My life is filled with love and laughter thanks to the amazing people I get to hang out with. As well as being awesome, they’re creative, talented, generous, and fun! I thought you might like to meet them so I’ve asked them to come and give us a behind-the-scenes look at what they’re passionate about. I have to warn you though – creativity is contagious.
Today’s special guest is my mom, Marion O’Connor, a gardening guru. She shared this interview with me before she passed away. Her garden was always the prettiest on the street and filled with a huge variety of beautiful colour, shape and scent. She shared some tips on filling your garden.
When do you start planning for your summer garden? M: I’m always thinking about the garden. When all the flowers start to fade in the autumn, I’m already thinking about what I will do differently next year, and when it is winter, I imagine what the garden will look like in the spring.
And I know you like to change it up – with the colour or placement of flowers. All the thought you put into it shows! How do you start plants from seeds? M: I love to start seeds under the grow lights. It gives me an early start in the garden. You can plant most seeds about 6-8 weeks before they go in the garden. However, I usually start them about now as I really want to see something growing in the dead of winter. I usually take the seeds from the flowers in the autumn, keep them dry, and then plant them in special potting soil. I found that it is easier to just plant them in a flat bed rather than in individual pots. You can divide some plants like geraniums at this time of year by just taking cuttings from the mother plant.
I love that idea of using the seeds from the plants in the garden. Sometimes I have annuals that I really like and it’d be great to see them grow again the next year. How do you divide plants when they get too big? M: Most of the perennials in the garden can be divided if they grow in clumps. The most common way to divide them is to dig them up, then take a sharp spade and cut through the roots, leaving a piece of root on each clump. Then just replant them.
Sounds like a workout! Do you fertilize? How often do you water? M: In the winter plants should not be fertilized. As soon as the days start to get longer, then I start fertilizing, using only a very weak solution whenever I water. I have not started to fertilize my plants yet. Most plants are killed by overwatering. Especially in the winter I only water the plants when the soil is dry, and I try not to let the plant sit in water.
Ah, that could explain my lack of success with plants over the winter J. Do you mix vegetables with flowers in your garden? M: As my garden is pretty small, I do not grow a lot of vegetables. However, I like to grow herbs and I usually scatter them among the flowers. This way you get the mix of the green of the herbs with the colour from the flowers.
I like the scent of lavender and thyme, too. Any advice for first time gardeners who want a colourful but low maintenance garden? M: First you need to realize what direction your garden is facing; how much shade it gets; how much sunlight; what are the soil conditions (sandy or clay) and then go to a reputable nursery armed with this information. Ask questions and pick out some perennials that will thrive in the conditions of your garden. After that, you can supplement the plants with annuals that are colourful.
Or ask your mom to come and pick out plants for you :D.
If you had to pick a song to be your theme song, what would it be? M: Don’t Fence Me In (because I want my garden to go on and on).
What is your favourite dessert? M: Yogurt and Fruit (especially if it is frozen)
Such a good role model (didn’t wear off though, I favour chocolate and cookies). I was very lucky that my mom loved gardening because in the spring she’d come and garden so that I could write! Keep active everyone – and let’s keep our fingers crossed that warm weather is just around the corner so you can get out into the garden (you, not me)!
Myra, how did you get involved with stand up paddle boarding? M: In 2012, I took a lesson on a lake north of Kingston. I knew immediately that I loved the sport, and having had experience in sailing and windsurfing (albeit not highly skilled at the latter), I knew that purchasing a board was my next step. After a great deal of research, I settled on a high quality Jimmy Lewis brand board, and returned to Kingston to practice my new-found obsession. I was very surprised to be one of a few paddle boarders on Lake Ontario, and loved the varied conditions and challenges that our lake provided. Although Kingston boasts countless waterfront sites and inland lakes, which are all accessible given a very short commute, I rarely saw other paddleboarders. I was eager to share this simple-to-learn sport, and decided to embark on a path to become an instructor. In 2013, I took Paddle Canada courses leading to my PC Instructor qualification, certified with PaddleFit USA, and in First Aid. Soon after, I launched SUP Kingston to teach lessons and sell boards as an authorized Jimmy Lewis dealer.
I love that you could turn something you’re passionate about into a business and that you not only teach others, but at the same time, you meet new people to enjoy the sport with. Making your own fun! What does SUP involve? M: Flat water conditions provide a very meditative experience which is perfect for beginners, yoga, continuous paddling and touring, or for socializing. Calm conditions usually occur early in the morning or in the evening, which is perfect for paddlers wishing to paddle before or after work. Afternoons often bring waves and choppy conditions. Being the Freshwater Sailing Capital of the World, Kingston, on Lake Ontario, provides diverse conditions for SUP. This provides more challenging conditions for teaching advanced skills. With experience, paddle boarders seek windy conditions in order to take their workout to a level, which can mimic tempo and even interval training on land.
I didn’t realize it was so versatile! What do you love about it? M: I feel an incredible sense of freedom the minute I set foot on my board. It’s liberating to glide away from a land-locked city onto a vast liquid playground. SUP provides an incredible workout for all muscle groups without feeling like you’re working out! With groups, SUP can also be a very social activity. It’s the fastest growing water sport in the world, with so many branches of the sport. There are always mentors to learn from. I am currently part of Paddle Monster, an online training group coached by Olympian Larry Cain. Other positive aspects of SUP are that it requires minimal equipment, boards are easy to transport and store, and only your own energy is required! Leave no trace!
Like any sport, tips from an expert can speed up that learning curve. What kind of training did you have to do to become an instructor? M: Paddle Canada provides a hierarchy of skills courses leading to instructor certifications. I completed Basic and Advanced Skills courses followed by Basic and Advanced Instructor courses. Time on the water at each stage is critical, in order to solidify skills learned prior to becoming an instructor. I’m currently working through a mentorship in the hope that I’ll be able to certify others as instructors some day.
Karen, how did you get interested in colouring? K: I’ve been making greeting cards for a few years. They started out as mini scrapbooking projects. Initially I used embellishments with things like 3-D appliques – and I seem to recall a glitter phase. Then it evolved to embossing, and then to colouring with different media – paint, markers, and pencil crayons.
How do you make a card? K: I colour first and make the card second! I start with a stamp. I used to use wooden stamps, but now most of them are clear plastic mounted on blocks or digital images that can be sized and printed on special paper. Then comes the fun part – the colouring! I have a selection of over 280 special markers – I love Copic markers –they’re alcohol-based markers that blend beautifully. I use shading and layers to get exactly the colour I want.
And I know you have such a keen eye, that you can see a colour and know exactly which one of the 280 markers creates it! If someone would like to start making cards, what advice would you give them? K: Stamping Up is an online community for card making. It’s sort of like going to a Tupperware party with a demo and instructions. They teach the basics and you can buy the supplies and they walk you through it. You could just buy what you need on your own, but it’s more fun to get together with a group of friends or other enthusiastic card creators! For more advanced techniques, Kit and Clowder has excellent online workshops. You get a booklet of written instructions, images, downloadable videos, and the best part – feedback from the instructor!
I love the Bella Stamps you use. What are your favourite stamps (or is that like picking a favourite child)? K: Haha – a little. I really like Kraftin’ Kimmie clear stamps and Mo Manning digital stamps. Most stamp companies have a design team. The design team gets early access to free stamps and commits to colour and post the images to promote them. And you can meet some interesting people, too!
