On a recent garden tour, hosted by the Toronto Botanical Gardens, I was intrigued by a property described in the tour brochure as a reverse ravine garden. Now, I’ve always assumed that ravines only went in one direction–down. But having walked into my very first reverse ravine garden (thank you, TBG!), I now know that…
Every once in a while I’ll come across a garden decor or design idea that makes me think “Why didn’t I think of that!” Usually it’s an idea that’s shockingly simple yet brings on loads of drama. View-framing wreaths are one of those ideas. I love plain old door-hung wreaths, of course. They’re so cheering;…
I’m writing this post with my right arm in a cast from knuckles to elbow. Typing, needless to say, has become a lumpy process. C’est la vie. I love exploring the world of gardening and blogging about it so I’m pressing on. Just slower. Way slower. This, combined with new shocking realities reverberating through the…
I think I have a memory of first seeing fireflies when I was a child wandering through a slightly wild garden on a hot summer’s evening somewhere in Ontario. I have to admit, though, that said ‘memory’ may be more of what psychologists call waking dream wish fulfillment. I’ve always really, really wanted to see…
Yes, it’s a little early to start talking about mowing the lawn. In parts of Ontario, upwards of 10 feet of snow will have to melt away first. But something exciting in the world of mowing has been reported and I just had to share. Really. A large swath of grass lawn at Chanticleer, Pennsylvania,…
I have a couple of Cup Plants growing in amongst wild grasses and Blue Flag Irises, down by the water’s edge of the small lake where we live in southern Ontario. A garden this is not. I added the irises and the Cups in an attempt to add a little colour to the one and…
Itching for something to do now that the garden is on autopilot and we’re gliding into the last days of summer? Now’s the perfect time for a garden shed makeover. Here are five awesome inspirations I discovered on my recent travels, snooping in other people’s awesome gardens. Palladian folly You can’t really even call this…
The weather has been “hotter than the hubs of hell” (as my guy likes to say) but that hasn’t stopped us from partying merrily with friends from near and far. Our cottage was made for entertaining and hosting overnight guests and we take full advantage. Which means that as our guests are getting my enthusiastic…
Streptocarpus sounds like the kind of throat infection you really want to avoid but it’s the deceiving name of one of my favourite little houseplants–one that can outshine a lot of outdoors plants in the summer garden as well. And that’s not all. My weathered Streptocarpus after a recent rainstorm in mid-July. A relative of…
Plants in containers are to a garden what spices are to a stew. They add a little extra zing. But when you want to kick that zing up a few notches, that’s where the art of the container display comes in. Simply gather up your potted plants and arrange them in a grouping for maximum…
I’m seeing a theme this summer and I’m loving it–brilliant flowers in colours as hot as the summer sun. Forget your romantic pastels and delicate watercolour-esque beds. Bring on the eye-watering brights. A hot summer flower bed of lilies and bright pink Rose Campion (Lychnis coronaria). I saw a lot of gorgeously clashing blooms on…
I love squirrels. Don’t get me wrong. They can be pretty cute. We’ve got a whole new spring crop of them living their best young lives in and around our back deck and their antics can be pretty entertaining. Until they get into my container plantings. Then, the love is gone. I was perusing some…
Just weeks ago, weather forecasts for warm sunny days were about as reliable as a used lawn mower at a yard sale (and yet so full of promise). And now? The heat is on. If you’re interested in bringing a touch of coolness–real or imagined–to your garden regardless of its size, I have some suggestions.…
One of my favourite flowering plants native to Canada is blooming its heart out right now. The Blue Flag Iris (Iris versicolor) is a semi-aquatic rhizomatous perennial that can be found in the wild from Southern Manitoba eastward into the Atlantic provinces. It blooms from May through July adding small explosions of vivid purplish blue…
For folks who love a little order in their lives, there is something very soothing about the checkerboard pattern. Graphic, precise and, well, neat, those lined up squares bring order to any underfoot situation. So it’s no surprise that checkerboard patterns in the garden have been around a long time (though not without some controversy,…
Horticulturist, Arborist and Garden Columnist
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Reflections On A Life in Exile
Saint Andrews Forest Farm Blog
a chat over the garden fence
There's always room for one more plant.
a little garden near Gawler
.....and nurturing my soul
Ministry of the fence 