A noun. A verb. A blog.
Colour as punctuation: a bold blast marks a point of entry and a transition between levels Bet you’re as fed-up-to-the-teeth as we are with February 2015’s relentless, white-on-white colour scheme. Let’s think colourful thoughts, shall we? Have a looksee at the inspiring ways this Portland garden has used colour – Colour! Remember what that is? […]
Native echinacea (Purple coneflower) and monarda (Bee Balm) attract all sorts of butterflies and other pollinators. This is one native plants for Ontario database I don’t want to forget, so I’m posting it here. Evergreen Canada is such a marvellous nature and environmental organization, and we are lucky that we have a headquarters here in Toronto, […]
A sea of Bromelliads in bloom at Valleyview Gardens I have a new love. Where have you been all my life, Valleyview Gardens? We at Toronto Gardens have been bemoaning the lack of a really good, full-service garden nursery in the east end of the city for years. Long ago we lost White Rose nurseries […]
A little siss-boom-bah! from one of the many inspiring gardens we visited in 2014 – Floramagoria in Portland OR Sending you all a wish for a very Happy New Year – plus good health and great growing in 2015!
An eye-catching swathe of red haws (hawthorn fruit) on Lake Shore just east of Leslie (taken Dec. 6, 2013) This stretch of hawthorns I often walk past keeps the ruby-red fruits well into winter. Have you noticed them? They’re well placed for show against the dark brown SolarWall on the City garage next to Loblaws. […]
A close-up of the bottle paving in Portland-area Bella Madrone garden There’s something magical about glass, isn’t there? Even when we can’t see through it or when light can’t penetrate from behind (like a stained glass window), it still manages to capture the light. As we approach the time of dull days, I like to […]
The one with the red star and the feathery foliage is Ipomoea quamoclit Oh, botanical names. How you confuse us! These two climbing cousins have a network of colliding names. One (with star-shaped flowers) can be called cypress vine (Ipomoea quamoclit but also Quamoclit pennata). The other one (with multiple tubular florets) can be called […]
Hooray, it’s November 30th! Doing a little dance over my last post for #NaBloPoMo 2014 (National Blog Posting Month), and this amazing garden installation is dancing along with me. It’s called ‘Red Army’ and it’s by British artist Ray Smith, on display in the sculpture meadow at Kentuck Knob. That’s the lesser-known brother of Frank […]
You’re lucky if you have frogs in your garden. They help keep down the bugs. Even metal ones. Frogs and toads, like ferns, usually prefer moist spaces. (You can help by offering them a toad house for shelter from hot, baking sunshine. Make one easily using a broken plant pot, set on its side like […]
The patio in the garden of sculptor Birgit Piskor was actually used to play checkers when this was her childhood home. I love how she kept it when she returned home and made her garden. When the rain and sleet and snow come tomorrow, this is where I’ll be sitting in my mind. Join me?
Easy to see why Epiphyllum anguliger is also called the zigzag, ric rac or fishbone cactus I’ve had a crush on this plant in the Allan Gardens cactus house for ages. A big crush. Look at those cool leaves! Well, not leaves, actually – as these are in the cactus family, they’re flat, zigzaggy stems, […]
An almost-panoramic view of a Pittsburgh driveway that doubles as an entry courtyard. Nice to see a driveway that paving choice and framing makes both doubly functional and beautiful Of course, my whole garden would fit into this many times over. Still. Inspiring.