Go with the flow - love of gardening

The daunting dimensions of Pam Frost's yard initially confounded even this inveterate plantswoman. The shape--very skinny and extending almost forever. "Plotting it out on graph paper, I thought it looked impossibly long and narrow," says Pam. "My initial idea of running a broad walkway straight down the center reminded me too much of a bowling alley. So I came up with a more romantic approach. Borders were given a serpentine edge, creating hidden areas and places to explore." The result: a calming beauty with serene ebb and flow.

Pam's wervy, swervy plantscape results in what she calls "headlands and bays" in the back lawn. There is a relaxed rhythm and pace to her informal landscape, and a veiling of views as you proceed from nook to cranny: She emphasizes this planted scrim by purposefully violating one of the first orders of landscaping. Small plants in front, tall in back? No, not always, she says. "I build my borders layer on layer, but they're not formally regimented with each plant set in order according to height. That effect would be tedious and static," she says. "I like to bring taller plants forward sometimes and to have the boughs of trees extend right to the border's edge. This gives my yard a much more natural impression."

Pam gardens in Vancouver, British Columbia, but she grew up in garden-crazed Great Britain. Her mother, quite naturally, was a serious gardener who encouraged Pam's fledgling fervor. These days, despite the lushness and fullness of her Canadian garden, Pain still pores over endless seed lists that taunt her with phrases like "an unknown treasure of Chile's celebrated Valdivia Province," "from the high Himalayas," or "found only on the eastern slope of a sacred mountain in Sichuan, China." Starting plants from seed has several advantages, she says. "First, economy is a major consideration. When I want to make a grand show in the garden, I can raise a dozen--or a hundred--plants, with my labor the only expense. This is very. pleasing to my Scottish sense of thrift. Next, I have access to rare and superior varieties not available in nurseries. And I think it's lovely to be able to share. I especially like the idea that a gift plant will flourish and encourage someone new to gardening."

After 34 years, Pam's garden has matured ... and changed. "Little saplings set in from 1-gallon pots are now substantial trees. As a result, once sunny areas are in deep shade, calling for a very different treatment," she says. "Something has to be done to illuminate those dull, murky recesses. I have found a three-part strategy to be quite helpful: Keep the tree canopy open enough to allow shafts of light to get through; use a wide assortment of shade-tolerant plants of varied habits; and, above all, include plants with sharp, clear variegation whenever possible." And so today Pam continues planting--raising rare seedlings, coddling cherished cuttings, adding carefully to her abundant landscape. Hard to believe that almost 20 years ago, her gardener mum confided to her, "Pam, I think you have enough plants now."

COPYRIGHT 2002 Meredith Corporation