Native Plants Presentation April 13, 2019

On Saturday, April 13^th, the Tahsis Community Garden Society welcomed biologist Todd Carnahan to Tahsis.  

That afternoon, Todd did a walk-around at our community garden with eight garden members.  Under the shelter of large umbrellas, we discussed invasive species (blackberries), food sources (poplar trees!), the importance of recognising our unique and rich environment, soil erosion as it relates to salmon habitat, and wildlife interactions.  

At the evening presentation ‘Gardening with Native Plants’, Todd’s knowledge, humour and suggestions were very well received by all those in attendance.  Todd shared many outstanding photographs including photos of the edible Camas lily, Oregan grape and the four varieties of wild crab apples – some of which may be found around our Leiner Estuary.   To view Todd’s photos, visit his website Todd Carnahan Photography.  

It was interesting to hear how the indigenous peoples harvested, nurtured and preserved edible plants for untold generations; a matriarchal passing of knowledge.   Living in an area rich in natural resources from the land and sea, natives had a very different way of cultivating food than the European practices with which we are more familiar. 

Participants learned that the bumble bee is superior to the honey bee in terms of pollination, and that the top three plants for pollinators are lavender, rhododendron and white clover.  Heather provides good, early season blooms for bees, and beneficial flowers of asters and goldenrod make a stunning colour presentation of blue and gold.

The topic of invasive plants was touched upon, with examples such as broom and the evil tansy ragwort.  Todd suggested a visit to the Invasive Species Council of BC website, https://bcinvasives.ca/ as a great resource about invasive species, and best practices for dealing with them.  

Of special note, Todd brought with him a very old nautical chart of Kyuquot Sound.  He presented it as a gift to the Tahsis Heritage Society, who were exceptionally pleased.  To end his visit to Tahsis, Heritage Society directors Maureen Roth and Judy Burgess gave Todd and his companion a private tour of the museum on Sunday.  When the Tahsis Museum re-opens this summer, be sure to stop in to view this chart from 1863.  

We are very grateful to Todd Carnahan for making this trip up to Tahsis, and offer sincere thanks to the Tahsis Literacy Society for funding the event, to the Tahsis Seniors Centre for making their facilities available, to the volunteers of the Tahsis Community Garden Society who organized the event, and to the villagers of Tahsis who came out on a blustery Spring night to attend the presentation.  

Thanks all, and happy gardening.

January Updates

Welcome new members, Lynn Mohr, Janet St. Denis and Chuck St. Denis. 

Ten members attended the January General Meeting and the minutes have been emailed.  

Of note - there are 2 garden related conferences coming up.  The first is the National Farm to School Conference, May 15-17 in Victoria.  This one is on the island, so no ferries!  If you are interested or know of someone who might be, please share the link with them.  

The second conference is presented by the BC Council of Garden Clubs, of which we have been a member since the garden's inception.  BCCGC is offering a free Visioning Workshop in Surrey on February 23rd. If you happen to be on the mainland, this will be a great learning opportunity.   

We still need a volunteer to manage the Mason Bees.  This is a simple chore and ideal for someone not able to do heavier work, like blackberry slaying.  A job description has been provided by email to all members.  

Thanks and Happy Gardening! 

And we have a Winner!

Congratulations to Doreen Towle who won the mason bee house and garden whimsy raffle. Thank you to Catherine and Lynda for manning the TCGS table at the Spring Bazaar. 

We had a lot  of people support our local fundraising garlic bed by signing up for purchase of garlic when it is ready to be harvested. This money will help with the ongoing maintenance and expansion costs of the Tahsis Community Garden. 

Thank you to everyone that supported our raffle and looking forward to our harvest of Local Organic Garlic for those who signed up. 


If you missed the sign up sheet  at the bazaar please call Kim Anderson 250 934 6465 or any of our executives or garden members to add your name to the list and we will contact you when it is ready. It will also be available at the Local.

All the big beds are taken but there are some tabletop beds still available.  Can’t wait to see what everyone is growing this year!

Cheers,
Kimberley Anderson
TCGS President

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