A Letter from Saltspring

Hiya Folks,

I am having a beautiful time on Saltspring Island on a much needed retreat. Last night we had a good soaking rain and I woke up to see the garden framed by mist. My room overlooks an orchard and the gardens where the ingredients for our lovely meals originate. This morning after a hearty breakfast of steel cut oats with all the fixings and a kale blackberry banana smoothie I went for a walk in the forest which was jumping with frogs of all sizes and colors and slippery with snails and banana slugs.

I went for my stroll around the garden and saw some pretty wet and soppy bumble bees in zinnias. By the time lunch came around, it was beginning to warm up. Lunch was a chard and cheese bake with sun dried tomato pesto. There was steamed broccoli, quinoa salad, and zucchini with dill. The green goddess salad dressing and the mustard salad dressings are so good I put them on everything.

The highlight of my day (and probably my trip) was going to Dan Jason's garden to take photographs of his bee plants. His garden is breathtaking, especially when you know he does most of the work himself. It is teaming with biodiverse plant and insect life. His passion for saving seeds is incredibly inspiring. I am filled with happiness and so to celebrate changed out of my sweaty clothes and put on my brightest pinkest outfit and sat in the garden at the retreat watching the sun set over the dahlias and the swallows zing through the air catching insects. I am blessed.

Pics will come soon.