inning ideas

ound

on local garden tour

N. Shore gardens show creative landscapes

Roy
Jonsson

SOW IT GROWS

ON SUNDAY, July 24, 1 had
the privilege of attending the
Sixth Annual! North Shore
Garden Tour.

Each year, the North Shore
Gardens Contest Committee orga-
nizes a tour to allow local garden
enthusiasts tc see some prize-win-
ning gardens and to raise funds for
the contest. This annual event is
also supported by local businesses,
service clubs and the three North
Shore municipalities.

The ticket ($10) allowed the
holder to visit the gardens at his
leisure between !0 a.m. and 4 p.m.
As it was a perfect summer day,
most people started at 10 a.m., and
spent almost four hours visiting the
seven locations.

In addition to ticket takers, each
site had a master gardener in atten-

dance to assist with plant names
and other questions.

Several horticultural statf mem-
bers from the municipal parks
departments were also available to
handle the more technical ques-
tions.

With the exception of two sites.
the gardens were muintained by
homeowners, a task that gurdeners
can appreciate. Hh would certainly

$6 The narrow section
of ground between
the side of a house
and the sidewalk
is often a shady
and difficult
growing area. 9?

help to be retired to keep up with
the weeding!

Some visitors were happy to
look at the gardens and simply
admire them for their color and
tranquility while others were busy
looking for new plants and garden-
ing ideas.

I would like to share with you a
few landscaping techniques and
ideas that I noted on the tour.

e first garden I visited used a
Blue Atlas Cedar (Cedrus atlantica
glauca pendula) as a feature tree.
Surrounded by a host of annuals,
perennials and shrubs, it created a
pleasing focal point. The needle

‘Enhances the beauty

and adds resistance

Protects against weed

and moss growth
Gas & oil resistant

FACTORY
SECONDS

Mructure and color are distinctive
and the flowing branches added a
great deal of interest to the warden,

One homeowner had built a tel-
lis style fence in front of the main
entrance creating a miniature court-
yard that was decorated with patio
furniture and an array of hanging
baskets, potted plants, vines and a
miniature pool, A very private and
shady phice to sit on a hot after-
noon.

An alternative toa fence is a
free-standing trellis that supports
climbing roses and sweet peas. This
combination of plants is not often
used but it was effective.

Another garden demonstrated an
unusual plant combination by
attractively integrating vegetables
into a flower and shrub garden.

If you have space under a south-
facing rock wall, why not use this
idea to inter-plant squash and nas-
turtiuns for a double crop of veg-
etables and color. Nasturtium
blooms can also be eaten. Both
plants love the heat radiated by the
wall at night.

Another good idea for a wall is a

See Gardeners page 18

Friday, August 12, 1994 - North Shore News - 17

=e
NZWS photo Mike Wakefield ©

NORTH VANCOUVER homeowner Peter Skoros showed off his
Japanese garden during the recent tour of North Shore gar-
dens. Here he stands in the yard holding:photos of the display
in full bloom, with approximately 400 Azalea piants.

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