Gardening by numbers

Want to have the perfect garden but you’ve never had dirt under your fingernails? Sherwood Park author Rob Sproule has just released a new book that is perfect for you.

Gardening with Colour has a ‘paint by numbers’ approach to garden design that practically spells out the secret formula for creating an eye-popping layout.

“It’s a different kind of gardening book because it really is aimed at people in my generation.”

The 33-year-old admits plants have always fascinated him, especially because of his involvement in the family business. The co-owner of Salisbury Greenhouses near Sherwood Park wanted to write something that would appeal to that specific demographic, the group that is settling into homes with established yards. They are the ones with a burgeoning interest in all things botanic but might also hesitate to pick up a hoe.

“There’s a lot of people in that situation. For the most part, a lot of young people haven’t gardened. I heard that this is the first generation of people off the farm in terms of kids who have grown up away from the idea of growing things.”

To make it an easier prospect for the novice home horticulturalist, the book demonstrates about 60 different plant combinations that can turn a simple garden or flowerbed into a beautiful co-ordination of visual delight. Sproule can make amateur flower lovers into professional florists.

There’s no stress involved, he says. Just do it and the aesthetics will fall into place.

“My big objective is to educate and inspire. People — I’m convinced — want to garden. They want to get out there. They want to get their hands dirty. We know on an instinctual level how wonderful it is, how nurturing it is, how good it is for the soul. A lot of people are intimidated, especially young people because they don’t know how.”

The book includes diagrams like maps with letter codes for where specific plants should go. Each design also comes with plant alternatives, descriptions, care tips and solutions to common problems. His designs have some fantastic names including Striped Eruption, Versailles Style, and Mediterranean Sunrise.

He wants readers to use the elements and principles in the book as more of a starting point from which their own style can blossom.

“They aren’t about telling them exactly how to do things. They’re about what design is and how to create colour schemes, how to create a sense of contrast in shape and texture and show them examples of that so that they can be inspired to be creative on their own.”

He will be taking his ideas to a presentation for the St. Albert & District Garden Club on Tuesday.

President Derrick Harrison says that spring has sprung and there are lots of activities to pique anyone’s interest. They have regular meetings, go on garden tours and invite other speakers.

He also mentioned the lead-up to the club’s annual spring plant sale and auction is going well. The group also manages the Summer Splendour annual flower and produce show in August.

“That’s our big event of the year.”