Former nurse plants more than 100 golf clubs in her Oak Bay garden
When Betty began transforming her backyard, her thumbs were far from green.
“It was just plain ordinary gardening,” the 88-year-old says. “And weeding!”
But over the decades, Betty’s garden has grown into an extraordinary array of blossoms and whimsy.
“There’s a little bit of everything,” she smiles, pointing out some of the teapots, teacups and ski poles rising amongst the dahlias.
There’s also the golf clubs, which Betty first found discarded at the municipal yard.
“There were a few there. They were free. I took them,” Betty explains. “And then people started giving them to me.”
And now there’s more than a hundred golf clubs ‘growing’ in her garden.
Although the clubs share the flower beds with those pots and cups, Betty’s puttering is more “tee-time” than tea time, more wedges than hedges, more birdies than bees.
It’s an un-fore-gettable, par-fect garden.
After considering golf/gardening puns, I ask what Betty’s golf handicap is.
“I don’t know. What’s a handicap?” she asks with a smile. “I don’t golf.”
Betty says she’s never golfed before. Since she was six years old, she had her sights set on just one thing.
“When the war broke out, [I decided] I’ll become a nurse,” Betty says. “I’ll join up. I’ll go overseas.”
Although the war ended before she became a nurse, Betty did serve on the frontlines of the polio pandemic during the early 1950s.
“That was very, very difficult,” she says.
But the most difficult thing was losing her husband Charles. That’s when Betty really started focusing on her flowers.
“It relieved the sadness and the stress,” she says.
And the nurse discovered that healing could happen beyond the hospital. Then and now.
“We’re living in a topsy-turvy world,” Betty says.
Which is why Betty keeps fertilizing her garden with fun — to inspire happiness and healing for all who pass it. Although there’s no hole-in-one solution to the countless challenges we face, Betty says it does help to cultivate joy.
“It’s good for one’s soul to go out and work in the garden,” Betty says with a smile. “And play in the dirt!”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
CFIA monitoring for avian flu in Canadian dairy cattle after U.S. discoveries
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is encouraging veterinarians to keep an eye out for signs of avian influenza in dairy cattle following recent discoveries of cases of the disease in U.S. cow herds.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
DEVELOPING G7 warns of new sanctions against Iran as world reacts to apparent Israeli drone attack
Group of Seven foreign ministers warned of new sanctions against Iran on Friday for its drone and missile attack on Israel, and urged both sides to avoid an escalation of the conflict.
After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
Vancouver firefighter in rehab at home after losing leg to flesh-eating infection overseas
A family trip took a frightening turn for Christopher Won when he was diagnosed with flesh-eating disease while in Hong Kong and now, after weeks of treatment overseas, the Vancouver firefighter is back home recovering.
WATCH Video shows dramatic police takedown of carjacking suspects chased through parking lot north of Toronto
Police have released video footage of a dramatic takedown of a group of teens wanted in connection with an attempted carjacking in Markham earlier this month.
WHO likely to issue wider alert on contaminated cough syrup
The World Health Organization is likely to issue a wider warning about contaminated Johnson and Johnson-made children's cough syrup found in Nigeria last week, it said in an email.
Advocacy groups speak out against domestic violence comments by Nova Scotia minister
Several Nova Scotia groups that assist women are speaking out against comments on domestic violence by Justice Minister Brad Johns, and at least one is calling for his dismissal.