Beyond Barkerville by A.M. Westerling

 Those of you who know me know that I am an avid camper and that one of my favorite camping vacation destinations is northern British Columbia. Words cannot begin to describe the beauty of this area. Imagine towering, thick forests, tumbling white water rivers and soaring mountain peaks and you get the idea. If you like the wilderness and outdoor activities such as hiking, fishing and camping, this is the destination for you.

We usually set up a base camp just outside of Terrace on Lakelse Lake. 

From there, we’ll take day trips and for today’s post, I’ll share one of our more interesting tours and that was up the Nass Valley. As you drive north of Terrace, you follow the Nisga’a Highway which borders Kitsumkalum Lake. You can drive for miles in pristine wilderness, with the lake on one side and forests and mountains on the other and you’ll rarely see another vehicle or any signs of habitation.

Eventually you’ll reach Nisga’s Mem’l Lava Beds Provincial Park. The Nass Valley is the site of Canada’s most recent volcanic eruption, around 1750 and lava flows cover a large area.

 

From there, it’s up to New Ayiansh, which replaces the original town that was destroyed in the volcano. No one knows for sure but it’s estimated about 2000 people died during the eruption.

If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, you can head over to Kincolith, which until recently was only accessible by boat or plane.

 I was fortunate enough to be included in BWL Publishing's Canadian Historical Brides Collection. My contribution was Barkerville Beginnings, the story of Rose and Harrison set in the historic gold rush town of Barkerville, B.C.. On this particular trip, we stopped in at Barkerville on our way home which of course helped immensely with my research!

 

You can find Barkerville Beginnings and all my books HERE on the BWL Publishing website. 

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Websites I visited to write this post: 

www.nisgaanation.ca/volcano

https://nassvalleyeruption.weebly.com/

Pleasing Petunias by A.M. Westerling

 

Petunias are some of the most popular bedding out plants and are considered an annual in most areas. I buy them every year as they’re easy to grow, bloom all summer and come in a variety of colours. Mind you, the first year I planted them I had no idea what to do with them so I didn’t pinch them. I ended up with 2 foot long stems with a single bloom at the end! One of my favourite varieties is Wave (pictured below) but pretty much any variety you buy will do nicely. On our front steps we have two barrels, it's a hot and sunny spot, just perfect for petunias. In the past I've leaned towards shades of purple but this year I've gone with red and white.

  

Petunias are South American in origin and the Mayans and Incans believed that the odor of these flowers had the power to chase away underworld spirits and monsters. According to folklore, these flowering plants thrive where there is positive energy and will not grow where there is negativity. If given as a gift, they have two meanings: either the giver is comfortable with someone or conversely, they also represent anger and resentment. I couldn’t find any medicinal purposes for petunias so I suppose their beauty could be considered food for the soul. My local Home Depot had these gems one year but I haven't seen this unusual colour since.   

                        

You can plant petunias anywhere ie in borders, hanging baskets, pots or even as a seasonal groundcover. They like full sun and will become spindly and won’t bloom if the spot is too shady. They can spread anywhere from 18 inches to 4 feet, with a height from 6 to 18 inches. If putting them in a pot, make sure the pot drains well and use a good potting soil. If planting in the ground, add compost to poor soil to promote growth. I fertilize mine every 2 weeks with 20 20 20.  They are fairly heat tolerant and don’t need water every day but keep an eye out for frost! They do well in mixed planter pots. 

 

However, keep the soil moist and when you do water, water thoroughly as shallow watering encourages shallow roots. Also, dead head regularly to encourage new blooms. When they start to get too leggy, I pinch them about halfway down the stem and just above a leaf node. They’ll look a little sad at first but a good dose of water and fertilizer will encourage growth and they’ll rebound nicely. These popular plants have few insect or disease pests although aphids and slugs can be a problem. I live in a dry climate so that’s never been an issue for me. 

If you're looking for an easy to grow annual, try petunias, you can't go wrong!

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Find Barkerville Beginnings, Book 4 of the Canadian Historical Brides Collection, and the rest of my books over at BWL Publishing HERE. Proud to have earned this badge!