ings around every corner. The seating area beside the pond is a great place to entertain guests while listening to the burbling water. Bright yellow heliopsis ‘Loraine Sunshine’ and purple phlox (Phlox paniculata ‘Purple Kiss’) add vibrancy and pizazz, complemented by plants of contrasting textures and tones. Vegetables line the side of the house and thrive in planters. The Brehaut’s are especially proud of
their four smoke bushes – one Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple'
plants are (deep purple
colour), two C. coggygria ‘Grace’ (green- ish to coppery colour) and one C. coggygria ‘ancot’ syn. ‘Golden Spirit’ (green). These specimen
The stepped entrance adds elegance and shows off the front garden.
labeled for zones five through nine and generally sport large billowing summer blooms that have a puffy cloud-like or "smoky" appearance. The smoke bushes are uncommon for Edmonton, as few attempt to grow these fragile plants. Unfortunately, while they are known for their smoke-like blooms, they do not bloom here. Pat and Jon grow them for their lovely foliage colour, shape and texture. “We think the lack of bloom is because of the difference in grow- ing seasons and because they bloom on old wood, which we usually cut back in order to cover them against our winters,” says Pat. Jon and Pat love their lawn-less yard
A sheltered front patio offers privacy and a fantastic view..
so much they encourage others to try it. “Homeowners should consider going lawn-less, especially if they don’t have children who need play space. Dry stream beds, ponds, seating areas and paths can fill spaces around planting beds just as nicely as lawn and are gener- ally lower maintenance. However, filling your yard with rock will just make more work as debris fills in around the rocks and weeds grow,” explains Jon. How it started
The couple decided to engage in a
massive makeover in 1996. “We began a serious overhaul, starting with the back pond and patio area,” Pat says. Then, in 2005, they attacked the front yard and have been working on improving the gardens every year since. The transformation did come with
some challenges. They began with a vision and general design, but as we all know, designs change. The removal of trees resulted in issues of light and proportion which led to the building of a pergola and the lattices. In addi- tion,
they found that
A smokebush sits to the left in front of the bridge. 14 • Beautiful Gardens 2015
Paths can fill spaces around plantings as well as grass can.
they needed to
make some changes in their plant selec- tion and redesigned the pond, patio and terracing.
localgardener.net
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