Sadie relaxes in the backyard garden of June and Phil Reynolds – Terry Coble photo
Take a step inside the gate and into the Reynolds’ backyard, and it’s almost like entering another world. Lush, tranquil and full of surprises; it is immediately clear that this is the private sanctuary of a very creative person who loves to be outdoors in the garden.
June and Phil Reynolds have lived on their property for 32 years, during which time they have completely renovated the house inside and out, and landscaped the yard. There is a huge variety of trees, shrubbery and perennials, a vegetable garden, a pond . . . one could sit for hours gazing around and still miss the finer details.
“I love gardening,” said June. “I could stay out here all day.” She said that after many years of work, she finally has everything pretty much how she wants it, but then, she says that every year.
One of the things that makes the Reynolds’ garden so unique and beautiful are all of the repurposed structures and elements, from an arbor built out of an old door to a greenhouse built using windows from a variety of sources.
“The old door was from a dilapidated house somewhere up around Okanagan Falls, we took the door off, and the house was built of two layers of these wood boards with newspaper in between for insulation. It was from the First World War, with articles advertising deluxe penthouse suites in Vancouver renting for $25 a month!” June said laughing.
June gets a lot of her ideas for her garden from magazines; she will see a design and then build it herself, whether it is a wheelbarrow plant holder or an ingenious weeding tool that works like a Dutch hoe.
“It helps to have some carpentry skills,” June acknowledged. “It’s a labour of love.”
Creativity, love and patience – this is not something that happens overnight, no question.
Gardening can be an expensive enterprise if one were to go out and buy a garden full of plants and shrubs in one shot. A garden as lush and diverse as June’s comes from years of adding plants here and there.
“I do a lot of trading with the garden club, which saves a lot of money. Every year we go on what we call a shop hop, where we tour down to Osoyoos and back and go to all the garden centres and get our flowers for the year,” June revealed. “It’s a lot of fun!”
Do you love to garden, or do you know somebody who does? The Oliver Chronicle is looking for gardens to showcase over the summer, and it could be yours!
It is not a contest, just a way to share the beauty in our town. We are hoping to share ideas and innovations, and inspire others to take up the trowel and beautify their own spaces. Call me at 250-408-9061 or email me at [email protected].
Tiffany Beckedorf
