Beautiful gardens: laura and steve lucyshyn, edmonton Beautiful gardens: Jacquie derewianchuk and mark shurek,

Laura and Steve Lucyshyn Beautiful

Gardens

laura and steve lucyshyn

edmonton

story by dorothy dobbie, photos by shauna dobbie

There is something about a small garden that demands scrupulous attention to detail that shows off every plant, every ornamental detail, to its greatest advantage.

Such is the garden of Laura and Steve Lucyshyn of Edmonton. Every detail, from the meticulously groomed tiny lawn of the front yard to the above-ground deck and border plantings in the back, has been planned and wisely executed. And the garden is kept this way in spite of the fact that the Lucyshyns provide daycare for their two young grandsons, Michael age five and Damian age six. Laura is a constant bundle of energy, pruning, pinching, tidying, not just her perfect jewel box of a garden, but that of her neighbours on either side!

The very front of the front border, with a dwarf blue spruce.

Buddha in the centre of the back yard border.

A collection of evergreens front a healthy clematis. Laura mixes annuals in pots like an expert.

“I spend most of my time on my knees,” says Laura, who has been waiting for a hip operation. That means there isn’t a weed that dare look for existence in this garden under Laura’s close scrutiny. Laura learned her love of gardening from her mother on the farm. “She had to grow vegetables,” remarks Laura, “but she loved her flowers.” So, clearly, does Laura, although she makes very good use of foliage.

Steve is just as engaged. In fact, it was he who cornered the market on unique water fountains when a local garden centre was about to be closed. The fountains were priced on sale for $50 each, but he couldn’t decide. “Take them all,” said the owner, anxious to get the inventory cleared. Steve was more than delighted to pick up four beautiful fountains in one swoop. One of the highlights on display in the front yard is a shimmering waterfall sliding over a curved silver backdrop that mirrors the garden and reflects its glowing colour back into the yard.

“Steve is my waterman,” declares Laura, adding, “I don’t know what I’d do without him. He digs all the holes and helps me plant.”

The garden glows. A perfectly trimmed flower bed is filled with carefully placed, mounded shrubs and annuals chosen for the shape, height, texture and colour. The sun-bright lime of ninebark ‘Lemon Candy’ contrasts with burgundy barberry and magenta petunias and geraniums, set off by the deeper blues and greens of dwarf conifers. Planters are elevated on pot stands for greater effect. Important perennials such as peony,

Weigela.

Astrantia is always cheery. Buddha in close-up.

A raised pot of petunias draws the eye among different foliage.

A dramatic shade plant Rodgersia pinnata ‘Elegans’. Petunias and calibracoa in front of red begonias and white bacopa.

heuchera and hydrangea are strategically placed. Shiny-leafed bergenia add a splash of bright pink in spring, their bold foliage absorbing sunlight throughout the summer. There’s a dark-leafed columnar apple, too.

On the other side of the driveway, dwarf evergreens, interspersed with bright annuals, create a natural fence to the neighbour’s yard, which looks much like Laura’s front yard—not surprisingly, since Laura planted much of it in good-neighbour fashion for the young woman who lives there but works and is no hand at the garden. She is lucky to have Laura as a neighbour who so willing carves beauty out of this new neighbourhood. So is the fellow on the other side. New people have just moved in and are already looking to Laura for advice.

In spite of its perfection, the garden harbours wildlife and last year, Damian caught a rabbit with his bare hands! He let it go, but his hunter prowess has lent him a mature confidence that he calmly uses to lord over his little brother

The back yard mirrors the front in its penchant for order and precision planting. Climbing plants and tall slender cedars, fruit and other columnar trees punctuate the grey-board fence. Clumps of bergenia, more lime coloured shrubs and the odd hosta flank a sitting Buddha, a lighted lamp on his lap. He seems happy to grant any favour requested.

Even though the garden is small, there is room for tomatoes and lettuces and onions which grow in deep metal containers along the fence where the soil is warm.

“I am so sorry it wasn’t up to its usual,” says Laura during our visit. Her idea of perfection clearly has no boundaries, because it is hard to see what would be improved upon. h