An overview of the long narrow back garden, with a greenhouse in the back created with reclaimed materials.
Beautiful Gardens Joel Geleynse Hamilton story and photos by shauna dobbie 22 • 2020
T
his is not your typical garden. Joel Geleynse (rhymes with McKenzie) bought the house about 10 years ago in downtown Hamilton and just started a garden in the 17-foot wide by 120-foot deep lot. He had no experience and his neighbours told him not much would grow under the big black walnut in the back corner; he took their warnings as a challenge. Aside from the black walnut, the yard was a mess, open to the lane behind it. It was full of junk and the junk went deep; old gravel and rusted out metal would come up wherever he put in a shovel. “It felt really industrial and not cared for in many years,” he recalls. Joel was a student and didn’t have much money to spare, so he started collecting others’ cast-offs to use. For his first try, he laid down pallets and put soil over and in them. That year he had lush green vegetation Issue 2
localgardener.net
