KinSeed Spring Newsletter
Hello Everyone.
Thank you to everyone who came out to one of the Seedy events in March. It was lovely to see you and to meet new customers and friends! In this newsletter will be a plug for hiking the Pulpit Rock Trail in Nelson, an introduction to a new demonstration space in the KinSeed home garden, and up-coming events for April – June.
PLUGGIN’ THE PLANTS ON PULPIT
We’ve been hiking the Pulpit Rock Trail in Nelson since January. (You can do that when there’s no snow at valley bottom.) Anyway, on a hike last Saturday, April 4, we witnessed some of the first spring wildflowers, butterflies, and bees. It’s a beautiful and inspiring time to be out walking our local trails. So, we encourage you to get out there and see what’s coming up! If you’re hiking Pulpit in the next couple of weeks here’s some of the flowers to look for:
Trailhead to Pulpit Rock
- Heart-leaved arnica (Arnica cordifolia) – Just coming up.
- Harsh paintbrush (Castilleja hispida) – Also, just coming out.
- Small-flowered blue-eyed Mary (Collinsia grandiflora) – Blooming now (all along trail).
- Common draba (Draba verna) – Blooming now. Just because it’s tiny and an exotic plant doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take notice of this cute little flower (common with small-flowered blue-eyed Mary).
- Yellow glacier lily (Erythronium grandiflorum) – In bloom now (upper trail).
- Wood strawberry (Fragaria vesca) – Should be flowering soon (all along trail)
- Dwarf waterleaf (Hydrophyllum capitatum) – In bloom soon. Super special plant and hard to find (look for it near large patch of yellow glacier lily).
- Geyer’s biscuitroot (Lomatium geyeri) – In bloom now (at top of trail).
Above Pulpit Rock
- Long-flowered bluebells (Mertensia longiflora)
- Sagebrush buttercup (Ranunculus glaberrimus)
BLOOMIN’ BOULEVARDS – NEW KINSEED HOME GARDEN COMING SOON
As many of you know, we get a lot done on our corner lot in the Uphill neighbourhood of Nelson. In addition to growing most of the plants that we provide for you and growing our our food, we surround ourselves with as many native plant species as possible. We have already started to expand onto the boulevard and have recently started a new garden space there. In the spirit of transparency and education, we want to share the progress with you – for better or worse we’ll all learn together how to make a matrix garden.
For background, this space was lawn and has been dug up and trampled for the last few years. In fall 2025, I dug up all of the space – churned up the soil and inverted the remaining lawn and weeds, leaving it to begin breaking down over the winter. On April 5, I laid down thick black poly (plastic) over the space to begin solarizing the area.
- I used black poly (as opposed to clear poly) to better trap heat and kill weeds during the cooler, wetter spring period.
- Made sure the edges were buried to hold in heat and air.
- Kept it clean and tidy because it’s highly visible and I live in a city.
- Will endeavour to keep it this way and free of holes until planting in late spring.
In mid June, we’ll pull up the poly and plant with a mix of grass and forb (aka wildflowers) plugs in a matrix design. Stay tuned and come check it out! We’re at 524 Innes Street though this new garden space is off Josephine St. If you would like to try something similar, please let us know!
SPRING EVENTS AND SALES (APRIL – JUNE)
Biodiverse Backyards: Environmentally Friendly Landscaping in Nelson
April 8, Nelson Library, 7 – 9 pm
Public presentation; free admission
This “Earth Days Nelson & Area April 2026” event is an evening of expert speakers exploring environmentally friendly landscaping:
- Laurie Frankcom (CKISS) – Invasive species and highlighting free resources to navigate horticultural choices to support invasive-free biodiverse gardens.
- Viktorie Hladik (Bloom Garden Designs) – Tools to rethink your outdoor space to encourage biodiversity and personal enjoyment.
- Bren Beckwith (KinSeed Ecologies) – Native plants and why they are important considerations for resilient and ecologically functional gardens.
Pollination Pathways: Connecting Plants across Fragmented Landscapes
April 18, Shoreacres Hall, 12 – 3 pm (talk at 1:30 pm)
West Kootenay Naturalists presentation; membership required (join today!)
Valerie Huff (KinSeed Ecologies, co-founder of Kootenay Native Plant Society)- Plants are rooted in place, but they travel across landscapes through pollen and seeds. This talk explores how reconnecting native plant populations (through stewardship, restoration, and even gardening) can help rebuild ecological connections across fragmented landscapes in the West Kootenay.
Bubbling Bees of Beaver Creek
May 7, Beaver Creek Provincial Park, 9 am start time
Kootenay Native Plant Society workshop; free (registration required)
A unique interactive experience, at this “Community Nest Count,” you’ll learn more about ground-nesting native bees at Beaver Creek Park. Some native bees nest in dense clusters in sandy soil and emerge in the spring – appearing to bubble up from the ground! Join Valerie Huff and possibly others from the Native Bee Society of BC as we search out and map the homes of these little bees. No experience needed.
More information on the Kootenay Native Plant Society website.
Annual Spring Native Plant Sale
May 16, 524 Innes St., 9 am – 2 pm
Mid-May is time for our annual spring native plant sale held at our home nursery in Nelson. We are delighted, once again, to also offer plants grown by our dear friend Monica, owner of Garden Understories. We will have shrubs, perennials and annuals, grasses, camas bulbs, and seeds available. There will likely be at least 50 species of native plants to choose from! A plant list will be available on our website closer to the date of the sale.
As in year’s past, please bring our own flats and boxes to transport your new potted plants. No early orders or early birds, though try to come at the start of the sale as we often sell out quick of species that are popular or we have in limited supply. We accept cash, cheque, e-transfer, credit/debit.
Magic in the Meadows
May 23, Skattebo Reach Trail (Castlegar), 9 am – 12 pm
Kootenay Native plant Society workshop; “Pay what you can” (registration required)
Discover the magic of meadow life! In May, the wildflower meadows of Skattebo Reach Trail near Castlegar come alive with wildflowers and pollinators. This is a truly special, small-group experience designed for science-curious and nature-loving folks. Experts in plants and insects, including KinSeed’s Bren Beckwith and Valerie Huff, will be available to help you make new discoveries, learn species names, and garner a deeper understanding of how these ephemeral meadows thrive in the spring and support biodiversity.
Nelson Farmers Market
First Three Saturdays of June, Cottonwood Falls Park, 9 am – 2 pm
We will have a booth at the Nelson Farmers Market on the first three Saturdays in June (6, 13, 20). This will be a great opportunity to pick up a few more plants and have a chat, one-on-one, with us. So please come say hi and bring your questions and garden photos. We’d love to hear more about your projects and explore together how we can support your native plant aspirations and goals.
Seed ya the Spring!
Bren
Brenda Beckwith PhD
Owner, KinSeed Ecologies
