How I overcame challenges in my life and my garden

My friends often tell me I should enter my garden into a contest because of the eclectic but peaceful character I have created. I live in Vancouver (Southlands), where everything is flat, and my biggest challenge has been to give the garden a three-dimensional aspect. Twenty years ago the backyard was a perfectly level lawn and playground for the children. As they grew we removed the playground and my husband treated me to a beautiful greenhouse.

Today my garden is not only a testament to conquering difficult gardening situations, such as flat terrain, lack of sunshine, neighbors’ trees growing out of control and wet soil, but it also reflects triumphing over personal obstacles. When life hands me a challenging situation, I go to work in my garden. I made my very first raised bed during the time my father struggled with, and later died from, cancer. That raised flowerbed was the only thing that kept me going. For several years I built it up with rocks, stones, etc., then we brought in soil and manure and slowly the bed expanded to what it is now. Some years I ordered two to three pallets of landscaping rock (six tons) and slowly, one by one, moved the rocks into place.

Garden Challenge Contest Winner, Winter 2008

Congratulations Joanne (Asha) Dyakowski of Vancouver, winner of a $250 shopping spree, courtesy of Dykhof Nurseries and Florist and Canada Wide Media Limited.

Now I have several themes going on in the garden, each representing a difficulty overcome. I have a garden for the birds and butterflies; a “mining” garden with pieces of copper ore and other mining artifacts that reflect my husband’s profession; a garden where I store my travel memories (an Italian part with a fountain, a rocky area to remind me of beaches on the Olympic Peninsula). Part of the garden is dedicated to St. Francis, St. Anthony and Mary, each with special plants to keep them company. I have a replica of The Thinker in my garden, as I do a lot of contemplating there myself. There are lots of fragrant plants and edible herbs. Rather than being conventional, the garden is somewhat non-conformist, just like me. Keeping the colour going in the garden throughout the summer is a challenge too, but thanks to many local nurseries I seem to do okay.