Saw this upholstered tree stump on Boing Boing today and thought it would be a great public art project for my friends at the Vancouver Public Space Network to take up. Artist Madelon Galland started the STUMP Project in New York City to “activate spaces that have been under neglect” and “participate with what is […]
Resistance is fertile
Inspiration overload
As I mentioned last week, a guerilla gardening group recently formed in Vancouver. We met last weekend, and I’ve been thinking about how to introduce the group to Heavy Petal readers. You see, there are just so many cool people involved! It’s inspiring and exciting. First, there’s our founder and fearless leader, Oren, a landscape […]
Roundup dangers censored
Up for a little conspiracy theorizing this lovely Friday morning? Check out Project Censored‘s Top 25 Censored Stories of 2007 (“The news that doesn’t make the news”). Of particular interest to gardeners, number 13: New Evidence Establishes Dangers of Roundup: New studies from both sides of the Atlantic reveal that Roundup, the most widely used […]
Vancouver guerilla gardeners meet-up
I found out about a new guerilla gardening troop in Vancouver through the recently-formed Vancouver Public Space Network. If you’re a local and you’re interested in issues and advocacy surrounding public space, you should check them out. Sign up for their e-newsletter while you’re there. It’s a great way to keep your finger on the […]
Retail therapy week – day three
As long as you’re spending your hard-earned cash, you may as well spend it on something that’s good not only for your mood but for the earth, independent artists and the community. I love the symbolism and irony behind Plant the Piece, a shotgun-shaped seed bomb blasting annual and perennial wildflowers such as cornflower, Shasta […]
Remembering
Today is December 6. It’s been 17 years since a single gunman entered a classroom at l’Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, separated the men from the women, and opened fire. Fourteen women died simply because of their gender. In Canada, we remember this as the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. And […]
Van Dusen Gardens suffers snow damage
All the snow over the past couple days has been rough on our city’s trees. But perhaps the worst of it is that Van Dusen Gardens, a 22-hectare botanical garden in the heart of Vancouver, has suffered extensive damage. The Garden is reporting damage to over three dozen species of tree, both native and exotic. […]
Edible Garden Project
I met some people from the Edible Garden Project at my farmer’s market the other day. One part GWA Plant-a-Row-for-the-Hungry, one part local activism, the Edible Garden Project is based on Vancouver’s North Shore, but has potential for duplication anywhere. The Edible Garden Project seeks out unused garden space both on private and public property, […]