Gardens West magazine has honoured a stunning garden from the Drumheller area on its cover of the November/December edition, with a big spread proving that lavish and beautiful gardens can survive the arid badlands.
Don and Sherry Tchir’s 14 year work-in-progress was photographed last summer, but is featured now in a full spread of the Prairie Edition of the gardening magazine.
The edition, which hit newsstands on Monday, features the garden made by the owners of Kneehill Creek Tree.
“It’s nice being recognized,” says Sherry. “Some people have sports, we like fooling around in the yard. It’s our thing.”
Almost every tree on the property was planted by the family– they estimate they put over 2,000 into the ground.
Gardening in Drumheller definitely presents a challenge, “with our nice benonite soil,” says Sherry, but with work and vision a beautiful spot can be made.
“Don is very talented,” Sherry says, “it’s something you’re born with.”
Gardens West editor Melissa Cornwell writes, “The Tchir's sprawling ranch-style home nestles within woodland composed of many hand-planted trees and natural tree growth that has been thriving on the banks of the river for a century or more. The woods behind the perennial garden are thin enough to give an alluring hint of the river that flows below the property. A trail leads down a gentle slope, past a wooden gazebo and over a bridge to steps that take one down to a level space near the bottom. Here the Tchirs created a firepit area with picnic tables, chairs and other seating - the perfect place to watch the lazy river flow by.
“Indeed, as one drives up the Tchir's tree-lined lane, were it not for the rugged coulee walls rising behind and across the river, one might have a hard time remembering that this is part of the 'Alberta Badlands'."
The Tchir garden is located on the Highway 575 turnoff to Orkney.