Harrowsmith – September 2019

Harrowsmith Fall 2019 | 75

GARDENING: JAPANESE GARDEN

I

n 2015, I moved from

Calgary to Lethbridge,

Alberta. It wasn’t really

something I had planned; it

was one of those things that

just sort of evolved. I was

immediately charmed by the

city’s magnificent trestle

bridge, beautiful river valley,

and the marvellous colonies of

prickly pear cactus growing on

its sunny hillsides. I had been a

longtime fan of Lethbridge’s

Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden,

but it never occurred to me

that I would one day be working

there. A year after my move, I

was introduced to the garden’s

executive director, Michelle Day.

I loved her vision for the garden,

and she loved my passion for

plants and gardening. A very

happy partnership was thus

established, and I have been

doing both tours and educational

presentations for Nikka Yuko

ever since.

LYNDON PENNER