Couple Takes on Their Biggest
Landscaping Project to Date
Story by Alley L. Biniarz
Photography by Michael Pietrangelo
Many dream of living surrounded by forest but how many would do what it takes to make their own bush lot? Denise and Andy were at a loss when looking for a lush, wooded lot in the Windsor-Essex area in the late 90s. Although the area is known for its stunning Carolinian forest, there isn’t much tree cover left given the sprawling farmland. The couple knew that in order to create the space they dreamed of living in, they would have to take matters into their own hands— even if it meant not seeing it come to full fruition for two decades.
Looking at their luscious yard now, it’s hard to imagine that this land was once 100 acres of pure farmland. “That was it when we bought it, just a corn field with no trees,” Andy explains the land’s initial conditions. “We knew we had to buy the farm and create our own. That was the idea: to have some trees planted in the back and allow bush to naturally grow around.”
With Denise’s college degree in Horticulture and their collective experience with owning and operating a greenhouse and nursery for 10 years, the two had both the knowledge and the passion to take on this feat of converting barren land into something unique.
They couldn’t wait to get started. Even before Andy and Denise started building their house, they took to planting out some trees. Their initial plan was to put in a Christmas tree farm, so they took off planting rows of evergreens like Balsam and Spruce; aside from a few Scots pine that are now over 30 feet high, the rest didn’t take because of the intense clay soil on the land.
This would be a long learning process, they realized. Although it wasn’t their first try at planting out a property, it was definitely the first of this magnitude. “We’ve built houses before in the Tecumseh area but with a regular sized lot. Once we landscaped it, it was done. Here, we have an ongoing project,” Andy says. They knew they wanted something more substantial, so they first sized up from a city lot with their previous home where they also started plotting out a woodlot and came close to planting 1000 trees. This new property, however, has been a journey of rewilding an entire seven acres, while renting the rest out to a farmer.
They couldn’t have imagined the work that this project would be to undertake. The property consists of a bit of everything including annual plants, trees, shrubs, faux rock structures, multiple ponds and bubbling rocks. Denise is a wonderful guide through the property, detailing just a few of the many species of trees that live on their plot (thankfully, she’s given the common names, but she was ready and willing to demonstrate her Horticulture background by sharing their Latin names as well.) “People love the Tri Colour Beech Tree, the Kentucky Coffee, Mimosa and Yellow Chain Trees. Everyone especially loves the Princeton Gold Maple, which gives us an autumnal yellow tree almost all year until they fade to a green. We even have the Dawn Redwoods planted here, which are normally found in California.”
She continues to describe the structural design work that they have contributed to the property over the years, including the seven-foot gargoyle statue that Andy created. Although this smaller dragon is purchased, Andy is currently working on his own six-foot sprouting dragon for the little pond. Denise adds that she loves medieval fantasy and has filled the yard with smaller statues throughout, including another gargoyle and a wizard that she created in stained glass. Their newest feature that readers can see captured within the article is the completely manmade rock wall.
They admit that seven acres was a big undertaking. “It’s a big commitment and a lot of maintenance, especially in the summer with the upkeep with the weeds, the watering and keeping the lawn cut,” Andy says. Thankfully, he shares that they had some physical and financial aid from ERCA (Essex Region Conservation Authority) when putting in their larger pond. The organization recognized that this rewilding initiative would help attract wildlife to the area and they were right. Denise and Andy have seen an inspiring amount of nature and wildlife return to what was otherwise a barren area and they say it’s beautiful to watch the hummingbirds, the frogs, the foxes and more come back into their habitat thanks to their landscaping.
Although the road hasn’t been an easy one, there have been far more benefits than downfalls. Denise shares that one of the most exciting parts for them has been watching everything that they planted out as small seedlings grow bigger each spring season. They started everything that way, so it’s been quite the transformation to watch unfold. “The property is very us now,” Andy says. “We’re not much for watching T.V. so this is our hobby. In our spare time we pick away at it, not to get it done and over with, but because we love it.”
Denise’s favourite part of living on this property is when she looks out from the balcony and sees all of the trees in their full glory around the pond; Andy’s is when you come up to the house you can see the faux rock wall in their newest garden. They both love seeing how their gardens have filled in and to be in the lesser maintenance phase of the project now.
When asked what future projects he’s working on (because there’s always something), Andy says that the bridge he put in over their pond 15 years ago that was made of wood has started sagging. “My newest idea is to take the Gordie Howe Bridge and make a model to go across the pond, replacing the old bridge,” Andy says excitedly. “I’ve already picked up some of the steel and material and wiring. I’ve taken so many shots of the bridge, trying to make it look as similar as possible as a model.” He jokes saying he hopes he’s not encroaching on any copyright, but it’s been a fun creative project to take on and should be done just as the new bridge is unveiled in about a year.
Although the work is never done and they continue to prune, maintain and dream up the next phase of the landscape, at least now they can look back at 23 years of work and see how much their tended efforts have grown.
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