Toronto Island garden walk

The best view of the CN Tower!

Whimsy and charm characterize these gardens. 

Unique twigs are the pillars holding up the porch canopy.

A group of people I am in a garden club with, went for a quick Ferry ride across Lake Ontario to Ward's Island.  Laurie planned on walking along the roads and viewing people's front gardens, then stop at the Rectory for Lunch.  5 yum rating - the food was great, reasonably priced and the setting was all a gardener could hope for! It was a beautiful day and perfect for a walk by the lake.  The gardens on Toronto Island are old fashioned, by that I mean the owners allow them to grow, weeds and all.  They don't get too concerned about maintenance and allow the quirkiness and charm of the setting to play an important role.  If a weed flowers or has a nice structure it is allowed to stay. The sandy soil must be a challenge, so what grows is appreciated. The gardens reveal the artistic nature of the owners. Door colours pop and unexpected sculptures in the garden intrigue you. Someone might plant an old oil tank and decorate it with river glass.  Carrying garbage away from these islands is not easy and in the hands of these islanders, any object can become beautiful.  Sophie has some pics of beautiful annuals she is going to send.  I will post them when I get them

Colour and drama come from the pots on the windowsill. 

The cottage doors have unexpected hits of colour.

What are these?

Winding gates and arbors entice you and make you want to wander in. 

Amazing what you can carry over piece by piece on the ferry.

The owners here seem to all have an artist's eye.

The gardens have an untended charm.

The houses are individual and eclectic.

Big tankers ply these waters.

Autumn Clematis

Autumn clematis 

Fragrant, lush, sweet smelling clematis.  Very hard to find in a nursery

Hibiscus, late to emerge in spring, but worth the wait.

Plant morning glories for beauty in the Fall.

A trellis supports the climbing vines.

Cloverleaf Bus Tour 2012

First stop.  Gorilla gardening in the ditch!

July 7th, 2012 we went to the Jordan and Niagara regions.  We  visited a private garden in Jordan that was the culmination of a collector's life work.  What a garden, full of rare and unusual plants and an owner who was very knowledgeable!

Recognize anyone?

ruffled daylilies

Bear's breeches, our host, David Wootton in his fabulous garden.

Monkey Puzzle tree

Garden tour - Niagara on the Lake

Incredible pond

Roses bloom again

A new addition - morden shrub rose, called " Morden sunrise "

Roses are a recent addition to my garden.  I eschewed them as being too much trouble, but the Canadian roses developed by Agriculture Canada and very easy to grow. They add a wonderful flush of colour in June and again in Fall when you need a punch to invigorate the landscape. I have too much shade for florabundas or tea roses, but shrub roses grow well here.  The Morden series, developed in Morden, Manitoba are very hardy and disease resistant.  They bloom reliably and have long lasting flowering times. They are not as susceptible to black spot as other roses.

Rose of Sharon - my favourite one.

morning glories

Bonica rose