Friends of the Library Garden Tour - Kudos to the Neighbour

Previously, I mentioned that neighbours to those who garden at Site #2 opened their garden to the tour.  It was extraordinarily generous of them to give up their day to host the hundred or so who toured through.  I'm so glad they did because their garden was lovely, most notable was the pond stocked with koi.  Here are some photos I took but I didn't take many as I was so busy admiring the view.

Lupines are a popular choice as evidenced in the many gardens they were in.

I can't enough of ligularias!  It's good to see this lovely shade and moisture loving plant in the occasional garden on the tour.  Here the "Rocket" sits at the top of the waterfall near a mature hosta.  Have you ever stopped to smell the fragrant flowers of a ligularia?  I never thought to until this year.  It's not at all overwhelming and you have to be fairly close to smell it but it's a divine somewhat sweet fragrance.  Another reason to love this shade plant!

Cascading down a gentle slope, the waterfall is broken into tiers.  Here it flows past another hosta, and lilies.  Ligularia flowers peek into the scene at the bottom of the photo.

My daughter-in-law would love this as an admirer of lighthouses!  The placement of the tall grasses offer privacy around the pond and accent the cute lighthouse at the water's edge.  Koi and waterlilies are plentiful here.

I didn't get a chance to speak with this homeowner as others had  his attention, so I can't tell you if this beautiful pond was designed and built by himself or if he hired it out.  It was magnificent though!  Probably the best pond on the tour and he wasn't even officially on it!  Thank you again neighbour for letting us visit.

#generousneighbour  #watergardentour  #Strathconacounty #friendsofthelibrary #gardentour

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Flowers of Summer

Taking it Outdoors at Enjoy Gardens

You may be getting tired of this tour, after all it has lasted a few days now;).  This is the end of my visit to Enjoy Gardens, May 2012.  Above are three water features.  Note the colour combinations of turquoise and orange.  Trends in decor colours are not limited to the interior.  Embrace the outdoors and bring the beauty of a water feature into your garden.  Big or small, water in the garden is a natural relaxing feature that I truly enjoy.

Above, Azalea.  

Below, Rhododendron.

Snow Day.  If you have to have snow this time of year, this is the only way to do it!

Perennial pansies, just the cheeriest blooms ever!

Above, "Princess Diana Clematis" and 

below, "Rosie O'Grady Clematis".

Above, alpine clematis "Helsingborg" is looking extremely vigorous and healthy!

Above and below, the tree and shrub area.

Above, the Sweetheart Mayday in bloom.

Above, a variety of Norway Maple.  Similar to Crimson King and Crimson Sentry, this is another variety but I cannot remember... Crimson ....

Above and below, Double Flowering Plum grafted on a standard.

More Double Flowering Plum Standard.

Above, shrubs and below,  apple blossoms (next two photos).

Above and below, the perennial portion of Holes.

The Gardeners' Prayer on a tablet.

Above, weeping crabapples.  When you see these in full bloom, you'll understand why they sell out so fast!

Above, Nannyberry Viburnum.  

Below, hostas.

Don't you love the colours of this dwarf columbine?  It reminds me of a sunset!  Stunning!

Above, Ligularia.  I still recall seeing Ligularia in person for the first time.  It was love at first sight.  Look at the leaf shapes, sizes and colours!  And they flower too!  I have yet to add it to my garden, though.  I'm just not sure where I'd put it.  

More perennials.  Coral bells, Heurchera, are one of my all-time favourite shade plants.  Some can be grown in sun, but for shade I love Purple Palace!  This last winter, mine had virtually no die-back.

Bugbane - not just a good architectural perennial.  Did you know this tidbit about rattlesnake bites?  I'm afraid I don't want to attempt it though.  I recall a story my grandfather used to tell about the time he was out on the road by the farm, heading out to move irrigation pipes, when he spotted a rattler crossing the road in front of him.  Since he had a shovel handy, he thought he'd put this one away, so to speak.  Wouldn't you know it, though, the darn thing shot straight up the handle of his shovel!!  He wasn't bit, thank goodness, nor did the rattlesnake live to tell the tale.

Bugbane, a handy perennial in rattlesnake country.  I advise going to the hospital, though, if you get bit!

I was telling K how I find myself attracted to the white flowers.  Iberis, aka Candytuft, is a nice little front of border plant.  If any of you know Brian Gluckstein, a wonderful interior designer in Ontario, he once featured his back garden on CityLine TV.  The only living colours in his back garden were green and white.  He had chosen only white blooming plants for his garden and it looked lovely on the perimeter of his swimming pool.

Lastly, another view of the columbines and a few perennials.  As it is early in the season, not every table is full and I overheard an employee telling a customer that a shipment of hydrangeas was expected any day.  There's a lot to see now, before the big rush that commences May long weekend, but imagine it multiplied by say 10?  What enormous satisfaction the local gardener will derive from a visit to Enjoy Gardens!  Start your Gromance today!