Scenes from my Shade Gardens

I thought I would share a few shots of my shade gardens with you today. I prefer shaded gardens to any other having never been much of a sun worshipper and possessing a terrible aversion to heat (I'm very fussy for a Canadian).

Under the canopy of trees and tangle of branches the shade garden provides another layer to the garden experience...the movement of shadow and sparkle of light as they play across the textures of hostas and hakone, the cool breezes that provide refuge and tranquillity, the contrast of colour and flower against a subdued backdrop.

A tremendous variety of plants thrive in shade or partial shade - there is plenty to delight here, much more than just hostas (which I love, but they do like lovelier with interesting friends about them).

These photos were taken late spring 2011...I hope you enjoy!

In partial shade at the side of the house I have this sunny combination
of hakonechloa macra 'Aureola' (Japanese forest grass)  
and Origanum vulgare 'Aureum' (golden oregano)

This small triangular bed beneath two young maples is home to hosta "elegans"
and a new planting of hosta "fragrant bouquet"... love the apple green foliage and
the white flowers are deliciously fragrant as the name implies

This is one of those plants that I look forward to with great anticipation...
deutzia 'Chardonnay Pearls' looks fabulous in light, dappled shade. Sprays of white buds
last for weeks in late spring before they finally burst into full flower for another two-three weeks.
Dainty and elegant, the lime green foliage adds sparkle to the spring garden,
slowly ripening to a deeper tone by the end of the summer.

A Miss Kim lilac getting reading to bloom last spring. She is in the sun, the 

black chokeberries in partial shade have just started to bloom.

Hosta 'Sum and Substance' backed by a mixed planting of
Polygonatum odoratum 'Variegatum' (variegated solomons seal),
geranium phaem 'mourning widow' and geranium macrorrhizum 'bevan's variety'...
one of the best behaved ground covers for dry shaded areas.

 

I love ferns...this is ostrich fern with a pretty maidenhair fern,
hosta and a touch of heuchera for a bit of contrast.

Another shot of the chardonnay pearls with spiderwort
and more of that lovely heuchera 'Plum Pudding'. A foxglove left some seedlings for
me and they are just starting to show themselves.

Geranium 'Espresso' (cranesbill)

A cheerful little perennial (makes a nice ground cover too):
Anemone sylvetris in the spring

I would have to add lady's mantle to my top ten list of plants...
adore the crinkled leaves, chartreuse flowers, and that once established is fairly
drought tolerant and easy to divide...
I borrowed this photo from Pinterest, having no idea where mine are at the moment.

I wish you all a beautiful day!

A touch of light

I've found some lovely ideas to bring a little lightness and a touch of sparkle into our lives. Our gardens deserve just a little bit more than those perfect plantings and rhythmic walkways...we need more layers. Adding lighting is one of those layers than can turn a beautiful space into a unique and stunning space.  Extravagant, modern, simple, homemade...you choose the style that makes you feel like a diva, a romeo, or a child at heart with attention captured by the dreamy glow of candlelight and memories of fireflies, bon fires, and the man in the moon.

What could be more glamourous than hanging a chandelier from the rough and twisted limbs of a grand old tree.  The photos below really speak to my inner princess, this contrast of old and new is divine.

We deserve a little decadence
bring a touch of the indoors outside to create
this perfectly inspiring space
PINTEREST

A rustic candelabra & fairy lights dancing in the trees
create a magical effect. I love the log stools but I do believe
I would leave those for the kids.
PINTEREST

An overhead chandelier sparkles over this perfectly laid table.
I can't think of a nicer way to spend a summer afternoon. 

How fun is this!

Now for a little DIY. With a very small investment and some time devoted to creative play you can construct your own wonderful lighting fixtures. Here are some suitably charming ideas below, a few with links that will lead you to the diy instructions. Have fun coming up with your own project , then let us know how they turned out!

recycled light bulbs make charming hanging vases
instructions here

chicken wire and crystals -
how pretty would several of these be hanging
from the trees or the overhead beams of a pergola

pulleys & mason jars - charmingly industrial
instructions here @ http://www.instructables.com/id/Vintage-Pulley-Chandelier/

a simple wire basket (a clam basket in this case)
serves as a very simple candle holder
http://yourcozyhome

and here's another cute little wire basket
with jam jars and crystals
http://www.shelterness.com/

Go forth and measure

It's a lovely, milder day today with temperatures just above zero. I have promised my chiropractor that I would not over-exert my shoulder so I am temporarily sidelined from working on the front porch. What a perfect opportunity to prepare a lesson plan for my students, which I am happy to share with all of you.

This is really all about the initial planning. When we're designing gardens and outdoor spaces there is a long list of questions that we need to ask in order to get things right. You'll need a measuring tape, a level, a notebook, and a camera for taking pictures. Before and after photos are not only a fun keepsake to leave for the grandchildren, but they are incredibly handy when you are working inside away from the project.

Here is a list of features that you should take note of...



The practical:

• Size of your property - enlist the help of a husband, friend or small child to help you hold the tape measure

• Property lines -VERY IMPORTANT...always plan on staying inside your property line by at least 4-6". If you have a fence or hedge directly on the line your neighbour now shares ownership and could tell you to take it all down. Very sad, but it has happened.



Designer Susan Welti, Foras Studio

• Style of your house


• Sun/shade exposure


• Exposure to winds


• Water restrictions: well or city water, rain and weather patterns


• Drainage...are you flooded every spring, does water run toward the house


• Depth and quality of existing soil


• Grade: are you level, sloped, bumpy (sudden grade changes)


• Existing features that cannot be changed: trees to keep, utility poles, fire hydrants etc.


• Borrowed views - a beautiful forest, rolling hills, a water view, or perhaps a tree in your neighbour's yard


• Views to be hidden - this is usually the next door neighbour


• Utilities ( below ground or above): hydro, gas, phone, water, septic, well...these need to clearly marked, always call before you dig so you don't accidentally blow up your neighbourhood


• Accessibility - wider pathways and raised beds can be incorporated for anyone in a wheelchair or with mobility issues


• Dogs - do you own very big dogs that like to dig, or tiny dogs that could get caught up in the barberry


• Allergies to pollen or bees (this will affect plant choices)


• And perhaps one of the hardest questions of all - how much is your budget

The Emotional:

• Use of space...an area to entertain, a play area for children, a dog run, a secret garden, a vegetable garden, a cutting garden, a pond, a pool, a fire pit, a clothesline, an area for storage, garbage bins, recycling bins, the composter...you may need just one or all of those things


• Desired building materials: natural stone, gravel, cedar... 


• Favourite plant materials


• Do you want it all done now, or can you work with a five year plan


• How much time do you want to spend in the garden - do you look forward to planting, pruning and weeding a la Martha Stewart or do you dream of low maintenance 


• Is this your dream home or are you planning to move in a few years

I know it all seems a little dry, but answering the above is so incredibly important to creating a successful final product and a very happy you that is thrilled to wander around outside, glass of wine in hand, patting yourself on the back for a job well done!

By the way - always check into your local building codes which can dictate how high a fence can be for example, or regulate the construction techniques for retaining walls.

I hope the sun is shining where you are...have a beautiful day!

Who cares what the neighbours think!

I have been thinking about fear for a few days now. Nothing dramatic has happened in my life to make me become suddenly afraid...nothing like that. I am talking about those everyday fears that keep us from being who we are really meant to be, and expressing ourselves as we would really like too. It's that little voice that whispers away "what would they (the neighbours, my boss, my kids, my parents, my best friend) think if I did that." We are afraid of messing up and standing out from the status quo.

How boring is that, how unserving to the beautiful soul that is you.

(Note: I am saying you, but I am also talking to myself here, who knows better and is need of a realty check.)

When I had my fortieth birthday four years ago, I sat out on my back step and made a few resolutions which I believe to be of the upmost importance. Turning 40 was a bit of a revelation. I could be half way through my life....was I proud of what I had accomplished, how I had lived...what would I do differently, what could I change in the next new chapter. What had I wasted my time on.

I decided that I would be happy, peaceful, accepting, loving, and authentic ALL THE TIME. No more sadness, no more regrets. What was, simply was...time to get on with life. Sounds easy enough, and in many ways it has been. The letting go of things that hold you back, thought patterns, grief, negative people etc. etc. etc. is a very freeing experience. 

You have to make the decision that you are worthy of all things peaceful, gracious, blissful, gorgeous, exhilarating and butterflies-in-the-stomach wonderful. 

I know that I have been able to find a much happier balance in my life by deciding that I would accept nothing less than sheer joy in my life... and I am cherishing simpler rules. 

But I am human, and a girl, and the sun has not been around for a week (which is my excuse at the moment for letting things get to me.)

It all started with the front porch. This is my gardening blog, and you may be wondering how fear ties into all this. Here it is:

I have mentioned my home before. By some standards it would be considered rather unremarkable and a little on the small side. But we love it. It had and has a good feeling to it, so despite all the flaws and the work which needed to be done to it, we snapped it up. We've been working slowly away at the insides for the past five years, and I have spent a great deal of time in the back, but I have been avoiding the front yard like the plague. It scares me. Which is silly. And I have had enough.

I know I am not alone. On my many excursions through the suburbs I see a lot of the same thing out front. A lawn, a tree or two, which are usually maple (especially crimson king) or birch. A small front garden which more often than not consists of some of these ingredients - burning bush, spirea, lilac, emerald cedar (because they always go on sale for $19.99 in the spring)...tulips in the spring and garden mums in the fall. I'm not being critical here, I am happy to see that a yard has some garden instead of just lawn...but it is all rather safe. If I could see into the backyards of all those boring front yards I would expect to see something quite different. 

I confess that I have been playing it safe too, by not changing what was already there - which I do not like, and which does not reflect who I am. And while I am confessing,  I admit to you all that I do put more pressure on myself because by profession I should be able to get this right. 

Go take a peek at a your front right now, even in the cold and snow. Does it make you happy? Are you filled with joy every time you pull in the driveway and walk to the front door. You should be, we should settle for nothing less.

I am ready to make a change this year and have started to make plans. My husband is happy that everything is being carefully drawn out this time, I don't always bother to treat myself like I would my clients. They are not done yet, but I will reveal when they are ready. Which brings us back to the front porch.

My winter porch project in progress.

Shortly after we moved in, it became apparent that the front porch had been painted in the wrong sort of paint. By the first spring, paint was flaking off everywhere, it was a mess. We've done a few bandaid, temporary touch ups, a little scraping here and there, but not the total overhaul. Paul and I have talked about ripping it out and replacing it with cedar, with natural stone, with interlock, with trexx, making it bigger, extending it to wrap around the house...we got lost in indecision. The fear factor took hold - everyone will see this, what should we do...

I have decided to keep most of it. The wood is sound and so I began scraping it down last weekend. I'm sure the neighbours were amused to see that "gardening girl" working on her front porch in January, but the temperatures have really not been that cold. The rails will be replaced because they aren't worth saving. I am using dry methods of paint removal here - a good, sharp scraper and a belt sander with the handy shop vac at my side to keep the mess in check. It was a first step and a commitment to finally creating a front garden that I love. which brought up some of those fears. What will the neighbours think by the time I am all done??

In writing this I will tell you (and me) that you must create what you love. Doing what you love is no excuse for bad design though...seek inspiration through the internet, through Pinterest, through books, magazine, garden shows. Start a scrapbook. Take a gardening class at your local college. Ask for help when you need it. If you love to garden, but have no idea how to go about creating that glorious front yard you can enlist the help of a designer to draw some plans for you. Many offer that service which allows you do the all the hard work putting it together with confidence. Many of us will also take you shopping and help you pick out the shrubs, trees, and perennials that will paint your lovely new canvas.

Doesn't this sound like fun?!

Be joyful in your life and let everything be a reflection of the real you...gardens, especially, included.

In doing this, the neighbours will notice...for a garden that is inspiring by being true to the soul of the caretaker is a hard thing to resist.

Have a beautiful day...here's a little inspiration to see you through:

Can you be this bold in they front - of course you can!!
"Blue Salvia forsskaolii fringes a pathway to a bench. 
 Digging Dog garden and nursery, Mendocino coast, California."

Lavender - I do believe I should be living in a charming stone estate somewhere in France...until that day
I can still love the lavender...this is also a lesson on the impact a mass planting can bring.
anthonypaullandscapedesign.com

Graceful curves accent a thoughtfully planted green entrance - notice the hues and texture that make this interesting
Andy Sturgeon Landscape and Garden Design

Waiting for Spring

Winter has finally decided to put in an appearance. The last few weeks have brought us freezing rain, snow squalls, rain, and wet snow....gracefully bent branches, icicles, and trees crashing in the woods. Still not much of an accumulation, we're not building snowmen yet... but I do believe I could strap on my skates and do figure 8's in the back yard.

I am happy that we are finally on the receiving end of all sorts of precipitation, but with that comes  grey, dreary days and wistful longings for spring. Patience is a virtue but I am  not feeling so virtuous this time of year, as my husband would most certainly attest to. To pass the time in a constructive manner I am dreaming of fragrance and foliage and planning the extensive changes I will be making to the gardens this year. 

Last summer came and went so quickly that I simply ran out of time to add summer flowering bulbs to the garden. Planted in spring, countless varieties are waiting to offer a unique and beautiful display to the summer garden. Many are hardy enough to leave alone once planted, a few will have to be lifted and stored for the following season.

I have been preparing my list of summer bulbs I would like to try this year. My first stop has been at online at Botanus.com. Online shopping can offer interesting choices and varieties that are not readily available in the traditional garden center.

For the white garden, here are the lovely ladies who have made the list so far:

Anne Marie's Dream Double Asiatic Lily: www.botanus.com

Polar Star Oriental Lily: www.botanus.com
Love the touch of green

Acidanthera bicolor murielae: www.botanus.com
To be planted with dwarf miscanthus...a nice bit of movement, will lift in the fall

Ismene 'Advance' {spider lily}
Isn't she fun!

Greenleaf Canna ' Tropical white'
It took me a while to appreciate the tropical beauty of cannas - I love the delicate touch of lime in this one and she is shorter than most coming in at 30"

And now for a sweet touch of blue...

Agapanthus 'Blue Triumphator' (Lily of the Nile)
The epitome of grace

Anemone De Caen 'Blue Poppy'
These delightful blue blooms can often be found grown out in containers come early spring...
hardy to zone 8, they need to be lifted in fall. 

Bearded Iris 'Blue Suede Shoes'
Gorgeous, rich jewel tone!

It may seem strange to some of you to think about ordering plants now. It has been my (frustrating) experience that the more unusual varieties can be sold out very quickly. Online garden suppliers will indicate ordering & shipping times in your area, so I encourage you to start compiling a list of your favourites now and plan accordingly.  Some bulbs and seeds especially, can be started indoors 4-8 weeks before official gardening starts...another little something to keep us happy until spring gets here.

Thank you for reading - love to hear your feedback!

A Gentleman from Denmark

The gardens of Claus Dalby

A few years ago we had a wonderful customer who we were always happy to see. She was a vibrant, feisty 80 year old gardener with the most perfect name of Faith. She was sheer radiance and I always felt uplifted after being in her presence. She was an angel... a beautiful, loving spirit all decked out in black rubber boots and a plaid jacket. Her aura simply filled any room she entered.

Truly happy people like Faith are not that easy to find. Today, though, through the almighty grace of the internet, I came across a most inspiring gentleman from Denmark who seems to fit this bill nicely. He is a gardener by the name of Claus Dalby, who has designed and created a truly beautiful garden in Denmark. He is also a gifted writer. 


Dalby's gardening blog http://www.clausdalby.dk is written in his native tongue, and though the Google translation to english is at times charming, and others a little weird, the sweetness of the man who writes it and the gentleness of his soul comes shining through.

I love the tender simplicity of white gardens and was completely drawn to the composition that Dalby has created in his. His use of texture, contrast, repetition, and rythm is masterful and enchanting. The transition from season to season and from one flush of colour to another is a great demonstration of planning (and planning, and planning). 


The blog itself is a treasure trove of gardening advice, plant combinations, and encouraging words. I won't spoil it for you, you really need to grab a cup of tea and browse through it yourself. I am gushing, I know, (and using an abundance of adjectives)...but I'm having a hard time stopping myself.


Here are just a few of the photos waiting for you...

Leveillei  anemone

"Everything breathes peace and tranquility in the garden.

The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and my white doves 

circling around their pigeonholes."

~ Claus Dalby

Iris pseudacorus with spring green tulips 

Lunneria dancing through the tulips

Its a happy day for me when I find something new and different...new plants, new designers, new insights. Gardening is a school that will forever offer new lessons. I hope you enjoyed this post and appreciate your comments and I thank those who have sent me encouraging emails, they really do mean a lot.  Now please go make that tea and spend some time with this lovely gentleman from Denmark.

Crazy Love: Marble and Roses

Rosa 'Crown Princess Margareta' in June at David Austin Rose Gardens, Shropshire, England UK Photographer: Ron Evans

This week I have been tackling the finishing stages of a long overdue kitchen reno. We started a year ago, ridding ourselves, FINALLY, of the horrible 70"s cupboards and hunter green laminate countertop. The wonderful deal making details will be presented in another post.

In my garage, sitting woefully in a corner since last December has been 30 sq. ft. of the most beautiful Carrera tumbled marble. If you are at all familiar with my Pinterest boards, you would have noticed that I have a penchant for the all things white...not a practical choice for a family of nine, living in 1600 sf, that contains at least three rather messy cooks -  but there you have it.  Life is short, and that means we should all throw caution to the wind sometimes and choose the impractical option just because it makes us gleefully happy.

And so I have chosen white marble for my backsplash....because it makes me gleefully happy. 

My love for natural stone in landscapes seems to have logically transferred into similar choices for interior designs...marble, slate, travertine all speak to me in ways that ceramics do not. They have a voice, a depth, a vibration if you will... an organic something that whispers of history and earthly wonders.

But I digress.

I started on Monday getting the backsplash ready to tile in my kitchen. In between, when forced to let things set, or dry, or when I was just plain tired, I filled in my minutes by playing on Pinterest. An addictive hobby this, especially in the cold months of winter when there is little to look at outside. I came across the glorious photo above of the David Austin rose...isn't she just lucsiously beautiful. 

Like Carrera marble, roses, especially the old english varieties and the David Austins, make me giddy inside. I am drawn to them like a moth to a flame. I could analyse and say it is the wonderful crinkled textures of the petals, the feminine unfolding like the petticoats of a ballerina, the divine fragrance that floats up from the garden on warm summer days. It is all of that and more.

Roses, though, are the little prima donnas of the gardening world. If, like me, you enjoy sustainability and work to improve drought tolerance and disease resistance naturally, then these gals are not for you, no matter how pretty they are. It is not a logical choice to have roses in my garden due to the lack of soil, and the aforementioned limestone substrate.

I just can't help myself.

http://www.davidaustinroses.com

Graham Thomas

One of the most widely grown and best loved English Roses.
‘Graham Thomas’ has been voted the World’s Favourite Rose by the World Federation of Rose Societies (WFRS) which represents over 100,000 rose lovers in 41 member countries. The award was announced at the 2009 World Rose Convention in Vancouver, when the rose was inducted into the society’s ‘Rose Hall of Fame’.

It has cupped flowers of medium size; their colour being an unusually rich and pure yellow that would be hard to match even among modern Hybrid Teas. The growth is upright but bushy and very vigorous, with shiny, pale green, disease-resistant leaves. It is an excellent rose, both in beauty and performance.

There is a fresh Tea Rose fragrance, with a cool violet character typical of its colour group.

Named for the late Graham Stuart Thomas, who was one of the most influential rosarians of our time.

4 ft. x 4 ft.

I have three Graham Thomas rose bushes at the moment that have managed to survive with fairly little attention. They are mulched with rich compost and I amend the soil with seaweed, manure and coir.  I am also experimenting with companion plants like yarrow, garlic, white geranium, nasturtium...all used for their bug repelling properties and ability to influence the surrounding soil. 

Interesting is that I have noticed that the rose bush with Nepeta "Walkers Low" planted nearby seems to have less insect problems than the others. The minty scented foliage must be helping, though this is certainly not a scientific observation.

I would love to hear about your rose success stories and about any "magic bullets" you might have discovered.

Until then, I must go grout my tile...and go back to longing over Pinterest photos while it dries. I hope you too will take a risk, and choose to do something today that is outrageously impractical - just because it makes you gleefully happy!