Keith and Lil Wadham’s home yard is spacious, with plenty of breathing room between the yard features, which include a water pond and perennial beds. Lil Wadham is undaunted by the scope, saying, “We had a bigger yard out on the farm.”
The back yard is surrounded by well grown blue spruce, deciduous trees and hedge shrubs. Large trees also offer interest and shade in the front yard.
Fragrant roses, mandevilla vines and clematis loaded with purple blooms are a feature of the back yard. Wadham explains that her roses fell prey to army worms this year.
Interesting statues and lawn ornaments add attraction to the flower beds.
Stone house yard
Next door, gooseberries are ripe in Patti and Howard Hole’s yard, bordering and Patti’s parents, the Wadhams.
The stone house, which Howard says is dated 1897, is surrounding by an extensive yard with shade trees, complimenting the historic but updated home. There’s a back yard pool and beautiful landscape features as well as natural paths.
Howard guides the tour to what seems to be his favourite area – a compact and lush vegetable garden.
Some plants are cultured in large tubs that used to contain livestock supplements. A hole drilled in the bottom allows good drainage. He points to late planted lettuce that is ready to pick as salad for an upcoming family event.
Hole picks a peppery tasting green for tasting. All the carrots and potatoes for this event will also come out of the family garden. Tomatillos are a tall plant that has persisted, and will be made into a salsa verde, once the paper lantern-like outer shell dries and the fruit inside ripens.
He enjoys cooking and this garden plot is full of basil, spinach, swiss chard, peppers, along with zucchini vines and the regular run of vegetables. Portions of the vegetable plot are raised, making it easier to reach the vegetables, without walking on the vegetable bed. “It’s a bit of shoveling,” Hole admits, saying he plans to build garden boxes. He uses composted cattle manure to enrich the soil; and sheep manure, which has less weed seeds.”It’s nice coming out here and picking your dinner.”
