Ian Lindsay & Associates: Ian Lindsay of Lindsay and Associates has played an active role in the local community since 1979. He has been with RE/MAX Vancouver Island's most advanced real estate business network since 1996. Marketing and selling residential, rural, strata, recreational, investment, and project development real estate, you'll find true real estate professionals at ianlindsay.ca.

Rockin' Rhonda: Here comes Peter. Here comes Dave. Oh, listen. Bringing stories, making waves. No missing, spinning tales in the hot podcast cave. So laughs and insights everywhere. What a treat.

Peter McCully: Welcome back to the Pulse Community Podcast. I'm Peter McCully, and we're enjoying the long summer days, celebrating the fine kind of living offered here on mid-Vancouver Island. With the beaches and mountains, savoring meals out on the deck or the patio. There's the camping, the swimming, the hiking, and the biking, and the near endless trails.

Dave Graham: And I'm Dave Graham. And I think that's about enough talk about trails right there, Peter. If we could just find another topic, that'd be great.

Peter McCully: What happened, Dave? Did you see a bear?

Dave Graham: No. No bears. Listen, I don't wanna talk about it. But you know how I like photography. Well, I felt like I needed a break from all the usual trails I go on. They're becoming just a little too familiar. I wanna look at different trees. So I headed into the woods and tried a trail I've never been on. Oh, yeah, Dave? How did that go? Listen, I don't wanna talk about it. But let me say this. After a lifetime of being convinced that I have an unerring sense of direction, I've come to realize I have no idea what I'm talking about. I've been fooling myself my entire life. It's a rather humbling experience, but I don't wanna talk about it.

Peter McCully: All right, Dave. We'll move on then. Occasionally, we like to get out of the studio and go and meet people. Recently, during one of the car shows in the mid-island area, we dropped by to ask people what they loved most about Vancouver Island.

You said it: Jason from Ucluelet. And were you born on the island, Jason? Born and raised. The only island in the world to live. What do you love most about it? Oh, the rivers, the lakes, the ocean, the hiking. We were just up in Gold River in the caves, camping in amongst eagles and bears. Yeah, it was awesome.

Dave Graham: Love it. Yeah. Is there anything that could get you to leave here?

You said it: I made that mistake once. Never again. The island, man. Island life. Great. Yeah.

Dave Graham: Yeah. I can relate to that guy, Jason, vowing to never leave the island again. For that matter, I'm no longer all that comfortable leaving my house, at least not without a map.

Peter McCully: Well, the garden's a popular place to be this time of year, Dave, and our resident Vancouver Island master gardener, Debora Gurrad, joins us on the podcast to talk about garden myths.

Debora Gurrad: Those of you who have tried this may have noticed it's almost impossible to keep the weeds from sprouting in either the mulch or the organic matter that collects on top of the landscape fabric. It doesn't take much for a tiny little weed seed to decide to sprout. Once the weeds get established, their roots will grow right through the landscape fabric into the soil below, making them even more difficult to remove than if they had just sprouted in garden soil.

Dave Graham: First I realized that I don't know where I am most of the time, and now I learn that weeds don't take landscape fabric seriously. I'm not sure I can take much more.

Peter McCully: Coming up on future podcasts, award-winning comedian Brent Butt is touring Vancouver Island in September. The star of Corner Gas will be dropping by for a chat.

Dave Graham: I was late to join the Corner Gas party. I guess you could say it took me a while to find it. But once I did, I binge-watched that entire series. That whole period of my life, I call it my Dog River days. Oof, bit of a blur now, but you can put me down as a big fan. Hey, Peter, can you get Brent's autograph for me? You know, I haven't collected autographs since I was 12, but I think now would be a good time to start again.

Peter McCully: Yeah, no, I don't think so, Dave. The new generic semaglutide is hitting the market, and pharmacist Aki Shah will drop by to talk about semaglutide in general and the new generic specifically.

Dave Graham: The Route 19A Arts Festival is coming. There will be music, art, and more, and Sheena McCorkadale will join us. It's a truly impressive event.

Ian Lindsay: The energy at Parksville Beach Festival right now is unlike anything else on Vancouver Island this summer. Beach Fest Rocks is here. August 7th, 8th, and 9th, three incredible days of live rock and roll, old-time favourites, and classic hits from the Mid-Island Co-op Beach Fest Rocks music festival. Get your tickets now, and the summer finale is going to be unforgettable. The Coastal Community Credit Union sculpture Light Up runs August 14th and 15th. The Beauties and Beasts sculptures glow under the lights until 11 PM, two nights only. The Quality Foods Festival of Lights fireworks lights up the sky after sundown on August 15th. Synchronized to 88.5 at the beach. Parksville Beach Festival, the best summer on Vancouver Island. Visit parksvillebeachfest.ca.

Thrifty Foods Parksville: At Thrifty Foods, we love to help nonprofits, charities, and schools. Our Thrifty Foods Smile Card bulk program allows organizations to immediately save up to 6% on the purchase of Smile Cards in bulk, allowing you to keep more money in your organization's pockets. Ask for details at Thrifty Foods in Parksville

Peter McCully: Our Blue Rodeo ticket giveaway and soon. Visit our website or our Facebook and Instagram pages to enter for tickets, along with a couple of folding camp chairs and a $100 Thrifty Foods Smile Card.

Dave Graham: Concert tickets, camp chairs, and a Smile Card. That is one heck of a prize package. And I don't wanna overstate things, but these two tickets that we are giving away for the Blue Rodeo show at the fabulous outdoor theatre stage in Parksville August 21st may be the last two available in the entire universe.

Peter McCully: So get your entry in. Good luck. Now, here's what we came away with after a visit to one of the car shows in the Mid-Island area. The question was: What do you love about Vancouver Island?

You said it: Jason from Ucluelet. And were you born on the island, Jason? Born and raised. The only island in the world to live. What do you love most about it? Oh, the rivers, the lakes, the ocean, the hiking. We were just up in Gold River in the caves, camping in amongst eagles and bears. Yeah, it was awesome.

Dave Graham: Love it. No, yeah, the... Is there anything that could get you to leave here?

You said it: I made that mistake once. Never again. The island, man. Island life. Great. Yeah.

Dave Graham: Yeah.

You said it: Rob from Parksville.

Dave Graham: Wonderful. And what do you love most about life here, Rob?

You said it: Look around. All of this. All of this, the mountains, the ocean, the people. It's just amazing out here. I love it.

Dave Graham: Were you born here?

You said it: No, I was born in Dream Valley, Alberta.

Dave Graham: How long you been here?

You said it: Two years. Two years.

Dave Graham: So it's still kinda fresh then.

You said it: It is fresh. It is fresh. Yeah.

Dave Graham: Places yet to explore.

You said it: Oh, there's so much of this island still that we haven't checked out. I mean, I've been here for two years. We go out all the time, but still there's, like, so much stuff here, so many places we wanna go.

Dave Graham: Are you hikers, bikers?

You said it: Oh, yeah, we hike all the time. We go camping, check out car shows. You name it, we do it.

Dave Graham: Yeah. Nice. So any big plan for the summer still?

You said it: Not really. Not this summer. Not yet. Whenever we go on trips, it's like flip a coin. Wherever we go, we go.

You said it: Teresa from Parksville.

Dave Graham: And what do you love most about life on Vancouver Island, Teresa?

You said it: Oh, come on. What's not to love? I love everything about Parksville.

Dave Graham: Yes, we went straight to Parksville. Well, okay, what about Parksville? Top three things. How's that?

You said it: The weather, the beach, the people.

Dave Graham: Anything coming up this summer that you are anticipating eagerly?

You said it: Oh, I'm going to the Beach Fest Rocks. I'm really looking forward to it.

You said it: Brian from Qualicum.

Dave Graham: And what do you love most about life here, Brian?

You said it: Just the pace and the scenery, you know.

Dave Graham: Born here?

You said it: No.

Dave Graham: Where are you from?

You said it: Well, I was born in London, Ontario, but I spent most of my time in Calgary.

Dave Graham: And you've been here how long?

You said it: 24 years.

Dave Graham: Were you able just to retire here?

You said it: Yes.

Dave Graham: Do you get lots of friends and cousins coming over during the summer because you live in paradise?

You said it: Well, I used to. Not so much anymore, but I used to. Yeah.

Dave Graham: Any big plans for the summer still?

You said it: Not so much this year. You know, we used to go to the States, down through the Oregon coast and stuff like that, but we're not doing that any time soon, so we got

Dave Graham: A pretty good coast here.

You said it: Yeah, we do. Yeah.

You said it: I'm Coralee, and from Langford.

Dave Graham: What do you love most about life on the island?

You said it: Oh, I have so many hobbies on the island. Going to the tracks, scuba diving.

Dave Graham: Tracks as in racing?

You said it: Tracks as in racing, yep.

Dave Graham: How long have you been here?

You said it: 18 years, if you count Salt Spring.

Dave Graham: Salt Spring counts. If you were given the opportunity to move somewhere else on anywhere on Earth, would you?

You said it: I do more traveling, but always have the island as a home base.

Dave Graham: Any big plans, left in what is mostly still the summer before us?

You said it: Let's see here. That's a tough one. Big plans. Ooh, we have autocross at the Camosun parking lot at the end of August, which is a cone obstacle course. You drive through as quickly as possible without hitting anything.

Dave Graham: Is that open to everybody?

You said it: It can be. You have to be a member of the club.

Dave Graham: Cool. Okay. Thank you so much. Have a great summer.

You said it: Thanks. You too.

You said it: My name's Kiona. I live in Parksville and from Campbell River.

Dave Graham: An islander born and raised. Would you ever consider leaving?

You said it: No. No. Never.

Dave Graham: No, give a moment to think about it.

You said it: No moment needed.

Dave Graham: What do you love best about life here?

You said it: I love the outdoors. I have a summer cabin up at the North Island, so I love to go fishing, crabbing, prawning, paddleboarding, boating, kayaking, anything outside.

Dave Graham: Excellent. You make good use of our facilities.

You said it: Yes.

Dave Graham: Any big plans left in the summer?

You said it: No. Summer is busy for me work-wise, so I do a lot of my traveling in the winter. Go south to the sun, but try to get out when I can on the boat.

You said it: Jeanette, and I am from Nanaimo.

Dave Graham: What do you love most about life on the island?

You said it: Life is a beach.

Dave Graham: Like, literally every

You said it: Day? Every day I go for a walk on the beach.

Dave Graham: Any beach?

You said it: Every one I can find.

Dave Graham: So you live near a bunch?

You said it: I do. There's one down from my home. It's 120 steps down. Ooh. Which is lovely till you wanna come back up. Yeah.

Dave Graham: Do you walk along the beach to a better exit?

You said it: Possibly.

Dave Graham: Do you have a big event still coming this summer that you can't wait to get to?

You said it: Well, let's see here. We love the car shows, but we're gonna go to the bathtubs. Those silly boats and the bathtubs. Ah,

Dave Graham: Is this an annual thing or a first time?

You said it: Yeah, I do it often. Okay, cool. Whenever I can. What fun. Yeah.

Dave Graham: Yeah. I haven't been yet. Now you're making me think that's something I should take in.

You said it: Definitely should do that.

Dave Graham: I appreciate the tip.

You said it: Jen from Errington. Naomi from Errington.

Dave Graham: Here's the hardest question of all, what do you love most about life on Vancouver Island?

You said it: The beach.

Dave Graham: This one?

You said it: It's the best one.

Dave Graham: And we're in Parksville's main community park, and the beach there. And how about you?

You said it: It's so community-like. Mm-hmm. Everyone's friendly.

Dave Graham: Are you gonna be here for Beach Fest, the annual thing? To check out the sand sculptures, maybe the bands?

You said it: Absolutely.

Dave Graham: Did you get tickets for Blue Rodeo?

You said it: Unfortunately, no. Are you giving away

You said it: Some? 'Cause it's my anniversary also that day.

Dave Graham: We are...

Dave Graham: You must enter.

You said it: Oh, I'm entering. Yeah. Definitely.

Dave Graham: Do you have a big event, other than possibly Blue Rodeo, you're looking forward to most this summer, either?

You said it: Two weddings. No funerals yet.

Dave Graham: Have a great summer.

You said it: Sandy from Duncan.

Dave Graham: From Duncan. Well, welcome to the area, and what do you love most about life on the island, Sandy?

You said it: The island is great, the ocean is good, and the car shows.

Dave Graham: Big car show fan then?

You said it: Yes.

Dave Graham: Well, no shortage of them around these parts.

You said it: No, never.

Dave Graham: So summer's a great season for you.

You said it: It certainly is.

Dave Graham: Are you island-born?

You said it: Yes.

Dave Graham: If you were given the chance to move, would you, and where to?

You said it: No, I don't think I would. I think I'd stay here on the island. That's

Dave Graham: Great. Do you have a big event that you're looking forward to sometime this summer?

You said it: Just the car show stuff.

You said it: Kyle from Victoria.

Dave Graham: What do you love most about life on Vancouver Island?

You said it: Well, the weather's decent.

Dave Graham: You've lived elsewhere?

You said it: No, I haven't lived anywhere else. It's always usually sunny most of the time. It's not raining.

Dave Graham: What's your favourite thing to do while you're not working?

You said it: I come to car shows, camp, hang out, work on cars. I'm a mechanic by trade, so.

Dave Graham: How is the show today?

You said it: It's good. I have a '69 Camaro, and I got a short box, '89 Chevy truck, so I'm more of a Chevy guy.

You said it: Dan. I live in Nanaimo.

Dave Graham: Yeah. And your number one thing about loving life on the island?

You said it: Right here, car shows. I call it paradise. I love living here. I, originally, I lived in Campbell River for my first 30 years on the island, and then my wife and I got transferred down to Nanaimo in our job. So I've been there since 2001. Yeah, spread myself around a little. Makes it easier for me doing what I do with my car website. You know, I'm a little more centralized now, so I, you know, quicker to Victoria, quicker to Campbell River. And I get to bring my own car now. How many shows do you get to? Oh, the majority of them. I can't get to everything. You know, like today for instance, there's two other shows going on that are overlapping, and it always happens like that, so I try to get to the major shows, all the major shows, for sure. And I'm also a big supporter of the small ones. I should point that out, too.

Dave Graham: Yeah. So if you could put your finger on it, what is it about the car show that has you so enthralled?

You said it: I'm a car photographer, so I've been doing this since the 1970s. Ooh. You know, I used to go over to Vancouver to all the shows at the PNE and things like that. I've always loved photography so, yeah, I've just kinda mated that together with my love of cars and yeah. Oddly enough, the, all of that is how I got that.

Dave Graham: You're gesturing to your car?

You said it: Yeah, that car was given to me back on May 6 because of what I do. All the Vancouver Island car community got together and got me this car.

Dave Graham: Did hear about that.

You said it: Yeah. That's it sitting right there in the, well, I'm not gonna say flesh in the metal. That's actually the last year that Acadian did that body style. They, Nova did it for one more year in '72, but that's a '71. I've had a couple Novas many years ago. Oh, wow. So now I got one, a different one. Canadian Acadian.

Dave Graham: What a story. Yeah. Thank you so much.

You said it: William, and from Nanaimo.

Dave Graham: Nate, I live in Port Alberni. And are you both born here?

You said it: Yes. Yes.

Dave Graham: What do you love most about living on Vancouver Island, William?

You said it: Dirt biking trails.

Dave Graham: You have a helmet in your hand. And Nate?

You said it: Probably about the same. Views, how quiet it is. Yeah, all the beaches. Great.

Dave Graham: Do you have something else, anything else coming up this summer that you, a big event planned you're looking forward to? Nate, let's start with you.

You said it: We're thinking of going camping up in the trails there. We'll go dirt biking, so we'll find a good spot.

Dave Graham: You need it for a couple days?

You said it: Oh, yeah. We can just go up to that cabin.

You said it: Rosalie, and I'm from Parksville.

Dave Graham: Born here?

You said it: Well, I was born in Saskatchewan. Moved here when I was seven years old, and then raised here.

Dave Graham: Can you imagine ever leaving?

You said it: Well, I did, unfortunately. I moved to Calgary when I finished high school and lived there for 30-something years. But I got smart and moved back.

Dave Graham: What do you love most about living on Vancouver Island?

You said it: Gotta be the weather and the ocean. What's not to love?

Dave Graham: So it's not the people or the podcasts?

You said it: Podcasts weren't happening when I moved back. But I'm very happy with them. It gives a lot of good information.

Dave Graham: So do you have a big event planned this summer that you're looking forward to most?

You said it: Well, I volunteer with Parksville Beach Fest Society, so that keeps me busy for six weeks in the summer. Love it. I love meeting the sculptors. Love meeting the people that come through from different parts of the world that know about our little city on the island. Yeah. It's pretty amazing where they come from.

Dave Graham: I'll see you there.

You said it: Okay. Wonderful. Looking forward to it.

You said it: Pierre. I'm from Levy, Quebec. Yeah.

Dave Graham: Are you living there?

You said it: No. I live in Victoria now. The Navy brought me here in 1982, so I'm not going back anywhere.

Dave Graham: And thanks to the Navy, and thanks for your service. Yeah. What do you love most about Vancouver Island?

You said it: No snow, and the summer is pretty nice, and winter is mild, so yeah. Weather, and of course, car shows.

Dave Graham: Is that your thing through the summer? You go to a bunch of these things?

You said it: Yeah, I do quite a few car shows. Yeah.

Dave Graham: Yeah. What keeps you going? You know, what's the big attraction?

You said it: Being surrounded by the same kind of people, so yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Dave Graham: If I were to ask about any big events still coming up this summer, would it be a car show? Any other plans in other words?

You said it: Oh, yeah. I got the plans. I'm coming to Parksville for two weeks. We're gonna be camping, and we're going to that Rock the Park event for three days. So we did that last year, so we're coming back and do that. It's, it's a lot of fun. Yeah. Amazing.

You said it: My name is Corey, and I'm from Nanaimo.

Dave Graham: What do you love most about life on the island?

You said it: I love that it's beautiful. It's always beautiful.

Dave Graham: We happen to be at a car show right now. And is that your thing through the summer?

You said it: Yes. My rat rod is because my son is military. His name, I carry right above my windshield.

Dave Graham: As part of a military family, I thank you for your service. Thank you very much. Do you have any other big events, plans for the summer you can't wait to get to?

You said it: Kamloops. We usually try and pick one show a year that's off island, and we go as a group. Rat rods is a whole different class of cars compared to the nice, shiny classics. Yeah. And I love them all, but we have so much fun in ours. We don't have to worry about the rain. We're in the parking lot, somebody's scratching us. And it's a lot of fun

You said it: I'm Mike from Parksville.

Dave Graham: Can I just ask this, what do you love most about life on Vancouver Island? The weather. Do you do anything specific in terms of activities while enjoying this weather? We bike, kayak, paddleboard, walk the beaches. It's so good to hear about people making full use of what we have, as opposed to just sitting on a beach. Nothing wrong with sitting on a beach.

You said it: I sit on a beach.

Dave Graham: Do you have any big events coming up this summer you're looking forward to? No. Just enjoying the summer. Have a great summer. Thanks for participating.

You said it: I'm Craig. I'm from Port Alberni.

Dave Graham: Wonderful. Are you island-born?

You said it: Not born, but raised. Island-raised, yeah. Yeah. Okay.

Dave Graham: And what do you love most about life on the island?

You said it: The mountains, the water, everything. It's just most beautiful place there is, pretty much.

Dave Graham: Is there anything that could get you to leave?

You said it: Lots of money.

Dave Graham: Yeah. Do you have a special event or anything planned that's still ahead this summer you can't wait to get to?

You said it: Nothing I can think of right now.

Dave Graham: More of the same. Enjoying life in paradise, huh?

You said it: Exactly that. Yeah.

Peter McCully: Al from

Dave Graham: Parksville.

Peter McCully: Okay.

Dave Graham: Al, can we introduce who you're with? This is my grandson, and he's from Powell River. All the way from Powell River. Well, right on. What do you love most about life on the island?

Peter McCully: Oh, all the car shows and everything, and the grandkids coming over and all the parks.

Dave Graham: So, do you have more than one grandkid?

Peter McCully: Yep. We've got a few of them running around. Summer with Grandma today. We're having a special day, just the two of us today.

Dave Graham: Any other big plans for the summer, something else you're looking forward to?

Peter McCully: Just spending time with them.

Dave Graham: Yeah...

Peter McCully: Whenever we can.

Dave Graham: Have a wonderful day. So nice to meet you. Thank you. Nice...

Peter McCully: Thank you.

You said it: Misha, and I'm from Lantzville.

Dave Graham: Were you born there by any chance?

You said it: I was not. I was born in Poland.

Dave Graham: Oh, my goodness. I've gotta ask, how'd you get here?

You said it: Well, we just immigrated in 1992 to Edmonton, Alberta. We moved here from Edmonton for my husband's work. He runs Harris Oceanside store.

Dave Graham: In your time here, what have you grown to love most about life on the island?

You said it: Well, obviously, the ocean. It's just wonderful to come and spend time there. We've got four kids. They love the beach. We especially love Parksville 'cause we've got a great playground here.

Dave Graham: Do you have specific activities you get the family... Do you go out biking or hiking or...?

You said it: All of it, yeah. Hiking, biking. Kids love to do anything and everything outside. We're a big hockey family.

Dave Graham: Less screen time. And do you have any other events or big things coming up this summer you can't wait to have happen?

You said it: We do. We've got a really busy summer of hockey camps and traveling back to Alberta to visit family. Spend time here at the beaches.

Dave Graham: That's terrific. Have a great summer. Thank you so much. Thank you. Doug. From here, Parksville. Perfect. What would you say you love most about life here? The scenery and the laid-back way

You said it: Of life, I think. Yeah, it's nice. Good place to retire. And that is your situation, is it? It is, yes. Right.

Dave Graham: Is this exemplary of your daily life then, enjoying the park?

You said it: It is, yes. I come down here quite often, so it's nice to have something like the car show up down here to attract people, and, yeah, we're having a great time so far. That's

Dave Graham: Wonderful. Are you from the island?

You said it: No, I'm originally from Ottawa.

Dave Graham: You're what I call a guest. I'm an islander, but that's okay. Enjoy your stay. You forgive me? Okay.

You said it: Vicki. I'm from Victoria in Langford.

Dave Graham: Island born, by chance?

You said it: Nope.

Dave Graham: Where'd you escape from?

You said it: Prairies. Alberta.

Dave Graham: How long ago?

You said it: Oh, about 40 years.

Dave Graham: So you've settled in and you're well on the way.

You said it: I live here in Parksville now.

Dave Graham: So what do you love most about island life?

You said it: Easy. Pretty easy, laid back. It did not so bustly. Langford got so big you couldn't even drive around it without getting frustrated. It's like easy. You can get everywhere. It's cool.

Dave Graham: There really is an island time, and you get to live it.

You said it: Yes, I do, 'cause I'm retired.

Dave Graham: Any big plans this summer?

You said it: I'm going to ACDC in Edmonton. Yeah, that's it. I was wanting to go see the Blue Jays, but I'm not getting there.

Dave Graham: I understand that one. Well, I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer, and thanks for being on the podcast.

You said it: I will.

You said it: Pleasure to meet you. Thank you.

You said it: Deborah from Parksville, BC.

Dave Graham: Have you always lived here?

You said it: No.

Dave Graham: Where'd you come from?

You said it: Victoria.

Dave Graham: So island-born?

You said it: I'm true island-born.

Dave Graham: I was born in Victoria, too. What's your favourite thing about the island?

You said it: The beaches, the lakes.

Dave Graham: Do you have any favourite spots?

You said it: Oh, I just found a new one called Snow Creek. Port Alberni way past Sproat Lake. A beautiful campground.

Dave Graham: The world knows now. So much for that secret. Do you have any big plans this summer?

You said it: Big plans. Just camping around the island.

Dave Graham: Hope you have a great summer. Thanks for being part of the podcast.

You said it: Yeah, thank you. Pleasure to meet you. Have a great day.

You said it: Raymond, Nanaimo.

Dave Graham: And what do you love most about life on the island, Raymond?

You said it: Well, I was born here. How could you not want to be here?

Dave Graham: Have you been other places where you can compare and still come back to Vancouver Island as number one?

You said it: Number one here.

Dave Graham: Yeah. Any particular events, activities you like to enjoy in this paradise?

You said it: Just riding around Vancouver Island. Yeah. That's good.

You said it: Bonnie, and I'm from Parksville.

Dave Graham: You love what most about living here?

You said it: The beach. I love the beach because I can stroll down from my place about a block away, sit on the beach all day, go to the food trucks, get something to eat, and if I want, I can slip into the hotel and have a cocktail.

Dave Graham: Sounds like a mighty fine day, and that describes your summer year-round.

You said it: Pretty much. Yeah. I love it. Yeah. And then my grandchild comes, and she loves playing on the beach, and we set up a little tent, and we can sit out there all day. Well, you get a lot of exercise because we play bocce on the sand flats also. That's a lot of fun. We tried badminton. It doesn't work. It's a little windy. Yes. But it's a lot beautiful places and beautiful areas to walk around, and if you like, you can go up into the town. There's a lot of beautiful little shops there. They have a lot of events at the Memorial Plaza, and that's a lot of fun. They have events all through the summer, Halloween, Christmas, everything.

Dave Graham: Yes, I've been to one or two myself, and you're starting to sound like a representative from the Downtown Business Association.

You said it: Oh, I just work a little bit part-time. Help, helping. Doing a bit of the decor. You know, that's it.

Dave Graham: Hey, if you don't promote yourself, nobody else will, right? That's what they say.

You said it: Exactly.

Peter McCully: That's what we love about getting out from behind the microphones and out of the studio. You ask one simple question, what do you love about the island, and the enthusiasm is abundant. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to chat with us and feed us.

Dave Graham: We could be appearing at an event or maybe just a street corner near you. You'll recognize us by the hopeful and welcoming looks on our faces. I'm hopeful, Peter's welcoming. And we invite you to check out additional content on our website, such as links to other Vancouver Island podcasts and to island webcams.

Peter McCully: We also invite you to get in touch with us. We make it easy to leave a voice or a text message. If you have a comment to share or an idea for a story, click on the contact link at thepulsecommunity.ca.

Dave Graham: You can find us on Apple, Amazon, iHeart, Spotify, TikTok, and YouTube. Plus, we're on Facebook and Instagram.

Fireside Books: There's exciting news for book lovers. Fireside Books in Parksville now has a second location in Port Alberni, The Bookwyrm. Used books are just five dollars or less. The Bookwyrm on the corner of Redford and Anderson opens seven days a week from ten to five. Building your personal library for less. Fireside Books at 464 Island Highway East in Parksville is a book dragon's dream come true. Browse their extensive collections seven days a week. Both locations make growing your personal library easier than ever. New and used books and so much more. Order online at firesidebooks.ca and pick up at either location. Details available online. Ask about returning books for a book credit. Fireside Books and The Bookwyrm, two locations, one amazing adventure in browsing.

Ian Lindsay: Ian Lindsay of Lindsay and Associates has played an active role in the local community since 1979. He has been with RE/MAX, Vancouver Island's most advanced real estate business network, since 1996, marketing and selling residential, rural, strata, recreational, investment, and project development real estate. You'll find true real estate professionals at ianlindsay.ca.

Dave Graham: Let me get this straight. I spent hours being lost on an unfamiliar trail last weekend, and you're telling me I had a compass on my phone the whole time? I'm beginning to think I don't know anything at all, and now I get the feeling that our next guest might make me feel even more so. Here's Marilyn.

Marilyn: Debora Gurrad has been passionate about growing things since childhood, a love that was truly sparked by a university botany class. After moving to Vancouver Island in 2017, she completed her training and became a certified master gardener with Vancouver Island Master Gardeners Association. Her special interests include pruning, root preparation for successful transplanting, and food gardening. A retired teacher who still loves to educate, she presents workshops on gardening topics from Campbell River to Nanaimo.

Peter McCully: Welcome back to the podcast today, Debora.

Debora Gurrad: Thank you, Peter. Nice to be here.

Peter McCully: Today's topic for gardeners is gardening myths, things that may or may not be true. So I thought perhaps we could talk about a few things that folks might be wondering about.

Debora Gurrad: Good. Let's do that.

Peter McCully: When I buy plants at the garden centre, and I'm there a lot because not all of them live, they usually have a whole array of fertilizers and whatnot at the checkout that they recommend that I use while I'm transplanting. Any particular ones that I should be using?

Debora Gurrad: That's a really good question, and I'm glad you asked that because truthfully, you shouldn't be using any fertilizers or soil amendments when you're transplanting, and there's several reasons why. First, the roots of the plant have been in this pot, and in order to transplant the plant, you've disturbed the roots. You've shocked them a little bit. Adding fertilizer when you plant can do one of two things. It can really stress the plant when the roots are sort of in shock anyway because it's hard to uptake the fertilizer, but it can also even burn some of the tender new tiny little roots if they've been shocked as well. The other reason for not fertilizing is you really don't know what the plant needs at this point. You don't know what your soil is deficient in. The one thing that most plants need to grow is nitrogen, and the reason we add nitrogen so often to our soils is because it's very volatile in the soil, and in water, and in the air. It doesn't stick around. Unlike all the other mineral amendments that plants use, nitrogen is the one that will need to be added. But I've noticed something that seems to be really popular on Vancouver Island is bone meal. People are told, "Throw some bone meal in there every time you transplant anything." This is problematic for several reasons. Number one, our soils on Vancouver Island are not generally deficient in phosphorus, so you don't need to add extra. But what happens when you add extra, there's a couple of things. When you plant a plant in the ground, there are a fungi community called mycelium that grow in the soil, and the plant roots know the mycelium is there, and what the plant roots do is exude an acid to make them open up so the mycelium can grow right into the plant roots. And what they do is they have this symbiotic kind of relationship, and the mycelium help the plant take up water and nutrients. But if there is too much phosphorus in the soil, which is what bone meal puts into your soil is phosphorus, then the plant does not open itself up to the mycelium. So what the plant does is it has to grow more roots to get the same effect when the mycelium is partnered with the roots. Now, this is probably why people say, "I put bone meal in there, my plant grew lots more roots." It wouldn't have had to grow lots more roots if there hadn't been too much phosphorus, and the reason that's not good for the plant, it's taking resources that could have grown the top of the plant. It could have grown more leaves or more fruit or more flowers. It did that to grow roots because it didn't partner with the mycelium. Now, the second thing about bone meal is some of us are old enough to remember when phosphorus was removed from dishwasher detergents and laundry detergents because it got into our water supplies and caused algae blooms. Bone meal is phosphorus. That's what it puts into your soil. And if there's too much, especially with our rainy climate, it's going to get washed down, it's gonna end up in our groundwater, and eventually it's gonna end up in our creeks and our rivers and down to the ocean. We really don't wanna be doing that. If you're really worried and you think, "What if my soil is deficient in phosphorus?" Then get a soil test at a reputable lab. They can tell you if it's deficient in phosphorus or not. A good rule of thumb for fertilizing newly planted trees, shrubs, perennials, anything like that. By the way, this is separate from annuals. Annuals you do fertilize when you plant. Anything that's going to be there more than one season is to wait a few months, up to a year, before you do any fertilizing. Those plants need to get established. Those roots need to make that partnership with the mycelium. They need to be firmly in the ground and ready to accept the nutrients from the fertilizer. Now, unless you know your soil is really poor, which you might, the plant will be fine, and it will show symptoms if it needs fertilizer, like slow growth or if the leaves start to turn yellow. Both of those probably mean nitrogen, not phosphorus, not bone meal.

Peter McCully: There's nothing more disappointing than black spot on your yellow roses. I've heard that mixing baking soda with water and spraying it on the roses will prevent or even kill black spot. Is that a thing?

Debora Gurrad: Unfortunately, it's not. As with most landscape problems, there are no miracle cures for rose black spot. The idea of using baking soda mixed with water comes from the research showing that fungi, black spot is caused by a fungus, fungi grow better in acid conditions, and since baking soda is alkaline, it should work, right? Unfortunately, it doesn't actually kill the black spot fungus, but it just makes it stop growing. As soon as rain or irrigation washes the soda off, the fungus resumes growing, and any new growth won't have the soda on it and will be infected as well. Sadly, there's no magic bullet for funguses. The best strategy for dealing with black spot, and there's other funguses that will infect roses and other plants, is always remember right plant, right place. For instance, roses, if you plant them in part shade, they're gonna be very prone to fungus because they're a full sun plant. They're happiest in full sun. They're healthiest in full sun. Another thing that has been shown by research is coarse organic mulch, believe it or not, helps the plant to fight off all kinds of diseases, funguses, or whatever, through physical, chemical, and biological means. So if you always have good quality mulch on your soil, that is gonna help your plants to survive and fight off diseases. It improves their overall resistance to stress, and a stressed plant is much more prone to disease. The other thing about black spot is what we call plant hygiene, is in the fall when the leaves start dropping or even all during the season if you don't have too many roses, any leaves with black spot, either pick them off and dispose of them, not in your compost, but in the garbage, and then any that fall on the ground, in the fall especially, clean all of those up and get them out of there. You'll lessen the amount of fungus in the air that will come back on the roses next year

Peter McCully: Another garden myth we should talk about is transplanting shrubs or trees. When folks prune back the top to balance the small root ball on a shrub or tree when they're transplanting it, is that really the best way to help newly planted trees and shrubs get the best start?

Debora Gurrad: I love this question because, boy, I was sure taught that, and I did that for years. So you gotta balance that. You've got a small root ball, you need a small top. The interesting thing is, when you're transplanting a woody plant, either a tree or a shrub or even a woody perennial, no matter what method you use, you can't help but disturb the roots, which are already probably too small, and you're even gonna damage the roots a bit. The plant will need food to replace and grow new roots, and this needs to happen first before the top can grow. So you're gonna transplant your plant. You're not gonna see much happening on the top. It's all happening underground in the roots. But where does the food come from that the roots need to grow? The food comes from the leaves of the top photosynthesizing. So if you cut the top back, you've just cut back part of the food factory. You're depriving the plant of food. And just like cutting back the food supply for any growing thing, growth will be slowed and the plant will be much slower to get established. The best way to help newly planted trees and shrubs get off to a good start is to not prune them at all for a year, so they will be able to provide all the food needed for the new roots and later the top growth. People want to get in there and prune, but wait a whole year. Let that plant get established.

Peter McCully: I don't think I could hold myself back.

Debora Gurrad: It's hard.

Peter McCully: Let's talk about the prevention of weeds, especially those that overtake the garden beds or the pathways. Is the best way to limit their growth really to cover the soil with landscape fabric and then toss on some bark mulch? Does that really work?

Debora Gurrad: In a word, no, and here's why. First of all, landscape fabric is porous. That's one of the selling points. It's porous. It lets the water through, it lets the air through, so it's not gonna hurt your soil or your plants. And it does for a while, but the problem is that it usually takes about one gardening season, and all those tiny little pores plug up with silt, effectively making it impermeable, so the water can't get through, and the air can't get through. And since those are both essential for the health of the plants and the microbes in the soil, you are blocking the movement of air and water into the soil, you're essentially killing the soil. If you do this in your flower beds or your garden, you're gonna end up killing that microbiome in your soil, which is so essential to healthy plants. The second part of why this doesn't work, those of you who have tried this may have noticed, it's almost impossible to keep the weeds from sprouting in either the mulch or the organic matter that collects on top of the landscape fabric. It doesn't take much for a tiny little weed seed to decide to sprout. Once the weeds get established, their roots will grow right through the landscape fabric into the soil below, making them even more difficult to remove than if they had just sprouted in garden soil. Landscape fabric is made from plastic of some kind and will usually be releasing chemicals into the soil as well as microplastics themselves as the fabric ages. Once it has weeds growing through it and then starts to break down, it is going to be very difficult to remove. So I always just tell people, "Just know, don't waste your money, don't waste your time. It's not gonna work."

Peter McCully: Now, for folks who have a patch of lawn and want to turn that into a vegetable garden, a lot of folks look to kill the grass by laying down cardboard or a thick layer of newspapers and then just wait a little while for the grass to die. Is that a good way to kill grass, or is there a better way, or should they just be stripping out the sod altogether?

Debora Gurrad: Removing grass to create a new garden bed is a lot of work, and we're always looking for an easier way to do it. Using cardboard or a thick layer of newspaper are both effective ways to kill grass, but there are caveats and costs to both. First, if either of these materials dries out, it will be nearly impossible to re-wet them, and the resulting dry layer will block air and water getting through to the soil, and you will end up killing the soil microbes and other beneficial life in the soil, much like using landscape fabric. Dead soil is not what you want to be starting a new garden bed in. I'm sure you've all heard lately about PFAs, those toxic forever chemicals that get into our soil and water and then into us. Most cardboard actually has forever chemicals in it, and by using it in your garden in any capacity, you are introducing the PFAs into the soil, into whatever you are growing in the soil, and eventually into the groundwater or into us if you're growing vegetables. So what is the best way to kill grass? The least toxic way is to first mow the grass as short as you can, then simply strip the sod in pieces and flip them soil side up in place. It sounds like a lot of work, and it is, so you're not gonna probably do it all in one day. But if you do that, in a few months the grass will be dead, and within a year it will have decomposed and fed the soil. I know this sounds like a lot of work, and it will take some time, but your results will be richer soil full of beneficial life that your plants will love. Now, if you're in a bigger hurry, then just pile the sod strip grass side down somewhere where they can quietly decompose for a year, and then you will have lovely soil to use someplace else in your garden. That's what I do. I have a place set aside. I have a big tarp, and any time I dig up any grass or sod of any kind, it goes on that tarp and gets covered with another tarp. I have a constantly revolving source of new soil for my garden. It's great.

Peter McCully: I wish I had the video to show you of Dave Graham using a sod cutter.

Debora Gurrad: They're amazing and fun and a little scary.

Peter McCully: I think the sod cutter had the upper hand on Dave.

Debora Gurrad: Oh, I would no doubt it. There's no way I would use one of those. That's a man job in my book.

Peter McCully: Let's talk about planting balled and burlapped trees. When you bring them home from the garden store, do you just fold back the burlap and then just plant it, or do you remove the burlap completely?

Debora Gurrad: Used to be, years ago, the instructions that came with balled and burlapped plants said that. Just fold the burlap back at the surface. That's all you have to do. The burlap will decompose. It'll be fine. Truthfully, that is not fine. Balled and burlapped trees usually have the root ball packed in clay or something similar to kinda hold the roots together without a pot, because usually the pot is what holds it all together. There's also often a wire cage around the clay ball, particularly for something bigger like a small tree, then the burlap, and then often twine. All of these materials make it really difficult for the roots to grow out into the surrounding soil, which is necessary for the tree to get firmly established. If those roots are trying to grow and they just stay inside that clay ball inside the burlap, your tree is not gonna have a firm grip on the soil, and wind can blow it over. It just isn't gonna work very well. So the best method for successfully transplanting a balled and burlapped tree is to remove everything from the root ball before planting. Twine, burlap, wire cage, clay, all of it. Strip it right down to bare roots. Bare root planting is the best way to go. You're gonna plant the tree with the root flare, that's where the woody part of the roots flare out. That needs to be just slightly above ground level, and then if the tree won't stand on its own, if it flops over, then you're gonna stake it. Now, if it'll stand on its own, you don't need to stake it. No fertilizing, no amending the soil, just plant in the native soil it would be growing in. If you amend the soil in the hole, you've created a pocket of soil that's different from the surrounding native soil. A lot of plants, the roots will get into that pocket of soil, and they will just kinda stay in it. They don't want to get out into the native soil. They'll stay in that amended pocket of soil. The other thing is a lot of the soil amendments that you use are organic based or plant based, and over time they decompose, and that causes the whole hole to sink, because they just disappear when they decompose. They're just gone, and then your plant will sink. So just put 'em in the hole, no fertilizer, no amendments.

Peter McCully: And you mentioned staking the newly planted trees. A lot of folks stake high and tight to stabilize the tree while it gets established. Is that your recommendation?

Debora Gurrad: No, it is not. Again, this is new because we used to be taught high and tight, right? First of all, a newly planted tree needs to be staked only if it won't stay upright because the root system is too small or if the tree has been planted in a very windy area. Those are really the only times you need to stake. But all trees, even staked ones, need to move a bit in the wind to help strengthen the trunk and help the roots get established, and that's for, like, the first year after it's planted. It needs to be able to move. It's like a muscle, like your arm. If you don't ever use your arm, it's gonna get weaker. If that trunk is held really firmly by being staked high and tight, it has no reason to strengthen itself. When you do the staking, what you do is you stake it no higher than is needed to hold the tree upright. You have the tree sitting in the ground, and it falls over. It won't stand up. So you put the stake in, and then you decide where to put the straps based on the lowest point that will hold the tree upright. You don't want it up too high. If it stakes a foot above the ground, great. If that's where it holds it upright, that's perfect. If it needs to go two feet or whatever, wherever it needs to be to keep the tree from tipping over. You also need to leave a bit of play in the strap so the trunk can sway a bit a couple inches from side to side with the wind, because that will help the trunk to strengthen itself. Trees that are staked too high, too tight, and for too long never get the chance to strengthen in the wind and will grow taller, but they'll be weaker, okay? You want a trunk that's a little wider and strong and solid. So you stake only for a year. You stake only if it won't stand up by itself. You stake only as high as needed to keep the plant from tipping over.

Peter McCully: Thanks, Debora, for shedding some light on some of those gardening myths. You'll come back for fall?

Debora Gurrad: Absolutely. I look forward to it. We'll talk about fall tasks.

Dave Graham: Debora Gurrad, always a treat. And once again, I'm humbled by my own ignorance. I mean, half my knowledge of gardening just got trashed. I knew I had room for improvement. I just didn't know how much room it would take.

Peter McCully: We have a fresh new story out for the young ones in our Skookum Kids Story series. Captain Dave and Larry the Lobster go to Port Alberni to meet Brian and Sarah in the latest episode of The Mellow Submarine.

Dave Graham: The other series is about Peter and Gracie, the Eskimo dog, and both series come with colouring pages.

Peter McCully: And our Radio Archaeology classic radio series features original episodes of Dragnet, featuring Sergeant Joe Friday and Marshal Matt Dillon in Gunsmoke.

Dave Graham: As part of our Pulse Community podcasts, we invite you to join Cindy Thompson of Parksville for a resilience project.

Peter McCully: Also this week, another edition of Non-Partisan Hacks with Parksville City Councillors Shawn Wood and Joel Grenz.

Dave Graham: You'll find these podcasts and more at thepulsecommunity.ca. Oh, and while you're there, sign up for our weekly newsletter. It'll keep you up to date on the latest podcasts, guests, and contests.

Peter McCully: Well, that's a wrap on another episode of the Pulse Community Podcast. We genuinely appreciate you spending some time with us.

Dave Graham: Does this mean we have to leave? I've lost confidence. I even know my way home.

Peter McCully: Well, Dave, just plug your home address into Google Maps on your phone, and you'll be fine.

Dave Graham: Wait a minute. Google has maps?

Rockin' Rhonda & The Uptown Blues Band: Here comes Peter, here comes Dave, oh listen. Bringing stories, making waves, no missing. Spinning tales in the podcast cave, so to speak. Laughs and insights everywhere - what a treat. Peter and Dave, they're on the mics. All right, join the ride. It's gonna feel just right.