My landscaping business began with a dream about infusing in others the magic, healing and love gardening had given me. Daunted by the cost of yard renovations, my objective was to create cost effective plans and gardens that appeared as if they were always there, ageless and natural. 
When I meet a client, I often see their landscape problems as
solutions that are missing the first steps.
This is where Barb and her tiny River Heights yard were when she came into my life. Barb wanted a functional yard to complement her home and what she had were two large trees that kept her lawn from turning green, along with a lot of unappealing pavement.
Much of the expense of landscaping is hardscape. Having dealt with this in my own garden I suggested a design where nature and not paving would be the focus. As we spoke she began to see that her tiny space could be so much more. She saw too, that her yard could serve as additional summer living space. Barb's sidewalks and existing patio were in good condition, so replacing them was unnecessary. The picture I painted for her had the remaining space surfaced with chipped tree mulch connecting a courtyard patio to curving pathways, all made from broken tiles, brick and concrete that would meander through lush gardens. In 2007 we entirely removed the backyard grass, using the material to construct rolling berms that softened the otherwise flat plane. The mulched remains of an evergreen in the front yard disappeared as another bermed garden took shape over it. This berm reused grass that had been removed beside the sidewalk and replaced by curved perennial beds. I used broken concrete from a nearby construction site to hold the soil in the raised berms, their ragged edges facing upward. I love the asymmetry and free form of the concrete. Typically when grass is removed for a new garden, it's replaced with new soil. Landscape cloth is placed on the ground first to keep the grass from regrowing. This cloth can be extraordinarily inflexible so I use newspaper instead. I thus used newspaper and
small amounts of soil to create the garden beds on the berms. I first stacked and reshaped the piled grass and then thickly layered newspaper on top, with fresh soil on top of that. The newspaper composts the grass beneath, retaining the beneficial nutrients and saving on cost. In fact, planting can be done immediately by simply lining the hole with newspaper. Mulch was added after the beds were planted.
Whole and broken patio slabs, discarded concrete from public roads and sidewalks, and recycled brick were reborn as
a whimsical back courtyard surrounding a centre garden while the shady beds along the house and fence were expanded for perennials. All the plants were chosen for their architectural value: texture, foliage, color and shape, not flower type, and placement rules that would tier plants according to their tall, medium and short sizes were ignored. Old ladders were used as trellises and fence decor as Barb personalized the space. Approximately 60 per cent of the materials were free or purchased very inexpensively. If a gardener is willing to shop around, plants can be found at quite reasonable prices. We found end of season sales worth watching for.
Barb's front yard is filled with perennials, shrubs and small trees, creating a warm welcome. Though finished less than a year ago, it's as if the garden has always been there. Barb's early mixed reactions to the mulch and broken concrete
has long since given way to delight at the unique space beyond her doorstep and she spends a lot of time there. Over planting helps keep maintenance down, something Barb had wanted to achieve. As the perennials increase in size, so will her garden's upkeep become ever easier. I'm thrilled at Barb's reaction to her unconventional garden. My business continues to thrive on the notion that anyone can have a beautiful yard.
Written for Manitoba Gardening Magazine by Charlotte Tataryn
