IN MEMORY OF ESWYN
By June Strandberg
“The Crevice” and the crevice garden are in memory of Eswyn. So you would like to know why …
In February of 2006, Eswyn and I went to the American Rock Garden Society’s Western Winter Study Weekend held at Sydney-by-the-Sea and hosted by the VIRAGS . Linda Rehlinger and JoAnne Moger attended too that year.
There were five workshops to choose from, we were allowed two and chose ’Alpines in Pots’ – which was full so we got shifted to ‘Peonies’- and the ‘Czech Rock Garden’ which luckily was not full or we may never have seen a crevice or met Paul and this garden may never have happened!
Zdenek Zvolanek (ZZ), a talented Czech crevice builder, assisted by Joyce Carruthers and Paul Spriggs built the garden in a large wooden trough – similar to the one we see as we go into the VIRAGS Show and Sale each spring. We thought it was wonderful – all those plants and all those rocks in such a small space and so very pleasing to look at. Eswyn had to have one!!! She got hold of Paul to see if he would build it for her. She was so happy to see a nice young person, interested in her pet hobby. There was lots of chat back and forth but, for one reason and another, the crevice garden never came to be. She was extremely disappointed. In 2009 Eswyn died and many plants from her garden found a new home in the rock garden at Nanoose Place.
We met Gordon Mackay from ‘Alba Plants’ at Eaglecrest Garden Club. He came up and did a workshop on propagation for our SIG, on the way home he was shown ‘Eswyn’s Alpine Garden’ where he remarked that the bottom triangle was just the place for a crevice garden. He said he had a friend, by the name of Paul Spriggs, who made these things. Well! That really started something – we all wanted a crevice garden and we just happened to know Paul, who we would soon see building another crevice garden at another workshop at the 2011 WWSW! He would be working with another talented Czech, Vojtech Holubec, this time.
Six of us went this year – Barbara, Barb, Karen, Louise, Mike and I. We all attended ‘The Czech Rock Garden’ workshop, it was so interesting – we nearly froze in the cold but no one left for warmer places! We told Paul about Eswyn, her garden and our need of a crevice garden – he said ‘I think I know this lady!’ We arranged to look round his garden after our annual visit to the VIRAGS Spring Show and talk more on the subject. It was in Paul’s garden that the deal was struck – we would do lots of fund-raising, rock collecting, soil getting and crew finding. When we had all these things in place Paul would come and supervise and help to build Eswyn’s Crevice Garden at last.
Things just fell into place! Barbara suggested the Rock Garden at Nanoose Place be on the ‘Rhododendron Tour’. We had our fund-raising plant sale there too on the same day and made more money than we had ever dreamed! Plus we had a draw at our monthly meetings and the total crept up. We were having a hard time finding rock until Paul said granite, the local stone, would work very well. Elaine put an advertisement in the local paper for rock and sent notices about the project to some of the landscaping places asking if they would be interested in seeing this garden built. She got answers from Fairwinds offering granite rock as well as a truck and crew to help move it to the site and both Fairwinds and Parksville City Landscaping Department offered a crew to help build. A neighbor of Kirsten’s in Parksville provided some slate rock that her late husband had set aside for a rock garden and this will be incorporated into the garden.
On 31st October Paul came and the garden was started – a little talk regarding crevice gardens in general and then people with shovels and barrows moving the dirt into shape and Paul marking out more shape. There was lots of rock moving, lining up of crevices and back filling. Paul even used a compass! (Mike’s) Everyone had a turn to help and a wonderful time was had by all. We are so very grateful to every one of you.
So now Eswyn almost has her crevice garden and I am sure she is watching. Paul did not have time to finish but what he’s done looks as though it just grew there! He is returning on November 21st for more fun. He says “you guys are so nice and a great pleasure to hang out with” Thank you so much Paul –we all love you.
Pictures are added as the garden changes, so please check back.