Shannon Tremblay’s garden is a lively place.

On her and her husband Chris’s Jaffrey property live a few kids, two dogs, three cats, seven chickens, the inevitable squirrels and chipmunks, birds, butterflies and ground critters. Currently in bloom are tulips, pansies and daffodils. The birds chirp away as the flowers sway in the slight breeze. 

For Tremblay, gardening is a way to extend her home past its doors and walls. In a past life, she thinks she was a bumblebee.

“Some people can just walk by a garden and not take a look. That’s not me,” she said.

Tremblay is infatuated by the colors, designs and growth of the plants in her garden. Currently, tulips, pansies and daffodils are in bloom. She also grows vegetables and has blueberry bushes.

She said gardening is a way to interact with nature and connect with others. 

“The length of the carrots always surprises me because their seeds are so tiny,” she said.

Over her 25 years of gardening experience, Tremblay has picked up new pieces of information from friends, experiments and online resources, and often draws inspiration from visiting new gardens and garden centers. She applies what she knows at home and also to the broader town of Jaffrey as part of TEAM Jaffrey, an organization dedicated to the maintenance of the town. 

When asked about advice she would like to give to new gardeners, Tremblay said, “Plant the things you think will bring you the most joy. Just give it a try.”

Tremblay plants what she likes, does what she can to help it thrive and then appreciates and observes the rest. In the coming weeks, she expects to see more of her garden bloom, including bearded iris, Japanese iris, sweet iris, Oriental poppies, mullein, salvia, allium, bachelor buttons, lupine, columbine, cushion spurge, wisteria, rose campion and phlox. 

Much of Tremblay’s life is spent tending and caring for people, plants and animals. She recently began Independent HomeCare, LLC, a company providing personalized care for people in the community. For information, send email to officeadmin@independenthomecarellc.com.

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