In the Okanagan, trails are wide. That way, people can use them as exercise routes. The idea is to get out into nature. More practically, the invasive weeds thrive so well that […]
A Walk in Nature
Out of a Garden, A Desert: The Nuts and Bolts of Settler Culture
Every generation and social class in Canada gets to make the country new, in their own image. That’s part of being in a settler society. Settlement is a permanent process, and everyone […]
Only the Flowers, Please and Thank You
Not the lawn (yes, that’s a lawn, Vernon style). Yuck. But morning glory flowers! Ah. Give us the weeds! So delicious.
The Beauty of Okanagan Nature
Nature is hard to create. You will need a tractor and a mower, and you will need to get stuck in the swamp every few feet and struggle out, but in the […]
Are You Guys Nuts?
Who hires these guys to landscape their 2 million dollar homes? If you have the money to build a house like that, can you not do math? So, you want the house […]
Rakeball: The New Lacrosse
You play it under one of those waterfilled basketball hoops that get parked on the gravel outside your driveway. But you need abandoned 1970s landscaping, or the rake is just a danger […]
Okanagan Landscaping Tip
Don’t plant cedars. No, really. Don’t. This is what they do. This is because it’s a dry grassland. Cedars like rainforests. Irrigation and landscaping can’t change that.
What We Need More Than Fences
Fence posts. Sincerely, your friend, California Quail.
Compacting the Soil in Vernon
This Mexican rock-picking crew in Vernon is an example of what I call magical thinking. Notice a couple things. First, how many rocks are being picked (to make it easier for machine […]
Coyote Laughs Once More
Apparently, one farmer believes this will keep the tricksters out. I don’t know whether to weep at his innocence or applaud his sense of determination and hope. This could be why coyotes […]
Okanagan Okanogan 