Text by Sarah Coulber and photography by Lorena Baker
Nestled near central Saskatchewan, about 30 kilometres south of Prince Albert, is the property of Lorena Baker and her husband, Ken. What started out as 12 hectares along the South Saskatchewan River later expanded to 77 when they bought the adjacent land. The Bakers’ property, also known as Baker’s Acres, includes wetlands, poplar and mixed bush, an alfalfa field and two small horse pastures of native grasses.
About one hectare of their property is dedicated to yard and gardens. It grew to this size thanks to the drought of 2000, which caused many trees and shrubs to die. With trees falling and creating a fire hazard, Ken cleared back as far as was needed. Due to this change in landscape – and in an effort to spruce up their gardens, which were also suffering from the dry spell – Lorena signed up for a landscaping course at the University of Saskatchewan.
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That winter, Lorena learned the importance of assessing one’s yard and creating a plan. Looking around her own backyard, she identified problem spots, such as a nearby grassed over slope that was too steep to easily maintain and lacked seasonal interest for part of the year. She formulated a plan to grow plants that didn’t need much maintenance, such as junipers, barberries, catmint for colour, mock orange and lilac for their scent; she left the wild honeysuckles that were already there. Combined with crushed rock, these plants create an effect that continues to garner compliments from guests.
Xeroscaping was only lightly touched upon in her course, but Lorena bought a book at the university bookstore on dry bed gardening. The book gave her lots of great ideas not only on conserving water but also on keeping the weeds down. Mulching gardens – with crushed rock, landscape fabric or old carpets – choosing species that can withstand the dry spells and amending the soil were three very important points she applied.
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As Lorena let her creativity flow, she got more and more excited. A pond went in here and another water feature there. Together, the Bakers planted many trees, shrubs and perennials that naturally took care of themselves and attracted wild neighbours closer to the house. Many of these plants are native to the area and provide food through the seasons: pollen and nectar in the spring and summer, berries and seeds from summer through to winter. They included buffalo berries, spruce and pine trees, gaillardias and Virginia creeper vines, to name a few. Lorena also planted cedars this past spring; she noticed wrens making homes in them and found them to be useful windbreaks. Wild roses, asters, avens, high bush cranberries, aspens, chokecherries, Saskatoons and more grow naturally in and around her yard. They also have a small orchard, started 25 years ago, to which they have added other fruit-producing plants including raspberries, currants and a grape vine.
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In fact, Lorena encourages others to make a place in their homes in which to enjoy the colours, songs and antics of the visitors they attract. She does this both informally and through her business, Artistic Redesign. Her mission is “to inspire, motivate and educate in creating a more inviting home for one’s body, mind and soul with affordable and practical ideas.” She also runs a tearoom out of her home, which is yet another avenue for Lorena to share the beauty of her garden and the ideas behind it.
Baker’s Acres is organic; even the alfalfa fields are free of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Around the property are places – brush piles, rotting logs and a variety of trees, shrubs, vines, grasses and perennials – for an array of creatures to nest, rest and escape the elements.
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Their river frontage is mostly left natural; just a small portion of it is maintained with some lawn and a small flower garden surrounding a rustic cabin. Here, too, the Bakers refrain from using fertilizers and chemicals, ensuring the water quality of the river they love. It is another one of their favourite places to enjoy the animals up close and sleep comfortably on hot summer nights.
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Lorena and Ken Baker’s property is certified with CWF’s Backyard Habitat Certification Program. If you would like more information on certifying your garden, or to read about other certified gardens, visit http://www.wildaboutgardening.org/en/get-certified.
And if you would like to visit Baker’s Acres for tea or a walk around the property, or if you are interested in a consultation, please call Lorena at (306) 422-8459.