Renée Layberry
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rlayberry.bsky.social
Renée Layberry
@rlayberry.bsky.social
310 followers 460 following 530 posts
GenX publishing pro ☆ lək̓ʷəŋən traditional territory/Victoria, BC ☆ belonging, books, community, creative practice, food security, gardening, mutual aid, placemaking ☆ my rescue dog is my life coach ☆ she/her 🇨🇦 🏳️‍🌈

https://theverdigrisoctopus.substack.com/
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rlayberry.bsky.social
I've been given a new, better plot for 2026; it was abandoned, so I'm clearing it out and wrapping up my old one.

I've learned that gardening is about planning and working towards the next season, not just tending to the current one. True for life in general, too. #communitygarden #gardening
A raised bed garden plot with an orange wheelbarrow next to it, partially filled with old kale. A raised garden plot in a community garden. The plot has been cleared of old plants and vegetables.
November 8, 2025 at 8:12 PM
rlayberry.bsky.social
A sunny autumn day and a walk along the water with my wee doggo. Perfection.
A closeup of a small, content-looking dog with expressive eyes and floppy ears. In the background are sunlit trees lining a body of water.
October 6, 2025 at 12:02 AM
rlayberry.bsky.social
How can I go back to eating pale, store-bought, off-season tomatoes after harvesting and gorging myself on all these tomatoes I grew this summer?
Close-up of deep red tomatoes, cut and arranged on a baking tray for roasting.
September 22, 2025 at 1:48 AM
rlayberry.bsky.social
Cusp-of-fall bounty, bound for Living Edge Market, which serves those experiencing food insecurity. Herbs, lots of collards, patty-pans, beets, tomatoes, kale and more. #communitycare ##communitygarden ##foodsecurity #gardening
Two plastic totes filled with fresh, colorful garden produce, as viewed from above.
September 20, 2025 at 5:06 PM
rlayberry.bsky.social
Anyway. Tofino and Ucluelet are gorgeous. So worth the trip.
Lush green rainforest with wood boardwalk winding throughout. Surfer carrying surfboard on Long Beach, Tofino.
September 8, 2025 at 12:00 AM
rlayberry.bsky.social
Harvested 14 tomatoes today—not even half of what's still ripening.
A pile of ripe red tomatoes on a rustic wooden table outdoors in a community garden.
August 31, 2025 at 4:10 AM
rlayberry.bsky.social
The abundance continues. More produce from the garden, bound for Living Edge Market. I'm convinced that food insecurity is more a matter of supply-chain and communication breakdown than a scarcity of produce. Grow food. Share food. #communitycare #communitygarden #foodsecurity #gardening #solarpunk
Tray of yellow lemon cucumbers Closeup of green beans Close up of yellow beans A variety of small yellow and green squashes on a wooden table
August 23, 2025 at 5:33 PM
rlayberry.bsky.social
Thai lime leaves (aka Makrut) grown and shared by a neighbour. Will freeze these for making curries, soups and other Thai-inspired dishes.

I really love growing, accessing and sharing food outside of commercial channels.

#foodsecurity
Viewed from above, a pile of small, thick, waxy-looking green leaves on a wooden table.
August 17, 2025 at 10:35 PM
rlayberry.bsky.social
This week's bounty, bound for the local free-food market. Underneath all the leafy vegetables are beans and squash. The red-and-green bundle to the right is shiso, a member of the mint fanily, used in Vietnamese cooking. #communitycare #communitygarden #foodsecurity #Esquimalt ##yyj #vancouverisland
A plastic box holding leafy green vegetables from an organic community garden
August 16, 2025 at 4:54 PM
rlayberry.bsky.social
This weekend's delivery to the local free-food market that serves neighbours in need. We can grow food, share food, have food. In the face of scarcity and loneliness and the housing crisis and the climate crisis and rising food costs, we still have this. #communitygarden #foodsecurity #hopepunk
Box filled with garden greens Box filled with herbs and vegetables from a community garden
July 20, 2025 at 1:33 PM
rlayberry.bsky.social
Remember that pile of mint and lemonbalm that a neighbour gave me a couple of weeks ago? Dehydrated it and mixed it together for a delicious calming tea. Kind of blown away by how little came from all those fresh herbs, though. #gardening ##greenwitch #herbalremedies
Mason jar filled with dried green mint and lemonbalm leaves Freshly cut mint and lemonbalm in a black bucket against a grey wooden fence
July 17, 2025 at 3:40 AM
rlayberry.bsky.social
Dehydrated the calendula and have started to do the same with some borage. Soon I'll be making a soothing, summery salve.

Am I...becoming a green witch?

#gardening #greenwitch #herbalremedies #borage #calendula
Two large Mason jars of dried orange calendula flowers set on a wooden table in a kitchen. Close-up of borage plants in an orange bowl
July 17, 2025 at 3:25 AM
rlayberry.bsky.social
About 16 cups of calendula, given to me by a neighbour. Will dehydrate it and infuse the petals in carrier oils to make salve. #gardening #herbalmedicine
Closeup of a pile of orange flower heads
July 15, 2025 at 4:30 AM
rlayberry.bsky.social
Pondering the truth and consistency of nature's cycles and how we are bound to them—whether or not we realize it. There's a lot I don't know, but I know we can count on that. How do we want to be with that? How do I want to be with that? How do you want to be with that? #creativepractice #dailyart
Colorful abstract watercolor and acrylic painting that suggests layers of the earth and nature's cycles, from seeds deep in the earth to their roots and green shoots with tiny yellow flowers, all reaching towards the sky and stars.
July 14, 2025 at 4:42 AM
rlayberry.bsky.social
Put together some herb bundles (mint, sage, oregano) for my colleagues, as a thank-you for supporting my balcony garden at the office. #foodsecurity #gardening
Office desk in a creative space near a window. On a white desk is a pile of several herb bundles made up of mint, sage and oregano.
July 10, 2025 at 5:21 AM
rlayberry.bsky.social
Making unholy sounds as I sample this cilantro-and-garlic-scape chimichurri made from ingredients grown at the community garden. This stuff is going on *everything* and won't last the week. In fact, it'll probably be devoured by Wednesday. #communitygarden #foodsecurity #gardening
View from above a jar on a wooden surface. Jar is filled with a thick, bright-green condiment.
July 7, 2025 at 2:07 AM
rlayberry.bsky.social
Today a neighbour gave me this massive bounty of apple mint and lemon balm. Plucked, washed and dried what I could and now it's in the new-to-me dehydrator, on the lowest setting overnight. Hoping I'll wake up to some lovely tea leaves. #foodsecurity #foodshare #gardening
Black bucket holding a large bunch of mint and lemon balm leaves.
July 2, 2025 at 4:59 AM
rlayberry.bsky.social
Sweet little bounty for the local foodshare organization, as shared by community garden members.Thyme, rosemary, a huge bunch of French tarragon (not showing all that well in the photo), lettuce, rainbow chard. #communitycare #communitygarden #foodsecurity #gardening #localfood
A wooden table outside in a garden, on top of which are lettuce, rainbow chard, kale and herbs in plastic containers.
June 28, 2025 at 4:43 PM
rlayberry.bsky.social
Harvested about 5 cups worth of cilantro today from my three cilantro plants. Also, scored some free bok choy from our shared produce stand. If you're on a tight budget, find your local community garden—they may have a free produce stand.

#communitycare #communitygarden #foodsecurity #gardening
Pile of fresh cilantro on a rustic wooden table outdoors in a garden. A hand holding up a bunch of bok choy. In front of a sign with big green letters that spell "produce stand".
June 18, 2025 at 1:59 AM
rlayberry.bsky.social
Fortified my pea trellis, tied back the peas, trimmed the borage, replanted some greens, used some borage leaves as temp shading. Will later shade those areas w/cheesecloth so the seeds can germinate without excessive heat. Going to try eating the borage leaves tonight. #foodsecurity #gardening
A raised bed in a community garden, with growing peas, borage, beets, marigolds, tomatoes and cilantro.
June 15, 2025 at 5:22 PM
rlayberry.bsky.social
My borage, planted from seed in late April, is getting big and is about to blossom.

#communitygarden #gardening #flowers #pnwlife #yyj
Close-up of a large, leafy plant with fuzzy, pale-blue flower bids in the center.
June 11, 2025 at 12:45 PM
rlayberry.bsky.social
Came home to a sweet, surprise art care package from my fave local artist @jbirdmclaughlin, and the infusion of joy to my soul is DEEP. #abstractartists #yyj
A selection of colorful abstract watercolor art in a pile on a wooden table
June 7, 2025 at 1:45 AM
rlayberry.bsky.social
Love this rose campion growing next to my workplace.
Wild-looking bunch of flowers, with pale green leaves and bright fuschia petals, growing among long, untended grass against a shabby blue background.
June 6, 2025 at 12:46 AM
rlayberry.bsky.social
June vibe: Sitting in my #communitygarden after a watering sesh. The breeze and sun on my hair and skin. Listening to birdsong and the hum of bees. Two dudes nearby have a lively, sweary discussion about linguistics and the usefulness of different letters and break down pronunciation and sounds.
Strawberry plant growing in a raised garden bed A robust, green, leafy sage bush in a raised garden bed Orange flowers, calendula, grow in a raised garden bed Fuschia snapdragons growing in a raised garden bed
June 1, 2025 at 5:15 PM
rlayberry.bsky.social
I was very kindly given permission to create a little balcony garden at work. Planted a couple of tomato plants today. The collards I rescued from a free pile. There's other stuff but it looks janky atm. The goal is whimsy, food sharing and delight. #communitygarden #foodsecurity #gardening
Garden gnome sitting near a potted flowery succulent. Nursery pots with soil and a collard seedling, with a little sign that says "collards". Small tomato plants in a container eith soil. Black cherry tomatoes. Small tomato plant in a container with soul. Indigo drops.
May 17, 2025 at 12:32 AM