Garden

Joyful Gardener: Right Beneath Our Noses

38 Wigle Street

No, not the masks we are wearing, for they need to be over our nose … but could your COVID- weary self use a lift in spirits?

Here’s a simple inexpensive treat — hop in your vehicle and go for a slow, leisurely exploration around the streets and roads of town. Even better, park and walk about, with a view to discover all the lovely front yards our fellow citizens have created, either by their own devices or by professional landscapers.

Visit the older neighbourhoods as well as newer subdivisions, followed up by venturing down our rural roads.

A neat older street to explore is Queen Street, from Main to Herrington Street, which boasts several gorgeous front yards that have sprung up in recent years.

If you go west to Heritage Road and follow the portion along the lake, do coast slowly to catch sight of some surprisingly beautiful gardens created by homeowners on both sides of the road.

98 Main Street

For a newer street, take Jasperson Lane north and turn left onto Woodycrest Avenue. On this and neighboring streets, you will find several townhouses with amazing front yards. It is a testament to what can be achieved in small spaces.

In my recent stint as a judge for the Front Yard Recognition Program held by the Kingsville Horticultural Society, I found it a most difficult task to whittle down the five finalists in my given zone to just one. I instinctively wanted to award each finalist.

This quandary inspired some wishful thinking.

What if there could be front yard winners in several categories, with recognition given to the top three in each?

What if recognition could be given separately to the top three finalists in each of Ruthven, Cottam and Kingsville? Then award overall winners for Kingsville proper.

737 County Road 5

Category examples:

– Best small front yard (up to 40’ in frontage)

– Best larger front yard (up to 80’ frontage)

– Best large front yard

– Best overall urban front yard in Kingsville proper

– Best overall rural front yard in Kingsville proper

Hopefully your self-guided tour will open up new discoveries that have been right under our noses all along. A bonus? Newfound pride in our Town of Kingsville.

1161 McCain Road

All photos by Heather Crewe

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