A noun. A verb. A blog.
Show’s to go, you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone. We miss the grand entry gardens like this one from 2011 Helen: First, right out, we support Canada Blooms, and want it to succeed. We know how much goes into it, especially volunteer time (800+ volunteers in 2013). Plus, money (lack of) and […]
The florists’ display was a standout at Canada Blooms. This, by Quince Flowers attracted photographers like bees to nectar. As a daydreamy ten-year-old, I was often late for school. Taking our long walk through fields of wild weeds, time disappeared as I carefully arranged a bouquet of ox-eye daisies and Queen Anne’s lace, and learned […]
Shawn Gallaugher’s new venture Otium Exercise Gardens creates spaces that look like a garden, but act like a gym. A few of the gardens this year incorporated some aspect of fitness and outdoor living. Today’s Friday Idea File brings you ten things of note from this first day of Canada Blooms 2013. With one wee […]
Part of a voice print from June Callwood’s final interview Canada Blooms gets knocked these days for not pulling a magical rabbit out of its increasingly shrinking pecuniary hat. However, one bit of magic it does do is to fund garden projects around the city through the work of the Toronto Garden Club. Past […]
Parklane’s dry stone wall at Canada Blooms 2012 Robert Frost might not forgive my mangling his poem but, judging by the number of them at Canada Blooms 2012, something – or, more aptly, someone – does love a wall. Especially a dry stone wall. Dry stone walls are constructed without mortar to glue the stones together. […]
The VegeQuarium, one of the creative ideas at FoodShare’s Canada Blooms booth Imagine a self-sustaining seed starter that turns the fish poo-ey water from your aquarium into both hydration and nutrition. Not only is that just plain clever, it’s one of my favourite gems from this year’s Canada Blooms – but if you blink, you […]
Surface Deep from the International Garden Festival at Jardins de Métis/Reford Gardens A friend asked me about Canada Blooms, “Is it good this year?” And I replied, “There are ideas worth stealing, so that’s reason enough to go.” It is. Many of those ideas make better experiences than photographs, like this exhibit from Jardins de […]
A garden gate to swing on, lean on, and peek through. An antique metal garden gate painted red is the image that stayed in my mind after my visit to Canada Blooms. It was the entry to a garden inspired by Sarah Harmer, in one of the Juno Rocks gardens. There was something delightfully homey […]
A full blast of spring from the Home Depot Backyard Oasis. Orange, naturally. Despite the full-on colour above, this year’s Canada Blooms 2011 is not a Big Wow Year. However, it is a year of many Quiet Little Wows, the kind that have you thoughtfully nodding your head. Really, the kind real gardeners like you […]
In Spring, cancer societies in the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, the U.K., Ireland and Canada sell daffodils to raise money for cancer research. But here’s something I’ll bet you didn’t know: It all started here in Canada back in 1957, when a single volunteer for the Canadian Cancer Society had a great idea… that grew. That’s […]
Canada Blooms 2010: Reford Gardens always has an individual, witty display. Some in the online garden community are talking about Garden Show Letdown. I’ve got to admit that, of late, the magical effect of our annual show, Canada Blooms has waned. I never miss it though, as it’s a desperately needed green shot […]
Various blurry heads of Garden Writers Association members, with cameras (mostly hidden), as well as the famous head of Martha Stewart Brush with Fame, Part One: While at the Garden Writer’s Association Lunch at Canada Blooms, one of the highlights was a visit from Home & Garden Goddess Martha Stewart. (Read about how our hero […]