a tale of two gardens -leslie van grove
by Carol Brock

Visit two Boulder gardens that are enchanting and enchanted.

Leslie Van Grove discovered just how magical a garden could be on a summer solstice three years ago. “I was at a neighbor’s house and in the early evening she paid tribute to the solstice. She told us a story about how fairies come out at dusk on that day and they have a sweet tooth,” Van Grove recalls. “I leaned over to her and said, ‘Give me 10 minutes.’” Van Grove then rounded up the children at the party and took everyone to her house, where she retold the story. “The kids were so excited; they all went in the garden and started searching for fairies. That moment had so much magic in it that I decided to have a ‘Faerie Fest’ every summer solstice.”

Each summer Van Grove coaxes fairies from their hiding places amongst roses, poppies and peonies with treats she conceals in her garden. Neighborhood children and their parents are invited to attend the treasure hunt and solstice celebration, devoted to tales of fairies and other enchantments. “I did have one neighbor who thought I was a little bizarre,” Van Grove says with a laugh. “I guess he couldn’t expand his imagination.”

To keep the tradition fresh, Van Grove adds new yarns and objects to the annual soiree, such as Tinkerbell lights and cards with fairies penned on them. “I don’t want a kid to feel disappointed if they can’t actually see a fairy,” she says, “so I’m placing the cards on stakes and hiding them around the yard this year."

There's more in Van Grove’s garden than elusive fairies. Statues of gnomes, angels, flamingos and cartoon characters peek from rock walls that weave through her garden. “It’s very whimsical and eclectic,” Van Grove says of her garden. “I like things with personality and I’m fond of anthropomorphic characters.” She even has Snow White’s seven dwarves for good measure. “They’re holding lamps that flicker at dusk. They’re really kind of tacky, but I like the light at sunset."

She also likes color, a preference reflected in her yard’s plants. “I love vibrant colors,” says Van Grove, who plants annuals in spring to cover bare spots or add color. “For some reason, though, I usually lack yellow, so I’ll dig things up and move them around.” Clematis, lupines, bee balms, lavenders, Canterbury bells, Oriental poppies, daisies, peonies, hostas, delphiniums, irises, coneflowers and fuchsias brim from containers and spill over rock walls edged with valerian and ivy. Steppingstone walks are laced with Irish moss and thyme, and a profusion of roses graces the garden’s eastern portion. “If there’s dirt, it’s planted,” Van Grove says. “Right now my garden is so full that I'm giving plants away."

That lush appearance took years of cultivation and patience, however. When Van Grove, who is a fine art photographer, purchased her north Boulder home in 1986, it was brand new. “The only thing in the backyard was a cement slab and dirt,” she says. “Because the house is so square, I wanted a flowing, sensual feeling in the garden.” She created that by installing curving rock walls and flagstone pathways with circuitous routes throughout the garden. Her first plant was a spruce tree she obtained as a plant-a-tree promotion from a local retailer. “It was just a twig and I kept it in a pot for seven years,” Van Grove says. “I finally planted it in my backyard and now it’s 25 feet tall.” Her garden also sports Canadian cherries and mountain ashes, among other shrubs and trees.

“My garden is my sanctuary,” Van Grove says, echoing the sentiments of many gardeners. “It’s a little oasis in the middle of the city. In a world of chaos, it has a lot of peace, joy and vitality”—and fairies to boot.

Carol Brock is editor of Boulder County Home&Garden Magazine and a secret admirer of fairies and other foolishness.



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