A Community Coming Together: The Enabling Garden

What's a sign that a public garden has been well designed and executed?

People. Lots of people. 

Seniors sipping their coffee, families with babies in strollers, and visitors pausing to admire the flowers on a warm evening last summer were all evidence that the Enabling Garden in the heart of Guelph, Ontario is a community garden in the truest sense of the word. 

Trevor Barton, the Enabling Garden's Chair, tells me that the initial concept for the garden began with a fortuitous meeting with Betty Richard, Disabilities Co-ordinator for the City of Guelph at a round table Millennium planning session back in 1999.  

When the two struck up a casual conversation about community gardens, conservation and horticultural therapy, the idea to create an accessible garden emerged.

Trevor Barton recounts: "From that chance meeting we reached out further to other liked minded people which included a number of key community players who were Master Gardeners, Ability and Senior's Co-ordinators to plant the seed of this accessible garden project. Fortunately, the City of Guelph at the time was an enthusiastic supporter of the Communities in Bloom and I was able to bring the Director of Recreation and Parks and the Park Planner for the city into the group to develop this idea further."

"From that humble beginning we were able to develop a plan. The City of Guelph donated the land within Riverside Park to build this fully accessible Enabling Garden, which officially opened in June 2005 (the hundred year anniversary of Riverside Park)."

"From 2000-2005 we continually fundraised and brought in many sponsors and benefactors like Reid's Heritage Homes who provided the lion share of donations and in-kind support with builders, earth moving machinery and construction expertise. During this time we were also successful in securing a Trillium Grant which enabled us to hire a Landscape Designer to lead the project..."

Glynis Logue, a Guelph-based environmental designer, brought to this venture her extensive background designing 'healing landscapes'. One of the garden's main objectives was to create a safe, accessible, interactive space. The intent was to foster sense of community ownership, while at the same time contributing to the physical and emotional well-being of its users.

Glynis incorporated into the garden's layout gentle, sweeping curves and a spiral refuge which serves as an enclosure for the garden's year round workshops. 

The pathways she designed were wide with smooth, flat surfaces that could accommodate wheelchairs, walkers and clients with low vision. Special benches were made with custom armrests to allow visitors to sit and rise easily easily.

 Echinacea in the foreground with native Cup Flowers in the distance.

In terms of the plantings, one of Glynis Logue's innovations was to use native perennials and grasses instead of the formal bedding plants often found in traditional public gardens. These are tough, hardy plants that don't rely on excess water or chemicals to fend off pests.

In keeping with the garden's emphasis on mental and physical wellness, she also included a wide variety of plants that have healing properties. Here are just a few of the healing plants Glynis incorporated into the Enabling Garden: 

Boneset 'Chocolate', Eupatorium rugosum, which is a fever reducer

English lavender 'Munstead', Lavandula augustifolia can be used a muscle relaxant

Greek Oregano, Origanum vulgare hirtum which is a digestive aid

New England Fall Aster, Symphyotrichum novae-angliae can be used as a sleep aid

Golden Lemon Thyme, Thymus x citriodorus 'Variegata' is a herb that can boost the immune system

Culver's Root, Veronicastrum virginicum which is a blood purifier

Echinacea with yellow Cup Flowers in the distance.

Cup Flower, Silphium Perfoliatum: The leaves of this native plant form a "cup" around a central stem giving the plant its common name. To the delight of birds and insects, rainwater collects in this shallow leaf basin. In the fall, Goldfinches love to devour the seeds. Cup Plant likes full sun and moist soil best. Height: 120-240 cm ( up to 8'), Spread: 60-90 cm. USDA Zones: 4-8.

Echinacea mixed with Rudbeckia

Rudbeckia with Liatris in the foreground.

Joe Pye Weed

This is one public space that does not expect visitors to admire the plants and flowers from a polite distance. On the contrary, visitors are encouraged to reach out and touch textured foliage and enjoy fragrant flowers like Lavender. 

Benches overlooking the river also make this the perfect place to sit, listen and reflect.

I am not sure of the exact cultivar here, but if you find this combination of Rudbeckia and Phlox pretty, I am sure you will like this Phlox:

Phlox paniculata 'Nicky': Nicky's deep plum color makes it a great companion for late summer Rudbeckia and Echinacea. Full sun or light shade. Height: 90-120 cm (36-48 inches), Spread: 60-90 cm (24-36 inches). USDA Zones: 4-9.

One of the things that appeals to me, as an artist, is that many of the garden's fundraisers became nice decorative touches. A perfect example are these bricks that edge the paths.

In the centre courtyard, there are community gardens and raised cedar beds at different heights to accommodate seniors and people in wheelchairs. 

A horticultural therapist on staff structures programming and offers workshops throughout the year for school aged children, seniors and those of varying abilities.

Composting, mulching, water conservation and xeriscaping are a few of the garden's environmentally friendly practices. 

The Mosaic Sculpture Wall on the side of the central utility shed was another fundraiser. 

It was developed under the leadership of Goldie Sherman, a ceramic artist, Katrin Wolters a stained glass artist and artist Barbara Guy Long. 

The public was given the opportunity to sponsor a ceramic tile for $20.

The health and vigour of the plants in these raised beds speaks to their being lovingly tended.

What can you take away from Guelph's Enabling Garden?

The uplifting belief that a group of civic-minded volunteers can come together to create a wonderful outdoor space that has a positive and far reaching impact on the community as a whole.

Chair, Trevor Barton tells me that, "This special place has evolved into a dynamic destination point that provides over 14,000 clients and volunteers of all abilities and ages the opportunity to share in the joy of gardening each year."

More Information and Links:

The Enabling Garden is located in Riverside Park in the city of Guelph, Ontario. Check the website for spring workshops, volunteer opportunities and if you wish to visit, you can find directions here.

Watch a slide show on the Enabling Garden.

Thinking Big!

The display garden at Lost Horizons Nursery. 

Between earth and sky there is a huge, creative canvas for a gardener to play with. 

Too often we gardeners to get wrapped up in the small stuff. It is easy to focus in on plants and miss the big picture. 

A garden at its best however, is a full environment, with layered plantings that reach skyward. In this post, I thought I would focus in on thinking big, with a perennial twist. 

Giant Silver Grass, Miscanthus sisensis 'Giganteus' in the display garden at Lost Horizons Nursery. Height: 250-300 cm Spread: 90-120cm Care: Full sun/part shade & average soil

When it comes to considering large scale gardening options, the natural tendency is to think of trees and shrubs.

Certainly trees, which tower over our heads, humble us with their sheer scale. It is impossible not to marvel at the grandeur of a forest's vaulted green cathedral. 

Additionally both trees and shrubs offer permanent architecture, which is especially invaluable in winter.

There is however, another often overlooked, option when it comes to drawing the eye upward. Tall perennials have a valuable contribution to make to the garden alongside that of trees and shrubs. 

Large scale plants are often slow to get going in spring and so fall is a great time to take a look at some of the alternatives. 

Miscanthus sinensis in the display garden at Lost Horizons Nursery. Height 150-210 cm, Spread: 80-90 cm Care: Full sun/partshade & average soil

There is something Jurassic-Park-cool about large perennial plants and grasses. It is easy to imagine dinosaurs in ancient times wading through drifts of similar grasses.

Let's face it, when something is this big, it just seems to demand your respect!

For whatever reason, I find tall plants particularly fasinating. I have been taking notes all summer with the hopes of adding more of these tall skyscrapers to my garden next year.

Now, I know many of you have small gardens and may think that these big-scale perennials will never work within your limited space. 

For sure, they do take up some room, but many like this Cutleaf Coneflower, Rudbeckia nitida 'Herbstsonne' have a V-shape. This often means that they don't take up much more ground room than standard perennials.

Others like this Culver's Root, Veronicastrum virginicum below shoot straight up on tall, lanky stems.

Culver's Root, Veronicastrum virginicum album in David Thomlinson's garden called Merlin's Hollow. Height: 120-180 cm Spread: 75-90 cm Care: Full sun in normal, sandy or clay soils.

And at Larkwhistle Garden.

Here is a quick look at some of the other attractive, tall perennials.

Joe Pye Weed, Eupatorium purpureum is a perennial that springs immediately to mind when you think about tall plants. There are a number of tall versions of Joe Pye Weed, as well as dwarfs. Height: Dwarf grows 70-75 cm Larger varieties grow: 210-300 cm Care: Part shade to full sun. Prefers moist soil.

White Joe Pye Weed, Eupatorium altissimum 'Prairie Jewel' Height: 90 cm Spread 40 cm 

Actaea Cimicifuga simplex Atropurpurea in Lost Horizons Nursery. Height: 180 cm Spread 60 cm Care: Full sun to part shade.

Mullein at Larkewhistle Garden

There are two varieties of Mullein are grown at Larkwhistle, Verbascum olympicum (Greek Mullein) and Verbascum bombyciferum (Turkish Mullein). 

Mulleins are a biennials plants, which produce leafy rosettes in the first year, and flowering stalks in the second year. Verbascum olympicum is the branching Greek relative of the North American native Verbascum thapsus, which can often be seen growing in fields of wild flowers. The second variety of mullein, Verbascum bombyciferum is thickly coated with downy wool and has clear yellow flowers. Both mulleins prefer sun and light, sandy soil.

Sneezeweed, Helenium at Larkwhistle Garden. Height: 75-80 cm 

Spread: 45-60 cm Care: Full sun, average soil.

You don't tend to think of perennials with small delicate flowers as having the potential to be tall, but here is a perfect example of one.

This is Meadow Rue or Thalictrum. Height: 150-180 cm Spread: 45-60 cm 

Care: Average soil. Prefers moist conditions.

Cup Flower, Silphium Perfoliatum at Lost Horizons Nursery. Height: 120-240 cm Spread: 60-90 cm Care: Full sun to part shade.

Ironweed, Vernonia Gigantea is another tall, North American native which has purple aster-like flowers. Height 180-210 cm Spread: This plant as a v-shape and is 90-100 cm tall 

Care: Full sun and average or moist soil 

Actaea Cimicifuga simplex at the gate leading to the display garden at Lost Horizons Nursery. 

Height: 1.1 m Spread: 1m Care: Part shade to shade.

A closer look Actaea Cimicifuga simplex

Can you smell the fragrance of this beauty right through the computer screen? 

The scent of these small white flowers carries on the slightest breeze...perhaps a mix of honey and vanilla, with the addition of some other mysterious spice. 

Divine!