Baldwin remembered
Published on April 16
th, 2009
Published on July 9
th, 2009
Sara Williams
Brian Baldwin: In
Memorium July 1, 1964 - April 2, 2009
Brian Baldwin was a well-known and well respected voice of prairie horticulture for over two decades. As a writer, teacher, and workshop leader, he loved sharing his wide range of knowledge, his enthusiasm and his opinions. He could identify a tree from a fast moving vehicle in the winter landscape, or from a dried leaf fragment well past its prime in the
Gardenline office. He began his career as an undergraduate student, writing articles, answering letters and phone calls at the University of Saskatchewan
Gardenline office and live call-ins on CBC radio. Many readers of this newspaper have benefited from his expertise.Brian was born on July 1, 1964 in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. He spent part of his childhood in Blaine Lake, where he tirelessly tended "acres" of birdhouses that his Dad had built for him. Blaine Lake was where he planted his first garden, and where his love of birds and nature was born. Brian was an observer from a very early age, and was constantly searching for new plants and shifting them to new locations. To his Mother's amusement, even his transplanted
pigweeds grew and thrived.
He attended primary and high school in Swift Current. There he discovered "Speedy Creek", a place he grew to love, often spending the entire day on his own or with friends, fishing, playing in the water, and riding his bike, and always observing. It was there, only a week before his death, that he spotted and took a photograph of a great horned owl.
Brian found his passion in horticulture, and it never waned throughout his life. He graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with a Masters of Science in Horticulture in 1994. He was particularly fascinated by trees, and knew the history of every notable tree on the University campus and in the city of Saskatoon. His tree tours were enormously popular and well attended.Among his favourite trees was the Swiss stone pine (
Pinus cembra) that he loved for its grace, the softness of its needles, and its ability to come through a prairie winter undaunted. He also loved the much less hardy ginkgo tree (Ginkgo
biloba) for its antiquity and uniqueness. Against all the odds, a
gingko in a sheltered location in his yard is alive and well. Had he been dictator, he would have banned Siberian elms (
Ulmus pumila) and poplars - except for that lone and venerable poplar on highway #4 north of his hometown that he tagged as "the Swift Current National Forest."Brian was adamant that planting trees, and caring for them, was an act of moral virtue and defined a civilized society. It was something one did for future generations rather than for instant personal gratification.
And he was fussy about correct nomenclature, botanical format and taxonomy. Terminology should be used correctly. There is a difference between a spine and a thorn. He was never happier than when sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm with others, whether standing in front of a classroom or leading a tour. If horticulture was Brian's passion, teaching was his gift. He had a rare talent for communication, whether in print or in person, conveying often complex ideas with clarity, precision and humour (and occasionally in verse). He enjoyed a great rapport with his students, some of whom remained in contact with him years after leaving his classes. They were indeed fortunate to have had him as a teacher.
Brian's appreciation for beauty was not confined to the natural world: he loved music, travel, art, architecture and good food. His trip to England and France in 2007 combined many of these, and was one of his most treasured experiences. It was also where he became enamoured with the enormous leaved
Gunnera, comparing it to rhubarb over-dosed with a high octane fertilizer.To the public, Brian was best known as an accomplished writer-brilliant, articulate, knowledgeable and funny, with a (firmly held) opinion on every subject. His gardening articles were widely read throughout the province, while his songs and poetry were enjoyed by a smaller, but no less appreciative audience. They will be fondly remembered; he will be sorely missed.
In the last few years of his life, Brian struggled with health issues, at times distancing friends and colleagues who cared for him deeply. To his credit (and often theirs) the many years of friendship, stories, and shared experienced that preceded the onset of his illness took precedence over those difficult years and the glue that held these friendships together remained. Brian's presence was powerful. It was not always easy. But he gave us insight into the world around us that has become a part of our collective conscience and that we will treasure.
Thank you for that, Brian.
(See more about Brian
here)
