Dee & Glenn Murray

 

  

 

A spacious half acre parkland setting is what Dee and Glenn Murray call their oasis from every day life. Starting in their front, grassless yard, right back to the Cedar lined back yard, you will enjoy an experience like no other.

A number of years ago, Dee developed Crohn’s disease and had to give up her passion of long distance running. Shortly after that Dee and Glenn lost a special friend, a mixed breed dog Cadeau. To ease the pain and help herself heal, Dee decided to developed a new passion, gardening. Now, surrounding Cadeau’s burial site on their wonderful property, you can wander along trails taking you through flower beds, ponds and around corners where you can forget all your troubles. It’s difficult to imagine this spacious yard was once a 9 hole golf course! All the cedars surrounding the back yard were taken from the Hydro Lines on Manitoulin Island, with permission from the MNR.

Many are the people who have stopped to steal a peek at the glorious front yard. Doing away with their front lawn, Dee and Glenn have created a distinctive garden scene with gravel as the base. No chemicals are needed to keep it green and no worry about cutting the lawn. The summer of 2003 is the first full summer that their grassless front yard has seen, yet it looks like it’s been there forever. She also states that many people come through her garden gate and use the yard as a refuge to get away from the stresses in their lives. While walking amongst the flowers or sitting in a silent corner, one can forget, if even for a little while, the hardships of the day.

A number of years ago, Dee bought Glenn six goldfish and decided they needed some place to keep them. Hence, the development of their first two foot deep pond. Like all water gardeners know, bigger is better, so it wasn’t long before the huge natural looking, five foot deep pond was added. Unfortunately, with nature you can’t always control what happens, and a King Fisher has made frequent trips to the Murray’s large pond for lunch breaks...dwindling the number of fish from 39 to 19! The survivors over winter in the pond with the help of a bubbler to keep ice from freezing completely over the surface.

Dee mentions that last year was the first "holiday" they had at home because the pond has brought them both such enjoyment. It’s a real stress reliever and they enjoy all that the upkeep of the yard entails. A fragrant rose garden is also in the development stages and is home to 18 rose bushes, mostly grandiflora. Dee also comments that working with such a large property does have it’s drawbacks. Creating a new flower bed in a typical back yard creates an instant new focal point. Not so with a half acre. It takes a lot to make an impact. You have to think big!

To pay special tribute to family members and close friends who have passed away, Dee and Glenn now plant a tree or bush to honour them. What a splendid way to keep precious memories growing and alive!

 
 

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