A Beautiful Habitat: A Home for All Living Things
Pat Brehaut
Photos by Jon D Brehaut
Doris and Dave Grobel having been gardening at their home in Millwoods for three decades now, but somehow "gardening" does not quite capture the extent of the work, experimentation, energy, devotion and pleasure that has created their special place. This garden has become a beautiful habitat in which both the gardeners and their frequent visitors (both human and otherwise) find delight, tranquility and sustenance. It was a delight to interview Doris and Dave.
The front garden is narrow, somewhat shady and largely given over to a wonderful array of "pet" rocks displayed as we walk toward the front door. Doris loves rocks and delights in their shapes, often finding faces and expressions in the rough surfaces! One notable rock—a peach-coloured quartz perhaps—sparkles a greeting to visitors as it nestles among the roses and geraniums.
Entering the back garden is like entering another world. From roses to kiwi vines, brussel sprouts to garlic, koi to finches, the garden is a wonder of blossoms, edibles and bustling activity. "There is not a day when something does not change," Dave tells us.
From the deck by the house, we look down on a circular patio and try to take it all in. A row of willows just outside the fence and a huge dracaena sway in the breeze. Bees buzz the stately delphinium border. Gladioli (about 400 at their peak) add rows of colour amid a veggie garden that bursts with produce, while swallows fly back and forth feeding their young in the bird house. On the deck, right above us as we sit and chat, a mother robin calmly tends her young. A sure sign all is well in this garden.
As we explore further, we discover tender roses with huge blossoms, delightful dahlias, lilies, begonias and a wide array of annuals and perennials. There are grapes on huge arches and climbing the garage wall. Bunny tail grasses and unique planters decorate the entrance to the bridge. Koi and waterlilies thrive in a pond that requires protection from marauding herons. Exotics hang from preserved tree trunks. The deck drips with colour. There are apples, cherries, pears, berries…you name it.
The pond and waterfall, as well as many handmade ornaments show us the more playful side of Doris and Dave's nature. And the garden swing assures us that they do take time out now and then.
In 1981, the Grobels began their garden in a new, pie-shaped lot of some 12,000 square feet. They tackled it all themselves, hauling in soil from bogs, adding mushroom manure and starting a composting system. They come from a farming background and have relied on those roots, as well as curiosity and a willingness to learn. At one point, they were trialing plant hardiness for an American magazine called Organic Garden Magazine. One such plant was 'Cool Breeze' cucumber. Lois Hole once visited this garden and heartily approved!
The Grobels save seeds and store a variety of plants over the winter, either in their garages (they have two), house or on their acreage east of the city. Dave encloses their back deck in reinforced plastic from mid-March to late May and, with the warmth of an old gas furnace, starts most plants from seed.
Doris and Dave have won EHS garden competitions and bench shows over the years. But their motivation comes from a love of fresh vegetables and the satisfaction of being self-sufficient. They enjoy the exercise of gardening and find it stress-relieving. From their vast experience, they offered many tips and recipes. Watch for them in this and coming Gardener's Gate issues. Be sure to visit this garden if you get the chance!
(Originally published in the Gardener's Gate, September 2010.)