GardenWise Garden Challenge Contest Winner

Image: Joyce Pearlstone | 07 Jan 2008

We received such an inspiring response to our Garden Challenge Contest, announced in the Fall 07 issue of GardenWise, that we felt our readers were deserving of their own special feature! Congratulations to our Grand Prize Winner, chosen by our panel of judges, who wins a $250 package Lee Valley Garden Tools. Six runners up will receive a $25 gift certificate from Lee Valley, and a further selection of entries has been selected for publication.

AND THE WINNER IS…

A YEAR-ROUND JAPANESE GARDEN

My northwest- facing ocean-side property on Deep Cove in North Saanich, Vancouver Island, has a steep rocky terrain. Scotch broom and other invasive weeds had taken over. My vision was to create a Japanese-style Zen garden with year-round interest, providing views from inside the house as well as from the ocean.

Starting with bare sandstone, topsoil was brought in to create two very different gardens. The ocean-side garden is subject to strong winds and salt spray in winter, and intense heat and drought in summer. Mortar-free rock terraces were erected to stabilize the large sandstone steps, with areas for planting between the levels. Every rock and all the topsoil had to be hand-carried in buckets down a steep slope 21 m (70 ft.) lower than the street. In order to create a flat area for a deck, the sloped bedrock was pick-axed by hand, using a mattock, the broken rock fragments sifted by screen.

The steeply sloped Japanese garden between the pottery studio and the front of the house has a vertical drop of 4 m (14 ft.) with a sandstone retaining wall. For viewing from the house, walkways of exposed aggregate and wood rim a two-tiered pond with waterfall.

The pond continues under the concrete walkway to provide shade and protection from predators for the koi. To soften the rock walls, a variety of trees (Japanese maples and various dwarf Japanese evergreens), low-growing plants (ferns, irises, trilliums, epimedium, spirea) and groundcovers (speedwell, wire vine, native sedum) were planted. A micro-drip irrigation system hidden from view was installed. The overall effect of the garden was to provide a sanctuary with different textures and shades of green, with the odd punch of burgundy.

Joyce Pearlstone, North Saanich

Click here to view the Runners-up.
Click here for the honorable mentions.