One bloomin' artist's request

It’s raining. Again. And hard. I’m not asking for sun tomorrow. Just no rain! Please!

Tomorrow is the VANS (Visual Arts Nova Scotia) Bloomin’ Artists’ Garden Tour. Rain or shine. My garden is one of six on the tour. The blub I put on the invitation reads:

Ten years ago I moved into this house with my eleven year old dog. The house was new, built in a rocky and wooded site, situated by a large lake. The “yard” was just boulders, gravel and little dirt. My task began when a friend came over with a bag of iris the next spring. I needed to buy some soil to put the iris in, then to build a rock wall to contain the dirt, and my garden started from there. All of the soil has been imported and amended. The many rock walls came from rocks already on the property. With the help of a friend and a come-a-long wench, the boulders were moved into useful and appealing garden walls.

At this point, I have meandering paths through the gardens. There is a different focus for each area: a rhododendron bed, perennial beds, and a vegetable garden. The design didn’t plan for a young dog: nothing follows a straight line, so I have found some portable low wire fencing that seems to be working for my now seven month old puppy.

As I prefer weeding to mowing, I have planted heavily with perennials and shrubs. Recently I decided to mow what was supposed to be a wildflower field but was actually more wild than flower. It’s a good place to play for the dog.

Many of my flowers come from friends and I can now pass some of mine on. I’m still planting and rearranging. Even when covered with snow, I am always enjoying the land here.

If you are in the area, do come by. It’s a $10 donation for VANS. The hours are noon to 5 pm. The peonies are blooming, as are some miniature roses, foxglove, daisies, and a few rhododendron. My garden is looking pretty, waiting for you!

Posted by leya at June 24, 2006 02:58 PM