The magic of gardens
There is nothing like a garden to remind you that life is a constantly changing thing.
To experience Ralph Hicks’ breathtaking Mulmur property this week, with its formal areas, its wild expanses, and its sculptures peaking enchantingly out from where you’d least expect, is to enjoy a completely different garden than what patrons of the Purple Hills Arts & Heritage Society’s 2013 “Bountiful and Beautiful” Garden Tour will see on Saturday, June 22. The structure will remain the same, of course, but the colours and foliage will have evolved, several times over.
And that, when it comes down to it, is the magic of a garden. Get to know one, and every day will bring a new surprise.
Hicks has been working on his property for 30 years, with the help of his gardener, Mike Donnan. This is the first time it has appeared on a garden tour. In addition to Hicks’ gem, the Purple Hills event will feature seven other gardens in the area, and promises to enchant and inspire gardening enthusiasts of all skill levels and interests.
Hicks’ garden has evolved over the years, and now includes several distinct areas – a woodland garden featuring a host of exotic shade plants, a formal “sensory garden” that abounds with herbs and several of Hicks’ stone sculptures, a courtyard garden, a rockery and the latest addition, an exploratory garden featuring winding paths through tall native grasses, with whimsical art installations around every corner.
“I like to think there is a different garden for every mood,” said Hicks. “Also, there is a place to sit and enjoy breakfast no matter what the temperature, whether it’s windy, rainy or sunny, and no matter how you’re feeling.”
Tickets for the June 22 Garden Tour are $15 each and are on sale at the Creemore Echo, Curiosity House Books and the Creemore Farmers’ Market. The event is a fundraiser for the Purple Hills Arts & Heritage Society’s ongoing efforts to support local arts and conserve the heritage of Creemore and surrounding areas. For more information, visit www.phahs.ca.
