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Our Gardens of the Future Will be Rooted in the Past

Richard Hebda and Nancy J. Turner

Master Gardeners Association of BC Mary Winspear Centre January 28,2017

Acknowledgements

HÍSWKE! to the WSÁNEC´First Nation, on whose traditional territories we are today, and to all the other First Nations of the Salish Sea, whose ancestors have tended and drawn their sustenance from these lands and waters over thousands of years.Elsie Claxton, Elder of Tsawout,

with xpay’ - western red-cedar

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Special thanks…

To our WSÁNEC´ teachers, Elsie Claxton, and Violet Williams, Christopher Paul, Dave Elliott, and all their families.

“Traditional knowledge never stops developing and there is a vital role for it today, though the nature of that knowledge might be bit different.” (Richard H.)

Richard with Violet Willliams, ca. 1993

Christopher Paul, Elsie Claxton, Dr. Earl Claxton Sr., Earl Jr. & Seliliye

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With appreciation to:• Master Gardeners Association of

BC, especially Linda Cross and Program Committee

• University of Victoria and Royal BC Museum

• Our friends, colleagues and family who have supported our work over the years

• Dr. Eric Peterson and Christina Munck of the Tula Foundation and Hakai Institute

Camas: ḰȽO,EL (qwlhá7əl) OR

SPÁNW̱ (spéenxw)

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The Past

The Past is full of lessons

accumulated knowledge

The Present creates the Past

learning and sharing

The Past is the Future

climate change

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Western redcedarThuja plicataDominant and iconic species

Our Identity tree, Provincial tree

Hedges, “walls” specimen trees

Widely available

Abundant in forests since 4000-5000 years ago but not before

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Western redcedarThuja plicataTraditionally vital

Timber: Long houses, canoes, poles

Fibre for clothing

Split roots for baskets, hats

roots pulled through teeth to skin

Inner bark (SLEWI) for ropes, nets

Purification by scrubbing with cedar boughs

Few large ones left anywhere

Must save the old ones for continued traditional use

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Western redcedarThuja plicataAncient pollen grains in lake muds show it to be highly sensitive to climate change

Sadly an excellent indicator of changing climates today

Not suited for east side Vancouver Island and shallow soils or gardens in the future

Conserve/foster in moist climate regions

BC a global refuge as climate changes

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Seaside JuniperJuniperus maritimaDiscovered on the Saanich peninsula

Ancient roots, possibly survived Ice Age not far to the south of us

Related to Rocky Mountain juniper

Adapted to future warmer and drier climates

“Type” or reference population is on the Tsartlip Reserve on Saanich Peninsula

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Seaside JuniperJuniperus maritimaAlternative to redcedar for hedging

Superbly adapted to shoreline sites

scented

Strong spiritual and cleansing power

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Douglas-firPseudotsuga menziesii“JSAY”On Vancouver Is. 10-12,000 years ago

Live more than 1500 years

Smokeless firewood, bark best heat

Knots fashioned into halibut hooks

Pitch used to patch canoes and containers

Also used as salve for wounds

Stories

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Madrone /ArbutusArbutus menziesiiWestcoast’s most northerly evergreen broadleaf

Outstanding structural element, specimen tree

Giant of the Heather family

Superbly adapted to shallow soils

Need to plant now to replace ancient ones

Well adapted to future climates

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Madrone /ArbutusArbutus menziesiiAttractive fruits

Key food for birds

wood for spoons and gambling sticks

Dye from bark colored camas bulbs in cooking pits.

leaves and bark for medicines for colds, stomach, tuberculosis and birth control

Slow burning firewood

Please, Spread the seed!!

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Garry OakQuercus garryanaWith us for 7000-8000 years

Northern limit of geographic range

Adapted to warm dry climates

Original old trees disappearing

Conserve what we have

Encourage and plant youngsters

Trees survived traditional land burning

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Garry OakQuercus garryanaBiodiversity nurseries, lichens and mosses.

Living Winter art

Steller’s Jay food

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Garry OakQuercus garryanaForest canopy of the future?

Street trees

First Nations food

Steamed, roasted or boiled to remove bitterness

3000-4000 year old cache from Esquimalt Lagoon, being soaked to remove the bitterness?

Tea from bark used for bleeding and tuberculosis

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Trembling aspenPopulus tremuloidesNot planted or widely grown

A heritage tree nonetheless having lived here at least 13,000 years

Need to conserve natural populations

Medicine: “Elsie Claxton” good for anything Inside” Pour hot water over the bark to make an infusion and drink it

Related to willow.

Also could be adapted to warmer drier climates

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SoapberryShepherdia canadensisNative Canadian “fruit”

Fascinating shrub

Present at least 13,000 to 14,000 years ago

Fixes nitrogen into the soil

Excellent for barren sites

Used for “Indian Ice cream”

Add other sweet berries for flavour

In the BC Interior dried into cakes or preserved in jars, widely traded or sold

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Red-Osier DogwoodCornus stoloniferaFamiliar and widely available plant

Winter colour of stems

Easy to grow from cuttings

Medium to moist sites

Outstanding for restoring stream and lake sides

Used traditionally for knitting needles

Bark in warm water to induce vomiting

Used by canoe racers for purification before a race

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Red-flowering currantRibes sanguineumOutstanding shrub for garden and landscape

Purchase or propagate by layering

Superb hummingbird plant

Dry sites, rock settings

Possibly eaten mixed with other berries such as salal

*Mary Thomas recalled:

If you break this “rain flower” it will rain a lot.

As children she an friends got into trouble for causing rain by breaking off many flowers

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Bog CranberryVaccinium oxycoccosCranberry of turkey fame

Can be grown in bog gardens

Teaches what we had in the past but lost

Eaten fresh or stored underwater for later use

Collected at one time in Rithets bog and Maber Flats on Saanich Peninsula but now gone.

Still grows on west Vancouver Island and in Burns Bog on mainland

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All things are connectedNancy Turner, gigantic bolete mushroom Tweedsmuir Park

Traditional knowledge teaches us that all living creatures are connected

Connections go back millions of years

We are just learning that fungus roots join almost all living plants together underground

Healthy, undisturbed soils and ecosystems are vital to our future

Gardeners can heal the land with native plants.

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