Mary Ann Van Berlo has been gardening on this 2.4-acre riverfront lot since fall 2012. The yard was still a construction site when she moved in, so all the gardens were installed after that.

The sunny front garden has an English cottage garden feel, and the back garden is a relaxing shady oasis. There is also a large shrub border, a vegetable garden, and a treed area with some interesting specimens.

Mary Ann is the sole gardener, so except for hardscaping (interlock and stonewalls), she does all the design, maintenance, and planting. She enjoys growing the unusual, but she also has many native plants and garden standards.

Mary Ann relies heavily on mulch to suppress weeds and retain moisture, and the mulch also feeds the soil as it decomposes. Refreshing the mulch is a major job but is definitely worth the effort.

The garden is in AG CDA Hardiness Zone 5B (USDA 4B) and is located along the St. Lawrence River, near Maitland, Ontario.

Aerial view of the garden

The back garden is full of shade-loving plants.

This section of the back garden has some tropical vibes in the ground and in containers, and a view down to the St. Lawrence River.

Wide view of the back garden

A huge mass of white clematis (looks like Clematis terniflora Zones 5–9, or possibly Clematis virginiana, Zones 3–9) with yarrow (Achillea hybrid, Zones 4–8) and coreopsis (Coreopsis hybrid, Zones 5–9) blooming in front

Spring in the garden means clouds of daffodils (Narcissus hybrids, Zones 3–8) and a pile of mulch in the background ready to be spread.

The front garden in summer

The front garden is full of flowers.

Daylilies (Hemerocallis hybrids, Zones 4–9) are a mainstay of this garden.

Thanks for visiting this beautiful garden!

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