Prairie Shore Botanicals

26/06/2025

If you've had a hard time tracking down a copy of my book, search no more - the third printing has arrived!

Thank you, everyone, for all of your support and encouragement over the years. When I was planning my book launch back in 2015 and wondering how many wild cookies and beverages to prepare for the event, I was told I should probably not expect more than 10 - 15 people. My FB event showed that 70 people were "going"! Could I trust FB? What to do? So I risked making a complete fool of myself by preparing enough snacks for 70+ people. And thank goodness I did, because close to 100 of you showed up!

It's been so much fun hearing about the experiences people have had after reading my book - how they saw or tried something they'd never seen or tried before. How some adventures or entrees turned out well and others ... didn't.

My book would still be the original text-only, photocopied on 100% post-consumer brown paper, folded and stapled version if it weren't for 2 key people coming into my life - my editor, Syd Baumel (what a riot that process was) and my self-taught designer, Kris Antonius, of Cityfolk Creative (better known as the lead organizer of the Take Root Fest), who's skill still amazes me!

Self-publishing a book can be challenging, but Friesens was a great help, providing direction for taking all the proper steps. What a great company to work with - it is employee-owned and the sense of pride and cooperation between employees is palpable. I've had nothing but good experiences and interactions with these folks.

I am getting my retailers stocked up again (you can find the list on my website). If you know of other stores that might like to sell my book, let me know! I love to support small businesses. I'm also happy to send you a signed copy, which you can order from my website.

I hope you all have a great summer full of new discoveries and amazing adventures!

23/06/2025

Looking forward to making reed baskets at the ! Class size is limited, so don't wait too long to sign up!

The 2025 workshop schedule is open for registration! 🥳⁠
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WOVEN REED BASKET with ⁠
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Friday, September 5th, 5 - 8pm (3 hrs) $80⁠
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Cattails and bulrushes make surprisingly sturdy baskets that are great for gathering small things, insulating water bottles or even decorative flower pot cozies. In this workshop, you'll learn when and how to harvest and prepare the right reeds and then create your own unique basket!⁠
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Find full workshop descriptions and sign up now (or add yourself to a sold out class's waitlist) at https://www.manitobafibrefestival.com/store

31/05/2025

Folks, foraging for wild edibles doesn't mean eating inferior food. I can't tell you how many times I've seen people fill their baskets with plants that are yellow, mouldy, or bug-ridden. No word of a lie, I've even seen people pick leaves with bird p**p on them! You wouldn't pick yellow/wormy broccoli or a green orange off the store shelf, so why put the wild equivalent in your basket? If you don't know the difference between healthy and unhealthy plants, you need to spend more time getting to know them.

Foraging for wild edibles is also not an excuse for poor hygiene. Wash your hands. And wash your baskets if they've been sitting around collecting dust, if you've had non-food-grade items in them, or if your cat likes to play in them (gross). Don't pick plants from animal trails and don't leave them to dry on animal trails. I was once given a jar of stinging nettle that was loaded with cat hair. When I questioned the harvester, she shrugged and told me her cat was always tip-toeing over the plants while they were drying. I couldn't help but wonder what else might have fallen off the cat.

Wild edibles are just like any other food you eat. Don't treat them any differently.

24/05/2025

Some of the beauties I'll be bringing to the annual Seedling Sale and Spring Fest at Swallowtail Farmstead tomorrow!

May 24
10 am-2 pm
44041 PR210 near St.Anne, MB

18 Vendors, including yours truly!

+Seedlings, Seedlings, Seedlings and Seeds!
+Get your garden veg seedlings and seeds, native plants, dye plants, herbs, perennial food plants/berries/trees...

But that is not all!

+Support local small farms
+Local artisans
+Pottery, soap, prints, woolen goods
+Eco garden goods (wool pellets, worm castings)

AND...
+Solar powered coffee truck
+Live music with fiddle & guitar duo
+Free gardening workshops
+Blacksmithing demo
+Baby goats to cuddle
+Organic baked goods

FREE ENTRY + DOOR PRIZE DRAW.

Vendor highlights coming in our IG stories soon. Stay tuned and mark your calendar for the most fun little spring eco gardening fest in Eastern Manitoba!









borealis



monster.garden

15/05/2025

This Saturday in Vita! I'll be there with a variety of hardy native perennials for all light and soil moisture conditions. Browse my online catalogue for the full selection! I'll be taking orders until Thursday evening. https://www.psbotanicals.com/nursery

Also, if you have questions, thoughts or experiences on no-till gardening, seed saving or companion planting, bring them along and join in the open discussions. This is a great opportunity to find out what others are doing and what might work for you!

Send a message to learn more

08/05/2025

Only 2 weeks away! I'll be there with a great selection of native plants for all soil moisture and light conditions. If you've already ordered plants from me and would like to pick them up at Swallowtail Farmstead, let me know and I'll bring them along. I'll be taking orders for this event up until the morning of May 23. Browse my online catalogue at psbotanicals.com!

May 24
10 am-2 pm

18 Vendors!!

+Seedlings, Seedlings, Seedlings and Seeds!
+Get your garden veg seedlings and seeds, native plants, dye plants, herbs, perennial food plants/berries/trees...

But that is not all!

+Support local small farms
+Local artisans
+Pottery, soap, prints, woolen goods
+Eco garden goods (wool pellets, worm castings)

AND...
+Solar powered coffee truck
+Live music with fiddle & guitar duo
+Free gardening workshops
+Blacksmithing demo
+Baby goats to cuddle
+Organic baked goods

FREE ENTRY + DOOR PRIZE DRAW.

Vendor highlights coming in our IG stories soon. Stay tuned and mark your calendar for the most fun little spring eco gardening fest in Eastern Manitoba!









borealis



monster.garden

01/05/2025

Dandelion root season is quickly coming to and end, so if you want to make your own coffee or cocoa, do it soon! Once they flower, the sugars are no longer in the roots so you won't get a rich, dark roast no matter what you do. Pick medium-sized roots, clean 'em up good (nobody likes to eat sand), cut 'em into 1/2" or so pieces, spread 'em out on a cookie sheet and roast 'em at 250 C until they smell like they're starting to burn (about 2 hours). The centers should go from white to brown.

There are many uses for the buds, too, so while your digging, keep a second collection vessel nearby. Add the buds to salads, steam them for a side veggie, or pickle them.

19/04/2025

If you missed my Introduction to Gardening With Native Plants at the Living Prairie Museum, all is not lost. I'll be doing it again at Earth Week at The Forks - Thursday, April 24 from 6 - 7 pm. Admission is free, but preregistration is required. To register: https://www.theforks.com/events/calendar-of-events/event/1083

Be sure to check out all of the other great events happening over the week, as well - from Crafting in the Orchard, a Biodiversity Workshop, Slow Flow Yoga, a compost giveaway and LOTS more!

Earth Week is Coming!

Earth Day is just around the corner and we’re turning over a new leaf by stretching the celebration into a full week!

Join us for Earth Week at The Forks, with daily activities that invite you to connect with nature and community: creative workshops, plant-based menu features, and thoughtful conversations about planting and growing in our climate.

It all leads up to our Earth Week Wind-Up on Saturday, featuring an e-waste drop-off, more sustainability programming, and plenty of ways to learn, share, and connect.

Check out the Earth Week blog and the calendar of events and learn more about what’s happening and how you can get involved. https://www.theforks.com/blog/437/earth-week-at-the-forks

16/04/2025

Looking forward to the first in a great series of Prairie Planting Workshops at the Living Prairie Museum! Join me this Thursday to learn about the rationale and benefits of landscaping with Manitoba's native plants. Beautiful, hardy and perennial, native Manitoba species not only add colour, visual interest, attract songbirds and pollinators, they provide us with a connection to our natural heritage that's right outside our doors. Learn about the rationale and benefits of landscaping with Manitoba's native plants. Beautiful, hardy and perennial, native Manitoba species add colour, visual interest, attract songbirds and pollinators, and build a connection to our natural heritage.

**Please note, in-person attendance for all 4 workshops is now FULL! There is still online attendance available for April 17th and May 8th workshops.

Our Prairie Planting Workshops are filling up quickly! Don’t forget to register before it’s too late!

These beginner workshops will cover any size of planting, from flower beds to larger prairie restorations. Four workshops are available, each focusing on a different prairie planting subject:
1. Introduction to using Native Manitoba Plants - Thurs April 17 7:00pm
2. Introduction to Growing Native Plants from Seed - Sat April 26 1pm
3. Planning your Prairie: Preparation, Design, and Plant Selection - Sat May 3 1pm
4. Managing your Prairie - Thurs May 8 7:00pm

See full details: www.winnipeg.ca/livingprairie
Price: $10.00 + GST for non-members, $5.00 + GST for Friends members.
TO REGISTER: Contact us at [email protected] or call 204-832-0167.

01/04/2025

Bad news. The biologist who was working on the Manitoba Tall Grass Prairie Preserve for 30 years has accepted a new position. Good news. The search is on for someone to fill her shoes. As I've said before, this is an amazing job where you get to spend the bulk of the summer soaking in the sights, sounds and smells of an incredibly beautiful endangered ecosystem, conducting vital surveys and management activities. This is not a Green Team position - it comes with more responsibility and better pay - so if you're in the field of biology, ecology, environmental sciences, etc., you'll want to check this out. It's definitely worth the read! The deadline for applications is April 6.

27/03/2025

Folks, please keep in mind that most of the native plants sold by the vast majority of greenhouses are *cultivars* of native species. Cultivars are bred or selected for traits that are attractive to people, but the things that attract people are not necessarily attractive to insects!

Changing flower colour, size, or shape, doubling flowers, compacting plants for smaller growing spaces, and even changing the colour of the leaves are modifications that can, and do, reduce the food value of flowers for native insects, often making the pollen and/or nectar difficult or impossible for them to access (if the plants even have nectar and/or pollen). Double flowers, for example, are created by replacing pollen and nectar producing organs with more petals.

Plants and insects in our area have been developing relationships with each other since the glaciers receded. Changing native plant traits messes with those relationships and, more often than not, results in a lower diversity or number of pollinators visiting these flowers. Cultivars that are not sterile will cross-pollinate with true native species, passing these undesirable traits to wild populations.

If you want to help native pollinators – and other insects – please only buy and plant native species that are not cultivars. When shopping, you can identify cultivars by their name, which is the genus name (Echinacea, for example) followed by an English descriptor (e.g. Delicious Candy). Or the common name followed by the cultivar name (e.g. Little bluestem, Blue Paradise).

Please also note that neonicitinoids, a pollinator-killing insecticide has not been banned in Manitoba. Whether you buy native or other garden plants, ask the retailer if they are neonic-free.

There are several trusted sources for native plants in Manitoba, including yours truly, Prairie Originals, Prairie Flora, Northern Wildscapes Plants+Design, and Living Prairie Museum.

18/03/2025

It's happening again! Swallowtail Farmstead is hosting another Seedling Sale and Spring Fest! To be sure, this is not just a plant sale. There will be live music, mini-workshops, a blacksmithing demo... and lots of lots of fun plant peeps to rub elbows with. I'll be there with an assortment of my native plants, so let me know if there's something specific you'd like me to bring!