Location

Earlier in the fall, I was walking down the back lane on my way home, and came across this funny little truck.  It caught my eye because I thought at first it might be an Electic Vehicle...upon further inspection, it didn't actually appear to be one, but then I noticed something even more interesting.  It was a truck for a gardening company...The Silent Gardener.  But how could such a small truck carry all the equipment gardners use?

As soon as I put two and two together, I looked at the truck's cargo: push mowers, brooms, aeration tools... no big gas powered mowers, no leaf blowers.  Could it be it was really that, a silent gardening service? 

I looked around a little more and saw several tidy little piles of leaves that had been raked up... and just as I pulled my camera out, a man in a yellow rain jacket popped out from around the corner, carrying a big bucket.  It turned out that the man I met, Barry, is the area manager and a professional horticulturalist, and he was more than happy to tell me about the company and their philosophy.

The Silent Gardener serves Vancouver, Burnaby, and the North Shore, and they do landscaping and gardening without icky chemicals or loud machinery, which is music to everyone's ears!  Instead, they employ a team of landscapers, many of whom have horticultural degrees, to take care of yards using environmentally friendly mulches, organic fertilizers, and proper plant care, all using people power.  They do residential and commercial properties, and also do landscape design and installation, so whatever your needs are, it seems they are up for it!

And if that isn't enough, if Barry is any example, the team are very friendly and well informed, and have a good sense of humour to boot. Case in point:

Sure it might be winter, but what better time to take good care of your trees and plants and make sure they get pruned properly, and then get everything off on the right foot in the spring?  Plus, I don't know who could say no to a company that is doing their utmost to be good to the environment, keep down noise pollution, and obviously really love what they do!

Location

I like marshmallows, let's just start with that. I had seen packages of gourmet marshmallows at Urban Fare, but I thought them much too indulgent a purchase and hadn't dared consider actually buying them... Until the day the fall Capers Community Fair was on a few weeks back. Butter Baked Goods, the makers of these marshmallows had a booth set up, and were selling their marshmallows for about 3/4 their usual price, and I decided it was time to give them a try. I scanned the flavours and narrowed it down to peppermint or pumkin spice. I pointed at the pumpkin spice bag and asked the woman at the stand whether they had any dairy in them (I'm allergic), and you know what she did? She picked the bag up and handed it to me, and said, "Nope, no dairy, here have a bag!" I don't think she had any idea what a bad couple days I'd had or how much it cheered me up, but it was greatly appreciated, in one of those renewing-my-faith-in-humanity sort of ways...

Slightly confused, I said, "have?" and she laughed and replied, "yes, they're a gift!" I was totally surpised, but said thanks very much and put them in my bag and went on my way home. When I got home, I untied the ribbon on the pretty little bag of delicious looking treats, and took a big chomp out of one. It was heavenly. I'm not ashamed to admit I've since bought a few more bags of pumpkin spice, which are seriously wonderful, as well as a couple bags of the coconut ones, which are encrusted in toasted coconut, and also amazing. I have yet to get my hands on any of the other flavours, as Capers has only been carrying a small selection of their stuff.

(Photo courtesy of food blogger Lydia, check her flickr out for lots more photos!)

The current owners took over the bakery and gave it an overhaul before re-opening in September 2007, and their tasty treats have been given much deserved acclaim in lots of local foodie websites and blogs. Rosie, an interior designer whose skills have obviously given their products an added aesthetic boost, and her mother, Pixie, were the creators of the business, which now employs several other family members, making it a truly family-run and locally owned business. Their specialties are cookies, marshmallows, smores, and cupkaces, and you can read their full menu on their website.

Moral of the story? Next time you feel like treating yourself with something sweet, head down to the west side, or to your nearest gourmet grocer and indulge in the best marshmallows you've ever eaten, and if you happen to try any of their other treats, please vouch for them in the comments, since I can't try 'em myself!