Ron Durant picked up at least one trait from his mother, and that was his green thumb.
Durant certainly has a love for flowers, and has turned his yard in North Drumheller into a sanctuary. Literally hundreds of annuals, all grown from seed in his basement are in full bloom. And while he likes flowers, like his mom, he also keeps a vegetable patch.
Durant started gardening when he was about 18 and since then his interest and dedication have blossomed. Careful thought has been put into design, ornaments, arrangement and plant selection. In fact he was considering not putting in his award winning flowerbeds this year, until he found seeds in Prince Edward Island to contrast his hybrid marigolds.
While most consider gardening a spring and summer activity, he is dedicated to the look of his yard nearly all year long. It is not long after fall sets in, and before he is through all of his homegrown potatoes (about Christmas), he is online poring through seed catalogues.
This year on January 21, his first geranium sprouted in his basement. More than one hundred more followed suit. In fact he starts about 98 per cent of his garden from seed. Everything from his flowers to exotic tomatoes in his garden.
From the basement, the plants move to his small greenhouse. With the particularly cold spring, he said one month his power bill was in the area of $600. When you consider the hundreds of plants he raises, it is a bargain compared to buying them as bedding out plants in the spring.
While his yard looks labour intensive, he says he has a “system.” It only takes him and his canine Martin about three hours each evening to maintain his garden.
As much as he enjoys his garden, he doesn’t mind sharing. Living around the corner from River Grove Campground, he gets his fair share of gawkers strolling past to see his work, and discuss gardening and sharing his secrets.
