You Grow Girl™

Ice, too, can mean unexpected losses and failed experiments. Pat says, "Several years ago we planted a Japanese maple tree at the back of the garden, which we were coaxing along quite nicely. And then one year we had a huge fall of snow and ice which stuck to everything, and split the little maple tree right down the middle. That was the end of that attempt!" She goes on, "We've also lost nice spruce trees. In a sleet storm one spring, the tops of all the trees got coated in ice, until they got so heavy that they bent over and snapped off. Nature does its own pruning here."

Judith comments, "It's always a bit hit and miss what's going to survive over the winter. Last year, we had a record six metres of snow. Several of our plants were buried completely, and the weight of the snow split our rhododendrons and broke several branches off them." I suggested that maybe this had helped insulate the perennials, but it seems that sometimes it's just not worth it. "I think we're hoping this year was the exception!" laughs Judith. Pat agrees, "We're willing to lose a few plants in order not to have to shovel all that!"

Before moving to Newfoundland, Pat lived in Ottawa, and I asked her whether she and her husband had thought about questions of climate when choosing plants for their new garden on the Rock. "Not initially," she reports, "In Ottawa, we grew all sorts of things. Melons, red pepper, aubergines, and things like that - outside! So when we started a vegetable garden here, we bought our canteloupe seeds, our watermelon seeds, our aubergine seeds - only to find that they wouldn't grow here." Unlike in the warmer climes of continental Canada, even tomatoes have to be grown in a greenhouse here. Judith explains, "Otherwise, you end up with a lot of green tomatoes at the end of the season. The growing season is just so much shorter here, and there's not a lot of sun."

The two women are quick to point out, however, that all is not dark on the produce-growing front in Newfoundland. "Rhubarb grows better here," suggests Pat. "And leeks!" agrees Judith. "Cool-weather crops and berries do well here."

As 'come-from-aways,' Judith and Pat are in a position to notice the attitudes that most native Newfoundlanders have towards gardening. Pat comments, "Most Newfoundlanders are not interested in gardening, although that's beginning to change. A lot of people assume that you can't grow anything here, because of the climate and the soil." Judith explains people's growing interest in growing: "I think people see other houses that have flowers in front of them, or round them, and see what a difference it does make. It really improves the exterior appearance of the house."

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