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garden art by Olga Ruskìn North Shore Gardening Heritage Lives O n ! ning g a r d e n ; a w a t e r f r o n t g a r d e n , a h e r i t a g e - r o s e g a r d e n , and a garden featuring w h i m s i c a l antiques. G a r d e n i n g has long been a t r a d i t i o n h e r e o n the N o r t h S h o r e . John Stuart, c u r a t o r of the N o r t h S h o r e M u s e u m and A r c h i v e s has f o u n d evid e n c e of this w h i l e leading heritage walks. H e n o t e s he's d i s c o v e r e d fruit t r e e s o n o l d sites dating back t o 1912, r e m n a n t s of the k i t c h e n gardens p e o p l e used t o have t o g r o w t h e i r o w n p r o d u c e . In fact, the N o r t h Vancouver Horticultural Association h e l d an e x h i b i t in a pavilion n e x t t o Pete L a r s o n ' s N o r t h Van H o t e l o n Esplanade t o e x h i b i t local p r o d u c e . A 1904 p r i z e list s h o w s that n o t only vegetables, fruit, and f l o w e r s w e r e o n display but also poultry, pigeons, rabbits, b r e a d , butter, honey, c o w s , h o r s e s , and Indian baskets. In 1907, the H o r t i c u l t u r a l A s s o c i a t i o n p u r chased a five-acre park at 21st and Lonsdale, named Alexandra H o r t i c u l t u r a l G a r d e n s . It built a h o r t i c u l t u r a l hall a n d , in 1910, o p e n e d t h e Japanese Tea G a r d e n s , c o m p l e t e with teahouse. garden, with perennial borders, annuals, c o l o u r f u l s h r u b s , a c r e e k g a r d e n , a n d pear and apple trees. Summerfield generously shared her g a r d e n , o p e n i n g it t o the Lynn Valley G a r d e n C l u b f o r its garden parties. A n archival a c c o u n t d e s c r i b e s h o w , " w h i l e m e m b e r s e n j o y e d tea cakes. M r s . S u m m e r f i e l d ' s piano m u s i c w o u l d drift a c r o s s the gardens f r o m open French windows." C a r r y i n g o n the g r a c i o u s t r a d i t i o n o f sharing t h e i r g a r d e n w i t h t h e c o m m u n i t y are Stella Jo and R o l a n d D e a n , w h o s e a w a r d - w i n n i n g heritage g a r d e n will be o p e n f o r v i e w i n g as part of the A r t in t h e G a r d e n Tour. Stella Jo, w h o r e c e n t l y r e t i r e d f r o m N o r t h V a n c o u v e r C i t y C o u n c i l , has r e c e i v e d a w a r d s f o r h e r w o r k in h e r itage and e n v i r o n m e n t a l fields. She is also a l o n g - t i m e arts s u p p o r t e r and at o n e t i m e o w n e d a gallery o n L o w e r Lonsdale. S t a n m o r e , the Dean's h i s t o r i c h o m e , was built in 1927 f o r H u g h A r c h i b a l d " A r c h i e " S t e v e n s o n a n d his w i f e . T h e S t e v e n s o n s also lent t h e i r garden f o r many a g a r d e n p a r t y . T h e original f o r m a l layout f o r the g a r d e n , B e a t r i c e S u m m e r f i e l d w a s an avid g a r d e n e r w h o m o v e d w i t h h e r husband James in 1916 t o a p r o p e r t y named H o m e a c r e , between Dempsey and D y c k r o a d s . A f t e r a f e w years and a t r e m e n d o u s a m o u n t of w o r k , including t h e r e m o v a l o f 37 s t u m p s , the S u m m e r f i e l d s had a s h o w c a s e explains Stella Jo. is o n e o f an English c o u n t r y g a r d e n , having a V i c t o r i a n E d w a r d i a n feel t o it. W h e n t h e D e a n s m o v e d into the h o u s e in 1961, h o w ever, the garden w a s c o v e r e d w i t h h o r s e t a i l grass. Still remaining of the original g a r d e n is a m a g n o l i a g r a n d i f l o r a , r h o d o d e n d r o n s , azaleas, a privet hedge, and a 1908 azalea r e s c u e d f r o m an a b a n d o n e d g a r d e n . A d d e d t o this are a great n u m b e r of o l d - f a s h i o n e d plants such as h o l l y h o c k s and annuals (raised f r o m s e e d in Stella's g r e e n h o u s e ) and w h i m s i c a l t o u c h e s such as a headless statue o f a w o m a n getting i n t o an o l d bathtub, as w e l l as statues of a t r i o of bears, piglets, birds, and b i r d b a t h s . T h e D e a n s have a d d e d seating in t h e g a r d e n b e c a u s e , says Stella Jo. " t o e x p e r i e n c e a gard e n , y o u have t o sit in it." Aimee Murrell with tree peony grown from seed. M o r e than 7 0 years ago. Lynn Valley's B e a t r i c e S u m m e r f i e l d w r o t e : "If I w e r e asked t o n a m e t h e m o s t delightful h o b b y o r o c c u p a t i o n that gives t h e greatest happiness t o o n e . I w o u l d u n d o u b t e d l y say g a r d e n ing." Today, many N o r t h S h o r e residents w o u l d agree w i t h her, and t h e a r t i s t r y o f t h e i r gardens is p r o o f . C o m b i n e lovely gardens w i t h art and m u s i c , and y o u t o o w i l l e x p e r i e n c e S u m m e r f i e l d ' s delight, at N o r t h V a n c o u v e r ' s first A r t in t h e G a r d e n Spring Tour, set f o r May 26 and 2 7 . Linda Feil of the N o r t h V a n c o u v e r C o m m u n i t y A r t s C o u n c i l was looking f o r unique ways t o p r e s e n t art and c a m e up w i t h t h e idea o f t u r n i n g a lovely g a r d e n into an art gallery f o r artists t o p r e s e n t t h e i r w o r k t o t h e p u b l i c . T h e idea b l o s s o m e d -- t o d a t e , m o r e than 16 juried gardens will be o n display, along w i t h t h e paintings, p o t t e r y , and s c u l p t u r e s o f s o m e 18 artists. P r o g r a m c o o r d i n a t o r Jacquie M o r g a n explains that, in s o m e cases, t h e g a r d e n o w n e r s are a l s o t h e artists and s o t h e g a r d e n itself w i l l be t h e i r a r t w o r k ! R o a m i n g musicians w i l l also be visiting the v a r i o u s gardens t h r o u g h o u t t h e day a n d r e f r e s h m e n t s will be s e r v e d . A v a r i e t y o f g a r d e n s w i l l be o p e n t for view from D e e p C o v e to W e s t V a n c o u v e r , such as a garden w i t h t r a d i t i o n a l perennials, a Japanese-style g a r d e n , an inspirational a w a r d - w i n -