Welcome to Nancy’s Creations and Seeds!
With more and more of us living in urban areas, there is a need and desire to learn and to build unconventional gardens. Nancy’s Creations and Seeds is here to support that change. Everyone should have access to fresh, homegrown food, to improve nutrition and to protect Mother Earth.
My passion for urban gardening began in childhood, helping a neighbour who had the most amazing backyard garden. I hoped that one day, I might have a big backyard garden, just like it.
Sadly, that was not to be – however, I set about learning how to create a garden where none existed. Through trial and error and time with indigenous Elders I learned how to grow food indoors, and other awkward spaces. I made use of community gardens when they were accessible, and took to the nearby woods and meadows.
Later, I learned to grow as much produce as possible in a postage-stamp sized garden in my townhouse. There were no real resources to teach me what worked best in small, awkward city spaces like mine, so it was mainly trial and error.
A love for arts & crafts runs in my family. My own style of art has been strongly influenced by a year long exchange programme in Norway, while in high school. I fell in love with the Scandinavian folk stories and art, and also the outdoors-y feel to the culture, which is quite eco-conscious. As a result, my art has taken on an ‘eco-flair’, by incorporating up-cycled and/or reusable materials in order to help clean up the environment.
After my daughter started school, it was hard to determine how I should return to the workforce. My husband is a nurse, so he has irregular hours so scheduling was an issue. I decided to finally pursue my desire to start up my own business. In the course of my market research, I realized I was not the only one who had struggled to learn to garden in awkward urban areas-and so my passion gave birth to Nancy’s Creations and Seeds.
It has always been my desire to help others. My early career began in the non-profit sector, this business has provided me the opportunity to continue to do that.
Nancy’s Creations and Seeds continues to serve the community through knowledge, donated plants, crafts and seeds to several organisations locally including: Anishnabeg Outreach, Waterloo Region School Food Gardens, Waterloo Region Community Garden Network, Wisahkotewinowak, Cambridge Self-Help Foodbank, nursing homes, local community gardens among others. (See Community Outreach below)
More recently, I have also provided various trainings to organisations such as University of Waterloo, Anishnabeg outreach and Waterloo Gardeners.
plants, seeds and crafts!
All of my plants and seeds are home grown at my place in Waterloo. Many varieties are ones that lend themselves to urban spaces-they take up less space and/or grow indoors as well as out. The art is all freehand, one-of a kind up-cycled and/or reusable (both where possible).
As a social enterprise, Nancy’s Creations and Seeds supports several local organisations and events. We want to give back to mother earth and give everyone the opportunity to grow some of their own food and improve their mental health. Here are the main organisations we have supported so far:
Youth in Food Systems (previously Waterloo Region School Food Gardens):
http://www.wrschoolfoodgardens.ca
Anishnabeg Outreach:
http//www.aocan.org
RARE Charitable Research Reserve: https//www.raresites.org
Others that have been supported include: Cambridge Self Help Foodbank, Cambridge Memorial Hospital, various nursing homes, Community Gardens among others.
