Now that I’ve surrendered my outdoor garden projects to winter, I would like to acknowledge the following people in this community.
First, buckets of sunshine to those businesses who take the time to separate their compostables for me, namely: Darlene and Miranda from the Channel House Café, Mr. Manders and his staff from Licks ‘n Splits, Sunny and Jerry from the PetroCan station and Heather and Dina from Corkers. More buckets of sunshine to our municipal office staff, who have just started separating their food waste and coffee grounds for pickup. Truckloads of sunshine to Kathy (now at the IDA) and Charlotte of Rob’s Cleaning & Maintenance Services for delivering grass and leaves to my doorstep and especially to Rob, who let’s them do it.
Flowerpots of sunshine to the Troutons for letting me remove that wonderful wormy soil from their property, schoolyards of sunshine to Bud Sherlock, who donates soil every year for me to use on the front entrance garden at Parkview Elementary and bundles of sunshine to Lachlan and Joan at Eagle Valley News for giving me the opportunity to write the garden column.
Bags and baggies of sunshine to my fellow gardeners who continue to give me as well as others advice, encouragement, seeds, plants, yard waste and other goodies that we need or can share, and bouquets of sunshine to the enthusiastic gardeners who organized the garden tour this year.
Greenhouses and fields of sunshine to our local growers, who offer us such a bounty of plants and food each year. Baskets and beds of sunshine to Grady MacDonald’s municipal crew and especially Kay, who heads up the landscape team. The gardens around town always look wonderful, and those glorious cascading hanging baskets add such beauty and colour all summer long. Gardens of sunshine to all the landscapers, maintenance people, businesses and homeowners who collectively make it such a visual pleasure to live in Sicamous and the surrounding areas!
Rainbows of sunshine to our daughter Maia, who waits patiently in the truck with her iPod and doodle pad while I’m collecting rocks or leaves for the garden project of the day and to my husband Rick, who’s always such a good sport when it comes to lifting heavy rocks, hanging rails, fixing a motor or whatever else is on my garden “honey-do” list.
And lastly, rays and rays of sunshine to Isabell and Barb Stadnicki, for all the beautiful flowers and bulbs they give me year after year. Their wisdom and knowledge and love of gardening as well as respect for all living things, continues to inspire me to learn and grow along with my own gardens.