‘Monster’ hedge in Roxboro a labour of love for 87-year-old Calgary man

Gordon Beck has been tending to the hedge in his yard for more than 50 years. Now measuring 10 metres high, the hedge stretches the length of his yard.

A Calgary man has spent decades quietly cultivating what neighbours now call a towering work of art, one careful trim at a time.

When Roxboro resident Gordon Beck moved into his home on the 3600 block of Third Street S.W. in 1969, a row of Colorado blue spruce trees along his property line stood modestly at about chin height.

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Today, that same row stretches roughly 18 metres and rises nearly nine metres into the air, forming a dense, sculpted hedge that has quite literally grown into the neighbourhood’s roots.

“When I first moved here and started trimming, it took me five hours. Now, it takes me five days because I’ve slowed down and it’s gotten bigger,” Beck said. “I’ve created a monster.”

It began as a simple row of trees that needed tending, it’s branched into a decades-long labour of love.

“It just developed over the years,” Beck said. “I never even gave a thought to what it was, or the chore it was going to be when it got bigger and as I got older.”

Just a couple of months shy of turning 88, Beck — a former power line worker — says he is comfortable working up high.

“I’m used to heights,” he said. “We called ourselves 40-foot labourers, and you get used to heights, so heights don’t bother me at all.”

Beck uses the same safety protocols he used on the job before retiring 30 years ago.

His ladder is spiked into the ground, he wears a hard hat, work boots, glasses and gloves, and is secured with a safety belt.

Beck trims the new growth every year, carefully pruning to encourage growth at the base of the spruces.

He’s learned that by trimming the top, he keeps the branches full and low at the base, maintaining the hedge’s thick, uniform appearance.

The result is a living wall that offers privacy, shelter from wind and noise, and a haven for birds. It’s a natural barrier that has become a neighbourhood landmark.

His wife, Doreen Beck, has watched the hedge take shape over more than five decades, even if she admits the process can be a little nerve-wracking to witness.

“There are many times when I’ve threatened to take his ladders away from him,” she said. “I do worry about him.”

For more than 20 years, family friend Amelia Lam has been firmly rooted at the base of the ladder, acting as Beck’s spotter.

“I’m always watching him, make sure he’s safe,” she said. “It’s my job to stand here.”

Despite the height of the task, Lam says she has no plans to follow Beck up the ladder.

“He tried to train me, but I’m not that strong enough to be going up there… no way I can make it,” she said. “So, I’m just the person down here.”

Neighbours say the hedge has become a defining feature of the area, drawing admiration year-round and especially during the holidays when Beck decorates it like a towering Christmas tree.

“It’s a work of art,” said neighbour Nadine Strilchuk. “I walk by it almost daily… and this hedge is amazing. Like, seriously, I appreciate Gordon’s efforts.”

Strilchuk says Beck’s dedication has helped shape the character of the community.

“I really appreciate him and his wife and the effort they put into our community to make it a beautiful place to live,” she said.

For Beck, the steady stream of compliments is simply the icing on the evergreen.

“They’re always coming by… telling me how nice they are,” he said. “That sort of gives you a feeling of pride and accomplishment.”

Still, he admits there will come a day when he has to hand off the clippers; something he tried before after having both knees replaced in 2006.

He was happy with the knees, but not the trees.

“I was back up the ladder the next year,” Beck said.

For now, he continues rising to the occasion, rung by ladder rung.

“Life is what you make it,” he said. “And if you want to stay healthy, you better get some exercise.”

After more than half a century, his hedge stands as a testament to patience, persistence and a willingness to keep reaching new heights, even as the years also grow tall.