The Silver & Or Design Co.

02/06/2023

Today (June 2nd) is the last day for Cumberland villagers to participate in the municipal tree protection survey - this will inform councils upcoming tree bylaw development. Time to engage in the political process!

30/05/2023

Great opportunity at the Cumberland Lake Campground this summer for local Comox Valley youths who want to simultaneously protect the land and their own mental health. We at Silver & Or can attest that land stewardship is good for the soul!

Lake Park Society is Seeking Youth Applicants for our 2023 Land-Care/Self-Care Camp:

The environmental crisis can be a bummer. At Lake Park Society, we know getting outside with friends can help. We're inviting 12 youth to spend a week with us this summer, focusing on mental health and environmental action. Through games, activities, art, outdoor adventure, and dialogues with community mentors, we’re asking “how can we care for the land, and how does the land care for us?” Spaces are generously funded by an Island Health grant. Applications are open now. Details can be found at https://cumberlandlakepark.ca/programs/lcsc-2023/ or by emailing education@clws.ca. Apply today!

13/02/2023

Lettuces and beans and cucamelons, oh my!

Purchase quality, untreated, and non-GMO seeds from West Coast Seeds at the link below until February 17👇🏻

https://fundraising.westcoastseeds.com/collections/all

*Choose Cumberland Community School PAC as your organization AND enter your phone number. (Skip the class number.)

16/05/2022

Why a more diverse and hands-off garden makes for a better environment.

24/05/2021

Check out this feature by the The Cumberland Business Association. We are so grateful for all the support we get from our community!

07/04/2021

The Fitbit for landscape designers! Tracks your every move with accuracy down to the inches. That being said, I would prefer not to take this work toy on a run.

17/03/2021

Yesterday was grid day on the drafting table.

After a comprehensive site survey is done we build a custom grid for each property and will experiment with shapes and patterns; ultimately devising three or more plans until we find ‘the one’ that speaks to us.

This can be the most stressful phase of the design process, especially if you are working on a tight schedule, because sometimes your creativity shows up on time and sometimes it needs some convincing.

A good Americano with a side of pensive music is the go-to recipe around here for those days when the creativity needs encouragement.

What’s your muse?

05/02/2021

What do you do when you can’t sleep at 4:00 in the morning? Apparently I plan for the upcoming growing season. Who needs sleep anyways?!
Having a bit more time on my hands due to our stay-at-home protocols, I did a lot more of my own seed saving this year so I’m extra excited to get these gems in the soil.
I really love to play with monochromatic flowering beds. One corner of my yard is dedicated to white flowers - this happens to be the spot where my husband and I tied the knot. It currently holds a few species of white clematis, a white hydrangea, white irises and is under planted with one of my favourite native shade-loving plants, a white woodland anemone species called ‘Piper’s anemone’. All of these are interwoven with ferns and Solomon’s seal to create a eye-catching corner bed that always reminds me of the day we said “I do”. This year, a decade after the nuptials, I will be strategically filling in some gaps with the seedlings I will start in the coming weeks: white coneflowers and white lupines to be precise. Hopefully by the time our anniversary rolls around mid-summer there will be some extra blooms to enjoy.

05/02/2021

Super inspiring video sent to me by a friend today. What if we all did our best to make our spaces as inclusive and community-orientated as possible?
Cumberland Lake Wilderness Society

02/02/2021

The Silver & Or Design Co. has always relied on good old-fashioned word-of-mouth marketing. And thanks to our exceptional clients, friends and community that has kept us plenty busy over the years. However; low and behold, we bought ad space as a fundraiser for the Cumberland Community School Society and “ta-da” our first paper advertisement was born. Thanks to the Currently Cumberland for their silent auction donation that made this come together. Everybody wins.