“Although human subtlety makes a variety of inventions… it will never devise an invention more beautiful, more simple, or more direct than does nature, because in her inventions nothing is lacking, and nothing is superfluous.” Leonardo Da Vinci
Who we are…
The AllSage Gardener website and garden coaching services is owned and operated by me, Karma McEwen. Like any good garden, our services are always a work in progress, so your patience is appreciated as our site develops into a reliable source of information about plants, gardening, and where to find yard and garden expertise.
We also want to give our visitors a central place to find local (Calgary, Alberta and area) small horticultural businesses, and give those businesses an affordable platform where they can connect with people interested in what they have to offer. Like me, you would probably support our local businesses if they were easier to find. While Google is awesome (who can get by without Google, I ask you) our small and solopreneur businesses don’t always get onto the first (or second, or third) page of search results. The companies that do, are those with huge marketing budgets and well-established brand recognition. I don’t have either of those and neither do many of our local businesses. Of course, this platform isn’t Google by any stretch, but go to our ASG Directory to find a local provider to help with your home and garden needs… and be sure to check back often to see who’s been added!
What we do…
The AllSage Gardener offers a coaching/consulting service, providing hands-on instruction using a simple grass-roots approach to gardening. Check out our Services page for packages and pricing that will include an initial onsite assessment of your property, and an in-depth interview to understand your vision. I will teach you:
- factors to consider when designing your yard
- methods for assessing and amending your soil, and starting planting beds
- how to select, locate, plant, water, prune, divide, and maintain your annuals, perennials and shrubs.
You determine how much, or how little, you want to learn about designing and caring for your yard.
What inspired me…
I have had a passion for plants as long as I can remember, but I never really got growing until after becoming a mother. I am far from being described as an earth mother (seventies term), but I can relate and why things like gardening gains a new found importance when we become parents. There is something so wholesome and grounding about working the soil and watching the fruits of your labours become beautiful works of art. It is equally humbling knowing you only played a very small part in the wonder of that art. Mother Nature is the true artist and she never ceases to impress me.
It is regrettable that my love for gardening came so late, as I could have learned it all from a master gardener! My family always joked that my grandmother could make rocks grow! Well… maybe not rocks… but there was little else that she couldn’t turn green, including her neighbours with envy.
My grandmother was a prairie pioneer – one of the original environmentalists. She wasted nothing. Be it love for the earth or sheer practicality – gardening in those days was labour intensive – she worked with nature, instead of against it, giving and taking. Her methods were eco-friendly and economical – saving seeds, sharing perennials, taking cuttings, companion and rotation planting. She wasn’t above using the odd weed or bug killer, but (gratefully) who had money for fertilizers and pesticides in those days? She composted; used dishwater to manage pests; and let the rain do as much of the watering as was feasible. She did not have a golf green for a lawn because she couldn’t eat it, but she did treasure her flowers. Those were her folly. The veggie garden… well, that was survival.
Had I paid more attention I would have learned all her tricks first hand, but she passed many years ago now and I have had to learn much about gardening the hard way – trial and error, research and investigation, and bothering anyone who might know with questions, questions, questions. So much time spent digging through books, magazines, and websites! So many times I wished I had my experienced gardener-grandmother to just show me what to do.
My goal…
…is to be your gardener-grandmother. I look forward to sharing all that I’ve learned in my 35+ years of gardening experience in Chinook Country – a most unique and challenging climate! I maintain that if you can garden successfully here, then you can garden anywhere! I offer coaching sessions to novice gardeners and lots of practical tips for the more experienced. If I can’t provide the answers, I will help you find who can. Make sure you check out my blog – the ASG Grapevine – and I will be adding more content to the website over time, so check back often.
My blog, the ASG Grapevine is a collection of my personal experiences and observations as a gardener in Chinook Country – Calgary, Alberta, Canada and surrounding area. I profile specific plants, gardening techniques, and anecdotes from my own garden. You will find my articles informative in plain speak and, occasionally, you may even find them entertaining.
We welcome occasional guest authors so, if you like to write about your gardening experiences and aren’t afraid of edits, contact us for details.
Make the ASG Directory your number one resource to locate garden products and horticultural services. The goal is to connect enthusiasts with our local experts.
Interested in listing with us? Contact us for rates, terms and conditions.
Share your comments and tips by contacting us through our web form. Much to my disappointment, our discussion forum, Over the Back Fence, was hijacked so I shut it down. Once I can ensure our conversations will remain decent and private I may reopen it. Stay tuned!
In closing…
The AllSage Gardener philosophy is that as much as humans try to understand, we should never presume to have the foresight or comprehension necessary to duplicate or improve on the vast complexity of the natural world. Every creature contributes to this delicate balance created by Mother Nature. While many are often inconvenient to the human objective, to be a successful gardener it is crucial that we are respectful of this wondrous system and its efficiencies – a system that ensures the perpetuation of life by not playing favourites and by wasting nothing, two elements completely contrary to the human condition. Apparently, Leonardo da Vinci and I agree that it is a most impressive strategy. It will never cease to amaze me, and is one that has my utmost admiration and respect.
I look forward to sharing my experience with you while we create your very own oasis. It’s easier than you think!
Happy planting! Karma
Nature is the source of all true knowledge. She has her own logic, her own laws, she has no effect without cause nor invention without necessity.
Leonardo da Vinci