by Jenny Humphrey
This coming Sunday marks the day many Cranbrook and area gardeners look forward to all spring. It is the day of Cranbrook’s fifteenth Open Garden Day. I find it very hard to believe that this day has been an annual event that long as I remember planning that first event quite vividly. It was and although less so, still is difficult to persuade gardeners to show their gardens to the public.
“Oh, I don’t know what will be out then.”
“Oh, it would look better the month before”,
“Oh there’s not much for people to see”,
”Oh, the rain this spring flattened everything”
“Oh, but I have too many weeds”, are just a smattering of the excuses for the always modest gardener to give as reasons for not sharing their gardens.
Yet tucked away behind Cranbrook and area fences and trees are some exquisite gardens that the owners can be proud to show off for one day of the year. Reluctance to have the public walking through your private sanctuary is understandable as most gardens are an extension of the interior living space so it is rather like having strangers traipsing through your house. I think though, that without exception anyone who has plucked up courage to show his or her garden is always tired but thrilled at the end of the day with all the positive feedback. That first year we limited the tickets to one hundred, set the etiquette guidelines, which are still used and waited anxiously to see if we would sell all the tickets. We just sold the one hundred and added a $2 drop in at the last minute for the neighbours who wondered what was going on and just wanted to take a peek.
This day has grown in popularity, has fostered an appreciation of what great possibilities there are in a somewhat difficult climate and has become one of the local highlights for the summer months. If a garden provides one new idea, one new plant to try, one new plant combination, one new way of looking at things or just one moment of peace it has been worth a visit. New gardens, meeting new and longtime garden friends make this day a special event. Because of the brave gardeners who have shared their vegetable plots, ponds, greenhouses, perennial borders, rock gardens, herb gardens, patios and arbours we have more beautiful and productive gardens and more people in touch with their environment.
Very Many Thanks to all those who have continued organising this annual tradition and those generous gardeners who share their skills.
This year’s gardens will be described on your ticket but below are a just a few of vignettes from gardens shown in the past.
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