barb weatherall
Master Gardener
Barb is a true garden lover. She had a dream of turning a simple plot of land into a beautiful oasis. Located in the Blue Mountain region, you might think this task would be a breeze. However, as any experienced gardener knows, creating a garden requires careful planning, planting, and nurturing. Froggies Song was born out of Barb’s vision in 1986. From that point on, it has grown into what it is today – a stunning masterpiece, one plant and tree at a time.
We asked Barb how she began as a gardener…
From her answers you will understand, “A Garden is More Than Pretty Flowers.” It’s continually a work in progress.
How long have you been gardening?
I started gardening when we moved into our home that we built. We left immediately after building it to go to Calgary to work because there was no work here in 1980, we came back in 1985 in the fall for my son to start kindergarten.
How did you get interested in gardening?
I started with my first plant in 1986. My neighbour gave me a pot of daffodils, and she said you can plant these when they finish blooming. My mother never had a plant in the house or flowers in the yard. So, I thought, well, I wonder which side they go down. Then I thought, well, pointed side down makes sense to me, so I put them in pointed side down. I told her, and she said oh no, they won’t grow. Well, they grew, and so that made me think surely I’m a gardener. Then my sister and I went to a garden up in the Bruce Peninsula called Larkwhistle. It was the most beautiful garden I have ever seen to this day (no longer), it is closed and mostly vegetables. However, they had lilacs everywhere and tulips and plants I had never seen or heard of. I thought if they could grow this stuff this far north, I could grow something. My husband worked out of town, and to keep myself busy, I started digging by hand all along the front of the house. He thought I was nuts when he came home. And this went on for years; then he said well, you know I have a backhoe. Ha ha, so he brought me dirt, and I played in it every day with the kids. We would take the wagon and collect rocks in the field, and I lined the back of the beds with rocks. I started with one bed, and it turned into the whole yard.
Was there someone who mentored you along the way?
No, as I said my mom didn’t have a house plant or a flower bed, we did have a vegetable garden. I don’t think too many of my neighbours had flower beds back then.
What are a few of your favourite plants?
My favourite flower is the peony and then roses. Because of my trip to Larkwhistle, I saw peonies for the first time in every colour. I was star-struck. And when I started gardening, there were no garden centres here. There was Sears McConnel catalogue. I didn’t know what I was ordering, but everything I ordered lived, and I still have those plants including a perennial gladiola in fushia.
Do you belong to a garden club?
Yes, I ordered some trees from a nursery, and when she came to deliver them, she said oh my goodness, this is beautiful. You need to share this; would you join our garden club? And I did; it is called Rural Gardens of Grey and Bruce.
They said I had to have a name for my garden. I had tree frogs everywhere, and they sang and chirped, so I called my garden Froggies Song.
You have so many trees & shrubs in your garden. Do you have a favourite?
My favourite is the lilac in the backyard. It was planted straight but bent over from the wind. It looks like I planned it that way. Then I just started planting Hostas under it and sweet woodruff. It is very pretty in the spring, and the smell is fantastic. Then I purchased a red magnolia for the side yard, which is amazing and beautiful. I also love my gold flame spiraeas. They have three seasons of colour. The other ones are the Japanese maples. One was given to me when I had my first garden tour (a bus from Toronto). He is a famous gardener, and he grew it from seed. Everyone said they wouldn’t grow here, but I have never lost one. I have seven of them.
How did you get started with letting people tour your garden?
When I joined the garden club, it was advertised as a touring feature for this area. However, on my first tour, I received a phone call from Frank Kershaw. He said he would like to bring a few friends to the garden. The night before arrival, he called to say the bus would be arriving at 10:00. The bus! I nearly died. It was a greyhound with about 35 people, all gardeners from Toronto, from a Horticultural club that Mr. Kershaw spoke to. I had just hired a girl to help, and she was a master edger. My gardens had never been edged before, and she made them look so amazing with her edging and personal touches. Needless to say, my garden was a hit. The group was here all day and had so many wonderful comments about my garden.
What tips would you give a beginner gardener?
I started with one plant, which later became hundreds of plants. But I had carloads given to me by an elderly woman with a huge garden. I would say, “What is it,” She said, “I don’t know. It’s yellow, grows this tall, or it’s blue, grows this tall”. Anyway, I planted them and never moved them. They were perfect the way they were. However, I wanted to know the name of every plant, so I read every garden book I could get my hands on. Then I became a master gardener. But if you are starting from scratch, go to see a gardener, and I’m sure they will give you plants because we have lots of them.
How long has it taken you to plan and develop the garden as it stands now?
It has been 39 years, but I made them bigger every year back then and made more every year. Now, I have taken two down and made them smaller. Some were in the hot sun, and it had become almost unbearable to work in them. If it’s not a joy, then it’s time to go. I had a beautiful peony bed, my favourite flower, but it was so hot working it that I moved them all to the shade. They won’t do as well but will still bloom, and it’s so much easier on me.
Do you add new plants every year?
I did for years, but now I can honestly say I couldn’t cram one more plant into my flower beds. I changed them about five years ago, removed many invasive plants, and put many slower-growing ones in their place. Whatever you do, enjoy it. I enjoy every second out in the garden with the birds and frogs, snakes not so much. But they are part of the garden. I put up ten little decorative birdhouses a few years ago, and I have little sparrows in every one of them. They sing all day long. I’ve had morning doves, once a bluebird and once a pair of Baltimore Orioles. I once saved a baby bird that had fallen into my pond. I heard the commotion, and the mother was frantic. I scooped her out with a net and placed her in a flowerpot on a fence post. The mother stayed close by all day, and the next day they were together. For the first time in my life, I saw a jackrabbit up close, and it was as big as a dog. It didn’t see me, came into the yard, and then darted away. I had a baby deer sleeping at my back door. It’s a safe haven for the animals, and they know it.
Where is your favourite place to buy plants or seeds?
My sister and I used to order from the Sears McConnel catalogue and each get something then split it when it was big enough to do so. Now, I have some favourites in all areas around me and used to go in and get a new plant every year.
Do you start plants indoors in the Spring?
I tried that once, too much work. Ha ha
What hardiness zone are you in?
I’m in Zone 5. However, I did have trees surrounding the entire property, and I have been growing Zone 6 roses for over 14 years. We cut the trees at the back, making some plants flourish with more sun, and a few didn’t survive.
What is your favourite garden tool and where did you purchase it?
Lee Valley is the best place to buy garden tools. I love their shovels. I have a light shovel that came as a set, and one has a serrated edge for hard digging. My favourite weeder is their trowel, which has a red handle and is pointed. I can see it in the ground, and it works excellent. And, of course, a leaning mat for those worn-out knees.
What is your most effective time saving advice?
I put cardboard down and then mulch. If I don’t have mulch, as in the shortage up here during COVID, I just laid cardboard and put a stone on it.
How much time do you spend in the garden in your free time outside of the working day?
At least two hours every day but I have spent the whole day, time goes so fast in the garden. And I go out a night sometimes to pick just a few more weeds.
What is your best source for acquiring gardening knowledge?
I started with books and read everything. Then became a master gardener, then joined a garden club. I love the books; you can read them in the winter when there is nothing else to do and plan the garden for spring.
How important is structure in your garden?
I love my statues. In my garden club, there is a lovely older gentleman that makes them from cement. He sold them to the nurseries in the area. As a member, we get them at an excellent price. I bought a plastic one in Kitchener, and it looks so real no one believes it is plastic. Of course, I had to tie it down because the least little wind would blow it over. I love my birdhouses. They were supposed to be for decoration, but I have a bird in each one of them. I go to the market to buy old antiques and have put that stuff around, and my husband has brought me some. I place coloured bottles on all stakes so I don’t get poked in the eye, and they look good.