 

 

After another visit to Joe Polaisher's place for a farm tour, it was on to Auckland and the city (a bit of a shock adjusting to the dislocation from the land, the rushing, people and the city life.).  I've spent a nice past few days with my dear friend Leah, a fellow yogini and kindred spirit.

 

It's hard to comprehend that I'll be leaving the land of milk and honey (quite literally!) tomorrow.  This has been a very powerful past few months for me.  I've had such a diverse set of experiences here, learned a lot, and met so many great, like-minded people.  Apart from Canada, it's the only place I've visited that I'd seriously consider settling.  This is a truly special, sacred place and I hope to return someday, sooner rather than later.  I'll cherish the memories of the New Zealand bush, dewy pungas (tree ferns), expansive vistas, wilderness, rolling farmland, clear, clean seas and skies, Maori culture, and mostly, special people (you know who you are).  I hope to keep in touch so that if any of you come to Canada we can meet again!  My deepest, heartfelt thanks to each of you that has in some way touched me, not just on this trip, but on my life's journey in general.  I love you all! 

 

Tomorrow it's on to Australia, Melbourne specifically.  I'm just trying to plan my month there.  Such a huge country with so much to see, it's hard to decide what to leave out! 

 

Until next time,

 

Love and light,

Kristi