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Four years ago , Bonny McKeough of Chatham , Ontario , embark on an challenging foreign mission to farm the stark herbaceous plant garden , one style after the magisterial Kew Royal Botanic Gardens in London . start with a 2 - acre dope - covered lot , some canonic plan plans , and a shovel and wheelbarrow , she carve out a 60x160 - human foot formal garden framed by an artistic lattice of grass path .
McKeough has tried growing over 100 herbaceous plant varieties in her garden , but the number has dwindle away down to about 40 . Photo by : Bonny McKeough .
consider that McKeough has little formal preparation in the prowess of gardening , her solo effort is truly telling . It is the result of determination , much experimentation , and a few hurdles along the way .
“ Nine years ago , I move back to my kinfolk home on the north shore of Lake Erie to help my 90 - class - former parent . That summer , in a neglect landing field at the lake bank , I planted an herbaceous plant garden . Whimsical in design and maverick in shape , I yell it ‘ Folly . ’ As outcome of erosion , the garden lead off to go over the banking company , hence , the search for a new situation , ” she says .
The aerial photo shows Bonnie McKeough ’s Q Garden after the first twelvemonth . She plotted the Gunter Grass paths for the 60x160 - substructure formal garden on graph newspaper and then transposed them onto the lawn with measuring tape , ropes and pegs . exposure by : Bonny McKeough .
Her sister ’s 4 - acre belongings , located near her parent ’s family , turned out to be the ideal location . The orthogonal shape and the relatively monotonous topography dictated the design and formality of her new herb plot , which McKeough calls " Q Garden . ” The inspiration for the one - letter name may not be obvious , but it ’s in reality a very minded title . “ Q Garden is a maneuver on our name ( pronounced McQ ) and an amusing reference to the Kew Royal Botanic Gardens , ” she says .
Here is Q Garden today , 4 years subsequently . picture by : Bonny McKeough .
ab initio , McKeough drew the plots and paths for her garden on graphical record newspaper , interchange them onto the lawn with measure tape , ropes and pegs . She then removed the existing superoxide dismutase with a power shovel and transport it via garden cart to various voice of the holding , creating a meandering path through the wood exiting at the garden . “ This was definitely a Herculean feat , which took three months to fill out , and I now enquire how I did it , ” she says . “ I transplanted many of the established plants from the disappearing Folly . While I had plot the location of the plants in the novel garden , I was astounded how the industrial plant placed themselves . It was like painting and was quite an amazing experience . ”
Over the past few years , McKeough has tried growing over 100 herbaceous plant miscellany in her garden , but the number has dwindle away down to about 40 . “ Most of them are the old standards in numerous varieties . My prerequisite are not too ungovernable , minimal maintenance , a long growing season or ever - bearing , and great grain and color . I must admit that is a hefty task for an herbaceous plant , but I have encounter many , ” she says .
As you might await , the bounty from McKeough ’s garden is immense and she encourage the neighbors to help themselves . “ I have not had much success with drying the herbs – they taste like hay . rather , I put fresh chop herb in softened butter and freeze down them , which works well , ” she says . Photo by : Bonny McKeough .
Some of McKeough ’s favorites admit various variety of sage(Salvia officinalis ) , thyme(Thymus ) , tarragon(Artemisia dracunculus satvia ) , winter savory(Satureja montana ) , citrus southernwood(Artemisia abrotanum cv . ) , lavender(Lavandula angustifolia ) , and bayberry(Myrica pensylvanica ) . And of course , she also found an regalia of one-year herbs , such as Petroselinum crispum , dill and sweet basil . To give the garden more social structure and a terrific pop of color , she engraft unripe boxwood to frame the corners and yellow marigolds along the edges .
After pay four years to planning , labor , and bring up , McKeough has finally achieved her ambition for Q Garden . She now attend forward to expend her time rearrange , removing and adding new plants . “ At the end of the sidereal day , the main destination is that a spell of the garden puts a smile on my fount , ” she says .
Note : All the herbs in Bonnie McKeough ’s garden were purchase from Richters Herbs , Goodwood , Ontario .
