Drive past Sunshine Children’s Centre and follow the paved road to a cul de sac facing the tunnel in East Trail and you’ll find a small grey stucco house tucked in behind a black metal fence.
It’s a typical East Trail home, but it lays claim to one of the best gardens in Trail—literally. Cheryl Thorimbert’s garden was recently recognized with an award from the Trail Garden Committee for her outstanding floral arrangements.
As a result, Thorimbert walked away from the contest with a $150 cash prize, a brightly coloured floral arrangement and a plaque recognizing her achievement.
She began working on the unadorned yard below Highway 3B eight years ago after purchasing her new home. But now, to the unsuspecting visitor’s eyes, the shaded yard resembles a park.
“I wanted it to look like a park so that your eye moves around the entire yard,” she said. “And not just a box garden with one tree in the middle. I wanted to create little areas to draw people in.”
She described the area as a forest, with the ascending nearby mountain rolling into her yard. The area is complete with a stone water feature, roses bushes and an ash tree.
“The ash tree is really great because it provides shade and it draws lots of birds into the yard,” Thorimbert explained.
This season kicked off to a rough start for her garden, she said. Heavy precipitation water-logged many of her garden’s best features and a lot of the work had to be done twice.
“It didn’t seem like a good year for growing,” she said. “But when I come out here, in my garden, I can spend an hour or an entire day working. It’s very relaxing and it takes you away from everything else that’s going on in your life as you focus on what is growing around you.”
Thorimbert’s garden will be open during the garden tour on July 28. People can stop by 1455 Fifth Avenue to check it out.