Connie Pendergast from Alberta Canada has an inspirational garden story to tell.

"I moved into this house in 2008, a few years before turning 50 years old.  Never having been a serious gardener, but missing the lush beauty of Vancouver Island, I decided I wanted a yard that reminded me of that beauty.  In 2009, a terrible windstorm took down eight trees from our yard, including a huge pine tree just 8-12 feet from the back of the house.  Once the tree debris was removed, my husband suggested that instead of removing the stump, why not create a flowerbed around it.  I like the idea, so I did.  That was the start of my backyard oasis.  I eventually added flowerbeds down the length of the fence, but being a beginner, I didn't really know what I wanted.  After that was done, I learned that I liked being able to see the flowers along the fence from my kitchen window, but everything seemed to flower at once.  So, I had a month of basic blooms, then a number of weeks of flowers, then mostly just green again for the rest of the summer.  So, in 2015, I felt ready for a major overhaul.  I knew what I wanted and had all the plants I needed to extend the blooming season.  So I dug everything up, increased the size of the flowerbeds, giving it an attractive curve, and set everything in place.  This summer, my dreams came alive.  It's been beautiful and my husband and I were thrilled with the result."

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