Caitlin – Edmonton/Treaty 6
Sugar Pie Pumpkin, Hyssop (bush like), Columbine flower (summer 2024)
I planted the seeds I received in early July. The pumpkin vine is fast growing in a vegetable/herb patch in my front yard located in the downtown area where frost is still delayed. The seeds were sown in several areas; the plant that emerged did so in the sunniest spot in rich well-draining soil. It is in flower and its tendrils wrap around large bushy cosmos and marigold plants finding its way toward tickle grass and Joe-Pye Weed. If the warm weather continues it will soon find its way toward milkweed and Saskatoons. It’s a beautiful plant with its interesting leaf shape and big orange flowers. My six-year-old has always wanted us to grow pumpkins. I am not sure we will get pumpkins to harvest but it is a fun experiment. This is our second year living in this house where we replaced the front lawn with many varieties of native plants, herbs, fruit and vegetables, and plants specifically grown for dye and textiles. I received criticism from one person about growing vegetables in the front yard, which they think looks “ridiculous” because “only ornamental flowers should grow out front.” It prompted me to look into the history of lawns and front vegetable gardens and see this endeavor as a form of resistance to imposed uniformity and aesthetics through something that is joyful and nurturing. I can see how front yard gardens (especially vegetable gardens) encourage community because being out there working is how I’ve met many interesting neighbours with opportunities for sharing.

Another visitor this summer wondered why my squash plant had not yet produced any fruit which makes me reflect on how plants are often valued based on their performance and productivity. The pumpkin vine looks wonderful growing horizontally in contrast to wild blue flax in the foreground and provides afternoon shade to the kale and other plants that grow amongst it. I still have seeds to plant earlier in the season next year including in large containers. I’m curious about growing the vines vertically and cooking the leaves and flowers which are also edible. I make paper from plants and will leave the vines over winter to decompose and harvest for fibre in late spring. Lots of ladybugs and other critters keeping warm in the plant right now.

There is a long, shady corridor-shaped garden bed in the front yard which runs along my neighbour’s border. Not many plants grow there yet except for the Sweet Cicely finally getting established and a Forget-me-Not (already present when we moved in). This is where I sowed the columbine seeds. I tend to be very precious with seeds and only sow a few at the time in containers because I often accidentally weed out intentionally planted seedlings in addition to being eaten by birds, cutworms and slugs. This time, I emptied the packet of columbine seeds in two large patches and am happy to see the very distinctive leaves of columbines on the seedlings which have survived the summer’s heatwaves. Today I covered them in leaves so they can overwinter.

I was curious about the “hyssop (bush type)” seeds and sowed them in small containers to plant out. It was an exciting mystery to me because I have been interested in trying to grow Hyssopus Officinalis and love growing Agastache Foeiculum. Seedlings quickly appeared, which I hardened off outside and planted out. The leaves look very much like that of an Agastache and smell very licoricey. They are growing in the ground in a south facing corridor in my backyard that used to be a storage area for abandoned yard furniture. I had composted the dug up lawn in this nook which made for a nice soil, installed stepping stones and am excited to see these plants self-seed. I plan to share the remaining seeds with my mom who is starting a new garden.