After a one month delay in starting operations last spring, we have made it safely to the other side of the 2020 garden season.
The covid pandemic has provided our world with a shared experience that requires a collective call to action. We have greater insight to how powerful we can be when united by a common cause. Globally and locally, people are connecting, shifting focus and banding together. This is a positive outcome during a difficult time.
For many, there has been a renewed focus on home and over the summer, the backyard became a source of refuge and a place to gather. Gardens provide a meaningful environment in which to connect with other people and create an innate connection between us and the earth. As gardeners, we play an important role in helping people deepen this connection.
Despite the unsettled time that was 2020, there can be no question that positive opportunities emerged when clients engaged with their gardens…and when the crew finally got out to work!
Co-creating with nature: This client sought to improve the naturalized area along their coastal property in a way that integrated with and duplicated existing native and woodland plants. Colourful, blooming lupine, foxglove and echinacea feed pollinators while native inkberry, bearberry and ferns blend in with existing species. Over time, self-seeding lupine and foxglove will expand their population and native groundcovers will fill in the area for a natural and beautiful garden that improves the view from the house to the ocean.
Rethink the lawn: Our client John had replaced his septic field and needed help with a new lawn quickly before the soil became full of weeds. The lawn had varying light making Kentucky bluegrass sod a poor choice. THE SHE SHED recommended a custom seed mix including Pipolina microclover and deep rooted, drought tolerant perennial rye and fescue to build a resilient lawn that could tolerate both sun and shade. John sent us this note a few months after seeding his lawn.
“I hope all is well in the world for you. I thought I’d give you a bit of an update on your hard work this summer. The grass is immaculate. I couldn’t be happier. Really. I had no idea that it would turn out that well. I’m happy to be positive part of your word-of-mouth marketing team”. - J V, Fall River
Condo gardens: remote workers and retired condo dwellers unable to leave the bubble turned to the balcony outside for fresh air and to connect with nature. Always artful, our garden terrace containers suit the season: summer herb kitchen gardens for cooking, evergreen shrubs in winter…perennials, annuals, edibles, dried botanicals, sculptural elements and lighting selected carefully for personalized garden rooms that bring the outside in. Even the smallest space can connect people with the natural world.
The crew: They are dedicated garden landscapers with an environmental conscience…they are also innovators, teachers and designers; multi-trade skilled with education in botany and science, fine art, horticulture, design and engineering. They work in rain, cold and plus 30 degree weather…all the while, smiling as they rescue leopard snails (with their bare hands), pat puppies and demonstrate the best of what our industry is about…fabulous and distinctive garden landscapes that respect the earth and all who share it with us.
“Thanks so much, Colleen. I'm loving both my backyard oasis and curb appeal of my home. And your crew are delightful, talented and so professional. You must be proud of them! See you in the spring -- and thanks again”. - E MacDonald, Halifax
The new decade started with uncertainty and it has been a difficult time for many. I am grateful that THE SHE SHED has safely navigated 2020 with a continued focus on connecting people with the natural world around them. It would not happen but for the remarkable crew, clients, suppliers and supporters with whom we work. Thank you all.