Meet ‘the Hobbit of Victor Street’

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This article was published 07/10/2020 (1844 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Hardy Groening’s neighbours are used to seeing unique projects in his yard but he’s outdone himself this time.

The Victor Street resident, a self-described “huge Lord of the Rings fan,” turned his front deck and door into a Hobbit Deck in honour of the beloved books written by J. R. R. Tolkien. Originally written as a sequel to Tolkien’s book The Hobbit, the story of the lands of Middle-earth has sold more than 150 million copies.

Groening first read the book when he was 12 and loved it.

“I’ve read it probably a dozen times,” Groening admitted. “The movies … I was pleasantly surprised that they almost matched my imagination.”

Groening has lived on Victor Street for 30 years. When his front window was damaged he decided to build a Hobbit Door in its place. That was the beginning of Groening’s own quest for the precise parts to fulfill his vision.

“It took me almost two years to find a doorknob that was deep enough,” Groening said. “My projects never end. It’s still ongoing and constantly changing.”

The walk to the Hobbit Door sets the mood. Groening’s boulevard is decorated with sunflowers long with a fairy house and little lending library he is converting into Treebeard (a.k.a. Fangorn), a tree-giant character from The Lord of the Rings.

Visitors open a beautiful wooden gate, walk on a curved path and walk up the steps to the Hobbit Deck, itself also curved.

“My father said I could never cut a straight line,” Groening said, smiling.

Groening timed his work well, because he was able to host a reveal party coinciding with the opening night of the first movie. Guests came dressed as their favourite characters, with Groening serving as Gandalf.

“I always thought it would be cool to play Gandalf,” Groening said, looking back on his youth. “Every 12-year-old wanted to be a wizard. Since then I suspect I am more like one of the Hobbits, probably Pippin.”

Groening said he is always working on a project and sometimes neighbours stop by but never directly ask what he’s up to.

“I think some of my neighbours have come to accept this is what I do — this is how I relax,” Groening said.

And his wife?

“She puts up with a lot,” Groening said.

Not surprisingly, Groening is a big fan of Halloween, which he hopes will still take place in a few weeks.

“If (kids) come by I was planning to make a catapult to shoot the bags of goodies toward them,” Groening said.

“My wife said that may create more havoc than necessary. She suggested a picker, so I will dress like a tree and drop treats into their bag.”