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GARDENING WITH MARK AND BEN
July, 2025
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Big and Lonely
This past month, Mark made a journey to visit a tree on the Canadian west coast. Big Lonely Doug. It may not have been life-changing, but it would be accurate to say that it altered his view of our world.
Here is his story.
“It began with an invite from World Wildlife Fund Canada to join 18 other Canadians on a trip into the interior of B.C. in June. The intent was to learn about indigenous led reforestation in massive forests where fires had raged about eight years ago. I was keen to go and learn about something new to me.
That invite precipitated another idea: if I was to make the commitment to travel from my home in Ontario to the interior of B.C. why not keep going, to the Canadian West Coast, or “wet” coast as some like to say. There I would explore old logging roads and find Big Lonely Doug. The second largest Douglas Fir in the world.
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Big Lonely Doug from the north mountain side,
looking into the Gordon River Valley, BC Vancouver Is.
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A 1,000 year old specimen, standing the height of a 20-story building. All by itself, as all the old growth forest that once existed around it was clear cut in 2015.
With my tree-hugging friend John Patterson and environmentalist, son-in-law Martin Gauthier, we arrived in Victoria, rented a car and drove two and a half hours west, then north, to Port Renfrew. Population 250. Pretty much the end of the paved road.
From there we hired a guide, which I highly recommend if you plan on taking this trip, as unused logging roads are not well marked, if they are marked at all. And there are many forks in the road. Like life itself.
The trip was, to a large degree, a metaphor for life. For the human existence in nature. But I get ahead of myself.
John, Martin and I sat in an ancient Nissan with 300,000 kilometers on the odometer. Our guide Drea drove ever so slowly through pothole after pothole. Some so deep that the undercarriage of the old Nissan hit the road. Only the forward motion of the vehicle kept us on track. And Drea’s extraordinary sense of direction.
An hour and a quarter later she stopped abruptly and announced that THIS is where the hike began. Out we tumbled, well shaken, knapsacks, snacks and water bottles in hand for the trek to the top of the Gordon River Valley: up, up and along the north face of the mountain for another hour. Then a sign, scribbled on a piece of scrap lumber, “DOUG” with a faint arrow pointing to the bottom of the valley. We were only a 10-minute hike from the moment of truth.
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Big Lonely Doug 20 meters from the base.
232 ft. tall. Equal to a 20 story building.
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Doug who?
The story of this magnificent specimen is well documented in the book Big Lonely Doug, by Harley Rustad, published by Walrus Publishing. I read it almost 8 years ago and while I do not have a bucket list, if I did, a trip to see this tree would be on it. The idea of travelling 4,400 kilometers out of my way to give it a hug was inspired by the book.
While much of the book describes the tension between activists and loggers during a particularly troublesome time both in the logging industry and in Canadian history (over 800 people were arrested by the RCMP) it is also interesting to note that Dennis Cronin, hired by the logging company to mark trees for cutting , actually saved it.
As he trekked through the undergrowth of the virgin forest in 2014 it is impossible to know what precisely went through his mind when Denis met Doug. After all, his job as a tree marker was to identify trees worthy of being cut for economic reasons, i.e. the value of the lumber they would produce, not to save them.
But save it he did. Making it obvious with a special band and handwritten notes wrapping round the tree, the “cutters” who followed him some weeks later were required to follow his directions.
Back to our trek to Doug. Standing at the base of the ancient specimen was, for me, a religious experience. Imagine visiting a magnificent cathedral. St. Paul’s in London UK, or the Sistine Chapel in Rome. Perhaps Notre Dame in Paris or Notre Dame Basilica in Montreal.
The history of a cathedral speaks volumes about the importance of it and its role in human history.
For me, I have always marveled at what a cathedral represents, rather than the building itself.
Meeting Big Lonely Doug produced a similar feeling, a deep appreciation for the natural world around us. I had no temptation to worship the tree, but to acknowledge the value and meaning of a living monument to all life on planet earth. An oxygen machine produced by nature, perfected by time.
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Martin, John and Mark at the base of Big Lonely Doug.
11.8 meters in circumference: 6 men holding hands to encircle.
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We hiked back through Eden Grove to visit a host of first growth cedar, spruce, hemlock and douglas fir and to eat our lunch at the base of the Mother Tree, so named by Suzanne Simard, the author of the book by the same name (another recommendation).
Walking down the logging roads on a perfect June day, exploring the trees, flora and fauna of the old growth forest of B.C., we were silent. Walking side by side John broke the silence with these words, “This was a good idea”.
He need not have said more. As it truly was.
Worth the expense, the time, the effort: the three of us deeply moved by a tree which cannot be moved. Doug can only be cut down or left alone to continue his journey through time.
Our experience proved that humankind has a relationship with nature that is not always easy. We can cut down the first growth forests of BC until they are gone (less than 2% remains).
Or we can preserve what is left.
Our guide Drea told us that 10,000 people a year travel to Port Renfrew to make the trek to Big Lonely Doug.
One does not have to be proficient at math to realize the economic benefits through tourism of keeping the tree, vs. the value of its lumber, reported to be less than $100,000 on the day that Dennis Cronin saved it. Humankind is capable of many things, good and bad and in between.
Mr. Cronin built his career in the timber industry but made himself famous by saving an extraordinary tree. The day that he met Doug the tree he was indeed a kind-human as the tree obviously spoke to him.
If this story speaks to you, I can recommend the following:
Tourism Port Renfrew. It’s a wonderful town, with more than first growth trees to its credit. Link to tourism Port Renfrew.
Book Big Lonely Doug. If the book does not change your view of the human relationship to nature, it might inspire you to visit Doug and the Gordon River valley. That will almost certainly change something inside of you.
For the short version, go to Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Lonely_Doug.
Finding the Mother Tree. A book that will illuminate your mind about the magic of first growth forests. https://suzannesimard.com/finding-the-mother-tree-book/
WWF Indigenous led reforestation https://wwf.ca/stories/indigenous-led-reforestation-future-fire-threats/
Drea. A wonderful guide who not only showed us the way but crawled under the truck to check out some mechanical difficulties in the middle of nowhere. She was great. daytripdrea.hotmail.com
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Keep bird baths clean and topped up.
Prune evergreens, especially cedars including cedar hedges. Now is the time. Boxwood, yews and other evergreens also.
Remove spent flowers from your peonies and other spring flowering plants. It is true that if you remove spent lilac flowers, the plant will bloom more prolifically next year.
Clean your hummingbird feeders and hang them out. A clean feeder is essential for the health of these remarkable birds.
Feed container grown plants like petunias and geraniums with 20-20-20 water soluble plant food every 10 days to 2 weeks. All summer.
Watering: if it is hot and dry in your region, be mindful of watering your garden. Here are our rules of thumb:
1. If it is beginning to weep/droop water it deeply.
2. If the soil is dry down to the second knuckle of your index finger, water it deeply.
Stake tomatoes. Double your crop. We use spiral tomato stakes.
Apply bordo mixture to tomatoes to prevent early blight. Once every 2 weeks all summer.
How will you celebrate Canada Day? Share your ideas and photos on Facebook or email to groundskeeper@markcullen.com.
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BIRDS IN FOCUS:
American Goldfinch
By Jody Allair
The American Goldfinch is one of the most recognizable songbirds across southern Canada. With the males bright yellow body feathers, black cap, and black flight feathers, it’s hard to dispute that the American Goldfinch is one of the best looking birds that live in our backyards, and local green spaces. It should be noted however, that the more subtle olive and yellow plumaged female is as attractive as the male in my humble opinion.
There are so many fascinating aspects of the life history of the American Goldfinch that you could write a whole book about them. Since I do not have that kind of space, I will just list off a few of my favourite facts.
American Goldfinches are the only finch species in North American to completely moult their body feathers twice a year. Going from retina-burning yellow, spring through summer, to a more subtle gray/ olive plumage for the fall and winter.
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American Goldfinch
Photo credit: Yousif Attia
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They have shockingly short legs, and very strong feet which enables them to balance on the ends of flowers (like thistles) in order to feed on seeds and collect seed fluff to use as nesting material. And speaking of nests, American Goldfinches build one of my favourite looking nests. They are usually found in shrubs and are very dense and soft, often made with seed fluff from a variety of plants – including Milkweed, and are often sewn together using spider silk.
The flight call of the American Goldfinch (“potato-chip…potato chip…”) can be easily learned and has one of the best mnemonics of any bird call.
To attract these amazing little birds to your yard, consider planting some native shrubs like Chokecherry or Dogwood. You should also check out Birds Canada’s amazing resource for making your yard a safe haven for birds at: https://birdgardens.ca/. American Goldfinches are exclusively seed eaters and can also be attracted by putting out bird feeders with Nyjer seed or Black Oil Sunflower seeds. And as always, please clean your feeders regularly and try to maintain a safe feeding environment for your feathered friends.
Good Birding!
Jody Allair
Director, Communications
Birds Canada
Connect with me on Bluesky and Instagram at: @JodyAllair
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We are celebrating a milestone at Trees for Life later in 2025 as we mark our 10th anniversary! As you may know, here at Trees for Life we largely plant trees in the urban and suburban environments, where Canadians live, work, and play. In these most populated areas, so many may benefit from the gifts of living with trees.
Since our inception as the Highway of Heroes Tree Campaign in 2015 and now under our nationwide mission as Trees for Life, we've supported the planting of over 3.3 Million trees. Continuing the Highway of Heroes tradition of creating living legacies, Trees for Life is proud to plant trees that pay tribute to the heroes who protect and enrich our lives. These heroes may include first responders, front-line and healthcare workers, neighbours, coaches, the military, and loved ones. A hero is in the eye of the beholder!
We are a trusted partner of the Federal Government's 2 Billion Trees program, and we are committed to increasing the leafy canopy in communities across the country, and in doing so, helping Canada to meet its 2040 net-zero carbon emissions goal.
Learn more and support our mission at treesforlife.ca
| | MONTHLY OFFER FROM FOOD & SHELTER GOODS | | |
Food and Shelter Goods is a 100% Canadian curated collection of extraordinary gifts and household essentials. Food and Shelter Goods is owned by Ben's sister/Mark's daughter, Heather.
Bonus offer: 20% off July 1, 2025. No code necessary
And for the month of July: 20% Textile Collection
Code: newsletterjuly
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Harrowsmith’s Garlic Galore
Young (aka ‘green’) garlic can be found at farmer’s markets for a very short time, so grab it if you can!
Here are 2 of Bob Blumers favourite recipes with garlic - Green Garlic Soup & Green Garlic Pesto. Click here for the recipes
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