If the Garage Door is Open, Mary Ann is in her Garden.

GARDEN MAVEN: Mary Ann's Forest Edge Garden Collingwood, Ontario / Zone 5B

Our first Garden Maven is Mary Ann, a neighbour I have come to know since stumbling upon her remarkable Forest Edge Garden on the edge of Cranberry Golf Course. For more than thirty years, Mary Ann has tended, expanded, and evolved this woodland sanctuary. What began as a shared vision with neighbours who helped her carve stone pathways through the forest, has grown into an extraordinary garden that runs along approximately 60 yards of golf course, but it feels as though it has always belonged to this landscape.

The garden's history is literally etched into the property. Along the golf course side stands a plaque commemorating the early efforts that transformed a patch of woodland into the magical place visitors enjoy today. While many gardens are created over a few seasons, Mary Ann's has evolved slowly and thoughtfully over decades, each year adding another layer of beauty, another story, another discovery.

Shortly after meeting Mary Ann, I spotted her marching down a construction road carrying a very heavy bucket brimming with rocks. I knew instantly where they were headed - another addition to her beloved Forest Edge Garden. Concerned about the weight, I offered to help.

After a spirited round of protests and assurances that she was perfectly capable of carrying them herself, she finally allowed me to take the bucket.

That brief encounter revealed something essential about Mary Ann: her garden has been built through years of imagination, determination, persistence, and a willingness to haul countless buckets of rocks whenever inspiration strikes.

In spring, the garden alongside her home (another impressive deep border) bursts to life with a tapestry of colour. Drifts of Forget-me-nots weave through the woodland floor alongside native Trilliums and glossy Myrtle.

Hellebores nod beneath emerging foliage in shades ranging from creamy white and soft pink to rich burgundy. Elegant Solomon's Seal arches gracefully over the pathways, including the coveted variegated form that catches the light from across the garden. Daffodils are everywhere. The latest edition to both of our gardens are the Hyacinthoides Hispanica we found at Home Depot last Fall. Although the package promised pink, purple, blue and white, all either of us got were white flowers.

They are so unusual amongst the flowers we more commonly see in Spring, that we both decided we like them - even if only white. In Mary Ann's garden, rare treasures - like her Yellow Trillium - and everyday finds mingle happily together, proving that a beautiful garden is built as much on passion as on pedigree.

As we wander from one garden room to the next, Mary Ann points out plants the way some people introduce old friends. Every corner has a story, every path invites exploration. Just when I think the tour is coming to an end, she is already planning my return visit.

"You'll have to come back when the Pink Lady's Slippers bloom," she says, pointing to a cluster of emerging shoots. "They're just coming up now."

It is less a suggestion than a gentle summons. One look at the promise of those rare native orchids, and I know I'll be back in a few weeks.

After all, a garden like this is never truly finished. Like its creator, it is always growing, always evolving, and always ready to reveal something new to those willing to slow down and look.