52 canadiangardening.com facebook.com/canadiangardening 53SUMMER 2015

text jennifer hughes

photography tracey ayton

How tending to a small public plot hid-den between two subdivisions changed

one gardeners life for the better. a real

gardenSECRET

The vaguely Asian flavour at the gardens entrance comes from a cut-leaved Jap - anese maple and black mondo grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus Nigrescens), and was

inspired by the fence and gate. opposite, clockwise from top right: Nikko Blue bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla Nikko Blue); lady fern (Athyrium filix-

femina); pendulous AmeriHybrid Salmon tuberous begonia; a place for quiet solitude; Cornel ball dahlia; an old push mower acts as a decorative accent; Ginkgo

biloba foliage; Echeveria cv.; a rose-pink daylily cv.; an antique sundial.

SUMMER 201552 canadiangardening.com

54 canadiangardening.com facebook.com/canadiangardening 55SUMMER 2015

Brian Whitehouse says gardening has given him a life, hes not exaggerating. Years ago when he was battling alcoholism, depression and anxiety, the discovery of gardening as a hobby quickly turned into a passion that carried him through some harrowing personal struggles. When he retired, the former roofer began garden-ing full-time, and since then hes poured his heart and soul into a secluded public space lovingly referred to as the Secret Garden of Boundary Bay.

Tucked between two housing subdivisions in Tsawwassen, British Columbia, the space is 90 metres long and only 10 metres wide; it was completely overtaken with blackberry bushes and monster weeds when Brian started to clear it out.

I didnt want to just tame it, though, he says. I wanted to create a properly tended garden. He started with the small area behind his own house, and every year the garden got

bigger until it filled the easement. Now it has a life of its own! says Brian.

With a plot this large requiring so much maintenance, it would seem like a given to have neighbours pitching in to help, but thats not the case. Brian insists on carrying out all the work himself to avoid a too many cooks scenario. He does get a hand planting the pots and annuals from his part-ner, Juvy Enova. She has an eye for colour, says Brian.

And Brian seems to have a natural flair for turning out spectacularly designed gardens with a huge variety of plant-ings and plenty of visual interest. His eye-catching projects usually depend on the materials he can get his hands on. For example, a load of jade rock inspired him to create a Mediterranean-style garden; driftwood carried up from the nearby beach anchors an island-like bed of beach stones; an Asian-style gate sparked an Asian-inspired garden.

opposite: Brian Whitehouse arranged a series of curved beds

with tall trees and plants to visually break up the long, narrow garden and provide a meandering experi-

ence. Here, baby windmill palms, a banana plant (Musa cv.) and canna lilies ground a tropical bed. Because the plot is sheltered, many tropical

and subtropical species flourish. above: A colourful bed of annuals and perennials is shaded by mag -

nolia trees. right: Jade rocks, left over from another project, provide

much of the gardens structure.

when

56 canadiangardening.com facebook.com/canadiangardening 57SUMMER 2015

left: An island bed of river rocks and driftwood is a nod to the beach, which is a short walk from the gar-den. Golden Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra Aureola) adds a bright pop of chartreuse. above: Brian in the garden he has made his lifes passion. below: A tiny antique stove serves as a quaint garden sculpture. Annual coleus and impatiens provide all-season colour against a backdrop of shrubs and perennials. opposite: A vintage cast-iron stove, salvaged window and old red rocking chair form a charming vignette.

Size: 900 square metresZone: 8Orientation: East to west along its length Focus: Divided into different areas with separate themes: Asian-inspired section, Mediterranean-style space, woodland area, etc.Conditions: Sunny and sheltered Age of garden: 14 yearsGrowing season: March to NovemberFavourite tool: Stirrup hoe for daily maintenancetip: Garden for peace of mind. If you build a garden because you want a pretty place like your neighbours, dont do it its a lot of work

As the garden has grown, so has its popularity. Where there was once a cardboard box to collect donations, now a permanent metal lockbox offers a spot for admirers to contribute to its upkeep. A wishing well Brian built has become a popular place to add memor-ial plaques for the many visitors the garden has touched. A guest book offers testimonials to what a special place the plot is and to what Brian has done here. Locals and international visitors are amazed by the space and often moved by the peace and beauty they find. Recently, the municipality erected a fence and gate so the garden could be locked at night. And finally, Brian put up a section of iron fencing at the far end to mark the limits of the garden. It was more to give me an end point so things wouldnt get even big-ger, he admits with a laugh. Because the garden, as is, certainly keeps him busy and happy now.

garden stats