iN PHOTOS: Muddy backyard near Kamloops transforms into xeriscape masterpiece | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
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iN PHOTOS: Muddy backyard near Kamloops transforms into xeriscape masterpiece

A stained walkway of repurposed wooden pallets can be seen in this Heffley Creek yard.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Adriana Mascuchova

A hard working gardener near Kamloops spent the past four months transforming her backyard from a bare and muddy space to a beautiful xeriscape masterpiece.

“This all started when I wanted a pathway to the chicken coop and then somehow I couldn’t stop,” said Heffley resident Adriana Mascuchova.

Prior to the transformation, the yard had poor drainage and water was pooling.

This backyard in Heffley Creek is pictured in early spring.
This backyard in Heffley Creek is pictured in early spring.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Adriana Mascuchova

“The grass wouldn’t grow and when snow was melting I had a 'swimming pool' under the stairs and it would freeze, it wasn’t pleasant,” Mascuchova said.

After doing research, and sketching a design for the space, she went to work hauling hundreds of wheelbarrow loads of dirt and rock and broken down wooden pallets to form a pathway and secured landscaping fabric.

READ MORE: iN PHOTOS: A close up look at flora and fauna in Kamloops, Okanagan

She worked on a tight budget, using repurposed materials.

“I like to up-cycle so that’s why I hauled the pallets through my yard and broke them down to make a walkway, like a boardwalk,” she said. “I stained the boards and the colours came out in different shades.”

Work is underway on a backyard in Heffley Creek.
Work is underway on a backyard in Heffley Creek.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Adriana Mascuchova

Mascuchova then went to work planting drought tolerant shrubs, trees and flowers and left a couple of natural areas with dandelions and clover growing on them. She added solar lights so she could enjoy the garden at night.

“I’m not a landscaper so researching and learning were involved, it might not be perfect but it was fun and looks like a whole different space." 

She credits a lot of her accomplishment to tips from members of a Kamloops garden group.

Fabric has been laid down on in a yard in Heffley Creek.
Fabric has been laid down on in a yard in Heffley Creek.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Adriana Mascuchova

Rocks, drought resistant plants and a repurposed walkway are found in a Heffley Creek yard.
Rocks, drought resistant plants and a repurposed walkway are found in a Heffley Creek yard.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Adriana Mascuchova

Solar lawn lights line a wooden pathway in Heffley Creek.
Solar lawn lights line a wooden pathway in Heffley Creek.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Adriana Mascuchova

A garden in Heffley Creek is full of drought resistant plants.
A garden in Heffley Creek is full of drought resistant plants.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Adriana Mascuchova

A Heffley Creek yard uses xeriscaping.
A Heffley Creek yard uses xeriscaping.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Adriana Mascuchova

Solar powered lights shine in a Heffley Creek garden.
Solar powered lights shine in a Heffley Creek garden.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Adriana Mascuchova

To contact a reporter for this story, email Shannon Ainslie or call 250-819-6089 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

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