Gayla and Davin Need a Home
Our rental home and garden of ten years is beng sold. Chronic illness has wiped us out and we can’t grow into the next chapter without your love and support.
I’m Gayla Trail. I’ve been writing about urban gardening since 1999. At the time I was in my 20s and growing wherever I could on a tight budget. I am in my late 40s now and am still an adventurous gardener on a budget with a passion for plants. My goal has always been to make gardening more inclusive and for 22 years I’ve shared what I’ve learned through my website You Grow Girl and accompanying books. Along the way I helped pioneer a movement to redefine urban, organic gardening.
Many of you also know my partner Davin Risk, a graphic designer and artist. He has worked tirelessly behind the scenes both in the garden and as the designer and illustrator of many of my books. He is my partner and cheerleader. I would not have been able to carry the work without his unending commitment and support.
Our Challenges
1. My Chronic Illness: I’ve been disabled for 6 years by a chronic illness that’s been extremely difficult to identify. The list of symptoms is exhaustive and there are problems with many of my body’s functions including my immune, endocrine, vestibular, and nervous systems. As a result, treatment has been slow, arduous, and expensive. We’ve had to pay out of pocket for treatments, investigative testing and practitioners, as well as supplements and special diets that have collectively cost much more than a down payment on a home. My energy is flat-lined on a daily basis. Living with this illness is sort of like always running a marathon through a storm with the flu. Some days it's a living hell. My ability to work and function at the level I once did is a distant memory. Much of the energy I do have is funnelled toward doing my own research and looking for answers that I hope will be the key to a useful diagnosis. It has wiped us out spiritually and financially.
2. Rapidly Changing Housing Market: As someone who comes from generations of displaced people, living in this home, even though we were not the legal owners, was the closest thing to planting roots that we have ever known. We are so grateful for the years we had here, but now we’re forced to move during a pandemic, while my health is in crisis, and in a market where prices are out of control and rising.
Our Goal
We don’t know yet where we are going, but we need a home. We are inviting everyone who loves this garden and has learned from the work I share with the community to be partners in seeding our future. Everything that we take in will help us make a move somewhere out of the city where prices are still high, but not impossible.
We’re hunting for the right place, but it won’t be easy. Over the last year, prices have continued to rise dramatically all across our province. What we are seeking is a place where we can thrive and realize our potential without the constant anxiety of knowing we will be displaced again. The goal is for a modest space with a yard where we can grow food and support wildlife as we have always done.
The Money Raised Will Contribute To:
- Down payment and closing costs on a modest home with a yard where we can build a new life.
- Costs associated with moving our possessions and cherished plants from the garden across the province.
- The purchase of a first vehicle: affordable, but also functioning and safe, plus associated insurance costs.
We know that this pandemic has caused hardships for many and we appreciate any support you can give. We look forward to many more years sharing stories about growing a connection to plants and land.
We’re doing our best to raise funds quickly. However, we must move immediately and the reality is that we can’t do it without the care, assistance, and support of a community rallying around us.
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