The backyard’s water feature. Joanna is a passionate gardener who enjoys both the chal-
lenges and thrills of gardening. “I love the perennials and how they are always changing – some years they are so grand and others they are more muted. I really enjoy their unpredictability,” shares Joanna. She has also started adding more annuals and is particularly fond of cosmos, petunias, lobelia, geranium and lavender. “The annuals add such soft- ness to the garden. I love lavender, the soothing smell that’s carried in the morning air or after a rain,” she says. Joanna plants lavender as an annual. This spring she added a mock orange and was so happy with the elegant, dainty blossoms. “My gardening philosophy is to just try it. I am learning where plants thrive, and seeing how they adapt to different locations in the yard. The hardest part is patience; it’s hard to wait the couple of years that it takes for some plants to become established,” she says. Joanna has fallen in love with the Canadian Artist series
of roses and has collected all four in the series over the last four years: Emily Carr, Campfire, Felix Leclerc and Bill Reid. While she believes the Bill Reid may just be the most beautiful yellow rose she’s ever seen, she is anxiously await- ing for another in the series to be released.
Campfire from the Canadian Artist series. A wooded sanctuary Guests invited into the backyard won’t be disappointed
after being wowed by the front. Here, the couple has left the majority of the trees. “The developers left a native aspen tree forest in the back of the home, we decided to keep as many of the trees as we could. The smell that engulfs you as you walk outside, especially in the fall, it’s amazing.” Joanna says. The trees not only add beauty but privacy and act as an effec- tive sound barrier. “My husband loves to cook and we entertain outdoors, a
lot – dinner parties, drinks, lunches – we always start in the backyard. It is such a great place to get together with people.” With an outdoor kitchen many chefs would be envious of, it’s no wonder. Containers overflow with herbs, thyme, oregano and rosemary that Kevin uses in his cooking. You will find him barbequing almost every day in the summer. In addition to the 'to die for' kitchen, guests are soothed by the sound of cascading water from the feature fountain. Seating areas are located throughout the backyard so guests can explore and view the yard from different angles. Front and back, the O’Briens home is nothing short of paradise, Calgary-style, of course. K
One can enjoy the scent and sights of the aspen forest from the backyard. 22 • Beautiful Gardens 2015
It’s no wonder the O’Briens eat outdoors everyday with this outdoor kitchen.
localgardener.net
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