authenticity and perfectionism

I've been reading 'The Gifts of Imperfection' by Brené Brown.

What a great book, full of ideas to help us develop our self-awareness and encourage us to embrace our vulnerability in order to live a more courageous and authentic life....and so therefore, a happier life.  Lots of inspiration here for me.

I'm especially interested in the concept of shame resilience and the idea that to be human is to experience shame.  So it's not about if we do or don't feel shame but whether we're aware of it when it's happening (or not) and then if we are aware, what we do with that feeling and how we move with it.  There are choices to be made and things to be learned. Good stuff!!

Brené Brown's website is full of good stuff too.  (I like following the blog and you may too.)

And if this all looks interesting to you, you'll probably enjoy this TEDTalk video.


Lots has been said about the garden as a metaphor for life.  Gardens show us the many gifts of imperfection, oh yes they do!

So here's to our authentic creativity blossoming in the garden along with those flowers, fruits and veggies. Garden on!

a summer wedding on Mayne Island

Most weddings on Mayne Island happen in the summertime when couples can take advantage of the beautiful natural landscape and warm sunshine to gather outdoors with their family and friends for happy times.

Michele-Lee and Clint were married at Oceanwood last July.  The ceremony circle was on a grassy clearing looking south to the ocean.  I created four flower arrangements that represented the four directions: North, South, East, West using four colours: red, purple, yellow and white.  We placed another neutral green arrangement in the center of the circle where the bride and the groom stood with the officiant.  Guests all stood around the four directions creating the circle while a special couple (parents and siblings) stood at each direction and read something they'd prepared for the event.

Michele-Lee's bouquet was mostly orange (her favourite colour) with chartreuse which worked well with all the other ceremony arrangement colours.

It was really pretty....what a beautiful day!

Behind the scenes:  the table centerpieces in process.  From the garden: sunflowers with grapevine, lady's mantle and feverfew for a sunny day at a casually stylish afternoon wedding reception.  Loved it!
The tall arrangement adorned a table with the guest book at the entrance to Oceanwood. Salal with berries (a flora ode to Mayne Island), astilbe, hydrangea and green tassels amaranth.

All boxed up and ready to be delivered.

A table centerpiece decorating the dessert table at Oceanwood.  Very Mayne Island natural.

I really dig these iron urn arrangements.  White astilbe flowers and spearmint with clematis vine, flowers and buds.

Michele-Lee, Clint and I got together the day before wedding day to map out where the four direction arrangements and ceremony circle would go.  We measured and set the direction points.  Then we wanted to create the outline of the circle to subtly and naturally lead all the guests to gather around it.  We began by setting down pebbles to join the directions and create the outline.  Clint had the idea to gather some dried grass that was lying around after being cut a few days before and he set it down along the outline of the circle.  Brilliant!  It looked great and felt beautifully natural. ....and I was thrilled to be having a bit of an Andy Goldsworthy moment too!

A couple days after the wedding M-L and C dropped in at the garden on their way to the ferry to say goodbye and thanks with a lovely card, a bottle of wine and a gift certificate for dinner at Oceanwood.  Wow!  So nice.  They made me feel very special.....I'm so lucky to get to work on weddings here on Mayne Isl. Thanks M-L and C!!

photo #1, #2 and #5  by Valeskca Photography.
If you're considering a wedding on Mayne Island feel free to contact me with any questions you have.  I'd love to help!
More photos of last summer's weddings to come.

seeds and sweet peas

It's always fun when a seed order arrives in the mail. 

I discovered Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds a couple years ago and this year, I made an order for the first time.  I ordered their new book too. (take a look!)
So much good stuff from these folks, especially for those who want to learn about growing open-pollinated varieties so they can save their own seed.

(by the way, if you live in my Canadian neck of the woods, there are lots of local heirloom seed sellers to discover at Seedy Saturdays in Victoria and Vancouver) 

Seed is hot stuff these days!

I like how Baker Creek sells a good selection of sweet pea seed in individual colours rather than a lot of  mixes...good for me when I'm growing for market. And the heirlooms have a stronger fragrance. So as soon as I got the box, I was in the greenhouse sowing the sweet pea seed that I found inside.

 I hope to have lots of lovely colours this summer for the Farmer's Market and for the early summer weddings.  I offered up little bundles like this one at the Farmer's Market last summer.  They sold out  in the first hour.  Beautiful and oh my....the fragrance!  I plan to have lots more this year!

Striking, bold colours are my favourites.  When I first started gardening, I had a bad attitude about sweet peas...didn't like 'em.  I only really ever knew of the pastel mixes but then I saw some of the these rich beauties and now I just can't get over them!  Real eye catchers both in the garden and in bouquets.

well, ok some pastels are beautiful too when in a bundle all on their own  : )

Last year I ordered my single colour sweet pea seeds from Thompson and Morgan.  The above colours are 'Midnight', 'Matucana', 'Apricot Sprite', and 'Orange Dragon'.....love the names!...almost as good as paint colour names.  

The lighter lilac blooms were from seeds I picked up at the garden shop 'Dig This' in Victoria (impulse buy!)  They're from Renee's Garden, 'Mary Lou Heard'.  

This year, I'm starting 'Black Knight', 'Miss Willmott', and 'King Edward VII'.....and a few others.....

If you want to grow some of these gorgeous, frilly, fragrant beauties, now's a nice time to get them going inside for a good start...I soak the seeds overnight first.