Posts tagged garden ornaments

In the Round

July 31, 2013 · Filed under design · Tagged , , ,

Well, at least half round. 

When we were in Canada last autumn, we found some stone benches for a great price near my MIL’s.  We purchased three of them, and finally got two back to Kilbourne Grove, with another one to return with us hopefully this fall.  The first year we were at Kilbourne Grove we had purchased one of those sets that you see a lot of, a concrete table with three rounded benches to go around them. My best friend had a set like this, and we learned after a dinner at her house, they are soooo uncomfortable. So we bring wicker chairs over to the table when we have dinner, and have placed the benches around the garden.

Can you see the benches?

Two were in the Kitchen garden with one under a tree near the Croquet lawn.  When I had designed my front path (which will hopefully happen as soon as we get transferred back to Canada), I placed a focal point opposite the bay window in the library.  Four ‘Emerald’ cedars echo the shape of the bay window, jutting out from the path. My teacher had suggested using it as a statue niche, but I had those benches at the back of my mind. And now that we had the new, (smaller) ones to take their place in the Kitchen Garden, they could be moved.

So we did,

lots of grunting and groaning going on

and they will have to be moved again when we do the path and the grass comes up, but I am super happy with the way they look now.

This photo was taken from inside the library.

It seems a bit empty behind them, but the spirea hedge will be extended along behind the cedars, hopefully this fall. I am super cheap, and wait until I find them on sale, and buy as many as will fit in whatever vehicle I have rented at the time. So far, 15 have been planted, and I am almost half way, yay!

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Art at Keppel Croft

December 13, 2011 · Filed under garden visits · Tagged , ,

I got sooo many ideas from the art installations at Keppel Croft, I hope you do too.

I especially like the stone balls. I remember reading Frances post on making them, perhaps this summer I will finally get to it, now I have even more inspiration. If you missed the first part of my story about Keppel Croft, you can read about it here.

I realized after I published the post on Keppel Croft I forgot to give you the link to their website. Please do go visit, they have lots of interesting stories.

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Hunte’s Gardens, Part deux

July 12, 2011 · Filed under Barbados, garden visits · Tagged , , ,

Now the really yummy (for me) part.

I am sure that anyone who reads my blog knows that while I love plants, I am a huge, huge fan of decorative objects in the garden. If money was no object, I would have a few of these…

urns,

statues,

I have a spot all picked out at Kilbourne Grove for this,

Anthony Hunte also has a lovely nursery as well, if I only had a garden,  I am sure that I would have spent quite a few dollars,

I would love to be able to bring back a couple of these as a souvenir of my time in Barbados, hopefully they don’t weigh too much, ha ha.

If you missed part 1, you can read it here.

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hortus deliciarum

April 21, 2010 · Filed under garden visits · Tagged ,

Anyone who lives within driving distance of Toronto, could be in for a real treat on Sunday, April 25th. That is the day that Barry Parker, plantsman extraordinaire, opens his garden for Gardens Open Toronto 2010.  Barry has the first garden (and the last) open for this organization, he wants to show people that gardening does not start on Victoria day and end Labour Day, and he really knows how to extend the season. 

He has an amazing garden, full of botanical treasures. Yet it is not a jumble like some plant collectors end up with. He has the eye of an artist, and understands how important strong structure is in a garden. 

At  the entrance, you walk past a circle of brick,

 surrounded by a garden full of horticultural treasures. Your attention drawn to  a lovely gate,you walk past a fabulous bamboo,

and enter a world of fragrance and charm.

The greenhouse,full of amazing species that he grew from seed, is a lovely hideaway in the winter, but you move past it and are astounded by the number of troughs and pots on his back porch. A carefully edited collection allows for a cohesive look, this is not a jumble, more like a magazine shoot.

A circular table by the back door is a carefully edited vignette.

Just past the gravel terrace, a circular lawn is bordered by curving box hedges.

 A number of pollarded trees live in these borders, underplanted with a large selection of bulbs.  I almost fainted when I saw the huge quantity of frittalaria meliagris, they self seed for him.

Through the giant beech obelisks, lies another garden room.

Earlier Witch Hazel “Diane” had been flowering, now under her a lovely primrose yellow Corylopsis has stolen her spotlight. 

At the back, a lovely gate tempts you else where, but this is just for show, adding  an air  of mystery to Barry’s garden. There is a small fee collection at all the gardens involved in the Open Gardens Toronto program, this money is collected for the Canadian Women’s Foundation. So come on out, visit Barry’s garden and help support a good cause at the same time.

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The Lion Sleeps Tonight

October 14, 2009 · Filed under design · Tagged

Am I the only one who has song lyrics go through their head when they are trying to think of a title for their post?

Last weekend when we are up at Kilbourne Grove we bought two sentries for our home. Ian wanted them placed at the front door, where they are quite in the way. I gave in (temporarily, of course) it makes him feel like he has a say in the garden. LOL 

These were heavy, I mean very heavy! They had been at the nursery for so long that the price tag had faded and  no one could remember how much they were. We got them for $50 each, which I was quite pleased about. They are starting to get a bit mossy and I hope that one day they well look like a valuable antique!

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Forgive out front steps, I know they need repainting. They actually need rebuilding first. And I am thinking of changing the design, so it could be a while.  You can see that they have been many colours over the years.

I noticed when I was writing this that the doormat is still there. This is one of those items, that you do not notice after a while. I keep meaning to pick it up and throw it away, but keep forgetting. It has been there since we bought, May 2006, and is growing a lovely coat of moss. Maybe I can call it Garden Art!

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I like his shield, no burglar is going to get past him. I do worry a bit leaving the house empty so often. There is nothing there to steal, it is vandalism that is my biggest fear. But the neighbours are really nice about keeping an eye on it, and, knock wood, nothing has happened yet. And now we have our guards!

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But, I do think that they look a bit like the Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz.  Hopefully no burglar (or salesman) will get close enough to realize that they are just a big pussycat!

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