dear Gardeners

Shauna Dobbie Editor shauna@pegasuspublications.net

Dear gardeners Local GardenerCanada’s Follow us online at: I promise, the uplifting part of this message comes after the next paragraph. This year of 2021 so far has not shown itself to be as much of a relief as everyone had been expecting. Ignoring events to the south, we’re coming Published by Pegasus Publications Inc. localgardener.net Instagram:@local_gardener to terms with how much longer we’ll be wearing masks and avoiding people President/Publisher dorothy dobbie dorothy@pegasuspublications.net we don’t live with. The good news of vaccines has been supplanted with the Design Cottonwood Publishing services realization of just how long it will take the blessed stuff to get to everyone who wants to be immunized. Politicians and Editor shauna dobbie shauna@pegasuspublications.net civil servants who opted to sneak away to foreign destinations over Christmas have Art Direction & Layout Karl Thomsen been demoted and friends and family karl@pegasuspublications.net have come nearly to blows (no actual General Manager blows, though; social distancing) over Ian Leatt the morality of visiting a dying loved one in a foreign coun- ian.leatt@pegasuspublications.net try. Half of my Facebook feed is filled with vitriol. Contributors

But only half. Here is the uplifting part. dorothy dobbie, shauna dobbie,

The other half of my newsfeed is filled with gardeners. Keith Lemkey, dan rubin.

Gardeners wanting to know what the best cucumber to Editorial Advisory Board order is and sharing pictures of fresh snowfalls on seed Greg auton, John Barrett, Todd Boland, heads. Maybe they participate in the arguments and ugliness—it doesn’t really matter. Because through it all, they darryl Cheng, Ben Cullen, Mario doiron, Michel Gauthier, Larry Hodgson, Jan Pedersen, stephanie rose, Michael rosen see that someone new to houseplants has fine webs on his and aldona satterthwaite. parlour palm and needs to know what to do about spider Advertising Sales mites. 1.888.680.2008

There have always been things that divide us. Right now, they are pretty harsh; as a society, we’ve fallen into factions Subscriptions Write, email or call Canada’s Local Gardener, that each of us believes to be crazy or sane. I don’t care 138 swan Lake Bay, which faction you are in; you think the other side is certifi- Winnipeg, MB r3T 4T8 ably nuts. But folks on either side can plant a seed. The lady so Phone (204) 940-2700 Fax (204) 940-2727 Toll Free 1 (888) 680-2008 subscribe@localgardener.net wrapped up in her political stance that you wonder if she sleeps at night can dream about a freshly unfurled rose that one year (four issues): $35.85 Two years (eight issues): $71.70 is still perfect, without bug bites. She can plan for cut and Three years (twelve issues): $107.55 come again salads. She can be every bit as excited as you are single copy: $10.95; Beautiful Gardens: $14.95 to see a seed catalogue in the mail. The good news is that people are gardening again. The 150 years of Gardening in Canada copy: $12.95 Plus applicable taxes. rain and the sun and the insects don’t give a hoot how you voted, they’ll come to your yard just the same. • • • • • return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Circulation department Pegasus Publications Inc. 138 swan Lake Bay, Winnipeg, MB r3T 4T8

This is the annual edition we traditionally call Beautiful Gardens, and usually it is all garden profiles. Owing to Canadian Publications mail product sales agreement #40027604

COVID-19, we couldn’t go out and photograph gardens this year, so we decided to make this special edition all Issn 2563-6405 about different ways to build the garden of your dreams.

From seating to paths and raised beds to chickens, there is plenty here to get your creative juices flowing.

Please write and tell me what you think. I will read all your messages and I’ll print my favourites in a future issue Canada’s LoCaL Gardener is published four of Canada’s Local Gardener. Happy reading! times annually by Pegasus Publications Inc. It is regularly available to purchase at newsstands and retail locations throughout Canada or by subscription. Visa, MasterCard and american express accepted. Publisher buys all editorial rights and reserves the right to republish any material purchased. reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without permission in writing from the publisher. Copyright Pegasus Publications Inc.