7
SATURDAY, MAY 6, 2023 • YOUR HOME YOUR WAY • THE BRANDON SUN
» Continued from Page 6
for the food but because they are beautiful in the spring when in blossom. Cathy likes structures and destinations in the garden. They bring winter interest as well as summer places to sit and enjoy. A bench, pergola and fountain would all be on her wish list, adding lanterns, solar lights, statues and wall art. She loves having flowers and herbs and would decide on those after she has done her site assessment. So, the basics are similar for all members of my gar- dening panel. Then the wish- es and wants diverge. Admit- tedly, my panel members are all experienced gardeners. What are the “must-haves” for making your garden your own? » Norah Tolmie is a semi-retired horti- culturist who loves to share her wisdom. Questions or comments can be sent to norettet@outlook.com
He stressed that if you are not that knowledgeable or comfortable with plants and landscape design then hiring a professional is well worth the investment. Sylvia, because of all the research she had done, was comfortable making her own plan. Joan, too, raised the importance of a plan, as she said: “Think before you dig.” A landscape design plan will, generally, show plants at a mature size so you do not over-plant. The next step for most gardeners was improving the soil with amendments like compost, leaf mulch and peat moss. Rick and Dave will not be amending the soil in their (hypothetical) new gardens. Both are native-plant garden- ers and will plant in the na- tive soil. Dave will maximize garden space and minimize or eliminate lawn since he is going to be too busy har- vesting to mow. He would be planting a small food forest, with mostly native plants but a landscape that is still a di- verse habitat, as well as being very attractive to the eye. To see the possibilities of a native garden, check out Rick’s blog at nativeplantgardener.ca. Now that the gardeners have assessed their space, developed a plan and made amendments, they were talking about what they would want or need in a new garden. My sister Keltie in Edmon- ton said, to my delight, that she would replicate a checker- board garden that I helped her design many years ago. The garden was concrete pavers interspersed with soil squares of the same size. Keltie said the garden was more interest- ing to look at than lawn and easier maintenance. The gar- den is fluid and changing all the time. Some years a plant dies (I told her the boxwood would be hard), some years she has a fabulous container or new statue on one of the
Sylvia’s garden, planted in her third season in the house. Notice the spacing to allow plants to grow to their mature size without interfering with each other. (Submitted)
pavers. She’s enjoyed it and would have another. Marcia Hamm Wiebe, a community gardener, wants lots of edibles, native and pol- linator-friendly plants. She wants to xeriscape, which is a type of garden where you don’t really have to water. It ties in with Dave’s desire to retain 100 per cent of precipitation. She wants hardy plants, able to withstand our swings in temperature and moisture. She likes the interest of rocks and natural hardscaping for sitting areas. Joan is a sal- sa maker, and her priority is finding the perfect place for tomatoes, peppers and herbs. She would also plant some milkweed to attract monarch butterflies. My pals Rae and Deb built a raised garden bed a few years back, to get up above a soggy patch of land. They are now addicted, finding them much easier to work and har- vest from. Their new garden would have a number of raised beds. Raised beds, particular- ly around a seating area, can provide wind break, shade and privacy. Larger plants like grasses, corn or plants on trel- lises can create a cosy nook. They would be looking for a sunny area close to the kitch-
en for their herbs. And they would like to move some of their mature fruit trees or re- plant fruit immediately. They value the fruit trees not only
“YOUR #1 CHOICE FOR PROFESSIONAL LOCAL SECURITY”
High definition camera systems for your home or business Residential and commercial alarm systems
Automation systems to control your lights, locks, thermostats, and alarm system from anywhere in the world
204-717-5599 www.westmansecurity.ca
FREE alarm switchovers with 3 months of FREE monitoring Locally Owned & Operated
Powered by FlippingBook