GARDENERS NOTEBOOK
Growing In Every Direction
Tricia & Tim Building a Dream Piece by Piece
By Jani Gardner
Tricia Sirakovsky and Tim Colon, personally designed and built, piece by piece, their own totally original gem of a Craftsman home, beginning back in 1995, tucked away in woodsy Vineyard Haven.
During a dozen or so years, along came children, Felix and Esmé, totally ones-of-a-kind, thrilled with every new piece added to this, growing like Topsy, very special home. Every absolutely original, room and section of this life’s work home, suits all four to a tee.
Even the always ranging, further and deeper, gardens are a tribute to this foursome.Trish has been adding favorite flowers, vegetables, a couple of beehives, herbs, artistic rock walls and stonework, a fabulous, roomy greenhouse with a wood fired hot tub, an alphabet of flower genres, plus a gardenia and peach tree just outside
This family of four, plus cats, dogs and chickens, and bees has created a life/home/garden, exactly as envisioned. Add towering trees: a Japanese maple wedding present in 2001, peach tree, apricot tree, potted fig, gardenia, a new white, Anabel hydrangea. Plentiful bamboo sur-rounds an area where the kids can swing high in the air in a hammock, coming down to swo-o-osh through delightfully scented mint. (Now that’s planning!).
At four years old, Felix, now 9, helped build the family herb/flower garden. (Now, officially 4th grader, Felix, reports burning all 3rd grade homework). Meanwhile, Esmé seems to case the landscape, keeping track of every action happening in her yard. In the entry garden, you’ll find lively, bushy chives, rhubarb, lemony yellow rue, fuschia yarrow, catmint, rosemary, lemon thyme, sage, lavender, rudbeckia, oregano, peonies plus white and pink lady’s mantle, tarragon, comfrey, plus wildflower and purple clover since Tricia and Tim are proprietors of Island Bee Company honey, weekend sales of which thrill both kids!
During a dozen or so years, along came children, Felix and Esmé, totally ones-of-a-kind, thrilled with every new piece added to this, growing like Topsy, very special home. Every absolutely original, room and section of this life’s work home, suits all four to a tee.
Even the always ranging, further and deeper, gardens are a tribute to this foursome.Trish has been adding favorite flowers, vegetables, a couple of beehives, herbs, artistic rock walls and stonework, a fabulous, roomy greenhouse with a wood fired hot tub, an alphabet of flower genres, plus a gardenia and peach tree just outside
This family of four, plus cats, dogs and chickens, and bees has created a life/home/garden, exactly as envisioned. Add towering trees: a Japanese maple wedding present in 2001, peach tree, apricot tree, potted fig, gardenia, a new white, Anabel hydrangea. Plentiful bamboo sur-rounds an area where the kids can swing high in the air in a hammock, coming down to swo-o-osh through delightfully scented mint. (Now that’s planning!).
At four years old, Felix, now 9, helped build the family herb/flower garden. (Now, officially 4th grader, Felix, reports burning all 3rd grade homework). Meanwhile, Esmé seems to case the landscape, keeping track of every action happening in her yard. In the entry garden, you’ll find lively, bushy chives, rhubarb, lemony yellow rue, fuschia yarrow, catmint, rosemary, lemon thyme, sage, lavender, rudbeckia, oregano, peonies plus white and pink lady’s mantle, tarragon, comfrey, plus wildflower and purple clover since Tricia and Tim are proprietors of Island Bee Company honey, weekend sales of which thrill both kids!