Carol Grolman likes Alice Lake Provincial Park. Wilf likes Queen Elizabeth Park.
So when it came to designing their own garden in Squamish, Wilf took the front yard and Carol took the backyard.
Queen Elizabeth has crept into Alice Lake, Carol noted, as she walked past the strawberries, raspberries and rhubarb to the back of the couple's property. With the help of Carol's daughter, a landscape developer, over five years what once consisted of a pile of dirt and three plants has turned into a lush garden full of hidden, quiet nooks.
The love that I learned from my dad, Carol said of gardening. I just want to let things grow.
And they have. There's the giant skunk cabbages guarding a little pod of grass that juts out into a creek. There's the bright orange salmonberries. There's the huge ribbed leaves of hostas. Together they create Carol's favourite hangouts. Thin spaces, she calls them the thin spots between heaven and Earth.
It took me by surprise how much joy I get from sharing this space, Carol said.
Since 2008, her garden has been an oasis for visitors to her bed and breakfast. On Sunday (June 24), for the first time Carol is opening it up to the community in the 2012 Squamish Gardeners Garden Tour.
Gardening keeps me grounded, she joked.
This is Squamish Gardeners' 14th tour, the club's chair Marg Huber said. It started as a best garden contest and has grown to be self-directed event this year with 10 gardens. Recently, the club has seen a resurgence in growing vegetables, Huber noted.
A lot of people are interested in sustainable gardening, she said.
Huber has a large garden at her home in Squamish Valley. Having been busy in Africa for several years working on her own not-for-profit organization, Huber said she always craved time to garden. She is currently enrolled in the master gardener's program, which requires horticulture training and volunteer hours within the community.
Master gardening clinics will take place at the different locations on the tour, Huber noted. Between 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Sharon Hanna, author of The Book of Kale, will be at the On the Farm Country Market at 1861 Mamquam Rd. to sign books.
Basically it's a chance for the people of Squamish to enjoy a day of getting ideas and inspiration from people's gardens, Huber said.
Tour tickets cost $15. They can be purchased at the Adventure Centre, Anna's Attic, Garibaldi Nurseries, On the Farm Country Market and the Squamish Public Library.
For more information on the Squamish Gardeners visit www.squamishgardeners.com.
