THE Secret Garden

 An Interview with Brian Whitehouse

by Susan Lilholt

No address or road leads you to this jewel box of a garden. Only a path can take you to its entrance, a fir framed archway through which two entwined doves greet you from the birdbath nestled above a floor of white Impatience flowers. It’s here that Brian Whitehouse began a 24-year journey on Sept. 11, 2001 to rebuild a life and follow his artistic instincts to construct a peace-filled oasis.

The would-be gardener began by removing much debris tossed by neighbours onto the empty lot, then digging up invasive Himalayan blackberry bushes and pulling horsetail. In the clearing he designed two substantial flower beds flanked by his property and the edge of the narrow easement. When neighbours finally discovered the landscaped area, they reacted with amazement, saying “We never knew this was here – it’s like a secret garden.” And so, the monicker stuck. “I never gave it a name’, says Brian, ‘everyone else did.”

SDGC: What inspired you to start The Secret Garden and what was your biggest challenge?

BW: “The front of my property in Vancouver needed some love and I bought some planters and flowers and shored up a sloping section by building a curved, four-foot high, stone retaining wall. I guess it turned out rather well because it attracted positive attention. And the experience gave me confidence to try my hand at more landscape design when Juvy and I moved to Tsawwassen. That’s really when I looked to the empty lot behind our property and started to imagine a garden there.”

“The biggest challenge in starting The Secret Garden was the terrain; there was virtually no soil. So, I had a truckload brought in to build up the first two beds, including the one around the Magnolia tree.  I knew that if I didn’t improve the soil, the garden wouldn’t have longevity.” 

SDGC: The design pulls people into the garden because of the curving pathways that lead us to want to know what is around the next corner. Did you lean on your own creativity to design the plan or does your background include horticultural training in landscape design or architecture?

BW: “It was intentional to create parts of the garden hiding around corners. I have no horticultural training but being around my mother’s garden – she was an artist – taught me a lot. I recall one day that she asked me to move a large rock in her garden, so I did. But then she decided it wasn’t quite right and asked me to move it a little to the right. Well, I must have moved it several times before she declared success, but in the end, I learned from what she showed me.”

SDGC: Well, you certainly inherited and developed that artistic gene! Did you manage to stick to your original landscape design plan or has the garden evolved over the years?

BW: “I only ever designed one garden bed ahead. I wanted it to be a place of rest from life’s troubles, a place to sit and contemplate.”

SDGC: What have you learned about gardening, design and plants in the course of creating The Secret Garden?

BW: “I’ve learned to avoid invasive plants and it’s a life lesson learned through trial and error. When it comes to trees it’s important to get them in the right place with respect to exposure and also to leave enough space for their mature size. Also, to allow the garden to unfold little by little, if I can see too far into the garden, the tree gets moved.”

SDGC: Have you gained anything else during the adventure of creating this beautiful and tranquil oasis?

BW: “The Secret Garden saved my life.”

SDGC: There are not many community gardens in Delta and this is an exceptional example. You have received community recognition for this personal project. Can you tell us about that?

BW: “There have been several articles about it over the years and Canadian House and Home magazine did an article about it. The City of Delta honoured me with a Certificate of Appreciation and I also received a Peace Award from the Rotary Club.

SDGC: In its form today, has the garden fulfilled your personal goals? And have you received help along the way?

BW: “Yes, it has exceeded my expectations of what I thought I would be and what I thought I would do. Many of the plants were purchased with money donated to the garden by individuals. Jim Levine and the City of Delta Parks Board donated some soil. When the garden had evolved up to the wishing well, Universal Sprinklers offered to donate the watering system equipment and labour at cost and the owner taught me where to put the sprinkler heads. I’ve benefited from the generosity of my community – I’ve become a Garden Busker.”

SDGC: Whither the future of The Secret Garden? What is your hope?

BW: “The Garden will need support from the City of Delta. It will need to be acknowledged as a public amenity. It has been my hope that the South Delta Garden Club would take over its maintenance one day. During a transition period it will be tough for me to find a way to let go. The Garden’s proximity to me will make it hard for someone else to take over.”