EPISODE #101: “Seeds and TIME”
A man's deep thoughts on time and existence, transcend his and our traditional understanding of plants and the garden. An adventurous punk rocker climbs mountains to harvest rare seeds that can’t be found at sea level.
Encore broadcast: Monday, April 1, 2024 on VisionTV (9pm ET / 6pm PT).
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David Young takes the concept of gardening to an existential extreme. Rather than nurturing the garden himself, he leaves the process to nature and the fortuitous gifts of geology. Reflecting on the meaning of time on a rocky islet on Georgian Bay, he uncovers things humans have never seen.
Paul Spriggs played in west coast punk rock bands. He now specializes in a different kind of rock—rock gardening. His search for unusual plants leads him to an awe-inspiring mountain range on Vancouver Island, where he harvests rare alpine seeds that cannot be found at sea level.
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“Gardening to me is a conversation you have with nature about time.” - David Young
“Take everything you know about regular gardening, and forget it.” - Paul Spriggs
EPISODE #102: “The Northern Garden”
The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson and John Ralston Saul are longtime partners, notable for their rich contributions to Canadian culture. Their divergent intellectual lives combine in a singular love of gardens, to contemplate the true nature of the Canadian garden.
Encore broadcast: Monday, April 8, 2024 on VisionTV (9pm ET / 6pm PT).
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The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson has always believed that we’re here to be stewards of the Earth. A long career as a revered television host and journalist led to her appointment as Governor General of Canada. After several lives’ worth of experiences, she continues to find spiritual fulfillment in the simple beauty of her perennial garden.
Declared a “prophet” by TIME magazine, globally renowned philosopher and writer John Ralston Saul’s home garden intentionally mirrors the people and place where he lives. Aligning with his writings, his garden rejects colonial European thinking, by deliberately featuring plants that exist naturally in the northern hemisphere.
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“It’s no accident that the Bible begins in a garden because the garden is an image for people of what paradise could be.” - Adrienne Clarkson
“The nature of the Canadian garden is tied intimately to the acceptance of the idea that we live in the north.” - John Ralston Saul
EPISODE #103: “People and Plants”
A medical herbalist specializes in connecting people to healing plants. An exotic plant collector and daylily hybridizer inspires a new generation of gardeners to breed their own colourful flowers.
Encore broadcast: Monday, April 15, 2024 on VisionTV (9pm ET / 6pm PT).
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Chanchal Cabrera is a medical herbalist, who encourages people to grow and use their own plants as medicine. Her patients can touch medicinal plants in an interactive garden, allowing them the space to connect directly with natural healing.
Paul Gellatly is an exotic plant collector and daylily hybridizer. His passion for unique plants, developed when he managed the country’s largest tropical plant collection, inspires him to teach a new generation to breed their own daylilies.
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“It’s very empowering to grow some food, and some medicine, for yourself. No matter what’s happening in the world, you can have some level of care.” - Chanchal Cabrera
“When you find your passion, whatever that passion is, your life becomes better.” - Paul Gellatly
EPISODE #104: “Food Without Limits”
A tenacious gardener connects to her familial roots, while developing unconventional methods of growing food that will survive the limited growing season of the Canadian prairies. A botanist grows hundreds of varieties of citrus and other exotic tree fruits on Canada’s west coast.
Encore broadcast: Monday, April 22, 2024 on VisionTV (9pm ET / 6pm PT).
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Tiffany Grenkow has made it her life’s mission to feed as many people as she can. Her gardening is focused on creating abundance, and the results are shared throughout her community. Meanwhile, her tenacity in gardening research, leads her beyond current scientific thinking to pioneer a new technique of propegating sweet potatoes.
In 1995, Bob Duncan planted the first citrus trees in the ground in Canada. Decades later, he continues to grow hundreds of varieties of oranges, lemons, and other exotic Mediterranean tree fruits. His methods are developed through extensive testing and a simple yet effective technique of overcoming the winter frost.
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“You can put in a little bit of work and attention, and nature will look after us.” - Tiffany Grenkow
“If people have not been here to see it first hand, people have a hard time imagining that you can grow these Mediterranean and sub-tropical fruits anywhere in Canada. But the reality is, you can.” - Bob Duncan
EPISODE #105: “Beauty and Delight”
After fifty years of gardening the same piece of land on the edge of the Niagara escarpment, a writer reflects on the many connections between art, nature, and a long life. A famed Vancouver florist uses his eye for beauty, while developing new orchid hybrids.
Encore broadcast: Monday, April 29, 2024 on VisionTV (9pm ET / 6pm PT).
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Brian Bixley reflects on fifty years of tending the same piece of land. While touring the garden pathways that branch out in all directions, one discovers mysterious areas filed with delightful surprises. He muses on the meaning and poetry of a garden of such delights.
Tom Hobbs began selling seeds from his backyard as a child. His eye for beautiful plants led to the creation of one of Vancouver’s most famous floral shops, which served the rich and famous. After forty years of retail Tom, continues to work to proliferate beauty. His wry sense of humour, and tireless work ethic guide him as he hybridizes new varieties of orchids and nerines.
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“Almost everything that is about life is to be found in this garden.” - Brian Bixley
“If you think you can do it, you can do it. You just have to have some vision and determination.” - Tom Hobbs
“…a beautifully made series…”
- The Globe and Mail, John Doyle
“…an extraordinary new documentary series… The cinematography is dazzling… indelible images and intellectual ideas…”
- Winnipeg Free Press, Colleen Zacharias
“Visionary Gardeners highlights unique green thumbs on new television series
- Victoria Times Colonist, Mike Devlin
