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How do you turn a neglected, rundown corner of a backyard into a pleasant, relaxing oasis of beauty?
With a creative dream, a little money and a lot of hard work. I knew it would also take time because my gardening had to be scheduled around work and other activities.
The very first thing I did was measure the area I would be working with and draw up my plans on paper. I also took photos at various stages to document the transformation.
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The corner I used was formerly part of a vegetable garden. However, the growth and expanding root system of nearby trees interfered with proper development of root crops. The foliage also provided a little too much shade during the summer. So I decided to transform that particular corner into an attractive little spot that would be easy on the eyes.
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After removing the boards that had framed a couple of small raised beds, I raked the soil into the desired shape. My vision had also included a small 'pond' of some sort. Call me strange, but I have always found the sound of trickling water to be relaxing.
The question of what to use as a liner for the pond was somewhat puzzling. I was determined not to spend any of my limited funds on extravagant or unnecessary purchases. 'Necessity is the mother of invention.' We had recently replaced our washing machine and the clean-up crew had not yet picked it up. The 'drum' had been removed and was sitting there beside the washer.
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I rolled the drum down to my work area, got the garden shovel, and began digging. As I said, it takes hard work! It took two mornings to dig a large enough hole but, finally, I had the drum in place. My tiny pond was beginning to take shape!
Next I needed more soil because I didn't want the ground to be level. I wanted it to be higher in the corner, and then gradually slope down towards the front. So I began moving soil. There was another raised vegetable bed I didn't plan to use anymore, so I took the needed soil from there and carried it in buckets to my corner. The first step towards turning my dream into reality was complete!
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For the next step I had to go beyond my own backyard and borrow from nature. My parents, granddaughter Faith and I went to the beach. We gathered smooth beach rocks that had been washed by the ocean and brought them home.
These stones of various colours and patterns were placed along the exterior edges of the entire corner area. I had more rocks than I needed so several were placed randomly around the area. One fairly large, flat rock was placed close enough to the edge of the pond that it stuck out slightly over the rim. Now I was ready for some ornamentation. I chose a lady holding a water jar beneath one arm and set her on the flat rock so that the water would flow from the jar into the pond.
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Plants and flowers were the next step. I chose tall flowers for the backdrop, transplanting some Pride of the Meadow from another location. Between them, I inserted a bunch of mixed Delphiniums, a Boy's Love bush and some Everlasting Daisies. Some of the 'Daisies' may be replaced in future, for more colour variety. Alternating bunches of Carpet of Snow (white) and Royal Carpet (purple) Alyssum were arranged around the pond, with several 'White Velour' Pansies. (The Alyssum will be replaced with some sort of perennial in future.) Two bunches of wild Forget Me Nots were placed on either side the lady's rock base. Forget Me Nots, wild Violets and a bunch of unnamed pink wild flowers were placed beside a couple of the other rocks.
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Finally, the finishing touch was added. All the bare earth showing between the plants was covered with white marble chips. Then I waited to see if things would grow and flourish - or if it would all wither!
Continued on Page 2
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