Coastal BC Plants: Red Elderberry

 Red Elderberry

Around Powell River you can see Red Elderberry (Sambucus racemosa) plants both in town as garden ornamentals, and out in the bush in their natural environment. They make a tree-like large shrub with beautiful white flower clusters in spring, and bright red berries in summer.

They grow in moist areas along streams, in disturbed or open areas, and in lowland forests. The flowers provide food for hummingbirds and butterflies. The red berries are an important early season source of food for birds such as robins, thrushes, finches, and grosbeaks. Of course, this also helps with seed distribution.


Caution needs to be taken in the use of the red berries. Some sources say this variety is toxic, others differ. I err on the side of caution unless I know for sure (and I don't). Do you use red elderberry plants for any purpose, either in your garden or otherwise? -- Margy

Narrows Quad Ride

For our first overnight barge trip to go quad riding, we chose the Narrows dock and barge ramp.

We checked in with Western Forest Products before leaving. Even through we were pretty sure it was inactive, things can change pretty fast in the forest industry.

It took us an hour and fifteen minutes to get there after a brief stop to visit with friends along the way. Doug and Malcolm were working on the land cabin Doug recently purchased. We offered the services of our barge if they needed to haul anything larger than their boat could handle.

The Narrows ramp and dock are in a protected area just before the Goat River feeds into Powell Lake. Logging finished here just a few weeks before, so everything was in great condition.

Just as we were arriving, it started to rain.

We quickly set up our tent for the first time on the barge. We tied the rain fly to the side rails and crawled inside to wait it out.



After the skies cleared, we followed Narrows Main north then west to the log dump beyond the peninsula.

The sun was getting low, so we decided to save the rest of the ride for the following morning.

The first part of Narrows Main went through second growth forest and logging blocks in various stages of regrowth.


The end of the road was where the most recent logging occurred.

From the upper spurs, you get a great view of this end of Powell Lake and the float cabins on the opposite shore.


We moved the barge back to the ramp and Wayne loaded the quads while I held the boat steady. I think we are getting the hang of this way to explore our wonderful back country. -- Margy

Cabin Cooking: Garden Fresh Frittata for Two

Summer is my garden harvest time, and I like to use the produce to make our float cabin meals. It the day isn't going to be too hot, I like to bake a

Garden Fresh Frittata for Two

3 eggs
1/8 cup milk
1/2 small onion diced
1/4 green pepper diced
3 large chard (spinach or kale) leaves
2 mushrooms sliced
3 asparagus spears
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1/2 teaspoon crushed thyme
salt and pepper to taste
vegetable spray
1/2 cup shredded cheese

You can adjust the amount or type of vegetables based on what you have on hand in the fridge or garden.

Saute onion, pepper, and mushrooms in butter on low heat until tender. Add asparagus and chard and heat until the chard wilts. Remove from heat and place in the bottom of an oven baking dish that has been lightly coated with vegetable spray.

Beat eggs and milk vigorously in a bowl. Briskly encorporate thyme, salt and pepper. Gently pour the egg mixture over the vegetables in the baking dish.

Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Sprinkle cheese over the top and return to the oven for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Breakfast on the front porch.

Serve warm. The first time I served it with fruit cups. The second time I baked flour tortilla triangles until crisp with melted cheese on top. Can you guess which one I preferred? -- Margy

Watering with Sunshine

Once the spring rains stop, it's time to start watering.

Even though my floating vegetable garden is surrounded by water, none of it gets into the beds without human assistance.


Our good friend John has saved me from lots of bending, scooping, and pouring by installing a solar-powered water pump and hose.

A dedicated 15-watt solar panel charges a 12-volt deep cycle battery in a storage box below.




A boat style bilge pump submerged in the lake is powered by the battery to draw water up and send it through a regular garden hose with a spray nozzle.

A handy switch on the panel's support post allows me to easily turn the pump on and off as needed.

During the summer when there's lots of sunshine, the battery last long enough for me to give everything a good watering.

In very hot weather, I water my garden every other day. Giving it a good soaking encourages the roots to grow deep, so surface drying doesn't cause wilting.

Thanks John. Because of you, I can water with sunshine. - Margy

Coastal BC Plants: Common Dandelion

Common Dandelion

You see Common Dandelions (Taraxacum officinale) almost everywhere in town and country. It's one of the most common plants and is very visible with their bright yellow flowers in spring and their seed puff balls in summer.

I remember loving to pick them to blow the seed off. Guess that wasn't too smart with my dad trying to get them out of the lawn. But oh, so much fun for a kid.


Dandelions are a member of the daisy family. Other than lawns in urban areas, look for them in places where the soil has been disturbed such as roadsides and pastures.

Dandelions have dark green leaves, bright yellow flowers, and long tap roots that allow them to teach enough moisture to grow in very dry locations. That's one reason they are hard to eradicate, not to mention all of the seeds from their round, puffy seed head.

As prolific as these flower are, it's hard to believe they are not native. They originated in Europe and were brought to North America by early settlers for their herbal qualities, as a food source for man and beast, and of course, to make dandelion wine.

Here's a link with more information about which parts are good to eat, and how best to prepare them. Who knew, the scourge of the lawn is a bounty for the table.

Do you have any dandelion stories, or even recipes, especially for a good bottle of wine? -- Margy

Goat Island Quad Ride

Wayne and I have a new way to get around Powell Lake to ride our quads on the logging roads that are available for exploration. It's a 25-foot barge. Our trial run was a day trip to nearby Goat Island.

The barge travels at 7 knots, steady and sure. It took us an hour to get from our float cabin in Hole in the Wall to the Goat Dock. We checked in with Western Forest Products to make sure the roads weren't active. Their hotline number is 604-485-3132, but for information about Powell Lake it's best to talk to someone live.

Wayne drove up to the barge ramp and we offloaded our quads. Because this is an active area, the ramp is in excellent condition.

Then we moved the barge to the logging dock to tie up out of the way.

Clover Lake with Powell Lake in the distance.

We started up Clover Main with glimpses of Clover Lake to the left. I think I know how it got its name. I saw patches of clover growing in the moist soil.

At the junction with the road Frogpond South we turned left and started a gradual climb.


We stopped at a viewpoint for a drink and snack, and to enjoy the surroundings.

The road took us through sections of second growth forest, and cut blocks in various stages of regrowth.

Farther up ahead we could see the back side of the massive granite peak on the north end of Goat Island.

This is home territory for Mountain Goats, but we didn't find any with our naked eyes.

We rode as far as the south end of Frogpond. It sounds small, but is actually the largest lake on Goat Island.

There are even a few float cabins tucked away in this secluded island paradise.

We retraced our tracks back to the barge ramp.  Our first quad ride using the barge for transport was a huge success. We docked the barge back at the cabin and gave our quads a hosing so they would be ready for our next excursion.

Thanks for coming along on our ride. -- Margy

I'd Rather Ride than Fly

We have Great Blue Herons that like to hang out on our harbour breakwater. You can see them perched on top or flying low over the water.

However, this guy seems like he'd rather ride than fly. -- Margy