A noun. A verb. A blog.
The fountain garden at Rosetta McClain is often our turnaround for an 18K walk. The pause that refreshes! Toronto is blessed with numerous public spaces, many of which are quite beautiful. You can bet I’m not the only one thankful for this. One of my favourites is Rosetta McClain Gardens in Scarborough, and it deserves […]
If this shot looks familiar, it’s because I couldn’t resist reusing it – amazed at how lush and leafy a green roof can be. Every garden that welcomed our 70 Toronto Fling bloggers in June 2015 deserves thanks. But extra-special thanks go to the folks at the Cabbagetown Preservation Association (especially Helen and Ruth) for […]
My photo is not exactly tack-sharp, but you get the idea. Begonia hybrid ‘Gryphon’ is a fabulous foliage plant Thank you to Proven Winners for introducing me to the fabulous ‘Gryphon’ begonia, which they sent me to trial in 2014. It looks like Proven Winners has since applied its own trademarked brand name ‘Pegasus’ to […]
Installed at Annie’s Annuals near San Francisco, a room-sized reliquary chapel by mosaic artist Tina Amidon Dwelling on things to be grateful for is good mental health practice at any time, but especially during anxious moments when things seem bleak. Right now, the world is having moments. While I’m not a person who finds comfort […]
Like the Little Black Dress, you can dress this up or down – a simple design to emulate Always, I’m grateful to neighbours for giving me ideas to steal copy emulate. That metal tube with its holes looks tip-of-the-tongue familiar – but I have no idea what it is. If you do, please tell us. […]
For amping up your foliage design palette, there’s nothing quite like the flowing texture of Hakone or Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra). The cultivar with the gold and green stripes above is likely H. ‘Aureola’) First, my confession. For me, Hakone grass is a case of I can’t always – maybe ever – get what […]
What fun! Pool seating in a handful of jellybean colours. As my beloved would tell you, I’m not keen on surprises. However, surprises in the garden are a few of my favourite things. The last thing Sarah and I expected to find behind the lovely Georgian home in Port Hope, for example, was this playful […]
Bluestar (Amsonia) and spiky false indigo (Baptisia) at the Toronto Botanical Garden Always grateful to discover unexpected combinations of spectacular plants on my travels. This time, I didn’t have to travel far – only to the Toronto Botanical Garden. Don’t know the specific cultivars here, but Amsonia and Baptisia seem made to go together, don’t […]
Our dad’s parents in the garden, captioned in our father’s lovely handwriting. Why do you garden? In our family, it’s something you just do – eventually, you become a gardener. For my sister Sarah and I, it’s now as ingrained as family jokes, traditions or recipes. We grew up with parents and grandparents who had […]
Planted itself! And kept producing. Who wouldn’t love that? Yes, there are cilantro haters, in a biiiiig way. And there are cilantro lovers. Put me proudly in Group 2. I got that lovin’ feeling for cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) – not only in my food, but in my garden. Because this pungent annual herb in the […]
Thank you, garden, for not being perfect. Thank you for putting up with my sloth. Thanks …for managing to survive, despite my sloth. For reminding me to overcome it. Thank you for offering up continual surprises. Like roses in November. For those sweet doses of happiness, from spring to spring. For showing me what doesn’t […]
Sometimes a photographer doesn’t mind a brightly clad garden writer in the shot to add perspective and scale. We were lined up several deep to take this money shot. Patience is a virtue. Huge thanks go to horticultural therapist Margaret Nevett who, years ago at a Master Gardener meeting, suggested that I join the Garden Writers […]