The ThunderBlogs

In spite of the fact that Canada narrowly escaped the effects of the global recession, many in Vancouver still cannot afford current housing prices. However, an elite group of citizens in the South West Marine Drive have enjoyed mansions with imposing front yards and doorways.  As attractive as these houses were, a lasting impression of privacy remained since gardens and entrances seemed guarded from any passer-by.

The front yard appeared to be a powerful place in this private community, flaunting beautiful gardening designs and grand entrances around the public streets. But one could only enjoy the view of these demonstration gardens from the distance, providing some level of privacy to their owners.

Neighbors in this area have incorporated narrow entrance halls of tall pine tress and pebble roads in their homes, blocking ones’ view from the actual property. Likewise, mansions at times could not be fully appreciated due to high-clipped hedges or walls casing the entire plot, leaving only dashing doors and elegant house number plaques visible to the observer.

More often than expected, houses around these blocks placed commanding signs of active alarms systems in use and of defense dogs on these premises.

Gardeners outstand in this neighborhood, contrasting the image of the richest with the working class. “Status is important around here. They have beautiful houses and of course they want beautiful gardens as well,” said Reagan Olmstead, an employee of the Silent Gardener, a landscape maintenance company offering services to several residential properties in this locality. “The owners of these houses rarely come outside when we work here, they sometimes greet us, some are nice to us, but it is not very common,” said Olmstead.

Hence, aesthetics seemed to be a relevant matter for the South West Marine Drive residents, and art has a strong presence in this part of Vancouver. Kilometers (and at times acres) of trimmed hedges, perennial gardens, stone patios, oval lawns surrounded by flowers, small piazzas, vibrant fountains, cascades, modern plant vases, limestone walkways and romantic sculptures in steel or ceramic dominated the scene.

An exhibition of assorted winter flowers was at view around this drive; with petunias, roses, cyclamens, lavender flowers, lilies, tulips, yellow narcissuses, magnolias, hydrangeas, iris bulbs, purple wisterias at display. “We come once per week to each house, and usually two gardeners work in one house at the same time for at least 8 hours removing leaves, weeds and dead flowers,” Olmstead said.