My Bit of Heaven - by Kristl Walek

[Kristl Walek]

I know you all know how large Canada is---but sometimes even I need a reminder. From Newfoundland in the east to Vancouver Island, BC in the west is about 7,300km.

From where I am near Ottawa, Ontario to Vancouver, BC (where I am flying tomorrow to visit my son) is
about 4,600km. I will pack one book on the woody species of western Canada---as there may be some time to collect some seed in the week I am there.

I think Indian Summer may happen in Ontario while I am gone---temperatures on the day I leave begin rising again to 20C, and at the Vancouver end (the tropics of Canada) it will be 10C when I arrive. Hmmm.

[Lesley Cox]

More fabulous posts of Canada's trees and landscapes. Kristl I can see why trees are your "thing." I hope you'll be taking your camera on the trip west. (As if you'd forget it )

[Kristl Walek]

I've just returned from my Vancouver trip, and will post a short visual of my sojourn in the travel section as soon as I catch my breath.

As I arrived at my driveway in the wee hours of the morning following my flight home, I realized that much had happened in my brief absence. About half the maple leaves were on the ground --- and some trees were already entirely bare. As I suspected, I had missed a glorious Indian Summer while I was gone and temperatures are now on their way down again and soon I will be looking at naked tree limbs.

[Kristl Walek]

Most of the deciduous trees are now bare. And even though snow is predicted this week, I am nowhere near finished with the seed collecting or cleaning. It's my most pressured time of the year. In the midst of the fleury of crazy activity, I paused to admire the very last native species to flower in the garden.

Seed from last autumn's bloom of Hamamelis virginiana (which takes a year to form and ripen) was collected a few weeks ago and now the yellow flowers brighten the days again.

[Linda_Foulis]

I absolutely love Hamamelis!  I've tried growing them previously but that was the year before we moved so I don't know if they ever came up.  I would like to try again, but faced with another move......  How long do the seeds stay viable Kristl, do you know?  Do you think they would last in storage until next fall to be planted out?

[Kristl Walek]

No problem with viability for a year---can also freeze the seed to be sure. Seed operates in two-year cycles, so won't have it again for a while (2 years from now).

Linda, I was just obsessing about Clematis columbiana and occidentalis (verticillaris)---do they grow wild in your part of Alberta?

[Kristl Walek]

It did snow last night...the earliest I can remember. One would not have known this morning, however, except for a wet, mushy feeling everywhere.

Although the maple leaves are mostly on the ground now, turning crispy and brownish, there is still colour to be seen.

Most notably, the yellows of the Larix thyphina, especially wonderful when contrasted to the dark greens of other close-by conifers. The pictures are all taken on my property, where I have about two dozen native and exotic Larches.

The gates near the entrance to my nursery are now a blaze of red and orange, as the berries of the Celastrus have finally split.

The berries of Viburnum trilobum are still intact and of the deepest red-red.

I must not forget to collect the overdue Canada Moonseed tomorrow (Menispermum canadense).

[Kristl Walek]

Cleaning large quantities of Asclepias is never easy or fast---and while my technique is still labour intensive, it is nothing compared to dealing with a large bag of well-dryed fluff to which the seeds are still attached.

I try to collect the pods when they have begun to split, but are not yet open.

Gently open the pod at the pointed end, and tightly grasp the entire fluffy mass, which will emerge in one piece with the seeds displayed.

With the other hand, milk the seeds off into a bowl and discard the fluff.

[Kristl Walek]

Some of this morning's native wild seed collecting included Kalmia angustifolia, Rhododendron canadense and groenlandicum, Chamaedaphne calyculata, Clematis virginiana, Cephalanthus occidentalis, Decodon verticillata, Lobelia inflata, Lysimachia, Rudbeckia lacininiata, Potentilla fructicosa, Carpinus caroliniana, Andropogon gerardii and others.

The large bags are full of the fluff of Asters and Solidago (never, ever fun to clean). The extraneous material (leaves, twigs, sticks) must be removed. Once down to pure fluff, masks are put on and the hand rubbing begins until the tiny seed detaches from the fluff.

Tilia americana is the reverse; easy to clean, laborous to collect.

I wish you could have been with me in the wild to see the Juniperus virginiana clone that yielded this amazing crop of berries---it was entirely blue from a distance, so heavy was the crop. A rare occurence.

And the berries: Celastrus scandens, Viburnum acerifolium, Vaccinium oxycoccus.

[Kristl Walek]

Sometimes I actually have company--as I did this afternoon. On these rare occasions, the work gets ignored, but the talk about plants is intense.

Graham Page (on the right); a retired Forestry man, formerly a consultant with the government of Canada, came into my life as a volunteer some 5 years ago. He has now become an indispensable part of Gardens North, as my right-hand seed collecting partner and the co-author of our "in progress" book on the native plants of eastern Canada.

David White is a local botanist and site consultant who has built a great database of the native plants of Lanark County, where he lives.

http://www.lanarkflora.com/index.html

This is in my local area, where I spend much time seed collecting. David has helped us tremendously with locating particular species in the wild and now that we are equipped with GPS, the task of finding these plants in obscure spots has become significantly easier.

[art600]

Kristl

As always informative, beautiful images and hope for the future.

[Paddy Tobin]

Kristl,

A beautiful display of autumn colour. I was particularly happy to see the Hamamelis virginiana as I have a small plant, 4feet, which I grew from seed and am looking forward to seeing it flower soon.

Celastrus scandens must be the toughest of tough plants. I have five plants in three inch pots for the past 5 years. They have simply been thrown in a corner until I settle on a position for them and have not only survived but have thrived. I have a row of big trees which I think may play host to some of them quite shortly.

Paddy

[Kristl Walek]

There has been a lot of turmoil in my life the past 18 months, but today is a particularly sad day. I am leaving soon to fly to Michigan for the funeral of my mom. She passed away yesterday in an accident in a handicapped van; was thrown from her wheelchair and died instantly. She has been very ill for a very long time, but I never thought this is how I would lose her.

She was my mom, but also my gardening mentor; the person who always kept me close to wild places as a child and cultivated my love of nature, wildflowers and unspoiled spaces.

The very first print catalogue I produced for my seed business in 1992 had a dedication to her on the inside front cover stating that it was through her eyes and hands I came to know my preferred place in nature. 

I am spending the time before I go reading posts here, to soothe myself, and, as usual, it will be the garden that will ultimately heal me.

[Maggi Young]

Dear goodness, Kristl, what a terrible thing. I know your dear Mother had suffered greatly but what a tragic end to her life. Our very fondest wishes are with you at this sad, sad time. Take our best wishes with you on your last journey to your Mom and come back to us whenever you need some company.
I am so very grateful that you have your little bit of heaven to comfort you and restore your spirits at such times.
Fondest, fondest hugs....Maggi  xxx

[Paddy Tobin]

Kristl,

Regardless of the fact that the years pass, and we age, mother is still mother and the loss is always a great  and upsetting one even though we know it is one whick will come inevitably.

My sincerest sympathy on this sad occasion.

Paddy