The kiss of the sun for pardon,
The song of the birds for mirth,
One is nearer God’s heart in a garden
Than anywhere else on earth.
— Dorothy Frances Gurney, Garden Thoughts
Gardens are planned, potted, tilled, nurtured, harvested and loved by their creators. They are refuges from daily trials and hothouses for both plants and people.
“I have never had so many good ideas day after day as when I worked in the garden,” wrote American educator and author John Erskine.
The annual Parkland Nurseries tour featured gardens by Lacombe couples Shirley and Ron Barnes and Deb and Gunther Schroeder as well as that of Red Deer’s Kim Buffum. All have worked tirelessly over many years to create backyard refuges of beauty, tranquility, colour and fragrance.