My Bit of Heaven - by Kristl Walek

[Robert G]

I helped Kristl yesterday and I must say that unless you are actually there the scope of the task cannot be realized. Kristl will be missed. I have only known here for a few years, but in that time I think it is safe to say we have become friends. She has given me so much, not just a piece of this plant and that plant. I have been a sponge absorbing the immense ammount of knowledge she offered me. The chats we had walking in her garden and sitting in here office/workshop will be missed. I would like to thank her for all she has done for me. My only regret is that I could not have helped her more with her moved, but work and family conspired against me. Now I can look forward to being your friend online as many of the forumists here are. Good luck Kristl!

[Kristl Walek]

I have arrived safely in Nova Scotia after a more than eventful taking-leave of Ontario....the moving truck was over limit, the plant truck was so tighly packed that, at the eleventh hour, many many treasures had to be left behind for the new owners.

I nearly wept to realize that 95% of the troughs, much of the tufa and many of the plants would be staying behind....but, I know over time, I will miss them less than I do now.

And luckily I was the sole occupant of my little Toyota ---- as there was no room to spare....

On two hours sleep the night before departing, I needed to drive 10-12 hours the first day to keep to my goal of being in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia for my property closing on the second day. I had to drive through Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick the first day. Luckily, the weather and traffic were great; even through Montreal, which is always a traffic-nightmare.

To keep interested in the trip (translate into "staying awake) I decided to make stops at every Quebec Fromagerie en route. Quebec has a developed a fantastic fine cheese market over the past few years--mostly home made family operations.

At my last stop before the New Brunswick border; Fromagerie Le Detour, I found a number of "Finalist" cheeses from the cheese competitions, as well as the 2009 Canadian Grand Prize winner (Marquis de Temisouata), both soft, rich cheeses (my weakness). I bought a small round of both, as well as a baguette in a nearby bakery and this was my very luxurious dinner in the motel room that first night.


Once across the New Brunswick border, the pastoral countryside of Quebec gets replaced by the appearance of the conifers, and in the distance, the Appalachian mountain range. Moose signs (instead of deer signs) appear every few km.

[Kristl Walek]

The crossing into Nova Scotia was a wonderful thing--along with some bagpipes at the tourist center.

Brian (rare Trillium finder) and Eddie were already waiting for me (they had driven the 16 hours straight through with the plants) after almost continuous work on Brian's part for 3 days prior packing the truck!!!! After the house closing, we had a congratulatory lunch on the patio of the Garden Cafe next to the Annapolis Royal Historic Garden under an absolutely huge Ulmus americana.

There was ultimately no simple way of getting them back to Ontario except to put them on a flight 3 days later.

Since then, I have not left my property, but once. Too busy unpacking, organizing, getting settled. Yet, it already feels like home (I did not expect this). The plants are in a "holding compound" being kept temporarily safe from the local deer--and my immediate neighbours are wonderful gardeners, full of wisdom and advice.

But on Monday I ventured down the street for the "Natal Day" parade---a huge event in Nova Scotia and got a flavour of my local community.

The local plants come next.

[Maggi Young]

Oh, Kristl...... you're there..... I just have this feeling everything is going to be fine. Look at all the clues..... the name of the official signature of the Cheese certificate.... Ian MacDonald.... surely  of Scots extraction.....the bagpipe welcome.... all those Scottish connections to welcome you across the country...... it must be the best of omens!  

[Ragged Robin]

A happy arrival in your new home Kristi - congratulations on the marathon move and all good wishes for settling your plants in 

PS Good to see you were well prepared for the cheese feast enroute with a Swiss penknife 

[Brian Ellis]

I'm glad all went well and you are safely arrived.  Nice of them to put on a parade for your arrival, they must have heard you were coming

[Kristl Walek]

I'm glad all went well and you are safely arrived.  Nice of them to put on a parade for your arrival, they must have heard you were coming

yes, Brian, i thought that was really not required, myself...but couldn't quite put a stop to it, once all the parade queens had been decided and all 

i would have settled for some help moving furniture around instead.

and that Swiss knife never leaves my side---it has saved me in so many situations over my life. now it is opening every single box i am unpacking.

[David Nicholson]

Hope you are soon settled in Kristl and making it feel like home again.

[cohan]

i just got up to speed on this thread! those eastern woodland flowers and woodies are ever wonderful....

congratulations on a move successfully completed, and i wish you a speedy settling in and hopefully soon hours of joy in the wilds of your new home! sounds like a wonderful little town, certainly nothing like that around here

re: lack of seed collecting time, this year, do contact me if you think you might be interested in some things from around here--i'm not sure what sort of quantities you need to be worthwhile, but there could be some interesting possibilities.... have just got a bicycle going for the first time, and finding some 'new' things even this late in the season...

[Kristl Walek]

It is now 2 weeks since I arrived in my new home and my activities have still been largerly confined to my property. Progress on all fronts is painfully slow and frustrating--but progress nevertheless, which is the important factor.

I've been organizing my work and living spaces, trimming trees for the gardens and making copious notes for how to organize my garbage to fit within the local, highly regulated recycling regulations (this will be reserved for a post all on it's own--it's really quite something!!!!!). Needless to say, there is garbage presently in my freezer awaiting it's "single black bag" every two weeks.

My first week here I allowed myself one outing to the parade.

This week it was a two hour sprint at the end of a long unpacking day. I drove the 10 minutes to the Fundy shore to Delaps Cove where I could briefly see the ocean, on the return I viewed my little town from across the water.

There is no naturally occuring limestone in Nova Scotia--in this area, I have basalt and granite. Huge granite boulders lined the wharf at Delaps Cove.




 

[Kristl Walek]

In between the ocean and home I briefly ventured into an unknown stretch of woods just to see what might be there. I was delighted to see the forest floor fairly thick with Maianthemum, Coptis groenlandica, Pyrolas and the foliage of Cypripediums.

Along the road, brightly lit wet ditches of Epilobium, Impatients, Eupatorium, and Aster umbellatum.

Myrica pensylvanica (which I had never seen in the wild before) is everywhere here; particularly near the shore. Some plants were forming seed. I was surprised to see Acer spicatum right out in the open, near the shoreline--back in Ontario this is usually only found in the woodland understory. Large areas of the shore also supported Viburnum.

And characteristic and common on the seashore is Limonium carolinianum; dotted everywhere among grasses in this salt marsh.

[Linda_Foulis]

Kristl,
I am so glad to hear that you've arrived safe and sound and are starting to settle in.  My thoughts were with you the entire time.  If you get unpacked before me......   I'm still working on trying to get all my plants in the ground but at least I no longer have deer to deal with - have fun with that.  I have no suggestions or actually working deer deterrent advice to offer as I've found that they'll eat just about anything if hungry enough. 

It's such a shame you had to leave so much behind, but as I'm finding, it's just stuff, it can be replaced if really needed, and it's not that important in the great scheme of things.  Have fun unpacking!

[Gerdk]

Along the road, brightly lit wet ditches of Epilobium, Impatients, Eupatorium, and Aster umbellatum.

All the best for the new start - a delightful and interesting region (although no lime  ).
I am interested in the orange-red flowering plant which is growing with Aster umbellatum -  perhaps an Impatiens?

Gerd

[Kristl Walek]

Yes, Gerd, this is Impatiens capensis (Jewelweed), which is native throughout North America.

[Kristl Walek]

This afternoon I went to visit Jill Covill, who is the owner of Bunchberry Nursery, less than 10 minutes from home. Jill is not only a fine plantswoman with a particular interest in alpines but is also knowledgeable about native species. I have been keen to find Corema conradii and she was immediately able to suggest a site, that I will drive to see tomorrow.

Jill has (among other things) a choice selection of woody species and conifers for sale. A tufa mountain was also piled up to temp the alpine gardener.

Her nursery is planted with the finely tuned eye of a designer; with careful, sensitive attention to form and colour creating a fantastic cohesive gardenscape.