David has given his permission for me to share with everyone a little insight into the man behind the garden that we all so enjoy.

He will turn 50 this year and believes that it’s a good time to step back and celebrate half a century of living. His greatest love is family and then gardening. He and his DW, Marlis have 4 adult and near adult children. Jonathan is 22, Amy 20, Matt 18 and the youngest is Kathryn aged 16. David is a Physician and practices Diagnostic Radiology from a large hospital in Ann Arbor Michigan. He has lived here for 40 years and describes the winters as too cold (down to 15F or lower) and the summers too hot (95F and humid) being common. But despite the climate it is home and a wonderful city to live in. Over the years he has come to love the unspoiled beauty of the Great Lakes region.

David has had quite a few varied interests during his life including being a classical musician and flutist then he gained a Bachelors and Master’s degree in Botany and he is also a devoted birdwatcher and nature photographer having had some of his work published when he was still using a 35mm camera. When he settled down it was his family and medicine that took over his life.

He became a gardener, like many of us, when he bought his first home. He found that his Botany training, in fact, did not help very much in becoming a gardener but it did come into use with the botanical Latin and plant systematics. Like all gardeners, he learned by making mistakes. His first garden was 20 years ago and that is where he developed an interest in perennials. Hardy geraniums have been his longest interest as herbaceous plants go, dating back to that time.

His current garden was started in 1987 on the hardpan clay rubble left from the construction of their new home. The garden is 120 x 200ft. though most people who visit or have seen photos comment that it looks and feels much larger. Very little of the original vegetation remains today apart from numerous redbuds which line the perimeter of the garden and grace the garden in Spring with their beautiful blooms. He started with a basic layout of a central brick walk and steps in the back garden and some of the bed layout still persist to this day. There is a circular border with a yew hedge, a blue and yellow border, a semi wooded hodge-podge bed and a wall bed which is raised and has a dry-laid tumbled bluestone wall which he built himself. About 6 years ago David went through a ‘stone-working’ phase when he discovered that he could lay stone as well as many others he had seen. He set about making stone walks, walls and edges which really changed the character of the back garden, bringing with it a mature, aged quality which he loves.

Three years ago a small woodland garden was created with rocky paths and a pair of small ponds and a waterfall. He has devoted this to mainly native wildflowers with a few of their Asian relatives. In the front there is a large sunny mixed border with a variety of trees and shrubs, many with fall interest and masses of sun-loving perennials in peak bloom from July through until October. Though perennials were his first garden love, woody plants have become the stars of his garden. David estimates that he must have in excess of 100 trees and shrubs including Witch hazels, Dogwoods, Mountain Laurels, Deciduous Magnolias, Asiatic Maples and many more. An interest in hardy roses and clematis has developed over the years and he cannot grow enough of them.

His current venture is constructing a new greenhouse conservatory in the centre of the back garden to help him through the cold Michigan winters. He also has a new rock garden and planted terrace planned for part of what remains of the front lawn. He will make the bed up of sharp sand, gravel and boulders to accommodate alpine type plants that require sharp drainage. This garden is a long-term dream but having come to know David through his story I know this dream will become a reality.

Soil improvement is something very close to David’s heart. Most of his beds have been built of tons of organic matter – topsoil, pine bark and other mulches, municipal compost, oak leaves, horse manure, all lay on top of the existing clay. Most beds have soil to a depth of 24” above the clay and have a pH range of 5 to 6.8. For his roses and clematis he uses some Osmocote and chemical fertilizers. His lawn areas are very small in the back and ever decreasing in the front garden. In Spring and Fall David works almost full time gardening for a couple of weeks. In Summer he spends a couple of hours a week weeding and has a nightly hose-dragging ritual and the constant watering makes for a huge water bill.

David’s garden is open to the public once a year around June but he is happy for visitors at almost any time. He would love to have an open garden for the different seasons except, of course, winter when it’s a time of rest for the garden. Once the Conservatory is complete David will be able to continue his work and interests year round.

I think it would be a lovely place for a Gardenbuddies get together. A garden tour followed by Devonshire Tea in the Conservatory with some romantic flute music played by our own Buddy David.