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sized, and larger, mermaid and goddess statues that celebrate the beauty of the fe- male specimen, Louise jokes that she needed her own statue of sorts to offset what she humorously refers to as Chuck’s display. “I needed something to look at too!” she adds. So, fittingly, her largest statue, which also happens to be strategically placed at the centre of her garden, is of a powerful-looking merman. And while many of her statues suggest a tropical theme, Louise explains she simply selects the pieces that most appeal to her. As evidence to her diverse style, she has mixed her mermaids and dolphins with what some might refer to as Greek influences and an impressive statue of an eagle greets visitors in the front yard. Chuck adds that most of the statues are from Louise's travels to places like Nia- gara-on-the-Lake and Montreal. And while the gardens require a amount of maii and care, Louise says she is happy to “dedicate time in the pleasure of creating beautiful art.” As she expertly recites each plant’s name and origin, such as the hanging- trumpet shaped Brugmansia, (also known as “Angel's Trumpets”) native to South America, she adds that the fruits of her labour were all birthed out of her love for “puttering.” “When the kids were young, we would go outside and while they were playing Iwas puttering,” explains Louise with a laugh. Louise she developed a natural — almost spiritual - connection to the proc- ess of gardening and although her home, in Ajax at the time, contained meagre space for her to experiment, she was still captivated by her new-found hobby. So much so, that eight years ago, when. she and her husband Chuck found them- selves relocating to Port Perry to o run their fitness centre, ‘All Fit/All Ages Inc.’ they jumped at the opportunity to find a landscape fit for the garden of her dreams. The couple purchased a stunning lake-side property on Honey’s Beach road, just outside of town, and have since dedicated their spare time to building and tending to their garden. “It’s been a lot of work and it’s hard finding the time,” explains Chuck. “But for Louise it’s a labour of passion — she just loves it.” Starting with a blank slate, Louise and Chuck, along with their daughter Lau- ren, brought in 1,500 yards of top soil, removed the sod and designed and tilled all the flower beds themselves. “We literally outlined the beds with garden hoses,” explains Louise with a smile, adding that it was the perfect way to physically visualize the elaborate de- signs that were gallivanting about in her head. Next, Louise spent ample time reading about exotic plants so that she could better understand how different species would adapt to ae surroundings, And while she enjoy researching, she says, all the reading in the world couldn't separa the value of trial and error. For instance, through her own i i that despite different climates and ‘environments, the bottom-line is . “all plants are destined to survive.” As an example, she refers to a cluster of budding flowers peeking through her gravel driveway, despite months of frost and heavy snow, and a cherry tomato plant that has popped up out of nowhere. “That’s why Mother Nature is so amazing,” she marvels. She also insists that one of the biggest mistakes people make (besides notoriously overwatering, she jokes) is getting rid of wilted plants. “They are just resting,” she explains, pointing to a tree that to the untrained eye Please turn to page 14 FOCUS - SEPTEMBER 2010 15