What a thrill to go into downtown Vancouver to the big CBC building and meet NXNW host Sheryl Mackay in person this weekend! I have loved and followed her show for years and I have had some interviews with her over the phone and in the Victoria studio. But this time we met face to face.
Three Year Gardener’s Gratitude Journal, by Chelsie Anderson and Donna Balzer (240 pages, soft cover, $28.55): An effective agent for firing up enthusiasm for a new gardening season is a lighthearted and warmly encouraging garden journal like this one.
So to be clear I am still growing on the same amount of space but I now know its limitations. My outdoor garden is largely hugelkultur which means there are branches and wood piled on top of my sketchy soil. If I try to grow carrots on this wood pile they end up all gnarled as they try to push through the piles of branches.
I had breakfast out last weekend and the potatoes were mealy and tasteless. It was a classy restaurant but I realized something important: I have become a potato snob. And now I know for sure we are closer than ever to avoiding bad restaurant breakfasts and dinners because I expect we’ll be eating our own crop of spuds by late May or early June.
Another media interview about the Three Year Gardener’s Gratitude Journal. This one is long so put on your headset and carry on with your other work…. that way you don’t have to see my messy office!
Qualicum Beach gardener Donna Balzer (seen here) and her daughter, Chelsie Anderson, are the authors of a three-year gardending journal that includes stories, tips and encouragements for gardeners to take notes and learn more from their own garden.
