Back from Vancouver

I just returned from a solo sojourn to Vancouver where it was rainy and green, unlike Toronto the city I left just after a snowstorm and returned to in a snowstorm. In fact it has been so snowy here in Toronto I almost didn’t make it back. Previous flights that day had been canceled and when I did get in (at 1am) it was chaos in the airport.

I arrived in Vancouver on a rare sunny afternoon. The mountains were spectacular in clear view. Wendy, the show’s host picked me up from the airport. I regaled her with tales of a previous trip to Vancouver in which I was put up in a lavish suite-with-a-view at the Granville Island Hotel. I had two televisions to myself! The place was so big I felt like I should have a small family living there with me. And what do you know, when I opened my hotel room door this time around it too was a suite but even BIGGER, complete with two televisions, a kitchenette, a dining table, a huge balcony and a small walk-in closet. COME ON! I instantly felt kind of ridiculous about how much I had gone on and on about the insanity of that last suite — Wendy had kept quiet and didn’t say a word the entire time.

Here are a few photos of the set that I took on the day of the shoot.

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The set.

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Host Wendy Russell and myself after a full day of shooting. I am looking rather shiny and make-uped here. I just can’t get used to seeing myself with television face paint.

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My very favourite prop on the set, a bottle of “Gee Your Hair Smells Terrific” shampoo.

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We made the “Homegrown Stones” leafy stepping stones project from the You Grow Girl book (page 20-21).

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Wendy and the director, Rebbecca discuss.

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They used a dolly to shoot the wide shots. I can’t tell you how much this pleased me.

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This was made by one of the production gals as a gift to celebrate the show’s second season, but when I saw it I thought it made a genius birthday present. Think about it: one gift that covers you off for a whole decade of gift giving!

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Gardens Illustrated Dec 2007

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-from December 2007 issue of BBC’s Garden’s Illustrated magazine.

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    “Sassy and savvy in its approach, Canadian garden website You Grow Girl has nurtured a thriving online community since it was established in 2000. With regular entries by site creator Gayla Trail, attractive images and lively forums, You Grow Girl is fresh, funny and unconventional — and all the better for it. “

- page 95

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Hello Vancouver!

I’ll be heading your way next week to do a garden craft segment on the new HGTV craft show “She’s Crafty.” I was able to have dinner with a bunch of You Grow Girl readers and members last time I was in Vancouver 2 years ago so I thought it would be good to do the same this time around, albeit a little less formal.

    When: Tues. Feb 5, 2008.
    4:45-6:45pm

    Where: Rhizome Cafe
    317 East Broadway, Vancouver (Main and Broadway area)

I’m trying to make this as informal and easy as possible. Basically, how this is going to work is that I plan to hang out in the cafe for 2 hours drinking delicious coffee and eating snacks (so that all the caffeine doesn’t make me jittery and nuts). Stop by for five minutes or come for the duration. It’s your call. Bring any seeds you’d like to trade!

Envelopes filled with cash money will also be accepted.

The exciting thing about traveling within my own country, besides the fact that it is my duty as a Canadian or some such, AND besides NOT having to stand in a grueling customs line at the airport explaining my reason for travel blah blah blah, is that I can bring seeds on the plane with me to trade AND I can bring some home too. It’s probably a good thing (both in terms of protecting our planet’s ecology and my wallet) that I am legally forced to enact a Look, Don’t Touch and Definitely No Bringing Anything Back policy when I travel into the U.S, but all of that withholding sure is painful. Anyways, all of this to say Bring Your Extra Seeds!!

See you next week.

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Green Minds Project (2008)

Photo by Gayla Trail

I wrote a while back about a body of photographic work I am slowly building called Green Minds Project.

A quick recap:

    Green Minds is a portrait project exploring gardeners and their passion for growing greenery. I am seeking to validate all kinds of gardening practice. This includes anything from a sprawling lush paradise to a single plant growing in a coffee can. Gardens include but are not limited to: community gardens, allotments, backyards, balconies, rooftops, front yards, containers on a patio or street corner, store windows, fire escapes, windowsills, guerilla gardens….

As spring approaches and my schedule for 2008 starts to unfold I am seeking new subjects for the project. Since I live in Toronto I am primarily limited to gardeners in this area. However, I am going to be in San Francisco and Austin, Texas this coming spring and would love to take advantage of those trips to schedule some photo shoots. Other trips may pop up so do not hesitate to get in touch regardless of where you are. I am seeking a diverse group of gardeners and gardens to photograph. Skill level and the maturity of the garden do not matter. I don’t care if your garden is as small as a basil plant in a tin cup. I want to take your picture and hear your story!

Please email me: Your contact info, a few words about the garden and the gardener and the location.

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2007 Warm Winter Wear Drive – Update

2007 Warm Winter Wear Drive

Now that 2007 has come to a close I wanted to update you on this year’s Warm Winter Wear Drive. This year we donated 16 hats, 14 scarves, and 6 pairs of mittens to The Redwood Shelter for Abused Women.

2007 Warm Winter Wear Drive

I want to thank everyone who donated this year: Renee, AuntieM, Nikic, Karen, Deborah, Gnomenclature, Jen, Bonnie, and Jen A. (Please comment here if I missed you! I tried to save the mail tag from each package but this list seems incomplete.) Once again I was impressed by the amount of love and work that went into the wearables you made. The complexity of the work, from complicated intarsia to reversible hats and double-thick mittens really blew my mind. It was exciting to open each package to discover each amazing piece of wearable art inside. I made sure to wrap everything up with ribbons and tags before boxing it up and taking it over to the shelter.

I know it’s a year late but here is last year’s thank you note from The Redwood:

You Grow Girl 2007 Warm Winter Wear Drive

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