Creating a Sense of Mystery in a Garden

Anyone who has been in a longterm relationship will tell you that holding on to a little mystery helps keeps the romance alive. Where there is mystery, there is curiosity and excitement.

Mystery has its place in a garden too. When an outdoor space is revealed in a single glance you remove the element of surprise and the delight that inevitably follows. A degree of mystery draws visitors to explore a garden with the hidden promise of what lies ahead. 

Fostering a sense of discovery may seem like an easily accomplished task when you have acres of land, with the tower of an Elizabethan castle at its core, like the world famous garden at Sissinghurst. But if you are an average gardener with a bungalow and a modest plot of land, what then? 

I do think it is possible to invite mystery into your garden no matter what size or circumstance. All you really need is a little creativity. 

The garden I am about to show you borders an average sized bungalow. The yard is generous, but not huge. 

A pathway of clipped green lawn leads you toward the backyard.  The planting on either side of the path incorporates ornamental grasses and tall perennials which impede a clear view of what will come next.

Behind the birdbath is 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. 

The path opens into the backyard but instead of one big open space, there are doorways that lead to two separate areas of the garden. 

The plantings on either side of the doorways are just high enough to make you wonder about what must be on the other side.

It is rather amazing to think that all you need to suggest a garden "room" is a simple doorway.

The construction of this type of simple doorway would be a fairly easy DIY project.  A couple of metal fence post spikes would be enough to hold the structure in place. The uprights are just painted 4x4's. The cross beams could be made using 2x4's or 2x6's.

Now this country-rustic style might not be your cup of tea, so here are a few other ideas that might help.

A sense of mystery is heightened when a view is partially obstructed. For example, block a clear view of the garden with tall plants, a clump of ornamental grasses or a large shrub. 

In my garden, the view to the back of the yard is partially obstructed with a trellised fence. An arbor at the centre of the fence gives you a glimpse that there is something further that remains to be discovered.

Don't be afraid to break the rules. Design rules are great guiding principles, but they can also restrict creativity and make things predictable.  

Be playful! Make witty choices that will cultivate joy and laughter. 

Don't be predictable. Incorporate something personal or unexpected into your garden's design.  This could be an unusual plant, a unique feature or unusual object that comes as a complete surprise.

Spark the imagination. Add some mushrooms, a little fairy door, a toad house or anything else that feels magical.

Mason Bee House by Wildlife World available through Wayfair.ca.

Encourage visitors to rediscover that childlike delight in nature. Add a pond that will attract wildlife. Make a butterfly puddle. Install an insect hotel or mason bee house. Place a birdbath in your garden or hang feeders to attract birds.

Hide a final destination. Send visitors down a curving or winding path that disappears into the distance hiding the final destination. Place a bench or a nice garden feature like a wall fountain that will be a pleasant discovery at the end of their journey. 

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Duff & Donna Evers, Part 3: The Woodland & the Gate of Lost Marbles

Digging, weeding, planting, hefting and hauling loads of compost; gardening is often tough physical work! It's not a hobby you would intuitively think would be suited to someone in late middle life or even older.

If you've been following this series of blog posts, you'll know that now by now that Duff and Donna Evers have a very large garden, but what you may not realize is that they are both gardeners in their seventies. 

If Donna could interject right about now, she'd probably tell you that gardening keeps them fit and young at heart. She might even toss in a lighthearted joke about gardening saving them a fortune on a gym membership.

It may be a lot of physical labor, but gardening is also a passion; a love of plants and nature that both she and Duff share. 

In this, the final post of the series on their garden near Halifax Nova Scotia, we are going to look at the little woodland garden to one side of the house, and to the what Donna refers to as the "gate of lost marbles."

I am going to let Donna tell you the story of this part of the garden in her own words:

"This area started out with a cedar hedge between us and our neighbour. There is a path through the hedge for visiting back and forth, by both people and pets."

"On the edge nearest the lawn, we planted a border of rhododendrons. In the area between these plantings, there were native hemlock, maples and poor spruce. Again, we weren't planning to garden in this area. Nature took care of the unsightly spruce, we limbed-up the hemlocks and bought more plants. Another garden to fill."

"Now we needed a way in and out of this garden. Duff built arbours leading into the garden at both ends."

Miss Cleo makes a grand entrance.

"There is also an arbour halfway down the garden and an arbour with a series of window frames that runs along a retaining wall. I love the view of the lake through these 'window frames'. The arbours all support clematis or climbing vines. Clematis flammula is a wonderful scented late bloomer."

Anemone sylvestris

Anemone sylvestris has ferny foliage and white flowers in late spring. Anemone sylvestris looks wonderful in combination with Narcissus or tulips. It also helps disguise the bulb's dying foliage. This plant spreads quite readily. Full sun or light shade and moist to wet conditions are preferred. Height: 30-45 cm (12-18 inches), Spread: 30-60 cm (12-23 inches). USDA Zones: 2-9

Donna: "Trillium grandiflorum 'Flore Plenum' was a birthday gift from a gardening friend. I hold my breath every spring until it appears. Then there is mandatory viewing for friends, neighbours and even total strangers."

Donna: "Maiden Hair Fern, Adiantum pedatum is a shade lover, pest-free and looks good with everything. What more could you ask?"

Maidenhair Fern, Adiantum pedatum has arching black stems and fans of green leaflets. The foliage is great in cut flower arrangements. These ferns like rich, moist soil. You may find that they take several years to reach a mature size. Height: 30-60 cm (12-23 inches), Spread: 30-60 cm (12-23 inches). USDA Zones: 2-9.

Donna: "Anemonella thalictroides 'Shoaf's Double'. Just being able to let that trip off your tongue makes you a gardener. It blooms for about a month."

Anemonella thalictroides 'Shoaf's Double' is a plant native to woodlands that bloom in spring. It is easily grown in average, well-drained soil, but its preference is sandy-humusy soil. Height: 30-45 cm (12-18 inches), Spread: 7-15 cm ( 3-6 inches) USDA Zones 4-8

Primula kisoana alba

Donna on the subject of Primula kisoana alba: "I love the pink form too. They spread by runners, but are not invasive."

Primula Sieboldii

Primula Sieboldii is native to eastern Siberia, Manchuria, Korea and Japan where is grows in open woodlands and damp meadows. Primula Sieboldii likes free draining, soil that is rich in organic matter. Sun to light shade. Height: 15-30 cm (6-12 inches), Spread: 30-38 cm (12-15 inches). USDA Zones 4-9

Primula Japonica

Candelabra Primrose, Primula japonica is a group of woodland plants with fresh green foliage and a crown of flowers in late spring. They prefer part shade and moist or wet clay soil that is rich in organic matter. Height: 30-60 cm (12-23 inches), Spread: 25-30 cm (10-12 inches). USDA Zones: 5-9

In the background is Brunnera 'Jack Frost' with tiny blue flowers.

Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost' has heart-shaped, silver colored leaves that are veined in a bright green. Sprays of blue flowers, which closely resemble forget-me-nots, appear in mid-spring. 'Jack Frost' can take more sun than many other types of Brunnera, but it prefers afternoon shade particularly in hotter gardening zones. Average garden soil is fine, but 'Jack Frost' likes moist conditions. Height: 30-40 cm (12-16 inches), Spread: 30-45 cm ( 12-18 inches). USDA Zones: 2-9.

There is a nice collection of rhododendrons and magnolias in this area of the garden.

Donna: "Magnolia Susan is one of "the girls" from the US National Arboretum. I like it because the blossoms open over several weeks and you always have a combination of dark buds and paler open flowers."

Donna's photo of Magnolia sieboldii 

"It would be difficult to pick a favourite magnolia. Magnolia 'Butterflies' has wonderful upright foliage. Magnolia sieboldii (shown above) is vase-shaped and suitable for a smaller garden. The outward facing blossoms are white with purple centres. In the fall, it has showy red seed pods."

Donna's photo of Magnolia 'Helen'

"We were given a collection of magnolia seedlings, started by a friend with seed crosses from the American Magnolia Society. These seedlings, which are now trees, caused great excitement when they first bloomed. The best of the lot is one we have named Magnolia 'Helen' after our friend's mother. It has caused a stir in the magnolia world. I think our friend would dig it up and take it home if the darn thing wasn't so big. He is working very hard at propagating this beauty."

"This area slopes to what was once an ugly divergent ditch, but is now my favourite spring tonic. Siberian iris, Skunk cabbage and native Interrupted fern fill in later. Right spot, right plant. Over the bridge behind "The gate of Lost Marbles" (no need to ask who has lost their marbles) is a compost area".

"We lifted the idea for the Gate of Lost Marbles right off the internet. The marbles really shine in February on a fresh fall of snow- a bonus we didn't expect. 

"The gate and the fence is covered with a grapevine that does double duty. It hides the compost bins and gives us wonderful grape jelly. A holding bed and a makeshift cold frame are also tucked behind the gate. A Red Haven Peach tree and Rhododendron schlippenbachii have somewhat elevated the status of this necessary, but unsightly part of the garden."

And so we arrive at the end of this three-part series.

What a pleasure it has been to work with Donna Evers to put these posts together. She has put up with endless questions and has always replied to my emails with patience, warmth and a wonderful sense of humour.

Thank you, Donna, from the bottom of my heart!

Missed Part 1? Go back and read it here.

Here's a link to Part 3.