Another dedicated gardener who had her start at her grandmother’s side
is Maggie Giroux. Maggie said while growing up in Timmins, her grandmother
always had a beautiful front garden. People would stop and look, totally
mesmerized by what they saw. This stuck in the back of Maggie’s mind,
and she vowed that when she grew up she was going to have such a garden.
She has definitely been successful in this promise to herself, reclaiming
more and more of her yard for flower beds. The last developed bed was once
her compost pile corner!
Maggie said she’s always had a green thumb, but unfortunately, like
most of us, her husband doesn’t share the same virtue. She has totally
forbid her husband from even coming near her flower beds, saying he will
mow anything down that’s close to the edge of the flower beds just so he
doesn’t have to whipper snip! Maggie has lost many a wonderful plant to
the long threads of the whipper snipper, so she now takes care of it
herself. She even starts castor beans from seed in March and ends up
giving them to friends and neighbors to enjoy. Reaching seven feet in
height, it makes a striking addition to any garden.
Someone who has also become a talented artist through the Valley East
Art Club, Maggie’s creative touches are shown throughout the garden. She
said that a group of them even get together in each other’s backyards
when certain plants are in bloom so they can paint and have permanent
memories of the blooms and their time together. Maggie works in oils,
water colors and pastels.
Everyone in Maggie’s life knows, that for any special occasion, any
gift that can be put to good use in the garden is at the top of her list,
as witnessed by the lovely Angel with chimes above.
Anyone wanting to contact Maggie about her garden or painting, please
feel free to do so at maggieg@eisa.com
