August 2012 Village Vibe

August 2012

villagevibe News and views from the heart of Fernwood

Fernwood’s spirit undampened FernFest's rainiest year in memory still filled with dancing & good times

›› Lee Herrin

D

espite a downpour on Friday followed by driving rain on Saturday evening, the spirit of Fernwood shone through at FernFest 2012. In cold weather Friday morning, the tents went up to cover as much of the Square as possible against the coming deluge. At kickoff on Friday afternoon, the rain started falling but the show went on. The gazebo featured a new stage, custom-built by the Belfry Theatre to fit the octagonal space. The hair show from Who Dyd Your Hair featured some truly amazing productions to which the rain just added a little sparkle. The rest of the evening, the bands played, and the people came and danced paying no heed to a few drops of water from the heavens.

Saturday morning was a brief reprieve from the rain, with even a few rays of sunshine around lunchtime. The pancake breakfast hosted by the Fernwood Inn served record numbers under the big tent in the Square. The Kidical Mass children’s bike parade toured Fernwood with a Victoria Police Department escort Saturday morning. On the last leg, the kids on their bikes were flying along racing back to the square, while a few stroller-pushing moms were struggling to keep up—it’s a long run!

Just as the artisan market was winding down in the early afternoon, the storm blew in and wind and driving rain lashed the square for a few hours. But Fernwood was undaunted! A splash crew spontaneously formed, found some long poles, and worked unceasingly to keep the water from pooling on the tents. The would-be dancers just went home, grabbed some warmer clothes, and came back to dance away the evening to the groovy beats of the Chantrelles. Ny Adjira, who volunteered tirelessly all weekend, said “I was just happy to be a part of it—we made something happen that was bigger than we thought was possible.”

A BIG THANK-YOU TO: OUR FERNFEST SPONSORS The Soap Exchange, Fernwood Coffee Company, Aubergine Speciality Foods, Real Estate Dynamics, Stage Small Plates Wine Bar, Discovery Coffee, SOMA Active Health, CTV, Kool FM, CFAX (Top) Start of the Kidical Mass bike parade. (Middle Right) Rain didn’t stop dancing from breaking out. (Bottom) Soggy painting on the Bubble Man's car. Photos: (Top

OUR FERNFEST DONORS

& Bottom) Liz Rubincam, (Middle Left) Trevor Bennett, (Middle Right) Mila Czemerys

Phillips Brewing Co., Fernwood Inn, Belfry Theatre, Garside Signs, Car Share Co-op, Coast Environmental, reFUSE, Paladin Security, Thrifty Foods, Cornerstone Cafe, Victoria Music Connection, Islands West, Origins Gluten-Free Bakery, Victoria 150, and all our silent auction donors

OUR FERNFEST VOLUNTEERS Mike Russell & VicPD, Nick Russell & the Victoria Heritage Foundation, the organizing team: Kathryn Juricic, Bridget Pilon, Kayla Quan, Patrick Pouponneau, all our amazing musicians, performers, event volunteers, and especially anyone we missed

THANKS!

in this issue Buzz

Feature

Literary Arts

Create Community page 3

What is Permaculture? page 4

The Painting of a Girl page 6

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editorial:

villagevibe

To see ourselves as others see us

Published by Fernwood Neighbourhood Resource Group Editorial Committee

Lee Herrin Matt Takach

Mila Czemerys Azelia Serjeantson

Founding Editor Lisa Helps Contributors

Lee Herrin Grace Gerry Javan Bernakevitch Margaret Hantiuk

David Segal Mila Czemerys Rachel Walker Laurie Rubin

Art

Liz Rubincam Trevor Bennet Peter Sandmark Ed Sum

Mila Czemerys Grace Gerry Javan Bernakevitch Margaret Hantiuk

Production Mila Czemerys Contact us

1313 Gladstone Avenue Victoria, BC V8R 1R9 T 778.410.2497 F 250.381.1509 vibe@fernwoodnrg.ca www.villagevibe.ca To enquire about advertising in the Village Vibe, please contact ads@fernwoodnrg.ca The views expressed in the Village Vibe do not necessarily reflect the views of Fernwood NRG.

declaration of principles & values ›› We are committed to creating a socially, environmentally,

and economically sustainable neighbourhood;

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We are committed to ensuring neighbourhood control or ownership of neighbourhood institutions and assets;

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We are committed to using our resources prudently and to becoming financially self-reliant;

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We are committed to the creation and support of neighbourhood employment;

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We are committed to engaging the dreams, resources, and talents of our neighbours and to fostering new links between them;

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We are committed to taking action in response to neighbourhood issues, ideas, and initiatives;

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We are committed to governing our organization and serving our neighbourhood democratically with a maximum of openness, inclusivity and kindness;

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›› Lee Herrin If I had a spare $115,000 to spend, I probably wouldn’t spend it on a half-page colour ad in the Sunday New York Times Travel section. That’s right folks, $115,000 is approximately what it would cost to buy the free coverage we just received for doing nothing other than being who we are.

A quick search of the Times’ website reveals that the last time Victoria made the travel section in 2004, it was described as “elegant” and potential visitors were directed to cycle through suburban Oak Bay, picnic in Beacon Hill Park, and to stroll through Old Town and Chinatown,

in between squeezing in tea at the Empress and a round of whale-watching.

The time before that, in 1961, the headline proclaimed “In Victoria, B.C., the ‘B’ still means British,” while in 1957 it was “Charm In Hanging Baskets; The Lamp Post Decorations in Victoria, B.C., Offer Ideas To Enliven Back-Yard Areas and Community Streets.” Heaven help us… not much has really changed in the world’s view of our fair city in 55 years.

At least it hadn’t, until Sunday, July 8th, 2012 when the Times did a half-page feature on Fernwood titled “A Creative Corner of Victoria Mixes Old and New.” Obviously, the writer and editor couldn’t tell the whole story of the neighbourhood

in just a half-page, but I felt they did a pretty good job of communicating at least some of what makes Fernwood unique (see fernwoodnrg.ca/2012/07/fernwoodmade-it-to-the-big-apple/).

All in all, what I thought was most profound about the coverage was that it revealed Fernwood as a mixed neighbourhood that “defies easy stereotypes”—in short, a neighbourhood where people are both free to be individuals and tolerant of others’ freedom to do the same.

Personally, I’d rather be known for being “creative” than being “elegant” any day, and it was refreshing to see the outside world celebrating our neighbourhood for what it is.

buzz:

Cleaning with the Earth in mind ›› David Segal Each year the average Canadian spends upwards of three hundred dollars on cleaning products. After doing their job, these suds return to the water cycle and, depending on their chemical make-up, will either emerge as pollutants or contribute to their local ecology and biodegrade.

Fernwood is lucky to have a local business owner who recognizes the benefits of providing consumers with ecocleaning product options. Since 1993, the Soap Exchange’s Wes Koch has devoted countless hours to bringing a vast array of biodegradable, dye and scent free cleaning products to customers, helping them reduce their footprint on the planet.

A few features of this business are worthy of highlighting. First and foremost, these products work. Being green doesn’t mean one needs to settle for sub-par cleaning power. His products are made of 100% naturally occurring ingredients that are specifically chosen and tested—not on animals—to do their job well. Secondly, ten percent of Fernwoodians’ purchase costs is donated to the Neighbourhood Resource Group as part of the Clean Up Club Program. This initiative is the Soap Exchanges’ way of thanking people for supporting their local business while also providing an incentive to try their cleaning alternatives. You just have to let them know you are from Fernwood and want your 10% donation to go to Fernwood

Magic Touch soap from the Soap Exchange—biodegradable, dye & scent free. Photo: Mila Czemerys

NGR. Thirdly, the Soap Exchange works hard to increase the convenience factor for shoppers. They provide the full range of eco-cleaning products in more than one location. If one can’t make it to their Hillside store, they have satellite distributors throughout Victoria and the Westshore. Fourth, dedicated efforts have been taken to reduce landfill waste through their re-use program. Once a product is finished, one can bring the container to the store to either refill or top up.

In an age of environmental and economic unraveling, these are impressive

strides that the Soap Exchange has taken. It is a good example of an ethical business that is aiming to succeed but whose definition of success is not based solely on bottom line accounting. Koch is a passionate guy.

In fact, he claims that he loves this business as much as the day he started it. If you haven’t already had a chance to meet him, support the Fernwood NRG and go find out for yourself.

The Soap Exchange is located at 1393 Hillside Avenue (where Fenwood Road meets Hillside Avenue). Their website is www.victoriasoapexchange.com.

We are committed to developing the skills, capacity, self-worth, and excellence of our neighbours and ourselves;

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We are committed to focusing on the future while preserving our neighbourhood’s heritage and diversity;

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We are committed to creating neighbourhood places that are vibrant, beautiful, healthy, and alive;

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and, most of all, We are committed to having fun!

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villagevibe

August 2012

News and views from the heart of Fernwood

buzz:

buzz:

Create Community

ViVi gives back ›› Mila Czemerys

Grace Gerry and her husband (above) have built a community in their block of Pembroke Street.

Couple not shy to ask

sat by the fire and no one seemed in a rush to leave! The soup event was a success! Encourneighbours over for aged by this first experience, we decided in midsummer to host our second neighboursoup and conversation hood event, this time a pot luck barbeque in our back garden. Our neighbours came Grace Gerry by throughout the afternoon with food and Buckets of free peaches, grapes, plums, drinks and it was nightfall before the last apples, pears—sound like paradise? Our person said goodbye.

We’ve hosted these two events almost piece of paradise is on Pembroke Street.

These and other goodies are the results of annually since then and neighbours often our ongoing efforts to build community ask for the next date. Typically a week before the event, we with our neighbours. compose invitations Since we started, we’ve Since we started, that welcome children, learned the names always good news to o f a l m o s t n i n e t y we know almost parents. We deliver people on our block; 90 people on our them personally door exchanged recipes; to door and try to chat cat sat; smoked fish; block by name, a little at each house received jars of jam exchanged rather than simply drop and pickles; and recipes, cat sat, them into mailboxes. borrowed trucks. But This takes more time the most valuable smoked fish, and effort but we find thing is this: we have received jars of it tends to pay off in grown a network of terms of numbers. intentional relation- jam and pickles, Over the years we ships with people who even borrowed have learned many live nearby, building it things; one of the biglayer by layer with each trucks... gest is that community positive interaction.

It all began when my husband and I building is an ongoing process not an action bought our first home at the corner of you perform once. The process is more like Pembroke and Lydia Street nine years ago. knitting where each positive interaction Being a new home owner brought back adds another layer to the relationship. The memories of the small village community interactions may be as simple as greeting in Ireland where I grew up in Ireland and someone by name as they walk by, baking everyone knew one another. I wondered if something to say thanks, asking for advice, it was possible to build something similar giving support, or taking the time to chat over the garden fence. Every stitch counts on our block of Pembroke.

Our first opportunity came one snowy and what we are knitting is a community.

It is nice to know your neighbours and it December about a year after we moved. We decided to invite everyone on our block to likely creates a safer neighbourhood, but the our house for a lunch of homemade soup! benefits go deeper. In times of a major crisis We created colourful invitations featuring for example, if faced with an earthquake or a photo of my husband, myself and our an accident, it will not be your Facebook house, delivered them to about fifty houses friends you turn to, it may well be your and then waited. We had no idea how many neighbours. It makes sense to invest in would show up but made lots of soup just these relationships now to have something in case. There was a last minute moment to draw on when you need each other most.

Not sure where to start? Just start small, of panic when we discovered a shortage of soup plates, but not to worry, a neighbour say hello, ask a question or invite a neighbour in for coffee. If you would like to talk offered theirs!

The day finally arrived, and forty people about creating community in your neck appeared that first afternoon! Neighbours of the woods, I can be reached at grace@ stood chatting in our kitchen for hours, they gracefulsolutions.ca.

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www.fernwoodnrg.ca

“Our world really will be a better place as people learn to appreciate the benefits of massage and ‘human bodywork,’” muses Roxanne Derkson, owner of Fernwood’s ViVi Therapy. To that end, she founded the Massage Exchange Movement (MEM) in February of 2011. The essence of MEM has been to offer—without charge—‘Learn to Massage’ lessons for anyone who wants to understand and share this wonderfully beneficial way to communicate and heal.

Derkson's premise is that if more people could experience and learn at least one or two short massage routines to help someone feel better and relieve them of some tension or discomfort, the act might be part of a proactive wellness movement for all, not just those enjoying extended medical benefits.

Reflecting on her career of twenty-four years experience as a Registered Massage Therapist, Guild-Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner, Derkson has worked, studied, taught and received bodywork

in many parts of the world. The quality of professional work and the subsequent awareness for the need of such bodywork has steadily increased due to the training standards, competency and regulation.

During FernFest this year, Derkson promoted her ideas at a local level. She and her volunteer crew offered 15 minute massages for $5 and donated the funds raised to Fernwood NRG. “That was one of the most awesome events I have done so far!” she exclaimed. “I trained the volunteers and supervised them throughout the event. We would love to do a repeat and the volunteers have all lined up again, too. If you visit our blog on our website at www.vivitherapy.com you can view our massage videos, meet our volunteers and see what they had to say about their learning experience.”

ViVi Therapy is located at 1608 Camosun Street, just south of Vic High.

They offer Massage Therapy, Craniosacral Therapy, Feldenkrais Movment education and Acupuncture. You can reach them at 250-298-4484.

August 2012

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feature:

Permaculture, not just for hippies

O

n July 8th 2012, NASA satellites saw unprecedented melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet. The ice melt area increased from 40% to 97% in just four days. NASA’s chief scientist Waleed Abdalati said, “When we see melt in places that we haven’t seen before, at least in a long period of time, it makes you sit up and ask what’s happening?”

Climate and weather instability are but two aspects of a changing world that forecasts an unpredictable and uncertain future.

These types of occurrences compel any mind to wonder, “What really is happening?” and to wish for some permanence in our world, or more specifically permanence of humanity.

These uncertainties were just as present over forty years ago when two Australians considered the issues they were facing and began to compile a new design science from the most progressive research and long lasting traditions to address the instabilities that threatened the long term existence of human life. The design science they compiled is called permaculture.

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villagevibe

What permaculturalists are doing is the most important activity that any group is doing on the planet - David Suzuki It’s a word that is being heard, spoken, talked about and practiced more and more these days. In response to the large changes we face permaculture offers practical positive solutions and are scalable for an individual or a region.

What is permaculture? It is an ethical science based design system that is inspired by nature to create regenerative human habitat. Guided by three core ethics and applied through multiple principles, strategies and techniques permaculture looks at nature, with a 4.5 billion track record, to create regenerative systems that benefit all life on the planet.

It’s a lofty goal that’s been succeeding now for over forty years. Called, “a revolution disguised as organic gardening,” permaculture was originally invented for long term stable food production or “ PERMAanet agriCULTURE.” After the first Permaculture Design Certificate course—the mainstay way to learn and practice this design system—the movement spread over the world and the application of permaculture moved from just agriculture to all systems and facets of human life. Now permaculture stands for “permanent culture” or creating long term human existence that is of benefit to all systems on our planet.

David Suzuki calls permaculture, “the

August 2012

most important activity that any group is doing on the planet;” others have called it “the equivalent of a Bachelor’s degree for living in the world today.” Any way you look at this design system it is the most practical knowledge for anyone living today who wants a happy, healthy and wealthy life.

There are few places that embody permaculture theory and practice more than British Columbia. Of all Canadian google searches on the topic, 75% of the searches originate in this province. Of those practicing, Vancouver Island, and the southern gulf islands have more permaculture sites and projects than the rest of Canada combined. Within the city of Victoria, the small but culturally dense neighbourhood of Fernwood provides a living laboratory of experimentation, innovation, and celebration of permaculture in action based on the three (plus one) foundational ethics of the movement.

1. Earth Care: give time and effort to the life support system which keeps you alive Fernwood’s practical and beautiful gardens are known for their shocking ability to produce food, fibre, medicine and sometimes even fuel in fantastically small urban spaces.

›› Javan Bernakevitch

Home to some of the first permaculture designed gardens in the city, this neighbourhood embodies the first ethic of permaculture: it is the land itself that when cared for increases the beneficial ecosystem connections producing the bounty which enrich our lives and upon which we depend.

Geoff Johnson’s Cornucopia Nursery or the Spring Ridge Commons, the oldest Canadian public food forest, demonstrate how permaculture can be used to create personal or public economy and trade while building community at the same time.

2. People Care: giving to those that give to you and the land Humans, despite what we might think to the contrary, are still animals. Further to that we are a herd animal: thriving when in community and suffering when isolated. This ethic relates to how when we consider and engage each other in our lives we increase the number of connections between members and thus the stability and fertility of our community.

Recently a new network was created to help establish permaculture-designed food gardens. The Southern Vancouver Island Permablitz Network connects people wanting to learn about practical permaculture practices and those wanting food gardens for their own use.

On July 1, 2012, fifteen people converted 3700sq ft of lawn into a series of passive water harvesting raised beds and pathway in eight hours. It was an incredible transformation connecting people, the land, skills and education producing a tangible (and delicious!) outcome. It all happened because we considered that the care of the people is one of the highest ethics we can live by.

3. Fair share: setting limits to consumption and redistributing the surplus When abundance is created what do you do with it? When there is too much of something how is it effectively used?

Surplus is given back to the people and

News and views from the heart of Fernwood

the land. Why? It’s where the surplus came from!

Constantly cycling back the abundance of nutrients, ideas or any resource increases the fertility of any system. Instead of “throwing away” the excess of what has taken time and effort to create or acquire this “extra” is reinvested into the people and land that created it in the first place.

This cycling of energy gives more time and resources for the system to produce even more next year and many years down the road.

The Greater Victoria Compost Education Centre is a model for redistributing surplus. Compost is a practical embodiment of the third ethic. Taking the “surplus” nutrients from our food system and turning them into rich humus transforms the yield or output of our food system into the next input; an example of “closing the loop” ensuring the highest amount of energy is retained when there is excess or surplus redirected back into productive use.

4. Transition: we are all in flux and progressing towards our stated ideals More and more there is a fourth ethic being used and taught in permaculture.

The ethic of transition implies that we are moving towards our goals of regenerative sustainability and can help each other along the way. Acknowledging that all systems are evolving allows judgement and unhelpful criticism to be discarded as useless. This ethic is the namesake and application of Transition Towns, a movement that uses permaculture on a municipal scale to increase the resiliency of a geographically-defined community for energy, food and other resources.

When I first learned of the permaculture design, ethics and principles I was astounded by the scope of what permaculture could be used to do for personal and community benefit. As it is a system of thinking and design its applications are only limited by the designer and her or his imagination.

Permaculture BC, the Greater Victoria Compost Education Centre and Fernwood NRG have teamed up to bring Victoria the most accessible Permaculture Design

Certificate course yet. Held over September to November this weekend-based course provides an intense two day education period with classroom instruction, design exercises, power points, lecture, hands on learning, potlucks and more to instil the fundamentals into students. After the weekend, students have two weeks to further their learning and digest what they’ve taken in over two days.

In addition to the classroom education we’ll be guiding students through real life design projects that help them move through the design process. These projects will be based around the Fernwood Community Centre.

As one of the most inexpensive and accessible Permaculture Design Courses in the area, this course brings in some of the most able and practiced instructors in the region to teach and relate.

Permaculture is about seeing the trees for the forest, the forest for the trees and all the fun, life and happiness that can exist in between. It’s about working with nature instead of against nature while still meeting our own personal needs and ensuring abundance for everyone.

If you’re interested in learning more about permaculture or the upcoming design course visit www.permaculturebc. com.

wednesdays thursdays fridays

Bluegrass Pickin’ Parlor Live Music/Art Openings Open Mic

1301 Gladstone Avenue thecornerstonecafe.ca | 250.381.1884

www.fernwoodnrg.ca

August 2012

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literary arts:

garden gleanings:

The Painting of a Girl Picking the right tree ›› Rachel Walker I stay hung on the simple black bracket, forever still, as I wait for someone to glance my way with wanting eyes and a fat wallet. I wonder (as I stare through my thin, straggly bangs) who will release me from my twine cuffs and take me away to a new wall; a wall of new colour and texture, a wall without competition from my brothers and sisters that hang next to me. I have watched one by one as paintings disappear.

Am I beautiful? I am but a woman, but I wonder if the crow is more graceful and if the old lady is more elegant. It won’t be long. I am beautiful, I am graceful and I am elegant. But if so, why do I stay hung on this simple, black bracket?

Who do I appeal to? The old bearded man sipping tea from a chipped ceramic mug as he types away at the slick, black laptop? Or is it the brunette girl in the beige jacket, talking to her blonde friend below me?

I wait day in and out, listening to the sound of laughter, coffee machines and the soft music playing through the café. One day, I will be taken, one day…

This piece was written in response to a writing workshop at the Little Fernwood School of the Arts which explored point of view and narrative. The assignment was to go to the Cornerstone Café and write from the point of view of a person or object there. Rachel Walker wrote from the point of view of a piece of art on the wall.

A Japanese Maple tree (Acer palmatum). Photo: Margaret Hantiuk

mark your calendar:

VSB Party

Good trees & underplantings for city gardens

›› Margaret Hantiuk

(Top) Masala world drum and percussion band. (Bottom) Twisted String fiddlers. Photos: Ed Sum

Sunday, September 9th, 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Victoria High School Plaza

›› Laurie Rubin

we are raising funds for the Community Micro Lending Society with preference given to Fernwood residents as well as the students and grads of Victoria High School.

To donate goods and services, volunteer or perform or for more information please contact the Vining Street Block Party coordinator, Laurie Rubin at 250-9952696 or lrubin@shaw.ca.

Fernwoodians get ready for a party! Get ready for free fun for the whole family.

Mark this date in your calendars: Sunday, September 9th. Join us as we celebrate our vibrant community and Victoria’s 150th anniversary! As always we open the day’s celebrations with our mega garage sale 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. discover treasures as you tour heritage streets of Fernwood (from Bay to Pandora, Cook to Shelbourne).

Tell your kids to get ready for a treasure hunt 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.; clues will be found hidden on painted hydro poles!

Dance to live entertainment at our block party 1:00 p.m. to dusk at the plaza area of Victoria High School. Feast on food, beverages, and desserts at our community barbeque. Indulge in a giant silent auction 2:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. enjoy exhibits, children’s acts, puppets, face painting, clowns, and a treasure hunt.

Support this year’s community initiative; page 6

villagevibe

August 2012

We all love trees and know their value for cleaning our air; providing privacy, habitats for birds, fruit and flowers; and for increasing our property values. There are better choices of trees for our small city lots: some trees are too large, too messy and not drought tolerant—not good in our usually dry summers.

Do your research to find the right plant for the right spot: sun/shade, soil, and ample room for it to grow in its natural way.

Look for specimens in good nurseries and garden shops (not pot bound, good foliage and not already ruined with a poor pruning job). Plant the tree properly: dig a wider, shallow hole and place the tree at the exact same level as in the pot, backfill with the native soil, and mulch on top with a 2” layer of good compost/leaf mold. Remember to remove any netting, burlap or wires and tease out roots. Water well (deeply and less often) through the first two summers, especially in the early summer when growth is greatest, and remember to mulch annually.

Here are trees that are too large or create too dense a shade for small gardens as nothing will grow underneath: Horse chestnut (Ausculus), beech (Fagus, unless the upright ‘fastigiata’), hornbeam (Carpinus betulis), Magnolia grandiflora (use the smaller magnolias), ironwood (Parrotia persica), flowering cherry (Prunus), weeping willow (Salix), red oak (Quercus rubra), service tree (Sorbus domestica), sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus), crabapple (malus), Norway maple (Acer platanoides), poplars and of course, most full size conifers. There are many small conifers now that are fine for small gardens and hedging. Avoid our native cedar and walnuts, which emit toxic secretions at root level.

Some lovely trees do not create a dense shade but grow so quickly they need frequent watering such as birches, dogwoods, poplars, and willows. Mulching heavily under these trees and using

containers to grow anything underneath, thus less competition for moisture, will help. Most of these are messy over walks and parked cars.

Small ornamental trees considered best for city gardens are: paperback maple (Acer griseum), paper mulberry (Broussonetica papifyra), Pacific dogwood (Cornus nuttallii), golden chain tree (Koelreuteria paniculata), golden locust (Robinia pseudoacaccia ‘Frisia’), Japanese pagoda tree (Sorphora japonica), and Himalayan whitebeam (sorbus vestila). Always look for smaller cultivars of any tree that you would like in your garden.

Trees can be carefully pruned to let in more light. This does not mean shearing which is only done with hedges. If a tree is too big for its site or has been planted too close to a house, walk or drive, it should be removed and replaced with a better choice.

Proper pruning first means removing the “three D’s”: dead, diseased, and damaged wood.

Proper pruning first means removing the “three D’s”: dead, diseased, and damaged wood. Limbs may be carefully removed here and there and the ‘canopy’ lifted by removing the lower branches (not with conifers, though). Never remove more than 1/3 of a tree in one season, and early spring or late July are ideal times to prune.

Small shade tolerant shrubs that can be planted under trees: box (Buxus), Euonymus, Mahonia, Berberis, Aucuba japonica, yew (Taxus), sweet box ( Sarcococca), snowberry, Berberis and box honeysuckle.

Shade tolerant perennials are: Epimediium ( barrenwort), Fragaria (ornamental strawberry), Gaultheria shallon (salal), Cranesbill (hardy geranium), Lamium galeobdon, Lirioipe, Ophiopogon (mondo grass), Pachysandra terminalis (spurge), Waldsteinia, hostas, ferns (especially sword fern), some ornamental grasses and sedges, and spring bulbs that come out before deciduous trees leaves do.

News and views from the heart of Fernwood

FERNWOOD NRG FALL PROGRAMS SEPTEMBER - DECEMBER 2012 (Reg) Registration Required

(DI) Drop In

MONDAY

Parent and Baby Play Group (DI) Ongoing, 9:30am - 11:30am Kundalini Yoga & Meditation (DI) Sept 10th - Dec 17th, 6:00pm - 7:15pm Victoria Street Soccer (DI) Sept 10th - Dec 17th, 6:00pm - 7:00pm LifeRing Secular Recovery (DI) Ongoing, 6:45pm - 8:00pm Okinawan Karate (Reg) Sept 10th - Dec 17th, 7:30pm - 9:30pm Dao Source Kendo (Reg) Sept 10th - Dec 17th, 7:30pm - 9:30pm

TUESDAY

Parent and Tot Play Group (DI) Ongoing, 9:30am - 11:30am Victoria Bootcamp (Reg) Nov 6th - Dec 18th, 5:30pm - 6:30pm Iyengar Yoga (DI/Reg) Sept 11th - Dec 18th, 5:30pm - 6:30pm Floor Hockey (DI) Sept 4th - Dec 18th, 7:00pm - 9:45pm Hula Hoop Dance Class (Reg) Sept 4th - Dec 18th, 8:00pm - 9:30pm

WEDNESDAY

Mother Goose (Reg) Sept 12th - Nov 14th, 10:00am - 11:30am Child Care Provider Program (Reg) every other Wed starting Sept 5, 9:30am - 11:30am Best Babies (Reg) Ongoing, 12:00pm - 3:00pm Good Food Box Pick Up, every other Wed starting Sept 12th, 1:00pm - 5:30pm Nuu Chah Nulth Drumming (Closed Group) Ongoing, 7:00pm - 10:00pm

THURSDAY

Parent & Tot Play Group (DI) Ongoing, 9:30am - 11:30am Best Babies (Reg) Ongoing, 12:00pm - 3:00pm Victoria Bootcamp (Reg) Nov 8th - Dec 20th, 5:30pm - 6:30pm Iyengar Yoga (Reg) Sept 13th - Dec 20th, 5:30pm - 6:30pm Laughter Yoga (Reg) Sept 13th - Dec 20th, 7:00pm - 8:00pm Victoria Sport & Social Club (Reg), Sept 6th - Dec 20th, 7:00pm - 9:30pm Okinawan Karate (Reg) Sept 6th - Dec 20th, 7:30pm -9:30pm Beginners Improvisation Theatre (Reg) Sept 13th - Nov 15th, 7:30pm - 9:00pm

FRIDAY

Autumn Glow (DI) Ongoing, 12:00pm - 2:30pm Frizilla Friday Youth Group (DI) Ongoing, 6:30pm - 9:00pm

SATURDAY

Permaculture Design Certificate (Reg) every 2nd Sat starting Sept 1, 9:00am - 9:00pm Parent Child Mother Goose (Reg) Sept 15th - Nov 17th, 11:00am - 12:30pm Aviva Method Dance Therapy (Reg) Sept 15, 29, Oct 13, Nov 10, 24, 10:00am - 2:00pm

SUNDAY

Permaculture Design Certificate (Reg) every 2nd Sun starting Sept 2, 9:00am - 5:00pm Muttley Crew Freestyle Club (Closed Group) Sept 16th - Dec, 6:00pm - 8:00pm

No classes September 3rd, October 8th, November 11th & 12th.

Holiday closure from December 24th to January 1st.

SPECIAL EVENTS

For more information contact:

Carole James Open House - Sept 5th Anarchist Bookfair - Sept 8th & 9th CB Booking All Ages Show - Sept 22nd Frizilla Friday Back to School BBQ - Sept 14th CB Booking Fest All Ages Show - Oct 6th Owl Designer Fair - Nov 30th & Dec 1st Cycling Coalition Christmas Light Ride - Dec 15th

Fernwood Community Centre 1240 Gladstone Ave, Victoria, BC, V8T 1G6 T 250.381.1552 F 250.381.1509 info@fernwoodnrg.ca | fernwoodnrg.ca

"My son always came out of his session happy and engaged and always looked forward to it. Tamara provided a respectful and secure environment to explore different communication styles." www.littlefernwoodschoolofthearts.com

1294 Gladstone Ave.

tonicspa@gmail.com www.tonicspatique.com

Tonic n • herbal concoction that refreshes and restore Spa n • facilities devoted to health, beauty, & relaxation Tique n • (from the word boutique) specialized services & products

Price List Massage

30 min•$45 45 min•$60 60 min•$75 90 min•$115

Waxing

Brow•$20 Lip•$10 Cheek•$15 Chin•$15 Underarm•$15 Half Arm•$25 Full Arm•$50 Bikini•$20 & up Brazillian•$40 & up Lower Leg•$25 Upper Leg•$35 Full Leg•$65 Chest•$25 & up Back•$30 & up

Scrubs

full body 75 min • $95 back & arm 45 min • $65 lower leg & foot 30 min • $45

Tinting

Lash•$30 Brow•$15

Threading

brows • $20 & up lip • $10 chin • $12 neck • $12 sideburns • $20 hairline • $10 & up fullface $ 33 & up

Facials

30 min•$45 60 min•$75 90 min•$115

Ref lexology 45 min•$55 90min•$95

Zamian Sells Fernwood For more information on buying and selling real estate in Fernwood please visit ZamianSellsFernwood.com

Make Up

Application•$40 Application & Lesson•$60

Lash extentions demi • $35 full • $70

250.514.1533 (direct) FERNWOOD’S REAL ESTATE EXPERT

www.fernwoodnrg.ca

August 2012

villagevibe

page 7

Scene in Fernwood : Local fare in an urban square

3 R D A N N U A L F E R N W O O D B I T E S - J U N E 24, 2012 P H O T O S : T R E V O R B E N N E T T