When I opened the Blue Door Garden Store over 2 years ago, Whit and Jo Parker were two of my first customers who immediately shared their love of gardening! Since then, we’ve talked garden frustrations, dirt, deer, worms, and composting. I finally cornered Whit, telling him that he needed to step-up to the garden plate and let me interview THEM for my column. So, here we are this month with a visit to a “yarden!”

It is always interesting when both spouses garden. Whit and Jo call what they do “yardening” because Jo loves the garden portion and Whit loves the yard and dirt part! They moved here 5 years ago and say the purchase of their home was based 90% on the yard and full acre of garden area! They knew anything in the house could be changed, but the garden just had good bones, thanks to the previous owner who designed it! No wonder the garden was the first criteria… Jo was raised in England until she was 13 by her master gardener mother. As a kid, she worked in her grandpa’s “allotment” tending veggies, flowers, and roses. Gardens are in her blood. Whit grew up pulling weeds and mowing lawns and when his dad and step mom bought and renovated homes, he worked on the yards and learned on the job. Their backgrounds have melded into a perfect “garden union” and it is evident that they both love it.

As you approach their Mary Ann Drive home, the circular driveway sidles up to a shielding bed of lavender, rosemary, perennials and ground cover, all beneath a sheltering olive. A walkway of moss-covered pavers leads to the welcoming red entry door! Over to the side of the home is a forest of rhodies and camellias sitting under large silver gray cedars! It is one of those beds you just love because it is such a nice “nature’s garden,” allowing you to play with it, or leave “as is.” Both are equally rewarding! Continuing into the back yard, I pass one of the garden sheds, with its original shake roof covered with aged moss. St. John’s Wort spreads under a huge evergreen in front of the shed and lines the pea gravel path that moves you into the back yard.

The view then opens wide to the expansive yard, and to the right, a large raised deck spans the entire back of the home. With a commanding view of Mt. McLaughlin, it looks down over the back yard acre, fenced to protect the area from becoming a deer smorgasbord! The entire outside edge of the yard has another wide border where a variety of large evergreens abound in variety and texture. The open setting is a contrasting surprise to the sheltering front entry.

A short, elevated river rock wall begins my “back yarden” journey, and draws my eye into the center of the yard, along the wide bed it creates. The bed, softly “s” curves through the park-like setting and divides it in a meandering fashion. It showcases roses, grasses, perennials and annuals, and offers a mellow visual interest to the yard. Jo has pulled out much of the overdone Oregon Grape and rosemary, providing room for the bright red barberries to provide structural punch, color, and texture in a perfect mix. The grasses she tends dot the beds, standing tall over newly emerging perennials. English garden touches are evident everywhere but the clean, open, “yarden” feel remains. I love the feel. Under the evergreens in the side bed, a large English holly hovers over a pure green gray, low, wide spreading juniper. Offering more soft gray, a row of blue fescue grass trails off and completes the soothing feel.

With all the deer fencing in place, the only frustration AND regret is Whit’s ongoing gopher battle. I think he is winning but only after he “undid” all his raised garden beds and lined the bottoms with wire. In hindsight, he wishes he had trenched the outer fence line and installed a 2 foot deep, double-wire barrier to keep the little buggers away (ha!) A few gopher hills and bumps dot the “back garden” portion of the acre, where Whit’s treasured veggie beds are located. Last year, he planted drought-tolerant lawn grass between his raised boxes and added raised sprinklers. It is obvious where he spends his “play time.” In addition to his 15 raised beds with a soon-to-be harvested crop of winter onions and garlic, he tends his prized compost worm box which yields buckets of rich “worm dirt.”

When asked why they garden, both easily named off a litany of reasons, including the fun, the challenge, the rewarding joy of care-taking and just watching things grow. They both truly love just being out there!

Their “favorite time in the garden” question was jumped on! They both enjoy every meal on their deck in the summer, but Whit and Jo treasure the special evening time with a glass of wine, taking in the beauty of all the green and enjoying “pink time.” When they mentioned that, I had an immediate visual of the time they were referring to, and I smiled. As the sun heads down and pink colors lay over the distant mountains, it casts a summer evening color that is like no other. I enjoyed my visit to their “yarden” and envy their “pink time” when the work day is done. I’m anxious for summer warm evenings.

Kay is the owner of Blue Door Garden Store, located at 155 N Third St. 541-899-3242. Specializing in paraphernalia for the home gardener, she carries garden gifts, decor and a wide variety of pots, tools, gloves, and organic product.