A Garden Like This - Lotusland

I was finally able to visit Lotusland last September.  It is located in Santa Barbara, and is a private garden open to the public.  Ten years ago, I wanted to visit the garden but it was the day before it formally opened.  As the garden is only visited with tour guides, it wasn't a possibility.  

This is a garden with stunning collections of cycads, cactuses, desert plants of all varieties.  Between Lotusland and Huntington, I saw the most number of desert plants ever.  It was a wonderful experience to see them so artistically displayed.  I could imagine desert gardening after these visits.  

Here is the entrance way with Ganna Walska's dedication. 

More from NOTL Shaw Garden Tour 2014

This was the most splendid setting in NOTL - at the bottom of King Street right on the lake.  Here's the view across the river.

Niagara-on-the-Lake Garden Tour

Yes, the N-O-T-L Shaw Tour was a great success.  There was a variety of gardens - from large to small - but all shared the beautiful treed setting on the lake that this pretty town offers. Here's our first house on Queen Street (that's the main street) on a corner lot.  It featured a beautiful perennial border against the street side facing the house.

Conservatory Water Gardens

I'm preparing an article for water gardens in conservatories. s Both Longwood and the Missouri Botanical Garden have extensive water gardens in their conservatories.  Here is a sampling…the first is in St. Louis, and Longwood images are the next three.

Hosta Season

It's not just Niagara gardens that have an abundant showing of hostas. In Niagara, though, I have found that the hostas in the garden have doubled in size over the last year and a half.  I now need to move some out of the large front hosta display bed. These leaves make beautiful garden images in every season.  Here are two examples.

Squirrel House Gardens - Wall Art

This wall is at Squirrel House Gardens, a private garden open to the public.  It is in St. Catharines, Ontario.  The late afternoon light was perfect, creating a natural sculptural frame for this wall art.

The Photographer's Garden View

I enjoy interpreting gardens that I visit as well as taking pictures that showcase the garden just as it is.

These two images come from a beautiful Japanese garden in Niagara-on-the-Lake.  There is a metal screen fence at the back of the garden, and this Japanese Maple tree, set against it, stands as a living sculpture in the landscape.

Niagara-on-the-Lake Shaw Festival Garden Tour today

It's a perfect day and it's the NOTL Shaw Festival Garden tour.  It's always great…here are a few pictures from last year's trip and some of these weren't on the tour.  Niagara-on-the-Lake is home to many Romantic gardens, so it's always enjoyable being there.

Niagara's Continuing Blossoms…June Flowers

I walked about my neighbourhood earlier in the week and took some photos of the lilac tree next door.  While it is shaped like a bush, it is the size of a lilac tree - more than 10 feet high.  Here's a multiple exposure of the blossoms.

Then I returned to the Vineland Research Station to check on the Paulownia Tree, also known as Empress Tree, but it isn't going to bloom, given the difficult winter we had.  I got a big surprise, as the Cherry Grove was in full bloom - with the leaves out.  I had seen it 2 weeks ago and there was sporadic blossoms, so I had assumed it was winter damage as well.  

The Vineland Research Station was originally a gift of Moses F. Rittenhouse in 1906, and has been contributing to the development of tender fruit varieties for decades.  It has turned its attention to include the wine and greenhouse industries in the last 10 years.  Today, there's a winery located on site - Foreign Affair.

Squirrel House Gardens - A Garden of Colour

Hi everyone,

We are quite subdued in our colour choices in the garden - perhaps we want to have nature take centre stage.  Elisabeth Hilton's garden has abundant colour and here's the first example.  This intricate fence and chive garden is wonderfully matched in a soft pink colour.   

Elisabeth's interpretation of the landscape is both natural and created.  Here's a view of the natural landscape with a rustic bench.

Squirrel House Gardens is located in St. Catharines, Ontario, on 5th Street.  It is a private garden open to the public by appointment - more at www.squirrelhouseniagara.ca.  Make time to visit it this summer.  It is sure to please you with its restored Victorian buildings and inventive plantings.