This is where my split personality comes in. As much as I love my friends garden and I wish it could be mine, then I see a new plant that I just have to have, and it throws the whole design out the window.
When I visited this Toronto garden with my friend Barry in the spring, I made a huge list of plants that I wanted. And it was long. And then got longer.
The design of this garden is a typical one, long borders running along the side for the whole length. of the garden But it is the plant material that makes it extraordinary. And certainly the use of colour. While the photos were taken at the same time of year as my friends garden, you can tell these photos were taken in the spring, while in the Rosedale garden, it could have been almost any time of year.
However this garden does have a lovely little topiary feature near the end of the garden, enticing you to go and take a closer look at it.
It also has the good fortune to back onto a ravine, who living in a city would not want this. Look no neighbours, only a lovely sylvan view.
I love this sculpture, perhaps I could DIY something with a similar feel.
A closer look at the topiary feature, but look at the glorious beauty of the Cornus behind it.
This glorious Cercis canadensis ‘Appalachian Red’ had me wanting to dig up Old Stumpy.
This Prunus came from Marion Jarvies garden and is a new variety named after her. Lovely colour.
Every where you looked there was colour. And it was not all from flowers, look at how many coloured foliages there are in this garden.
I shall certainly have to search out this trillium, isn’t she a beauty.
This Erythronium was given to the home owner by Keith Wiley, it is certainly a lot larger then my ‘White Beauty’.
When I saw Hosta ‘Fire Island’ I was blown away, made sure I purchased my own this spring.
And I wished I had asked for the variety of this Helleborus, what great foliage.
And I was happy when she told me this Arum seeds all over her garden. I purchased one a couple of years ago, and I would be a very happy girl if it did the same for me.
So what do you think of my last two garden visits? Do you perfer a calm, serene, low maintenance garden with lovely formal structure? Or a collectors garden, where every day is different? I want them both!
I am a floral designer living in a tiny condo in downtown Toronto, Canada's largest city. But on the weekend, I am a gardener/frustrated architect trying to keep up with a 3/4 acre garden in Owen Sound, Ontario, a warm (to Canadians, Zone 5b, and a cold (to Americans, Zone 4b) garden.
Green Theatre 
paulinemulligan said,
July 31, 2012 @ 4:49 AM
I like to see the changing seasons, but with evergreens as well, yes, you can have both! Such a lovely collection of foliage in this garden, proving that foliage is never boring!
kilbournegrove said,
October 16, 2012 @ 8:17 AM
I am loving foliage more and more, was looking around my own garden and realized that hardly anything was in flower, but it was still quite colourful.
Heather @ new house, new home, new life said,
July 31, 2012 @ 8:50 AM
In the middle of summer, in the hottest july, you’ve brought us a breath of spring – how refreshing. For me it’s the collectors garden – one of the things I love about gardening is the changing landscape of a seasonal garden. Thanks for sharing this beauty.
kilbournegrove said,
October 16, 2012 @ 8:18 AM
Heather, there was sooooo many plants that I wanted after visiting, how can I restrain myself?
Jennifer@threedogsinagarden said,
July 31, 2012 @ 10:15 AM
I’ll take a mix of both: the hardscaping from Rosedale garden and the plants from Barry’s garden, thank you very much. I love the trillium and the hellebore’s foliage especially. Both gardens are lovely, each in its own way.
kilbournegrove said,
October 16, 2012 @ 8:20 AM
Ooops, this wasn’t Barrys garden, he just visited with me, but a member of ORGS. They are equally lovely, I couldn’t pick.
tezalizard said,
July 31, 2012 @ 8:59 PM
Deborah:
You already know which one I am going to choose, so lets move on to the next part of my response. I think the Helleborus in the photo is Janet Starnes…. and yes, when you come home again, we can get you one, or some, at LH! That Trillium, [T.chlorapetalum var. giganteum] resides in the garden that I maintain, and I have been promised one next Spring….. can hardly wait! Both are beautiful gardens Deborah and I wouldn’t turn either down!
kilbournegrove said,
October 16, 2012 @ 8:20 AM
Me either, now you know why I am having a hard time focusing at Kilbourne Grove, I want it all!
Marguerite said,
August 1, 2012 @ 9:49 AM
My problem is I can’t decide on just one. I love features of all kinds of gardens and my love of plants always has me trying to think of new ways to incorporate a different kind of plant. That fuzzy topped tree/shrub? trained as a standard caught my eye, any idea what that is?
kilbournegrove said,
October 16, 2012 @ 8:24 AM
That is my problem as well Marguerite, and seeing gardens like this makes it harder. I went back and looked at the photo I think you mean, I think it is some kind of pine.
debsgarden said,
August 2, 2012 @ 1:45 PM
I like the colorful plants in this garden and the structure of the other; maybe a combination would be perfect! And I wish you knew the name of that hellebore!
kilbournegrove said,
October 16, 2012 @ 8:28 AM
Teza identified it as Janet Starnes, beautiful foliage.