Making a Lot ... A Lot More

By Ely Schweyer

This spring, Mary – you may know her as the Perennials Gal at Eising Greenhouses and Garden Centre – invited me over for a garden tour. I knew to expect a good collection of perennials, but this garden also shines with personality and character. Having brought my big camera, I wanted to help Mary show off all her efforts, as this property has undergone some serious changes. If you wish to make your garden unique to you, whilst eco and budget friendly, may this garden tour inspire you!

A Clean Slate

Mary and her husband, Chris, brought their 60’ x 120’ property in July of 1985, which was then “no trees, no lawn, just weeds.”

The lack of trees and the overabundance of Norfolk County clay resulted in drainage issues, which led to the first planted tree drowning, and quickly made mowing a strenuous chore.

The Fix

With her husband driving truck for a construction business, Mary and Chris had access to hauling 17 dump truck loads of sand home to raise the property. Mary says the blue-grey clumps of clay still make their way to the surface – but the drainage issues have subsided!

🖱️ Visit this blog to learn more about soil amendments!

Mary then focused on establishing some native trees on a small budget, and that’s when the community began to grow in her garden. “We have had the best neighbors ever, for 46 years, watched their kids grow, and leave, and come back, and leave - pets come and go - quite the legacy!” With the leaves she collected from her neighbours, Maple Trees volunteered sporadically over the property. Then, after buying a native Carolinian forest seed package at a Toronto garden show, Mary carefully seeded Yellow Birch, White Birch, Wild Crab Apple, and three Sycamores, which now stand tall and proud in her garden. One of my favourites in the little forest was a variegated lilac!

These trees not only provide protection for the house and the many birds but also offer enough shade to maintain a moss-like lawn that requires minimal mowing. The shady canopy offers a coziness adding to the overall quaintness of the garden.

The Perennials Gal’s Perennials

In 1985, the property was surrounded by woodlots; however, all is subject to change. “When we learned of a housing development planned for the forest across the highway from us, I lead crusades to save the native plants that were so abundant there.” The forest may now be gone, but the Trilliums, Mayapples, Violets, Solomon’s Seal, and Ferns are still growing happily and abundantly in Mary’s – and her neighbours’ – gardens. “Over the years I have shared many trunk loads of perennials, many of which were given to me!” Other notable perennials in Mary’s garden are an abundance of Crocus and Forget-Me-Nots, a Jack-in-the-Pulpit, and a Prickly Pear Cactus.

Hardscaping

One of my favourite things in any garden is creative ways to recycle and repurpose, and Mary’s garden does not disappoint!

Immediately, one will notice the unique pathways that intertwine throughout the spaces. Mary collects broken terracotta and ceramic pottery pieces to create footpaths akin to mosaics. The addition of colour is not only visual but provides an audio sensory experience as one moves throughout the garden, “we can always tell when a little animal is coming to visit us sitting out here,” as the pieces gently clink underfoot.

I also must make note of the wine cork pathway to the fairy garden!

The back patio too is tasteful and playful visually, with blue blocks laid interspersed. You’ll be pleased to know that the Dover Arena lives on in Mary’s garden – the repurposed blocks lie on their sides – and the blue? Those came from the men’s washroom!

The Ponds

Two little ponds provide popular watering holes for birds, raccoons, skunks, opossums, and the neighbours' cats, all of which are welcome.

The pond nearest the patio is a fish tote off the Dover Fish Tugs. Mary dug into the clay to set the 4’ x 4’ x 3’ deep tote, knowing she had one chance or she’d never be able to pull the heavy tote out. “We figure that whoever inherits this property will have to dynamite the pond out, it is set in Norfolk County Clay!” The tote pond is home to a family of goldfish, who don’t mind wintering in it with its little waterfall that keeps the water moving. The goldfish weave through Irises, Waterlilies, and Dwarf Hyacinth.

Another small pond sits in the very back of the yard between the trees, visited by many birds and critters.

The Fairy Garden

As a fun ongoing project, Mary recently began a fairy garden – and is it ever quaint! Central to a tree and skirted by a pathway, many of the pieces are thrifted or gifted!

Pots as More Than Just Containers

Mary uses pots to extend where she can grow her favourites; this is an excellent way to create varying heights, breaking up horizon lines and adding interest. The terracotta orange also contrasts beautifully with Mary’s frequent use of blue.

Things that Make it Just Mary and Chris

Vintage and found objects help to ground any space. Mary and Chris have collected rocks, driftwood, shells, “anything that makes a statement, big or small,” bringing unique natural elements into their garden that sync with their interests.

Mary and Chris, founders of Port Dover’s famed Friday the 13th, undoubtedly have a longtime love of motorcycles. In March of 1978, they travelled south to Daytona, Florida, for Bike Week, the largest motorcycle event in the world. There, Mary would earn a ‘raccoon’ nickname from wearing wide-brimmed shades all day in the sun. “Of all the stuffed toys Chris could possibly have owned at that time, he had a little raccoon at his bed side table, I still have it, it would be Number 1 of 3920! Yes, the collection is cataloged, every piece is given a number and recorded. I still collect to this day, but am very selective as to what I buy, as I have so many.” Mary’s raccoon collection is playfully hidden throughout her garden, with little mischievous eyes watching you as you move about. The ornaments help to draw the eye up into the trees and into the shrubs. Mary makes an effort to carefully pack them all up in the fall and bring them out again each spring.

Speaking of spring, this blog will be updated with summer and fall pictures as the garden moves through time!

Mary’s garden is a little ode to a life well cherished; no one thing in it is without purpose or a memory. It is also a great example of reusing and repurposing – gardening does not have to cost an arm and a leg to be great. When you enter the space, you know whose energy is channeled into it, and that is, in my opinion, exactly how to garden!

A Full List of Plants that Grow in Mary’s Garden

Plants that Enjoy Zone 5a and 6b - Provided by Mary

TREES and SHRUBS

• Norway Maple
• Sugar Maple
• Sycamore
• White Birch
• Yellow Birch
• Cedars
• Forsythia
• Burning Bush
• Butterfly Bush
• Kousa Dogwood
• Weeping Cherry
• Sand Cherry
• Pine
• American Oak
• Ginkgo 
• Red Bud
• Annabelle Hydrangia
• Variegated Lilac 
• Wisteria
• Rose of Sharon
• Variegated Euonymus
• Juniper
• Holly Bush
• Wild Crabapple

SPRING BULB PERENNIALS

• Tulips, Daffodil, Hyacinth, Narcissus, Windflower, Snowdrops, Cilia, Crocus, Frittalaria, Grape Hyacinth

FREE SEEDERS

• Forget Me Nots
• Lunaria (Money Tree) 
• Columbine
• Sun drops

GARDEN PERENNIALS

• Hostas (approx 10 species)
• Irises (approx 4 species)
• Tall Phlox: pink, purple, white, coral
• Creeping Phlox
• Candytuft
• Periwinkle
• Lily of the Valley
• Oriental Poppies
• Cranesbill Geranium
• Jacobs Ladder
• Lamnium
• Goutweed
• Lungwort
• Sweet Woodruff 
• Clematis
• Ivy ground cover
• Sedum, creeping 2 Species
• Sedum tall
• Ajuga
• Blue Grass
• Hens and Chickens - 100’s!
• Variegated Solomon’s Seal
• Allium
• Beard Tongue
• Brunaria
• Goats Beard
• Bergenia
• Creeping Thyme

NATIVE PERENNIALS

• Red and white Trillium
• Jack in the Pulpit
• Wild Geranium
• Mayapple
• Wild Violet
• Ferns (approx 6 kinds) 
• Solomon’s Seal
• Euphorbia
• Prickly Pear Cactus

POND PLANTS

• Yellow Iris
• Dwarf Hyacinth
• Water Lily

Be sure to visit Mary in the perennials section at Eising Greenhouse & Garden Centre this summer for many of the mentioned plants – and be sure to make your garden yours! 🪴

We’ve been seeing so many creative ideas for garden and landscape design lately, and we’re particularly interested in one element of backyard design that doesn’t get as much attention: garden paths and stepping stones. After all, it’s hard to truly appreciate your garden without a good path to help you navigate through it! 

On top of giving you a better view of all the hard work you’ve put into your garden, you can also use pathway design as a tool for separating your yard into different areas, creating the illusion of more space and providing a framework for your design layout. A simple, straight path isn’t all that exciting, but a winding path that curves around trees and surrounding terrain adds a bit of whimsy, inviting you to explore the space. 

We always love getting creative and thinking outside the box when it comes to landscaping projects. These stone pathway ideas are a perfect first step to transforming your space. 

Recycled Mosaic Flower Stepping Stone 

Lots of folks have been interested in recycled garden path ideas, because fancy stones aren’t always the most budget-friendly material. Plus, reusing our available resources and reducing landfill waste is always a big win! One of our favourite walkway ideas on a budget is the classic mosaic stepping stone, but with a fun twist that us garden geeks can really get behind: floral motifs! 

Instead of placing your mosaic materials into a random pattern, arrange them in a swirling, geometric pattern that resembles a blooming flower! Use one round piece in the very centre, and then place the “petals” all around it. Suitable recyclable materials for your mosaic stones include:

• Broken china  
• Bottles and glassware
• Crystals
• Colourful rocks
• Shells

A general-purpose sand-mix concrete will be the best material for walking path stones full of mosaic pieces, because it’s nice and smooth and won’t take away from the colorful accents, whereas a gravel mix would be too pebbly and uneven. Remember to use a generous layer of grout on top of your stones to fill in all the cracks and cover up any sharp edges. 

Stone Pathways With Phlox And Other Groundcovers

Instead of plopping some paver stones on the lawn and calling it a day, why not jazz things up a bit with some colourful flowering groundcover plants? There are many low-growing plants that form dense mats of foliage and can handle a little bit of trampling without sustaining any damage, so they make lovely alternatives to grass, and they really make your pathway pop! 

Creeping phlox is one of our favourite flowering groundcovers, because its candy-coloured shades of purple, pink and blue look like something out of a fantasy novel. Imagine, instead of the same old green lawn grass, your garden path was surrounded by a cotton candy meadow! Here are a few other eye-catching groundcovers we highly recommend:

• Creeping thyme
• Deadnettle
• Sedum
• Candytuft
• Bugleweed 
• Clover

To see more flowering plants and groundcovers for the yard, check out our brand new webstore that’s loaded with images of our available plants! 

Container Garden Pathway Design

A clever way to add a border along your pathway without digging anything up is by lining the walkway with container gardens! This is an opportunity to really get creative, as you’ve got limitless options for your layout. You can go streamlined and buy a bunch of terracotta pots all in the same size, or you can mix and match different sizes and colours with a few funky accent containers thrown in for extra impact. 

You can also play around with the different heights of the plants you put in your containers. Taller flowering plants like salvia and cardinal flowers, potted conifers, or even creeping plants on small trellises can act as a great divider between the yard and the walkway. Smaller flowering plants have more of an understated look, but are great if you don’t want to block the view of your surrounding garden plants. 

Got any wild landscaping ideas of your own that you’d like to try to take on? We’d love to help! Our team of expert landscape consultants are happy to answer any questions you may have about DIY backyard makeovers. Visit us in-store or shop online to see our selection of plants and patio decor that are ready to make a new home in your backyard.