The Gerharts' garden
There's something fishy going on
By Gerry Gray
There's something fishy about Cliff and Lena Gerhart's backyard wall. It's covered with replicas and preserved carcasses of creatures of the sea. There are starfish, sunfish, lobsters and at least 100 other types of fish
Perfectly preserved and meticulously painted, thanks to Lena's hobby, these sea creatures create an interesting mosaic. Some are ceramic, some shells and others plastic but the life-like colors and the pattern laid along the long garden wall make them all seem real.
Cliff, a mill retiree, had always been an avid fisherman and he wanted something in his garden to remind his of the good times in his boat. "There wasn't much color involved until Lena came along with her paintbrush," Cliff said. "And her good work doesn't end at the wall." All through the garden of their home, on Butedale Street brightly painted figures group around blossoming flowerbeds. It's a showpiece (and conversation piece) with its stocked pond, statuesque flower settings and plethora of color.
"I find ceramic or plastic figures wherever I can and fit them into the garden's motif," Lena said. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs come alive in her garden as do replicas of friends and relatives. "We both have had wonderful times in the garden and we love to show it off to friends."
Cliff said when he started working on the wall he had lots of help from friends he often fished with. "They would bring back fishy mementos from their holidays and we'd work them into the motif. The lobsters came from New Brunswick and the sunfish from Hawaii but most came from around Powell River."
On a bright, sunny day the Fish Wall is brilliant but in the wintertime weather must take its toll. "We store the items in the garage in September and reassemble them on the wall in the springtime." Cliff said. "And it's no small job," Lena added.
