"It was in 1926 that Mrs. Reford took up gardening and the reason for this was that following an operation she was advised not to continue fishing as beeing too strenuous, by doctors, but the doctors told her she could devote herself to gardening, not realizing of course that if anything this was more strenuous than fishing since no gardener was employed at Métis. To begin with Mrs. Reford simply used such help as the caretaker could give from his duties, which Wyndham Coffin, who doubled as guardian of the property could spare, and this continued until the end, with the exception that additional daily help was employed." Eric Reford, from a memoir of his mother