Tuesday, June 30, 2015

When is it a Tree?

What is a tree?

There are times when one realizes how little one knows.  We were in Creemore yesterday for a garden tour.  The garden tour was wonderful with huge country properties that had wonderful gardens and landscaping around beautiful homes. As we drove to one of the homes, we saw a massive pine tree on the horizon.  It was the tallest tree I've seen.  We got closer and closer to the tree and then saw its base.  Would you have guessed it?

Here are more pictures of these 'trees' using the search: 

bell cell tower tree pictures

And here's the story in the town paper:

http://www.thecreemoreecho.com/2014/03/public-meeting-proposed-cell-tower/



 

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

The Statuary

This is another of the Niagara-on-the-Lake gardens that the garden bloggers visited. It was also on the Shaw Festival Garden Tour.  This garden wants to be named 'The Statuary' to me.  Even the buildings are formal like statues.  It took a while before everyone finished walking around and we then got our shots of the garden with all its elements.

As we walked down Johnson Street to the next garden, this little topiary display caught our attention.  It too is a statuary - this one full of whimsy and charm.

Sunday, June 21, 2015

Wild Lupines in High Park Toronto

Today's image is of wild lupines in the Oak Savannah of High Park.  This was a first for me - I had no idea we had native lupines in Ontario.  These are small plants - maybe up to 12 inches tall.

Here's the description  from the website www.highparknature.org:
"About 1/3 of the park’s natural environment consists of nationally rare oak savannah, an open, park-like landscape that contains widely spaced black oaks, scattered low shrubs and a rich variety of prairie grasses and wildflowers. 
Of the over 2 million ha of prairies and savannahs that once covered southern Ontario, less than 2,100ha (0.1%) remain today.
The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources has identified approximately 44 hectares (110 acres) of the park's natural environment as significant oak woodlands. Experts consider the oak savannah at High Park to be "continentally significant" because it occurs near its northern limits in the park and because of the size, nature and characteristics of the remnant ecosystem.
High Park shelters 41 rare plant species, 32 of which appear in the savannah. Among these plants are nationally rare woodland fern-leaf, wild lupine and cup-plant.
Savannahs are dependent on periodic fire to maintain their open character and rich variety of plant species."

 

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

From Here to Eternity

What would it be like to have the infinity pool with the eternity view?  Here's one in Niagara-on-the Lake. This was on the Shaw Garden Tour this year.  Fort Niagara is just at the top right on the second photo.  
Facebook
Facebook
Twitter
Twitter
Website
Website

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Niagara and the Lake Effects

"The Lake Effects" - that's the phenomenon that gave Buffalo the terrible snow storm last year.  The one with the snow that came up to house roofs.

In Niagara, the Lake Effects are/is credited with 'giving rise to remarkable flavour distinctions between grapes of leakier sub-appellations and those from further inland. " Here's the link that describes more about this:

http://www.vqaontario.ca/Library/Appellations/NiagaraPeninsula_Maps.pdf
We've been experiencing Lake Effects with the recent rain.  These pictures show the fog effects at Vineland Estates winery.  Fog can role in before or after a rain.  The third picture is Moyer Road - the road that leads to Vineland Estates.  Isn't this a beautiful country road!
 

Friday, June 12, 2015

A City in a Park

This is the Evergreen Brickworks.  There is just so much to show you.  Today's headline 'the city in a park' is what you see on every park sign in Toronto.  Toronto considers itself a city of parks.

How does this relate to the rusted wall with plants and water flowing down it?  This is the largest map of Toronto.  And it is a living wall.  It shows the major roads and major rivers/creeks in Toronto, and designed to connect us to our watersheds. It is titled Watershed Consciousness by the artist Ferruccio Sardella.

Here is the link to the information by the artist on the work:

https://ferrucciosardella.wordpress.com/watershed-consciousness/

Facebook
Facebook
Twitter
Twitter
Website
Website

Thursday, June 11, 2015

The Aga Khan Museum and Garden

I've seen the garden of the decade.  We visited the Aga Khan Museum and Garden yesterday. I will give you more information on the gardens and the design - here are some pictures for now.

 

Thursday, June 4, 2015

More Country Living

These picturse were taken during our visit to Pennsylvania.  The sheep were very shy and ran to the barn when they say Dezi and I.  The horse, was most friendly, and came over for a visit.  The rural landscape is much simpler than the urban one.  The picture of the fence posts, grass and mist demonstrates this.  



 

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

What Makes Ladew Run?


Ladew Topiary Gardens in Maryland are all about topiary and flowers.  Last year it was voted amongst eh top 10 favourite gardens in North America.  This is the picture of Ladew that most  represents the garden - the hunter, hours and fox.  For those of you who want to know what the Readers Choice top gardens are:
  1. Longwood Gardens - Kennett Square, Pa.
  2. Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden - Richmond, Va.
  3. Butchart Gardens - Victoria, B.C.
  4. Callaway Gardens - Pine Mountain, Ga.
  5. Chicago Botanic Garden - Chicago
  6. Cheekwood Botanical Garden - Nashville
  7. Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens - Boothbay, Maine
  8. Missouri Botanical Garden - St. Louis
  9. Portland Japanese Garden - Portland, Ore.
  10. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden - Miami