Showing posts with label Strathcona County Library Friends Garden Tour 2013. Show all posts

07 May 2014

The glory of gardening:
hands in the dirt,
head in the sun,
heart with nature.
To nurture a garden is
to feed not just on the body,
but the soul.
~Alfred Austin

16 August 2013

When I enlarged this photo of a canola field taken the day of the Strathcona County Garden Tour, I was dismayed to see the reflection of the program in the window. Today, however, I discovered it again and realized it's time for Weekend Reflections so it works perfectly. What I had at first thought was a ruined photo is now a contribution to the weekly meme James hosts at Weekend Reflections.

05 August 2013

The Last is Not the Least - Strathcona County Garden Tour Finale

This placard hangs beside the gate as you enter the back yard. It's a lovely sentiment along with the chest (that sits in front of the family's shed) seen later in this post. Both touches of home bring the indoors outside, extending the living area.

This is the last home we visited on the Strathcona County Garden Tour. Enjoy.

Sometimes wind chimes are annoyingly tinny but this one isn't.

In the back corner of this photo sits the family's garden shed, in front of which rests the painted chest.

There were a few cherry trees in the back garden. This one is loaded and they are ripe and ready for eating. They weren't offered to us though.

Saskatoon bush

As we prepared to leave, I had to take another photo, this time of the pond above complete with aquatic plants.

Which garden is your favourite? Which aspects of those I shared did you like best? I liked the decorative elements; dry stacked wall; the view from the gazebo; the planters that one gardener had everywhere, including by the garbage bins; the garden that seemed to flow into the surrounding aspen forest; the home that makes me think of Tuscany; the raised vegetable gardens; and, of course, the water features!!! (the links to each of the posts appear in grey. Just hover your mouse over top, click and enjoy.)

I left with a plethora of ideas. If only I could implement each and every one of them! Thanks for joining me. I hope you enjoyed the tour as much as my friend and I did.

http://www.photo-roma.net

31 July 2013

Favourite Feature is the Vegetable Garden - Strathcona County Garden Tour

Now back in Sherwood Park, we had two destinations left to visit, both of them urban lots. This particular garden featured some art by one of the owner's friends (see the yellow dancers and canvas on the fence). What I enjoyed the most, besides the wonderful shade trees and a hammock that looked incredibly inviting...oh and a hot tub (this garden's water feature?), was the garden of raised vegetable beds. Through a rose covered arbor, one enters upon the vegetable garden, walking paths between the beds are lined with landscape fabric to reduce the need for weeding and keeping feet mud free.

Through a rose covered arbor, one enters upon the vegetable garden where walking paths between the beds are lined with landscape fabric to reduce the need for weeding while keeping feet mud free.

This gardener also composts.

So inviting after touring so many gardens in a day...

Anyone want to join the yellow dancing ladies with parasols?

There's one more garden to go.....

29 July 2013

Prepare to Be Wowed!! Aqualine - another stop on the Strathcona County Garden Tour

If you love water gardens like I do, then this tour will be like chocolate for a sweets lover. (I am both, just ask my husband!) A few years ago my son put in a pond with a small waterfall and we loved it! We spent a lot of time in the back yard, sitting around the fire pit which is conveniently located close to the pond. We had fish at one time but overwintering them indoors became a bit of a chore. We also had water lilies...again overwintering required taking a lot of room in the fridge because a pond has to be at least 3 feet deep here for a water lily and/or fish to survive our winters. We had lovely little reeds, a unicorn rush, water irises, and a few others. We tried water lettuce but it doesn't get enough shade so it scorches sadly. The pond was our favourite feature and likely a huge selling feature when we sold the house last summer. (I miss it so much but with all the kids moving out it didn't make sense to keep such a big house.)

This visit to Aqualine near Sherwood Park, Alberta was like a Caramilk bar for me....a large one! I got a good water fix!! I hope you enjoy it too. There are fountains, water lilies, ponds, and waterfalls galore here! My son Matt would find it difficult to leave, had he been able to join us.