At certain times, science-fiction and gardening afficionados do mix!
I had a wonderful weekend meeting new readers at the Blooming Boulevard annual native plant sale. Here’s my table by Sunday. My Gardeners’ civilization SF graphic novels were a hit, as were my birdwatching stories!
How this non-literary event came to be ?
Two years ago, I was impressed by a neighbour’s indigenous plants garden, set in the grassy band between the sidewalk and the street. As a staunch environmentalist, I was considering doing the same with my own curb band. But, book fairs and deadlines loomed, and I missed the opportunity.
According to the Blooming Boulevards web page:
We are a group of civic-minded Mississauga residents who love gardening and want to do what we can to help the environment and promote community well-being. We became a not-for-profit Ontario corporation, a Mississauga community organization, and developed the mission and goals of Blooming Boulevards in early 2019.
It took me two summers to gather the courage and contact the founders. And then, everything went fast, as Jeanne and Wayne came to see my modest space, and drew up a plan for indigenous plants, and gathered the forms to get an “encroachment” permit from the City. This was at the end of April.
This as how the space looked before I took out the grass. There were steps well explained before planting.
Now, I must be patient to allow those plants work on their roots before investing in foliage and flowers. Stay tuned for next year!
How my signing table planted itself there?
When the nice Blooming Boulevards people learned I was a writer, and when they saw my Gardeners’ Universe graphic novels, they invited me to sit at their annual plant sale!
And, ooh , that went so incredibly well!
I did not have any expectation beside talking to gardeners who are better at their hobbies than I am. In most literary events, I am used to people ignoring my table.
Not here.
Visitors were intrigued and many stopped by (if their arms were not loaded with seed boxes!) And some gardeners were also science fiction readers, so I gained new fans! Two people even went back on Sunday to get my books signed!
It is very rare that half the books I bring at any event fly out, but it happened here.
The advantages of an in-person, non-lit event
My esteemed colleague writer and indie publisher Mark Leslie Lefebvre regularly attends non-lit events in his home area, and I can now confirm that it is worth my time.
The advantages of a non-lit event:
- No competition for attention… or annoying table neighbours
- No long& costly trip to get on site (it’s in the same city!)
- A good-natured, friendly ambience
- I met fantastic people and gained new friends!
So, in retrospect, because of the common interests, I think the nice fellows of BB are my kind of crowd. I’ll certainly be back next year!
#bloomingboulevards @bloomingblvds #Mississauga #writinglife #indigenousplants
To know more about this initiative: https://www.bloomingboulevards.org/about
Echoes of a Sunday artist 