A noun. A verb. A blog.
You are about to come with me on vacation for the next few posts. I hope you’re up for a little travel. We’re going to the West Coast – to Vancouver and Victoria, B.C., and to Seattle, Washington. And we’ll be visiting a lot of gardens. Ready? Our first stop is the Nitobe Memorial Garden […]
The dark blue normal fruit of the serviceberry, along with one infected with Cedar apple rust It seems to be an OMG summer. Unusual things are happening after all the rain of spring 2011 – including a problem on my usually problem-free serviceberry (Amelanchier). OMG, what’s that? …was my reaction on seeing the intriguing spikes growing […]
Clavate tortoise beetle on a chewed potato leaf. Note that teddybear shape on its back. Noticing some pellet holes in my potato leaves, I wondered if we’d been hit by flea beetles. Then I saw what looked like a small fleck of bird droppings on the leaf. When flicked, it moved. That’s when I first […]
Sculptor, Marilyn Walsh, with her work I’ve really enjoyed seeing art by local artists showcased on recent garden tours. In one of the gardens, the owner told me that the goal is to match the right piece with the right place. In fact, the placement in the garden sometimes feels so natural, it’s only after noticing similar […]
A splash of morning sun helps this dry shade front bed Dry shade can be a gardener’s worst nightmare. It’s definitely a challenge. I know. I’ve been a dry shade gardener (on sand…under Norway maples) for 25 years. Many of Toronto’s city gardeners are in my dry, shady boat. But like any problem, dry shade […]
Author/gardener Olev Edur and his book, Ravine Diary Sunday lived up to its sunny name for the Beach Garden Tour. As a change from a photo essay, this profile of Olev Edur’s ravine garden will be the first in a series on some of the gardens… and gardeners… on this year’s Beach tour. Olev Edur’s […]
A hundred years ago, it was cottage country. Today, it’s Toronto’s laid-back Beach neighbourhood, along the lake in the city’s east end. This Sunday, June 26, 17 private gardens in this nature-loving area will be open on the Beach Garden Society’s annual garden tour. From small, intimate spaces to ravine-side surprises, you’ll see some of […]
Roses extend all along the fence. All driveways should be this lucky. Some gardens simply stun you, particularly when they sneak up on you unawares. I stumbled upon this garden gem while walking my dog the other day. Bored with the same old route, I’d taken a back laneway to see where it would lead. […]
What a glorious day. It’s a gift to every father in Toronto – wrapped up in roses, which are blooming their heads off all over the city. Happy Father’s Day, gentlemen! Nature is telling you (and each of us) to stop and smell the roses. Take pleasure in these small moments: the gift of the […]
Hosted on every 15th of the month by Carol of May Dreams Gardens, Garden Bloggers Bloom Day is a chance to share what’s going on in your garden, month by month, all year through. It’s also a chance to look back at your own garden from year to year, to review the changes, positive or […]
With 300 varieties and cultivars, the Oshawa Botanical Garden is the home of the Peony Festival If you, like Sarah and I, have a bad case of peonies envy, you’ll want to know that June 11 & 12 is the kickoff for the Oshawa Peony Festival. Peonies, like poppies, tend to come and go in […]
The ribboned hats and dappled light here remind me of this Renoir Before our preview of this weekend’s Through the Garden Gate (BTW, there are tickets if you hurry), Plant World co-owner Paul Reeves (seen at left) outlined some garden trends, which I thought were interesting. Plant World has been one of Toronto’s independent garden centres for six generations, so has […]