Friday, August 29, 2008

Garden Resourcefulness

Here are some examples of gardening to fit a need.

In the first case, this is my great uncle's vegetable garden. You may think you have heard of tomato cages, but you have not until you have seen this. His garden is frequently ravaged by deer, but he has managed to protect his precious tomatoes with this cage made of bread racks. I was impressed.

This next case is one of synthetic shrubbery. What the need is here, I don't know. Perhaps too many dogs peed on the real shrubbery. Maybe this is the new northern version of xeriscaping. Perhaps radioactive soil contaminants preclude the growth of evergreens. Maybe a nearby preschool had too many leftover giant pipe-cleaners from a craft project.

This converted church on 10th St. in downtown Prince Albert, Saskatchewan now houses a lawyer's office. My mother once sent me a fridge magnet with a quote from Erma Bombeck, "Never go to a doctor whose office plants have died". What should be said about a lawyer with plastic shrubs?

I find it interesting how they put real wood mulch around the plastic shrubs. The twisted gardener would sneak an plastic dandelion into this landscape...

5 comments:

RURAL said...

Very resourceful of you to find that synthetic shrubbery. A funny post. Who would do that, and where do they get so many fake Christmas trees to plant. LOL.
Jen

Anonymous said...

What weird shrubbery - doesn't even look real. Why put anything there at all. Someone's obviously heard of gardening but hasn't fully understood the concept :-)

Barbarapc said...

What a hoot! Loved the tomato fortification - bread racks - that's just the best. Took a look at your perennials - amazing what good snow cover will do! When is your first frost usually?

Gardenista said...

Barbarapc - yes, that truly is a fortification. It's hilarious that the BC folks feel pressured to say that they love the wildlife (in keeping with the tree-hugger sterotype), but most would like to be rid of the deer.

Our first killing frosts will be in early October. I've got to make my bulb order now or else!!!

Anonymous said...

Gardenista,
I love your site, garden, and amusing commentary. I represent The Gardener for the Prairies, a gardening magazine for cold-hardy gardeners, and I am interested in featuring your garden in the magazine. Please contact me and we will see if we can work something out. hort@gardenermagazine.ca
William