Tender loving care, of the type that Maurice Laurson, an experienced plantsman, can provide, should ensure the winter survival of Graham Thomas climbing rose bred by David Austin.
Bob Riccardi
Sarah Southern
Maurice Larson’s garden schemes include plans to install a summer-blooming border of Queen of the Prairie, a hardy plant for zone 3.
Bob Riccardi
Borrowed scenery is a classic landscape design principle. The oak in the distance will soon be able to be viewed from Maurice Larson’s house.
Maurice Larson, local plantsman and former outdoor garden supervisor at Assiniboine Park Conservancy, has been focused on garden-making all his adult life.
Growing up on a farm in Hilltop in the former rural municipality of Clanwilliam located on the southeast side of Riding Mountain National Park, his early experiences taught him a natural curiosity about plants, as well as resourcefulness, frugal innovation and a willingness to embody the spirit of adventure.
Earlier this summer, I visited Larson’s newly purchased one-acre property located west of Winnipeg in St. François Xavier and had a chance to learn about his planting schemes. The treed property includes many mature oak, some of which might be as old as 150 years. The architectural beauty of the leafy canopy overhead served as the primary motivating factor to leave his condo in the city and move to a rural area.
Gazing up towards the foliage of the mature canopy, Larson says it is almost like being inside a living cathedral of trees. Some of the trees are stressed. Larson is working together with an arborist to do remedial treatments where needed and restore structure. On a daily basis, as he goes through his new garden, Larson says, he is finding the beauty of it but not interrupting it too much.
Numerous species such as apple, Saskatoon and choke-cherry trees grow in the understory. Larson is busy thinning out some trees and editing others in order to introduce more light and promote healthy growth. Snags (dead or dying trees) that still maintain a semblance of their former glory will serve as supports for clematis plants. Larson has selected four clematis varieties — Etoile Violette, Nelly Moser, Huldine and Ville de Lyon — which he will train to climb up trees.
In the distance, on a neighbouring property, stands a magnificent, pristine oak tree. Borrowed scenery, Larson says, is one of the principles of Japanese garden design. Strategic pruning of a Manitoba maple tree along the border of his property will restore the desired view from his house, which Larson and his partner are also renovating. It’s the potential garden space, however, that is the main focus.
One side of Larson’s property borders a highway and is densely planted with a long row of tall evergreens in front of which is planted a Syringa vulgaris lilac hedge row. Larson plans to add a third layer, possibly Persicaria polymorpha Giant Fleece Flower, which is a clump-forming perennial that produces masses of creamy flowers in mid-summer.
Larson has plans as well for enhancing the portion of his property alongside a gravel road. His goal is not to obscure the view of his property, but to create a showpiece for passersby to enjoy. He envisions a display of spring flowers such as daffodils and Oriental poppies — likely Royal Wedding, which has pure white blooms, together with Beauty of Livermere, which has deep, oxblood-red blooms.
The June border will also include herbaceous peonies. In the summer months, splendid Queen of the Prairie (Filipendula rubra) will steal the show with its plumelike clusters of pink flowers. He has already installed a border of Queen of the Prairie and is also planting rhubarb and a ground cover of strawberries. Nearby, there is a large raspberry patch.
I mentioned earlier that Larson is frugal. He has a great deal of respect for the land and the importance of working with what one has, as well as the purposeful use of materials. Larson starts all of his vegetables and many of his ornamentals from seed. To suppress weeds in an area planned for a vegetable garden that in its former life was used as a skating rink in winter, Larson has put down sheets of cardboard and repurposed an old pond liner.
The soil throughout his property is naturally loamy, but in a short space of time, Larson has achieved a crumbly texture that is enviable and will serve as an excellent foundation for all the plant varieties he plans to grow.
Larson has taken discarded pieces of limestone and brick and recycled them into a series of paths. One pathway leads to an existing old wooden shed which has been given a fresh coat of paint. A pair of wire manger planters with a rusted patina together with a rustic window frame add the perfect touch. A primitive wooden ladder leans against the deeply ridged bark of an oak tree. He has also repurposed a weathered cast-iron tractor seat.
Gardens are about stories, Larson says.
This summer, Larson has planted two varieties of Hibiscus syriacus Rose of Sharon — Diana and Aphrodite — at the base of his south-facing deck. These zone 5 deciduous shrubs have deep green foliage and produce an enviable abundance of ruffled blooms. In order to test his theory that our weather patterns are erratic or changing or even just to prove his notion that a coveted location where you can closely monitor a plant’s health and well-being can result in successful overwintering, Larson shows a fearless willingness to experiment.
"There is a whole world of plants out there," Larson says. "We shouldn’t restrict ourselves, but instead be adventurous."
Larson encourages gardeners to try growing plant varieties that are outside our zone or that are normally tender in our area. Create a challenge to take on Mother Nature, he says.
"Who is to say what plant might thrive in the diverse microclimates that can be developed or cultivated in our home landscapes?" Larson asks. One plant variety that is worth the effort of seeking out, he says, is Buddleia davidii (Butterfly Bush), a floriferous butterfly and hummingbird magnet that is also deer resistant.
"Start with the basics: good drainage, a well-prepared planting location, good moisture levels and plenty of sunlight during the growing season. After the first hard frost, mound soil around the stem as you would for roses. Hope for winter’s blessings," he says. In spring, wait until the plant leafs out before pruning.
This summer, Larson purchased Summerific Berry Awesome, a zone 4a hibiscus hybrid which he plans to overwinter. A large shrub-like plant that grows to about 120 centimetres, Berry Awesome has midnight green foliage and massive lavender-pink flowers with a cherry centre that has a prominent stamen.
On the day of my visit earlier this summer, other plants that lined his deck waiting to be planted included a Graham Thomas climbing rose bred by David Austin, the beauty of which could make any gardener go weak in the knees. Again, this is a plant with zone 5 hardiness; however, Larson is also planting many plant varieties that are hardy to zone 3 such as Agastache (Giant Hyssop), Eupatorium (Joe Pye weed) and Thalictrum (Meadow-rue). He considers each one of these to be essentials in the garden.
Larson’s excitement is palpable. With so many plans for making his garden, I asked him how he is able to sleep at night.
"There is so much anticipation for the next day," he replies.
"I’m working with an incredible space that has infinite possibilities."
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