Glamour gardens...			...in Burns Lake
			by Diana Roberts

In 1998, a local Terry Fox organizer, Janeane Campbell, decided that she would love to visit gardens throughout the Burns Lake area and so might a lot of other people. This started the annual Burns Lake Terry Fox Garden Tour. The participants of the second annual Terry Fox Garden Tour had a donated bus and driver to take them to the six different locations during the day. The first stop of the day was to visit the gardens of Max and Diana Roberts near Decker Lake. Here the group viewed a two-year-old garden with a small pond surrounded by a paving stone patio and various perennial gardens.

Hops growing on an arbour

An arbour stood over a dry creek bed, totally covered by clinging hop vines. When the first-year hops are planted, they do not grow too tall but, in following years, they will grow very quickly, sometimes a foot a day. Hops are known as natures velcro. They are very clingy and will actually scrape your skin if you come into contact with them. In the late summer, the vines will produce hops, a pale green, soft cone-like pod which can be used for making beer. These hops can also be used in pillows to help you sleep or to make wreath frames, but must be used while still green to allow bending.

Built-in planters at the Stadeys

The next stop of the day was at the home of Will and Sue Stadey in Palling. Their gardens had a variety of perennials and trees, with old-style farm equipment adding a unique touch. Raspberry bushes were protected within a fence which sported an old bed headboard as a gate. Off the side of the house was a deck which had built-in planters running down the steps. Planters such as these are great for perennials, annuals or shrubs.