The Ultimate Garden Tour.

Yesterday, I went on The Ultimate Garden Tour with my neighbours Scratchy and Itchy in the countryside. Our first destination was to a friend of Scratchy's who resides in a small community called Hazel Grove. She lives on 150 acres of property with her home situated in an idyllic setting. A rustic home that her husband built, I believe she said 35 years ago. It was my understanding that they blocked a dam to create a fairly decent sized pond and a brook that runs right below the deck on their home. While the land was cleared when they built the home, they re-tree'd the property and at first glance, their home almost appears to be a tree house of sorts. The home is surrounded by pathways constructed from wooden slats and numerous gardens wind their way through the property. Sadly, I did not take very many photos of this picturesque landscape.

This is the pond with a view beyond to her home. The lake contains brook trout and she also shared with us that the pond is frequented by the local blue herons and raccoons.


This is a closer view of the same angle. The stream flows peacefully below the roadway and along this side of their home.

This is a photo of a magnificent clematis made even more attractive by its teaming with a smokebush.

Not only was she a wonderful hostess, the three of us all left with a memento from her garden. Itchy and Scratchy both left with some regal irises and I left with some majestic and massive bleeding hearts. I've never seen bleeding hearts so huge. Probably close to 3 feet tall!

From there the four of us headed a bit further down the road to Perennial Pastures, a personal garden that is picture perfect. It is 2 acres of perennial plants, trees, shrubs, climbers and vines with numerous structures on the property, including the mistress' home.

Her home

An awe-inspiring display of hostas line the meandering pathways through one side of the garden. The dedicated gardener advised that she has somewhere between three and four hundred varieties of hostas on the property.

Double Columbine


The landscape beyond her garden


A close-up of the neighbours

A view to the back of her property

Dogwood

Tree Peony

The barn in the backyard beyond the workshop/greenhouse

A closer view of the barn reveals these magnificent concrete leaf casts which she made herself. Several of them can be found hidden away in the flowerbeds and are used as bird baths. A new project to tackle some time in the near future.

The back yard. A workshop/greenhouse/cold frame stands to the left

A border of double columbine

Another charming pairing of clematis and golden barberry

Circling the opposite side of the barn reveals this magnificent climbing......vine or maybe it was a climbing hydrangea? Not sure.

Within the vine she tells us, numerous birds have set up residence.

A lacecap shrub. I think this is a viburnum, but it could be a hydrangea. Perhaps Scratchy might comment.

That concludes the pictorial. You don't know how difficult it was selecting which photos to display of Perennial Pleasures. I asked if I could move in but I don't think she was much interested. What an inspiration! I lost track of how many garden rooms she had throughout the property. Believe me when I say, it was one after another, and each successive garden became my favourite...that was until we wandered into the next room. What a glorious way to spend the afternoon with my new friends here. The only price we paid, other than a nominal fee to the hostess for her time, were about a million bug bites that we gladly endured in exchange for the experience.

Here is a link I discovered last night to Canadian Gardening's feature of Perennial Pleasures if you are interested in a few more details.

I leave you with a photo of the proprietor's co-host and trusty companion Scooter who we renamed, FRECKLES. He escorted us throughout our tour, that was until something else would catch his attention and he would become distracted by an opportunity to play. It wouldn't be long though, before he would return, short of breath, but happy to pick up the tour where he left off.

Thanks for joining us and have a nice evening,

TWITCHY.