Local gardeners Jennifer Heath and Helen McAllister set out to answer the question: How does your cold-climate garden grow? They had no idea that this seed of a question would bear such delicious fruit.

First came the exhibit at The Arts Station, now comes the book – Down to Earth: Cold-climate gardens and their keepers. Brightly illustrated with stunning photography, Heath and McAllister share the stories of Elk Valley gardeners and set out to inspire their readers to take on their own food security, one seed at a time. This book is a celebration of the beauty and diversity possible in cold-climate vegetable gardens.

Oolichan Books is proud to release Down to Earth on Thursday October 16.

Visit the Down to Earth – Cold-Climate Gardening Facebook page for up-to-date information.

Jennifer’s passion for gardening developed after spending a year studying organic farming at Linnaea Farm on Cortes Island. A life-long learner—who has in the past worked as a massage therapist, a graphic designer, and now a school teacher—she is constantly looking for new learning opportunities. Originally from St. John’s, Newfoundland, she has lived in Fernie with her partner Steve, since 2005.

Helen moved from the warmer climes of Ontario to Fernie in 2002. She thrives in the mountain air with her loved ones, Dave and Ella. The challenges of food production are greatly offset by the incredible rewards of pushing the gardening boundaries and feasting on the harvested goods. Outside of her professional work as a pediatric physiotherapist, she enjoys many outdoor pursuits and dabbling in artistic endeavours.

Oolichan Books

Article Share