A spacious half acre parkland setting is what Dee and Glenn Murray call
their oasis from every day life. Starting in their front, grassless yard,
right back to the Cedar lined back yard, you will enjoy an experience like
no other.
A number of years ago, Dee developed Crohn’s disease and had to give
up her passion of long distance running. Shortly after that Dee and Glenn
lost a special friend, a mixed breed dog Cadeau. To ease the pain and help
herself heal, Dee decided to developed a new passion, gardening. Now,
surrounding Cadeau’s burial site on their wonderful property, you can
wander along trails taking you through flower beds, ponds and around
corners where you can forget all your troubles. It’s difficult to
imagine this spacious yard was once a 9 hole golf course! All the cedars
surrounding the back yard were taken from the Hydro Lines on Manitoulin
Island, with permission from the MNR.
Many are the people who have stopped to steal a peek at the glorious
front yard. Doing away with their front lawn, Dee and Glenn have created a
distinctive garden scene with gravel as the base. No chemicals are needed
to keep it green and no worry about cutting the lawn. The summer of 2003
is the first full summer that their grassless front yard has seen, yet it
looks like it’s been there forever. She also states that many people
come through her garden gate and use the yard as a refuge to get away from
the stresses in their lives. While walking amongst the flowers or sitting
in a silent corner, one can forget, if even for a little while, the
hardships of the day.
A number of years ago, Dee bought Glenn six goldfish and decided they
needed some place to keep them. Hence, the development of their first two
foot deep pond. Like all water gardeners know, bigger is better, so it
wasn’t long before the huge natural looking, five foot deep pond was
added. Unfortunately, with nature you can’t always control what happens,
and a King Fisher has made frequent trips to the Murray’s large pond for
lunch breaks...dwindling the number of fish from 39 to 19! The survivors
over winter in the pond with the help of a bubbler to keep ice from
freezing completely over the surface.
Dee mentions that last year was the first "holiday" they had
at home because the pond has brought them both such enjoyment. It’s a
real stress reliever and they enjoy all that the upkeep of the yard
entails. A fragrant rose garden is also in the development stages and is
home to 18 rose bushes, mostly grandiflora. Dee also comments that working
with such a large property does have it’s drawbacks. Creating a new
flower bed in a typical back yard creates an instant new focal point. Not
so with a half acre. It takes a lot to make an impact. You have to think
big!
To pay special tribute to family members and close friends who have
passed away, Dee and Glenn now plant a tree or bush to honour them. What a
splendid way to keep precious memories growing and alive!
