VICTORIA TAYLOR

Early one morning, just as the backyard Catalpa tree was breaking into bloom, we visited Victoria Taylor at her west Toronto home.  Her vocation as a landscape architect becomes quickly apparent when wandering through her well appointed rooms.  Nature abounds in combination with impeccable design, contemporary artwork, and an informal comfort, creating an inspiring balance between refinement and wilderness.  This is one who truly lives a beautiful life.  

With a Masters in Environmental Studies, Taylor worked as a designer and gardener for over 10 years before completing her Masters of Landscape Architecture.  With this background and an added tenure at the award winning architecture and design firm Brook McIlroy, she was well poised to launch her own company, Victoria Taylor Landscape Architecture, in 2011.  Over coffee and a lovely spread, we discussed some of her recent projects including the curation of GROW OP : Exploring Landscape and Place, a 4 day event that challenged participants to integrate gardens, art and urban spaces; and the co-creation of Parks & Rec, a massive rooftop organic food garden.  These projects highlight Taylor's desire to make gardens work, whether to heal, feed or rejuvinate a community, culturally and artistically.  She is currently designing landscapes for the Picton Community Centre in Prince Edward County and Toronto's fifth Christian Science Church.  Each commission brings fresh objectives and influences.  Taylor emphasized the importance of listening to and understanding the needs and opportunities of each project.

Taylor's holistic attitude towards landscape architecture permeates her home.  Her 1910 semi has been renovated with a sensitivity to the original structure combined with a courageous integration of modern lines. She removed some walls to open up what was once a dark warren, but left original architectural elements to maintain a level of privacy and separation of space.  You get the feeling that this is a wonderful place to spend time during morning, noon and night, be it working, entertaining or relaxing.  To complete our tour we visited the sauna, created by Castor  Design. Concealed behind a bank of black cedars, it is the property's hidden gem.

THE NEW PLASTIC

Styrofoam is a real problem.  As it is biologically inert, it never really goes away but just breaks into smaller pieces, filling the landfills, permeating the food chain and clogging up the ocean.  However, there is an alternative: mushrooms.  I was recently excited by a story in the NewYorker about a couple of ambitious entrepreneurs who have rethought styrofoam with environmental consciousness as their top priority. After noticing that mycelium (the vegetative part of fungus) has the ability to bind materials together, Eben Bayer and Gavin McIntyre developed a system by which agricultural waste (such as cotton hulls, oat hulls, rice husks) can be combined with the mycelium to create a styrofoam-like product in any shape you like.  Totally biodegradable, this invention could revolutionize packaging and building materials, turning packing peanuts into stuffed mushrooms.

Get the full story by watching this Ted Talk with Eben Bayer of Ecovative Design

MARTTIINI KNIFE

Since 1928, Marttiini has manufactured knives in Rovaniemi, Finland when the company was founded by Janne Marttiini.  Combining traditional handicraft skills with practical needs, Marttiini produces knives for hunting, fishing, and camping, as well as household use.  They believe strongly in designing tools appropriate to the task, as well as fitting the knife to the hand that uses it whether it be man's, woman's or minor's.  There is a tradition in Finland to learn knife handling at an early age for survival in this harsh northern climate.  

Some of my in-laws recently visited from Finland and brought us this Lapp knife.  It is advertised as being most suitable for all kinds of carving, cutting, fire-making and hunting.  Marttiini also states that it is excellent for slicing frozen reindeer meat, preferred by reindeer herders in the region where the model was initially conceived.  With beautiful engravings on the stainless steel blade, and a decorated leather sheath, this knife is also a wonderful talisman.

 

SUMMER DEALS

Tomorrow, June 15th, is the annual Trinity Bellwoods Garage Sale and we will be there selling our stuff.  We're hoping to be located near the intersection of Queen and Gore Vale.  The sale is from 10am-5pm.  Come down for a visit and check out the deals on clothing, shoes, quilts, art books, antiques, records, housewares, masonic regalia, paintings, ceramics, light fixtures, and more.  Here's a selection of some clothing that we'll have on offer, with little over $10 and more under $5, everything will be priced to sell.