The wow factor of the 2022 Garden Tour

By Samantha Johnson Special to the News on July 24, 2022.

The 2022 Medicine Hat and District Horticultural Association Garden Tour officially took place Sunday. During the evening of July 16 was the pre-garden tour, for homeowners, volunteer workers and media.

Somerset was the starting point to a quaint garden created by Sandra Parkes that feels small and manageable. The rear of her property backs onto a park and she has created a small sanctuary back there with one stunning, Lemony Lace Elderberry that had most everyone stopping to admire it. The garden exists due to an inheritance she received from her Grandma Kay, and is a tribute to her.

From there, the group went to Taylor and the home of Lorraine and Robert Gigolyk. The front and back are both entrancing, but for different reasons. In the front, different varieties of lilies are dotted around, among other perennials and annuals. In the back, a large pond with a fountain and waterfall immediately catches the eye. She had a small pond with a stream and bridge but while she was away caring for her mother, the pond mysteriously transformed into something much larger.

In Ross Glen, the group visited another large garden, the creation of Sheila Bradford, a happily retired nurse. She loves dragonflies and after she bought her first ornamental one, a wave of gifted ones followed. The fence and flowers are adorned with them along with numerous gazing balls situated here and there, adding to the pleasing aesthetic of the garden. One giant hosta, a Sum and Substance, inside the gate leading to the back yard stopped many people in their tracks.

There were three residences to visit on Southeast Hill, the first was Bev Mafrica and her partner Darrin Kopec. Mafrica spends half her time in Calgary and has created this stunning garden is only two years old. It is lush and overflowing with growth with containers dotted everywhere. It is the first of two residences to feature artwork, weatherproofed with lacquer spray. Kopec is a welder, and his creations are dotted around, including a large fire bowl that drew everyone’s eye.

From overflowing abundance to simplicity, next up was Pauline and Jerry Fitzgerald. They have a calm oasis in their backyard. A small patio on the upper level overlooks the garden and is where Jerry sleeps from early spring until snow puts him indoors, gladly telling those assembled he woke up once covered in four inches of snow. Flowers adorn the front and along one fence in the back. The other fence and the back of the yard are dedicated to vegetables.

From there the group travelled to the hidden gem of Tabitha and Brendan Cairns. The house (originally built in 1905 and added onto over the years) and garden are built into the hillside with a well-maintained and healthy lilac hedge protecting it from a busy thoroughfare. When they moved in, the hedge was overgrown, and weeds occupied most of the garden space. The entire area has been converted into a garden that is not only stunning but emulates the best in eco-friendly organic gardening and water conservation.

Lastly, the group travelled to NE Crescent Heights for the last two gardens. Debbie and Myles Warken are the second house featuring artwork around the garden, this time created by Debbie, who is an artist and home stylist. This house was on the 2007 tour but has completely changed, with the removal of a large evergreen at the back, allowing more light to flood in. Her husband loves to repurpose stuff, such as turning their old fence into a coffee table and couch.

Brent and Kellie Smith have a garden filled with food, from pears and sour cherries to beds of corn and an arctic kiwi that grows fruit without fuzz, the size of a huge grape when ripe. The garden is an ongoing project, with something being changed each year. This year, it is moving the raspberries to the bed outside the fence along the alley, where they can take over without compromising the rest of the garden. They have straw covering many of the beds to keep the moisture in.

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