Tour of Gardens
Salter Home
The Saugeen Shores Tour of Gardens is just around the corner and, for MaryJane Salter in Southampton, it’s an “… opportunity to welcome visitors to our garden and, at the same time, raise funds for all-important hospice care.”
She refers to her garden as “a Garden with Thyme to Enjoy” since replacing her traditional front lawn with drought resistant Creeping Thyme and Wooly Thyme that creates a beautiful, walkable landscape that thrives in hot, dry conditions with little water.
This is a garden filled with history. “We have lived here since 1973 and then purchased the adjacent lot in 2017. When we decided to build a new home, we sold the original one and it was “lovingly” moved to Oliphant. The new lot mean that we could keep the plants and trees from the original gardens and, now, Rock Cress with its colourful Spring blooms and spreading habit is a favourite on that lot,” says MaryJane.
It’s clear that, looking out at the backyard from the outdoor living space, nature has played a major role in the Salters’ choice of garden. It is a sea of shades of green, with mature trees interspersed with the gentle colour of the Blue Spruce. It has an immediate calming affect and, meandering through, is akin to walking in a park.
Standing quietly in the far back corner, you can hear the rustle of the leaves in the summer breeze and everything is quiet except for the sound of birds chattering and singing in the boughs above.
With roots dating back to the 1800s is the treasured lilac tree from the original family farm in Listowel. “There was no way that I would not have that tree here,” says Mary Jane. “It’s family history.”
There are also the various Hosta in the shade of a giant Horse Chestnut tree that their son, Michael, grew from a nut from the Southampton local Cammidge’s property at their house when he worked for them at the historic Breakers Lodge and their home on Grosvenor Street. He was young … and now is 50.
Also interesting is that Mary Jane has carried her concept on to the street behind the backyard with a patchwork quilt of different colours of slate, creating a curiosity for passersby as to what lies beyond the quilt in the yard.
All proceeds to Huron Shores Hospice … TICKETS
