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Four years ago , Bonny McKeough of Chatham , Ontario , venture on an challenging missionary station to farm the perfect herb garden , one styled after the grand Kew Royal Botanic Gardens in London . Starting with a 2 - Akko grass - covered lot , some canonic invention plans , and a shovel and wheelbarrow , she carved out a 60x160 - foot formal garden framed by an esthetic latticework of Gunter Wilhelm Grass paths .
McKeough has prove growing over 100 herb variety in her garden , but the number has dwindled down to about 40 . Photo by : Bonny McKeough .
Considering that McKeough has little formal training in the art of horticulture , her solo effort is in truth telling . It is the result of determination , much experimentation , and a few hurdles along the means .
“ Nine years ago , I moved back to my sept home on the due north shoring of Lake Erie to help my 90 - yr - old parent . That summer , in a neglect domain at the lake bank , I planted an herb garden . Whimsical in design and irregular in human body , I called it ‘ unwiseness . ’ As result of erosion , the garden began to go over the camber , hence , the search for a unexampled site , ” she says .
The aerial photo show Bonnie McKeough ’s Q Garden after the first year . She plotted the green goddess paths for the 60x160 - foot conventional garden on graph paper and then transposed them onto the lawn with measuring tape , circle and pegs . photograph by : Bonny McKeough .
Her sister ’s 4 - Akka dimension , located near her parent ’s home , turn out to be the ideal location . The rectangular chassis and the comparatively flat topography dictated the innovation and formalness of her young herb plot , which McKeough call " Q Garden . ” The inspiration for the one - alphabetic character name may not be obvious , but it ’s actually a very liable title . “ Q Garden is a dramatic play on our name ( pronounced McQ ) and an mirthful reference to the Kew Royal Botanic Gardens , ” she says .
Here is Q Garden today , 4 years by and by . Photo by : Bonny McKeough .
Initially , McKeough pull the plot and paths for her garden on graph paper , commute them onto the lawn with quantify tape recording , rope and pegs . She then removed the exist sod with a shovel and transported it via lawn cart to various parts of the attribute , creating a meandering way of life through the Wood exiting at the garden . “ This was in spades a Herculean exploit , which took three months to complete , and I now question how I did it , ” she says . “ I transplanted many of the establish plants from the disappearing Folly . While I had plot the location of the plant life in the new garden , I was amazed how the plant life localise themselves . It was like painting and was quite an awful experience . ”
Over the past few years , McKeough has seek growing over 100 herb varieties in her garden , but the figure has dwindled down to about 40 . “ Most of them are the old standards in legion mixed bag . My prerequisites are not too unruly , minimal maintenance , a long growing season or ever - comportment , and big grain and colour . I must admit that is a sizable task for an herbaceous plant , but I have found many , ” she says .
As you might expect , the amplitude from McKeough ’s garden is vast and she encourages the neighbors to aid themselves . “ I have not had much success with drying the herb – they savour like hay . or else , I put clean chopped herbs in muted butter and suspend them , which works well , ” she says . Photo by : Bonny McKeough .
Some of McKeough ’s favorites include various varieties of sage(Salvia officinalis ) , thyme(Thymus ) , tarragon(Artemisia dracunculus satvia ) , winter savory(Satureja montana ) , citrus southernwood(Artemisia abrotanum cv . ) , lavender(Lavandula angustifolia ) , and bayberry(Myrica pensylvanica ) . And of course , she also plants an raiment of annual herb , such as parsley , Anethum graveolens and basil . To give the garden more structure and a wonderful pop of colouring , she planted immature boxwoods to compose the turning point and yellow marigolds along the edges .
After devoting four year to provision , toiling , and foster , McKeough has in conclusion achieved her ambitions for Q Garden . She now await forward to pass her time rearranging , removing and append young plant life . “ At the end of the daylight , the principal goal is that a tour of the garden puts a grin on my face , ” she says .
Note : All the herb in Bonnie McKeough ’s garden were purchased from Richters Herbs , Goodwood , Ontario .
