garden gleanings: Saving water & plans for a winter garden

›› Kayla Siefried, Compost Education Centre

While we here in Victoria have had coolish evenings and skies clear of smoke, if you tune into any news you’re bound to hear about the stage 4 to 5 drought conditions across the province (5 being the highest) and forest fires raging in Central and Northern BC. Surprisingly, 70% of the water that is used in the CRD is used by households, while the remaining 30% is industrial, commercial, and institutional use.

So, what’s an individual to do?

Start with being mindful—are you using unnecessary amounts of water in your garden, to wash your dishes, to clean your body and cloths? Then act! Here are some top tips for reducing water waste in the garden & home:

Water your garden deeply, and less often, this will encourage deep resilient plant roots which can deal with short periods of drought. Cover your soil with deep layers of leaf or straw mulch (all year round!).

Skip grass watering (let it go dormant) or replace lawns with native plant gardens which require far less water.

Keep a couple small buckets in your shower and in the kitchen sink to harvest excess water from showers, dish washing, veggie washing to water to houseplants, flowers, and ornamentals outside.

Wash clothes only when they are really dirty and use short cycles—same goes for your body!

Let your yellow mellow!

On another gardening topic, now is the time to get ready for a winter garden. Feels strange in the middle of summer, but timing is everything and now is the time to sow winter lettuce, collards, kales, radishes, and spinach for eating all winter long. Saturday, August 12th from 10am1pm in Haegert Park is the day to come to the CEC’s August Organic Plant Sale to purchase all manner of organic winter veggie starts like purple sprouting broccoli, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts. There will also be beautiful live pedal powered music. See you there!

Join us on Saturday, September 16th

›› Jesse Wallis

Join us on Saturday, September 16th for a celebration of the bountiful late summer harvest from 10am to 4pm.

We will have activities running from 10am onwards including a ‘Planning and Community Orchard’ workshop hosted by the City of Victoria (preregister for this with the City of Victoria), Fernwood Community Centre garden and orchard tour & harvest, community apple pressing, native seed ball making, and—in the spirit of gathering—a community potluck starting at 12pm. Bring your bottles and jugs to take home freshly pressed apple juice with fruit donated from Lifecycles. You can also bring your own apples from your apple trees to press.

The day of community frolicking will be rounded off with Fernwood NRG’s annual AGM meeting which members of the public are encouraged to participate in.

Fernwood NRG’s AGM will be held from 2pm to 2:30pm at the Fernwood Community Centre at 1240 Gladstone Avenue. If you would like to become a member for Fernwood NRG, you can sign up fernwoodnrg.ca/become-a-member It’s free.

We hope to see you there!

›› Kathryn Juricic

We are bustling with a jam-packed schedule of diverse summer events at Little Fernwood from punk music, eclectic art, spoken word, art bazaars, and yoga.

Starting off the month on August 1 st and 2nd, Little Fernwood Gallery is hosting the “Transforming Supports Summer Art Group” featuring work from 10 to 17-yearolds. Don’t miss hyping the youth in our community and their creative endeavors!

On August 4th Little Fernwood will go back to its roots as a mecca for punk shows: check out Dead Rights, Thraddash, Wolf Venom, and Danger Box.

Th en on August 11th, Chicago-based garage power pop band North by North performs at Paul Phillips Hall, with support from local bands Peanut Butter Telephone, The Poubelles, and FaultLine.

From singing to spoken word, on August 16th the hall will showcase Indigenous voices and land stewardship, with a focus on stories at Fairy Creek. There will be monthly Wild Prose Readings that highlight local authors, August 24th and September 25th.

Stretch your mind and body every Tuesday morning for Yoga Babes class from 11am-12:30pm.

And something we must mention but is outside our doors, our neighbour at CREAM is hosting another market in Fernwood Square on August 26th. We love the CREAM Bazaar!

Little Fernwood Gallery will return to its regularly scheduled programming featuring monthly artist, Alysha Farling-Futterman. (You may have seen her enchanting work on the FernFest Field of Dreams!) Working with collected materials—found, discarded, and personal—she creates miniature inner worlds that are inspired by her childhood.

The Little Fernwood Gallery is now accepting applications for artists to showcase their work in 2024. The deadline for applications is August 31st, 2023. Check out our website for more details.

Got a show you’d love to host in Little Fernwood? Every Saturday night in August is available! Book your event today or sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on events, land use, neighbourhood happenings, and more at thefca.ca

Fernwood Nrg Fall Programs

SEPTEMBER - DECEMBER 2023

›› Fernwood NRG

We so happy to welcome Jesse Margolus to our Board of Directors! Jesse is an accomplished and dedicated Project Management Professional with over a decade of experience in successfully managing diverse full-cycle projects. His expertise spans various areas, including negotiating and transferring land to First Nations, leading initiatives in affordable housing, and contributing to food security projects. Jesse recently joined BC Public Service nearly two years ago and currently works with the Ministry of Indigenous Relations.

Jesse is excited to join a diverse team of community members at Fernwood NRG and hopes to bring his work and past board experience to help support the organization at an important time of strategic planning. As a former Chairperson at LifeCycles Project Society, where he actively participated in reimagining food systems in Greater Victoria, Jesse brings a unique perspective and a wealth of knowledge to the table.

Residing in Fernwood for over a decade, Jesse has deeply integrated into the community, experiencing life both as a renter and a homeowner. This firsthand understanding of the area and its connections makes him all the more committed to Fernwood NRG’s mission and goals. Beyond his professional commitments, Jesse’s heart lies with his family, including his almost 2-year-old toddler. In his leisure time, he enjoys spending time with his family, staying active in the great outdoors, and cultivating his passion for growing food.