NOTE: The gardens are less than 12 months old
Photos: Annette Irish
Spring has truly sprung in the Mary Valley!
Annette’s daughter Amelia has been busy turning the rich, sandy loam of the region into a gardener’s playground. Armed with newfound excavation skills (yes, she’s now confidently behind the wheel of some serious machinery!), Amelia and Annette teamed up to design and install eight brand-new house gardens, a thriving veggie and herb patch, and even gave the old chicken run and coop a fresh lease on life.
With Annette’s horticultural wisdom guiding her, Amelia took a “let’s-see-what-happens” approach to planting—a fun way of testing what really thrives in the local soil. So far, the experiment has been a success: out of a few hundred plants, only two have been lost, and growth rates have been impressive.
Meanwhile, the old orchard—lovingly planted by Chris’ father over 35 years ago—was reshaped last autumn and has been rewarding the family with fruit ever since.
Amelia might not be chasing horticulture as a career, but she’s discovered the joy of gardening as the perfect stress reliever. Annette couldn’t be prouder watching her daughter dig in, grow, and blossom alongside the gardens.
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