BERWICK, N.S. — Without a cloud in sight and a gentle breeze blowing through the trees, it was the perfect Saturday to be outside taking in the scenery.
Those who knew where to find the best nature has to offer found themselves strolling through Eileen and Dwight Boyd’s luscious garden July 6. The couple were giving tours of their four-acre property near Berwick.
For more than 20 years the couple has been growing their dream garden from the ground up. Their yard features a number of original concrete statues, a wide variety of plant life, and recently, glass totems.
Eileen first heard of this sort of artwork in Pinterest, and immediately fell in love with it. She’s added it to her long list of hobbies.
“They’re made by stacking glass and using silicone to keep the pieces together. It sounds pretty simple, but to make a totem that has 10 pieces of glass in it, you probably need to have 50 pieces to choose from. It’s like a puzzle, and the pieces don’t always fit.”
Over the past few years, Eileen grown her collection of totems and uses them as garden decorations but she says anyone can use them for any purpose.
“It’s very easy for someone to pick up the hobby, and there’s tons of tutorials online. Everyone makes them differently. Some people like to use coloured glass, but most of mine are clear.”
Along with selling and raffling several of their totems, the organizers were accepting freewill donations. All the money made was given to St. Mary’s and Somerset Elementary Schools. It will be left to the schools to decide what the money will go towards.
“Making these glass totems has kind of become an obsession for us, and nobody really ever gets to see them. We thought it would be a great idea to use them to raise some money for a good cause.”
Eileen says there were more 100 totems in her yard on the day of the afternoon tours.
Guests were stunned by the beauty of the property and impressed that the couple had done it all themselves. Eileen also has an art studio called Chasing Rabbits, which houses her paintings, portraits, sculptures and glasswork.
