HOME & GARDEN: Gibson works to cultivate fantasy garden in Whitechurch
BY SCOTT STEPHENSON
If you’ve passed through Whitechurch at all over the past four years, you’ve probably noticed Nancy Gibson’s charming churchyard garden and its eclectic collection of infectiously whimsical statuary. Gibson’s garden is more than just a perfectly balanced assemblage of plants growing harmoniously together - it’s an invitation for visitors and passers-by to experience a little extension of her own unique creative spirit, with a hearty dash of horticultural happenstance thrown in to keep things interesting.
Yes, Gibson’s garden is absolutely bursting with obviously beautiful plants, but it’s also equally full of fascinating little stories that grow curiouser and curiouser as they grow smaller and smaller. Whether you’re motoring down Highway 86 or lingering for a long look on a sunny afternoon, Gibson’s well-manicured garden always has something else delightful going on that’s just waiting for you to take notice. And once you take notice of that thing, that’s when your eye spies another tiny tableau. And then another. And then another!
An old-fashioned directional sign in the middle of the yard may point people to all the well-trod fantasy lands from the edge of Wonderland to the heart of Neverland, but don’t let the sign fool you - Gibson’s garden is full of hidden destinations that one can only reach by taking the metaphorical road less traveled. As a gardener, Gibson is never as concerned about the end result as she is engaged in the day-to-day joy of joining forces with nature to create something wonderful that the whole community can enjoy. “It’s just nice to be outside,” she explained simply. “People always want to stop and talk!”
In terms of her yard’s greenery, Gibson allows the universe to do a lot of the specific plant selection - she’s open to whatever strays may come her way, whether it be a neighbour’s excess hostas or that last bedraggled annual waiting, forgotten at the back of a supermarket sale shelf in September. Gibson is never ready to give up on flora that still has the spark of life.
While she sees the beauty in all things lush and verdant, she has a special place in her heart (and her yard) for hardy, low-maintenance plants that reproduce prolifically. In the early days of the Gibson garden, many of her plants were sourced from friends and family members who found themselves with an overabundance of one eager species or another. Now those same plants have put down roots in her garden, and have begun providing her with a seemingly limitless supply of new growth. Gibson’s current favourite plant is none other than the humble hosta, which embodies so many of the traits she values most when it comes to greenery. “Hostas are beautiful,” she explained. “And they grow so fast and transplant so easily!”
Gibson also puts in a concerted effort each year to increase the dexterity of her already limber green thumb. This year, she’s setting her sights on the ancient art of espalier, starting with a recently purchased cherry tree. Espalier is a horticultural technique in which trees are trained to grow flat against a support like a wall or a trellis, typically in a specific pattern to create an almost two-dimensional decorative form that also saves on space. It’s a technique that requires patience, pruning and long-term dedication to the art of the edible. Citrus trees are a popular espalier choice, as are figs, pears and apples. “They say it’s harder to do with a cherry tree,” she said. “We’ll just have to see how it goes!”
Even though her garden’s greenery is undeniably excellent, all those plants are only part of what makes Gibson’s garden so great. A whole lot of her yard’s unique playfulness comes from Gibson’s great eye for statuary. Statues in a garden always hold a sort of counter-power to the ever-changing greenscape. Some of the most elegant pieces of art in Gibson’s garden are the things she’s made herself, from orphaned tea cups and extra bits of old wooden pallets. She also has quite a few thrifted beauties that enrich the yard with the unspoken secrets of their past lives without making the space feel cluttered or thrown together - it is a glorious, growing cohesion born out of the chaos of discarded things. Even if you think you’ve seen all there is to see at Whitechurch’s most whimsical garden, look closer - there’s almost certainly something you’ve missed.