The Glass Pavilion

Do you remember the rickety stairs to the dock? Well, every year they get worse... after all they are over 25 years old. This year they are literally falling apart and wasps seem to make nests under one of the railway ties every year. (This year I got stung on my ankle - I think everyone on the lake could hear me screaming; the stings really hurt).

David asked me if I wanted new stairs this year and I didn't hesitate. "Yes." A resounding yes.  David and our oldest son, Phil, went up to the lot the 2nd weekend in July with aim of building a new staircase.

On Sunday night they returned home, tired and a little sheepish. Instead of building me a staircase, they had built me a deck.  Admitedly, it was on the rock where David and I would take our breakfast in the morning, which is a great place, with uninterupted views of the lake and always warm from the early morning sun, but a 10 foot by 12 foot deck is extremely visible.

Here's the bench where we would sit, have our breakfast and survey the lake



The next few pictures show what you can see from the bench. A little to the right is this small pine tree, which we have watched grow from a seedling.

towards the centre is the rickety dock. It is as old as the stairs (probably, that's an asumption) and also falling apart.

A little to the right and you can see an oak that on the shore line that defies the odds and survives.

To the right you can see all the way to end of our lot, which is basically at the end of the bay which you can just see. Hard to spot if you don't know what you are looking for, but I'll try to mark up a photo and add it later.

And this is directly behind the bench. I'm hoping to be able to grow a few hostas and other deer delights here as I think we might be able to make it deer proof.

And now for the deck.

The deck before the rails were put up. It was quite fun sitting on the edge with our feet dangling over the edge. The old stairs were to the right of this big rock.

A view of the deck from the side. As you can see the post is a little crooked. We are having a contractor add a saddle and fasten the post to the rock, so there won't be an accident!

The deck wasn't quite finished. The boys had run short of deck screws and of course the hardware store which had the screws wasn't open on Sundays and there was also the railing to put up. So David and I researched railing options for our next visit to the Lake.

David starts to put up the posts for the rails. Look at the view.

We ended up choosing glass, as we wanted to maintain that uninterrupted view of the lake, and we picked the white rails. In hindsight, I would have chosen black rather than white rails, so the deck would blend in more with the landscape.

The finished deck. Nice view with the dock below!

And from the front. I think we're going to put some lattice across the front and try to grow something up to soften the lines.  And of course pots, or window boxes. The possibilities are endless!

I still don't have stairs, but I do have a lovely place to sit and relax (when I can) and survey the lake.  Stairs will be for next year.

What's Blooming in October

October is not exactly top-of-mind as being a knock-out month for blooms in the garden, but on a recent visit to the Montreal Botanical Gardens, David and I were indeed knocked out by the many plants that were blooming in profusion! It was pretty nippy - single digit temperatures prevailed - and we were bundled up in hat, gloves and snugly coats, but the cold didn't stop the flowers.

Here is a selection to inspire any gardener.

Monkshood (Aconitum) species are famous for their late blooming periods. They go well into late October, and their intense colour and unique appearance make them welcome additions to the garden. Site next to Hydrangea, for a great combination in colours.


Aconitum carmichaelii

Aconitum is famously poisonous. In fact some advise wearing gloves when handling to avoid its effects. This didn't stop the deer from having a good feed of ours though! We were astounded to see how much of our Monkshood the deer had eaten. However, it wasn't completely eaten to the ground, so perhaps the deer had second thoughts after a few mouthfuls.

Asters are common blooming in the wild throughout the province, and we have many, many forms.  They smell wonderful and they are a magnet for bees. Of course there were many cultivars blooming at the MGB, but these in particular caught our eye.

 

This branches of this tiny white Aster formed a dense hard mat. It is very floriferous.

Symphyotrichum ericoides 'Snowflurry' - White Heath aster

This is a huge bunch of asters. The people walking behind them gives you some idea of their size.


New England Aster

Butterfly Bush

This is a nice specimin of a low growing Buddleia, perhaps Purple Splendor or Lavender Haze. Unfortunately I can't read the lable!

Japanese Anenomes are the mainstays of the late fall garden. They really come into their own in October. Some forms are a bit invasive and many self seed, but others are perfectly behaved and have delightful, delicate flowers.



Anemone hupehensis "Splendins"

From the vegetable garden, take a look at these beauties.


Have you ever eaten an artichoke? Perhaps marinated in oil and vinegar. The flower buds are a delicious treat, but if you forget to pick them, no worries, the flowers are also sensational, 

This is Amaranth, (Amaranthus caudatus) a very important grain in some parts of the world. It's also very attractive and many hybrids have been cultivated for use as annuals in the garden.

Rosemary is not hardy in our Zone, but you can grow it in a pot and bring it in when winter comes.  This is a rosemary bush to aspire to.

You can see the scale of this marvellous herb by the bench that is next to it. What this picture doesn't show is that this is but one pot of 3 or 4. They must use a forklift to get this inside for the winter! And look at the blooms all over it!

Here is a Bergenia in bloom.  Bergenia species are usually one of the first plants to bloom in the Spring. Here one is blooming beautifully in October, which leads me to wonder what is the trigger that promotes blooming?  Our Phlox panniculata bloomed in late August last year, when the usual blooming period is May. Hmmm, is it the temperature, the number of daylight hours, the position of the stars in the night sky? I'm no scientist, but I like to wonder.

Probably Bergenia cordifolia

And then there are the roses...


I didn't get the names of the roses as I was far too excited just to see them.

I'm not sure how anyone could not like roses, but there's no accounting for taste (or lack of it). Last year was a very mild winter, and I saw roses blooming well into December in Toronto. At the Montreal Botanical Gardens, the rose garden is 2.5 hectares ... if you like statistics, here are a few that might impress you. There are 100 beds and 10,000 roses of over 1,000 different varieties. In 2003, the MBG's rose garden won the the award for the world's finest rose garden, from the World Federation of Rose Societies.

Although it was October, there were still  many bushes in bloom. The bushes which had finished for the year had already been pruned back ready for winter, but the ones which were still blooming were not yet cut back and continued to delight with their displays.

And finally, I couldn't resist these wonderful grasses shown at their height of gloriousness. I hope our grasses decide to bloom for us, and grace us with their beautiful seed heads.

In front we have Calamagrostis and behind we have Miscanthus Sinensis. I'm not sure of the varieties, but they are all sensational, and to be quite honest, it's hard to choose between them.

Garden Ornament

I hazard a guess that garden ornament has been around as long as gardens themselves.  The ornaments can serve to enhance a garden's beauty and add interest.

Just about anything goes, from formal, classical statuary on a grand and magnificent scale, to tiniest found object; from vast extravagent neo-classical grottos carved from the side of hillsides to old rusted tools from a by-gone age.

Classical Statuary on a grand scale. Here's a formidable guardian of the garden. Boldt Castle, 1000 Islands

Another example of classical statuary on a grand scale. Though not to everyone's taste, there's no denying how tasteful these three beauties are. From a veritable mansion in Toronto.

And a third example, of classical statuary on a grand scale. Once again, a truly magnificent example of garden ornament, this time incorporating the statuary with a water feature. How envious I am! IBID

This beautiful little statue, sitting quitely amongst the wisteria and sweet woodruff, is proof that you don't have to go big to have an impact. From a private oasis on Ward's Island, Toronto.

OK, perhaps a little too large and strange for an your ordinary garden, but you've got to admit it does add interest! From the grounds of the now defunct Fifth Town Cheesery, Prince Edward County

Simple and extremely tasteful. From an estate in Etobicoke.

One of my favorites. The juxaposition of this pendulous spruce against the verticles of the fencing is enhanced by the circular "window" cut in it.  The circular form is echoed by one round ball nestled amongst a plethora of irregular stones at its base, which serves to punctuate and complete the composition. An exquisite work of art. From another garden in Etobicoke.

I've tried to gain inspiration for garden ornaments for Kelly Gardens from magazines, garden centres and gardens that I have visited over the year.  I'm a fan of natural ornament myself.  I don't think you will be seeing garden gnomes or pink flamingoes at Kelly Gardens. But natural looking doesn't mean it has to be boring. Have a look at these metal mushrooms we bought this year in Merrickvile at a yarn store (go figure!).

At a distance they look very realistic. But you could give your toe a nasty stub on them if you're not careful.

Last year at the Montreal Botanical garden in their gorgeous catus/succulent house, we spotted a wonderful use of a natural object which was probably placed to add verisimilitude, but it sure did turn out to be decorative too.

Take a look at this.

This bovine skull is playful, and at the same time very fitting. You can almost believe you are in the desert rather than a green house!

When we visited again this Spring, we noticed someone had added a plant in a very clever way.

OK, so it isn't exactly the same skull, but you must admit it's an improvement from the earlier incarnation. Adding the succulent just adds to the playfulness. Bravo!

Wow, I just had to get me one of those!

Meet Geraldine...

Photo op time. We put her under the Sedge just for fun, but I think you'll agree that she looks a lot better with the driftwood in this garden. She comes in for the winter, as our boys think she's really cool, and we wouldn't want her to go astray. (That's a bit of a non-sequiter. Let me explain - Teenage boys think Geraldine is cool, therefore may wish to liberate her. As we visit so rarely, we aren't around to make sure she doesn't get "appropriated".  Therefore, she's being taken in for the winter.)  When we move up eventually, we will keep her out. After all, I'm looking forward to taking her photo when she's covered with snow.

Geraldine in the foreground and the lovely piece of found wood in the background. This bed is planted with echinacea, and blue fescue with some thyme and sage in the corners. I think the driftwood fits perfectly here with Geraldine.

I must admit I find it amusing (which is better than being outraged) at the price of drift wood you can purchase at garden centres. Luckily we have many dead trees at Kelly Gardens, and the ones that have been standing for a long time are oaks. that's an added bonus as the wood is hard and doesn't decay as fast as other woods do.

So, take a piece of dead tree and put it artistically in the garden, and Voila.

I haven't even touched on the whole world of Japanese Garden ornament, which I must admit we have started to acquire, but I'm very pleased with how our first foray into garden ornament has turned out, and the Lanterns will be featured in another post.

 

 

P.S. If anyone knows where we can get a pair of Temple Dogs, we would love to know as they would certainly be spectacular guarding the entrance to Kelly Gardens.

Thank you Readers

Recently I have been looking at other bloggers' work, and (dare I say) comparing it to my own.  All I can say is, thank you for coming. Amongst all the competition on the internet, I'm flattered that you make the effort to visit this blog.

There is so much eye-candy out there that I am, on the one hand, impressed by the quality and the beauty of the gardens, and, on the other, depressed, that Kelly Gardens is so young and currently not very photogenic.

And yet, here you are, my faithful readers, still visiting to see what has happened at Kelly Gardens.

A big thanks. And perhaps one day as our garden grows you will be rewarded for your faithful visits with some Kelly Garden's eye-candy. When it grows up.

Stairway to Heaven Part 3. The Dock Stairway

If you remember, I had promised to continue the Stairway to Heaven post in Stairway 2

Looking down towards the lake. (If you remember, I used to like to sit on these steps and survey the lake).

 If you turn around, you face another set of steps.

Here you can really see the railway-tie step-building technique.

At the top of this stairway (which eventually leads down to the Dock) is one of our first gardening attempts, the Dock Stairway Garden (DSG).  Over the course of 5 years, David has dug out the grasses and debris between the existing rocks, shifting some and maneuvering others to create a pocket where a plant could be tucked.  The DSG is mosty situated to the left of these steps, however, if you look closely you can see a small planting of sempervivums on the right of the steps.

This technique is called "Developing a natural outcrop" (who'd have thought this is an actual technique!), and I will be showing you our progress in the next post.

Bambi is no longer welcome here

One of the things I love about the area where Kelly Gardens is situated is the abundance of wildlife. I remember when we first used to go up and visit, we'd be hushed and awed when a deer and her fawns came up the drive in the early morning or evening. We'd rush to get the camera and shout in whispers and try not make sudden moves so we wouldn't scare the deer away.

Well, I think I'd scream blue murder now if I saw a deer in my garden. (Does this mean I'm now a real country person?). And I bet you can guess why the change of heart. We have just returned home from our first visit to Kelly Gardens this year. And what did we find?  The deer have used Kelly Gardens as a salad bar.

We really shouldn't have been surprised; after all, we know that deer have regular trails all over our property, we know they get hungry in the spring, and we know that they like to eat. We just didn't expect them to pull up all the adorable miniature Chamaecyparis that we planted last year, decide they didn't really like the taste, and spit them out down the hill! 

Bambi also decimated the Korean Fir, which had weathered a winter and grown a good 6 inches.

Abies Koreana "Horstmanns Silberlocke", planted June 2011

Here's what's left of the Korean Fir after Bambi had finished with it. Picture taken in May 2012.  I wanted to weep.

Here's the Picea orientalis "Tom Thumb" right after it was planted.

At purchase "Tom Thumb" was 7" wide  by 5 1/2" tall (credit, David's data base)

And here it is again after the deer had given it a hair cut. Luckily it is putting out some new growth, which is bright yellow/green.

David is of the opinion that I'm taking this loss far too seriously, and perhaps he has a point. I'll get over it, but meanwhile the fight to foil the deer is on. But I will probably still be in awe when I see the deer in the garden.


P.S. It wasn't all bad news. The deer left many things alone, including the Juniperus communis compressa. This gave us heart, and, more importantly a big clue... Bambi doesn't seem to like Juniper. Let's buy some more!

Juniperus communis compressa 9" tall by 3" wide at planting (May 2011) and very slow growing.

P.P.S. The deer also didn't spot the Japanese Maple, perhaps because it hadn't leafed out yet.
Shhhhh, let's keep that one a big secret.

Butterflies really fly free

This year has been a wonderful year for butterflies in Southern Ontario. Partly due to the very mild winter (which has been blamed for the raise in many of the bug populations) and partly because of the winds, which gusted from the South in mid - April, allowing the butterflies to hitch a ride, we have been blessed with their presence.

In Toronto in early May, there were many sightings of butterflies.  A Red Admiral even flew into a street car I was riding one day after work. (Of course it could have been a Painted Lady, the colouration is very similar, and they all look a bit like Monarchs to me when they're flying by ... except of course, the Painted Lady and Red Admiral are smaller than the Monarch).

Red Admiral , Painted Lady and Common Buckey (photo credit, G. Richardson and A. Guidotti)

Up at Kelly Gardens at the end of May, the air was filled with Giant Swallowtails. We probably saw 3 a day!

Here's one having a rest on the lawn (I'm being sarcastic... we don't have a lawn).

And here's a Giant Swallowtail at the Montreal Botanical Gardens.

Although I loved seeing the butterflies at the MBG along with thousands of other people, I much prefer to see them in the wild.

Now don't forget, if you want to continue to see them, you need 3 things.

Firstly, you need plants with nectar to feed the butterflies. Species plants have more nectar than Hybrids.
Secondly, you need plants that the butterflies will lay their eggs on, (each butterfly has a preferred host plant) and third and perhaps most importantly ... know your caterpillars, because without caterpillars there will be no butterflies!

Painted Lady Caterpillar

Common Buckeye Caterpillar

Red Admiral Caterpillar

And the Giant Swallowtail caterpillar is so ugly, I don't want to post a picture of it. Call me squeamish, but I'm not fond of bugs.   It looks a bit like bird poop, except when it gets threatened and then it extends these red horns and gives off a nasty scent. And this ugly duckling becomes an exquisite butterfly. Go figure.