DIY gardening
IN THE DOWNTOWN Former suburban dweller’s hard work and tasteful updates breathe new life into Kitchener property
It’s an ordinary home in an ordinary midtown Kitchener neighbourhood. At least it was when it caught Catherine Owens’ eye in the fall of 2012. Since then, the house, which is more than 150 years old, has had impressive updates, including a new front portico and a spacious great room added across the back.
But from the sidewalk, it’s the landscaping that catches the eye – the way the tall planters and Karl Foerster ornamental grasses frame the front steps; the way the yellow lilies and shapely shrubs guide the eye to the plants marching back to the garage; or the way the huge fern spills out of a pot, fronting the garden on the other side of the steps.
From there, the eye drifts to the next layer, a large garden tucked into the corner of the house in front of a main-floor bedroom.
Now, Owens will tell you she is no green thumb – that a lot is just trial and error. But if that’s the case, there is obviously some garden wizardry at work. Further evidence awaits in her backyard, where perennial gardens spill out of the fences and every nook and corner, framing two patios, an entrance walkway and a stylish gazebo.
“A lot of my gardening is just old stand-by perennials,” Owens says modestly as she shows her visitors around. We are accompanied by the affable Molly, a retriever-lab pooch trained as a therapy dog. Molly makes regular visits to Kitchener’s Sunnyside Home when she isn’t assisting with garden tours.
“It’s easy to garden if you have friends and relatives who are interested in splitting their perennials,” Owens says with a smile.
Indeed, she has lots of recognizable plants, including hostas, irises, bee balm, daisies, coreopsis, peonies, spireas and sedums. But the results are not commonplace, especially considering her projects have only been forged over four summers. Beds are carefully shaped, and some plants are more