Just rewatching this video now... man I have so many comments! I love the idea of the garden dinner area - that's something that I always wanted to include in my food forest. We now have a large ecosystem pond, and gazebo and I'm going to build/expand my food forest all around it, to close it all in. I've installed a wildflower hill right next to it, so that we can get birds and butterflies and such visiting us when we're out there. The Salal (Gaultheria shallon) is a plant that I'm targeting to add to my food forest this year. I sowed seed last year but so far it hasn't come up, so I may have to buy some proper plants. It's a FANTASTIC plant though, with many uses. You can eat the berries - they are sweet and juicy with a pleasant flavour. It makes good raw eating, but the fruit can also be made into preserves, pies, drinks etc or be dried and used like raisins. You can make a pleasant tea from the leaves. A poultice of the toasted, pulverized leaves can been applied to cuts to speed healing. A poultice of the chewed leaves can been applied to burns to prevent infection and also speed healing. You can make an infusion from the leaves to use as a stomach tonic and a treatment for diarrhoea, coughs, etc. All that while it also provides pollen for insects and fruit for birds. Amazing amazing plant. Hardy in zones 6-9. For the garden beds, I would also recommend sheet mulching between the beds in the pathways. You can then sow clover or whatever groundcover you want (creeping thyme, etc). However, getting that woodchip base down is really important, because you'll connect all the beds together via mushroom mycelium, and get the mycorrhizal association established. This mushroom network (interconnected with the roots of the plants, i.e. myco (mushroom) rhizae (root)) - this symbiosis will use the mushroom network as a method to transport nutrients and water. If you plant tomatoes in one area depleting calcium, then the mushrooms interconnecting the garden beds will help balance that out by bringing excess calcium from one bed and transporting it to the deficient one. Anytime you can connect multiple beds via woodchips, you'll get that symbiosis established in a few years, and it will make gardening easy-peasy. For the neighbour-wall area, you could also grow some vining kiwi or grapes up it for now. They'll establish super quickly, and fill that space in a bit, until the bushes get up higher. Elderberry could be a good idea, but you might be a bit too warm there for them. I think they are only good up to zone 8 or so. But they get really nice and tall. It could be worth trying one and seeing if it establishes. Another option (although not native) is the Chinese super-food Schisandra chinensis, "Schisandra vine". From a pfaf paper: "Study after study have validated the wide ranging claims of its adaptogenic, anti-aging and immune-boosting properties so that Schisandra is now rightfully considered one of the most highly protective of all medicinal plants." Apples, do you get enough chill hours for them? I'm assuming the variety you chose has a low chill hours requirement? Some suggestions for other fruit you could add: Lycium barbarum, "Goji berry" - one of the healthiest berries on the planet. It's okay fresh eating, but it's really good dried then put into teas. Just make sure you eat these when they are fully ripe - some people don't like them, but it's often that they eat them before they are ripe. Very medicinal berry. Zone 6-9 Ziziphus jujuba, "Jujubes", a healthy berry/bush. The fruit can be eaten fresh, dried like dates or cooked in puddings, cakes, breads, jellies, soups etc, however the dried fruit has the nicest taste. The fruits are often left to become wrinkled and spongy, which increases their sweetness, and are then eaten fresh or cooked. One neat thing about them is that the fruit can be dried and powdered and actually used as a healthier coffee substitute. Zone 4-10 Diospyros virginiana, "Persimmons", one of the most grown fruits on planet earth, but not well known in NA. Need 2 for pollination, but there are some hybrids that can be self fertile (Nikita's Gift). Zone 4-9. Mespilus germanica, "Medlar", another fruit that many people don't know. This one you let ripen to the point that it's mush, then you scoop it out. Some people may not enjoy that, some may. If you do, then this is a fantastic choice, as the taste is quite tropical. This could be a fun conversation starter fruit to add. Zone 4-9. Asimina triloba, "Paw Paw". North America's largest fruit. This fruit has such avid fanatics that they have paw paw festivals around the world to celebrate it. It's definitely a plant to check into seeing if you want it there. You need 2 genetically different trees to pollinate though, and I'd go with 3 to be safe (they have a very short flowering period and you need 2 open at the same time). You may not have much room for other trees if you go with these, but what amazing trees these are. Zone 4-9. I've written way too much. I'll stop! I absolutely adore what you are doing there, and I hope you can get your partner on board because it will truly be fantastic. If I can leave with saying one thing that may help... as counter-intuitive as it may seem, often filling in a space will make it seem larger. I can tell you this from personal experience. The area where my pond is, for example, before I installed the pond, it felt tiny. It was this little grassy area at the side of the house. Now it feels MASSIVE with all these areas to go explore. All these little niches to sit down and read. I enjoy that area at the side of my house more than any area on my property - whereas before I did all the crazy planting, it was just a tiny unused grass patch. What you are doing in your backyard will EXPAND how big it feels back there. It sounds backwards but it's true. The more you add and cram in there, the bigger it will feel.

I was waiting for a video for so long.When I got the notification I just clicked.Love to see more frequent uploads.

This is great! The potential of this yard is so exciting and its cool to see the progression already. Glad you finally found this place

Just found your channel. As an ecologist in Ontario I’m interested to see what you’re doing out there in BC. Looks like your really having fun with your gardens. I really enjoy gardening as well in addition to the daily study of the natural world. I’ll look forward to ‘digging’ through your other videos! Thanks!

Wow, this is a beautiful piece of hidden gem block of land. Glad to see you make use of the landso effectively. Started to come together reallywell. Keep posting so we can follow the journey of transformation this gorgeous garden . Thanks for sharing 🌿🌴🍃🌱👏👏

Every time you do something new and good in your garden which is very interesting...

After an age, I got the notification. It was nice and really important for me coz I learn about garden chores a bit and have learned the names of lots of shrubs and trees.

Enjoyed the tour...

Very cool backyard with your native plants and environmental friendly garden. You always did an amazing job.

I love how the yard is coming along! Thanks for sharing!

Look awesome thanks for sharing

You are back after so long 🥺💙 Beautiful Garden...

Looks great, keep up the good work!

Happy Christmas...

You had me at salal the berries are sooo good! ❤️

Mistake mean we are learning, don't be afraid to make them. (oh, I really need to take my own advise there too) Such an interesting in depth video. There's heaps of potential in your garden, I look forward to seeing the progress. With the edibles - its a cool idea that you will be able to eat most of what you grow, 'cos wildlife will have some too, bonus! :D Inspirational.

Good on you :)

I am in a zone 4-5, so I have planted some American persimmons, but you would be able to grow the non-astringent kind. The trees are a good scale for your property. Also, I'm wondering if hazelnuts would work. I have just planted four in my back yard because they too stay relatively low--15' or so. Quince, serviceberry and medlars are other trees that I planted because of their small stature and beauty. Elderberry is a wilder looking shrub/tree that wildlife loves and has great medicinal properties.

Nice video

Great looking yard, and you've given me some ideas for my own yard. Recommend you put in a drip irrigation system for those areas you have a hard time watering. Cheap, easy to do, and effective, especially during the droughts that seem to be a feature of our BC summers now.

wow shes very pretty

In addition or instead of the English Laurel, what about tall Oregon grape? Sculpture Park in Seattle has a very long and standard shaped hedge using them. It's evergreen and has awesome flagrant flowers in the spring, and had edible berries. It has prickly leaves though though.

You’re alright! I thought something bad happened!

Hello, I love your videos and thanks to you I've decided to pursue a career in ecology. I'm planning to do my second mayor and switch careers.

Is there anyone who has a deam in Environment.... 1)Environmentalist. 2)social developer. 3) Environmental journalism.

Nice to see you again Miss Kristina 😍 I am a student from Philippines studying Environmental Science 😊 Can you recommend some books for me to read? Thank youuu 🥰

Hey ma'am, i love ur career and ur videos. pls tell me how can i become a wildlife biologist without having a bachelor degree in biology, are there any other bachelor courses through which i can become a wildlife biologist ?

Hi kristina, I have a question to ask. I am an aspiring wildlife biologist and I am planning for a bachelors and masters degree in zoology in India (maybe a PhD too) .. Would be recommend any other course other than zoology, like masters in wildlife sciences, which would help me in the best way in my journey of becoming a wildlife biologist. Also would you recommend anyone doing their bachlors and master in USA. I have heard seen many successful wildlife biologist in USA. Actually I am a little confused that should I choose USA or India for my further education. Hoping you would reply ~love from India 🇮🇳

Is it ok to provide nesting material for birds/animals such as cotton thread scraps, yarn, dryer lint etc? I keep reading conflicting views on this. Thanks so much! Love all your videos....and I'm an accountant 😅

Your all videos are very helpful ❤️👌👍 please guide on 1. *SUSTAINABILITY officer / manager* 2. *Farm conservation advisor* 3. *Environment health and safety specialist* 4. *Energy officer* . I want to pursue ms in environment field in Uk/USA . I am more confuse about substai ability officer,like is it more suitable for technical guys(I am weak in maths ☺️) Would doing MSC in ENVIRONMENT SCIENTIST would help to switch over in other field like sustainability officer. Eagerly waiting for your reply.

I thought about redirecting roof gutter water to my land instead, what kind of chemicals might come from roofing materials? Your property looks fully fenced, are deer able to jump that high?!?! :O Lawns are over rated :) I hear you fine. Yeah, I hate landscaping cover....I hate when I dig down and reach a plastic layer that's disintegrating -_-

Do you speak Spanish?

She is very rood in real life

Hey ma'am, i love ur career and ur videos. pls tell me how can i become a wildlife biologist without having a bachelor degree in biology, are there any other bachelor courses through which i can become a wildlife biologist ?