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485 MORDEN ROAD, OAKVILLE www.arnoldssportsbar.ca OAKVILLES CHOICE FOR POOL ARNOLDS SPECIALS! 1 HOUR FREE POOL and Buy Two Pounds Of Wings Get The Third Pound FREE With This Coupon WE P A Y HST ! Starting Satu rday September 1 1/ 10 w w w . o a kv ill eb ea ve r.c o m O A KV IL LE B EA V ER Th ur sd ay , N ov em be r 4 , 2 01 0 1 0 By Dominik Kurek OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF New Brunswicks Freeman Patterson sure knows his way around nature and gardening with what is available to him. The photographer, author, teacher, designer and avid gardener lives on a 300-acre nature conservancy in the provinces lower St. John River valley. Most of the conservancy will forev- er remain wild, but the 25 acres around his home make up his garden. In a field that consists of a forest and bogs, Patterson gardens with native species and adds some non-invasive exotics for accents. The pho- tographer considers gardening as one of the great visual arts. He is a master of using what is available to him and will be in Oakville to present his knowledge to residents of how their imagina- tion can lead to success in any gardening situa- tion. I hope people will learn quite a lot, he said. No one will have exactly what I have here (in New Brunswick), but I hope that what I show them with what Ive done will make them say, Ah, in my backfield or behind my garage I can do this. Patterson will speak on Saturday, Nov. 6 at The Meeting House in an event titled Gardening With What You Have. The event is presented by the Oakville Horticultural Society. As a photographer, Patterson uses his natu- ral surroundings as the subject of his art. The photographs create a visual presentation to go along with his teachings. The presentation will include examples of a variety of situations, including gardening in a bog by adding minimally to what is already there, something that few people would attempt to do. That will be followed by a ques- tion and answer period. Where I live Im constantly using whats around, he said. As an example of his work he said when a tree falls over in the forest behind his house he turns the roots of the trees, with dirt still on them into plantations. If a tree splits hell use the split as a pot for other plants. If each of us makes do with what weve got on a daily basis were probably not going to be too badly off, he said. Patterson grew up in a rural community and was surrounded by nature his entire life. It was his observations growing up that became the subject of his art. He usually teaches photography but added pictures are for everybody, not just other pho- tographers and the medium can be presented outside the photography circles. Im personally appreciative when an organ- ization, which is not a photographic organiza- tion, asks me to do a presentation because it allows me to do the thing I most like to do, which is bring the photographs Ive made to a fairly general public, he said. However, in this case, in Oakville, it goes beyond that because he happens to be an avid gardener and he will be speaking to other gar- deners. He has an enormous collection of gar- dens and plants, both around his home and Canada, but in other parts of the world, such as southern Africa, where he has taught for 25 years, and western Australia. Patterson has released nine solo books with photography and narrative, the most recent being The Garden, released in 2003. The photographer has been a professor at various universities on a variety of subjects, from religion to art. He is also a public speaker and has made presentations at thousands of events such as the one in Oakville. Another portion of the program will be a showcase of some of Canadas private gardens, which Patterson photographed about 20 years ago for a book publication. His agent, Oakvilles Sandy McMurrich, calls Patterson the countrys most decorated photog- rapher, having been recognized with numerous awards. But there is more to the photographer than that, he said. Hes one of those people that the students and all the people who know him, love him, he said. He is truly and genuinely a good person. He truly cares about people. The two met about 12 years ago when Patterson was going through some difficult health issues. After a second liver transplant the first failed Patterson was placed in a coma for six weeks and then had a long recovery peri- od. Calling it a miracle recovery, McMurrich said Patterson is very healthy today. Patterson said the show is for everybody, from young to old, and not just for avid garden- ers or photographers. Hes also holding a private art show of his photography that same weekend in Oakville. The presentation begins at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $35. The Meeting House is located at 2700 Bristol Circle. For tickets and information, visit www.oakvillecentre.ca. Expert will speak about gardening with what you have SUBMITTED PHOTO ADVICE FROM AN EXPERT: Author, photographer and garderner Freeman Patterson will discuss how to make the most of your garden utilizing its natural surroundings on Saturday at The Meeting House.