Garden Art

Here in Ontario it's unseasonably warm today - +13C! I think we broke a record. All the snow has melted for now…until the next big storm comes in from the American Midwest or East. If you feel the urge to get "out there", go for it!!

But for most of us, it will still be an indoor day. I've always said that winter is a great time for planning. Bloggers are used to taking pictures of their gardens but beginner gardeners should also consider this as an excellent form of records keeping.

Without foliage or snow, it's easy to see bare areas of garden beds, especially if you do not cut down your perennials for winter. Could a small statue or birdbath add interest for next spring and summer? If your property is big, perhaps it's time to invest in a bigger sculptural piece that would provide a major focal point.

Where can you find garden art? These days you can shop online, at local garden centres and nurseries, on Kijiji and e-Bay. Local artisan tours could provide interesting and unusual pieces as well.

Here are some of my own garden sculptures as well as interesting shots of garden art I have taken over the years.

When I was searching for my first "quality" garden sculpture, a friend recommended that I try a small garden centre just outside of Kitchener. I had great luck!
When I first stopped by, I found a lovely statue of a little girl feeding birds from seeds in her apron. The tag said her name was "Elaine". She has remained for 20 something years in a border near the deck. She looks great in summer and winter, and since I placed her on a stone slab, she has never cracked or broken, even though she remains outside every winter.

Next season I went back and found a delightful rabbit and fish. I do lug these guys into the garage each fall, because I would hate it if they cracked.

Somehow statues of herons always look graceful and distinctive in the garden. The first 2 birds are from a wonderful store on Prince Edward Island called the Dunes and the gold ones are in my friend Sheila's garden.

My neighbour has put a large clock on display as well some formal white columns at the back of the garden.

Sheila has a wonderful lady with "interesting" hair!

….as well as a very elegant moss-y Lady near the front entrance

Some statuary is downright scary!

Not all art has to be vertical statues. Decorative Tiles are very interesting.

And if your property is vast, emphasize the point with a large……wolf!

Garden Design in a Snowy Landscape

I've talked about how important the many facets of garden design are during the seasons. Never is this more important than in winter, if your part of the world experiences snow and ice.
When perennial beds and lawns are white with snow, it's hardscape structures, conifers, grasses, tree
trunks and shrub branches that provide focal points.

The black bench stands out crisply under recent fallen snow as do the junipers, Viburnum 'Mariesii' and trunk of the Linden tree.

The Euonymus bush does not lose its leaves over winter. It catches the snow nicely. The pussywillow shrubs have lost their leaves, of course, but are strong vertical accents against the white. Elaine is knee deep in the white stuff.

The evergreen yews in the front are thick and heavy, so the snow stays on top of them like a hat.

The gold grasses still rustle against the Mugho pine and the sedum 'Autumn Joy' looks like lollipops.

Here Miscanthus sinensis and the Burning Bush are covered with a feather-light snow.

The strong Pin Oak and the vertical lines of the obelisk provide a focal point at the back of the yard.

Colour on white really stands out - here you see red berries on the Burning Bush.

Evergreens are the best snow catchers!

Even the deck steps provide interest.

So, when planning your garden, remember: many plants die and disappear over the winter but certain ones stay. And if you combine those with some hardscaping, your garden will look good even in a season when you can't be out there, getting your hands dirty  :)

It's beginning to look a lot like….

CHRISTMAS!!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS, DEAR READERS, AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Plants around the Swimming Pool

It's hard to believe we've been in this house 24 years! Well not so hard, really. The easiest way to see how the property has changed is by the plantings. The linden trees and Pin oak are 40 - 50 feet tall and all shrubs have reached their mature height. 

As with all homes, certain things need to be replaced and changed after a certain number of years. We noticed that the (original!) pool liner had begun to leak. Yup! It had lasted an incredible 24 years but now was giving up the ghost. So we called the company that had originally installed the pool and talked about what else could be done besides replacing the liner.

We decided to take out the original concrete decking and replace it with interlocking brick.

We gained about an extra 2 feet of space on each side of the pool and a lot of extra new "patio" space at the end of the pool. All in all I think we are really going to enjoy this new expanded area in years to come! I can picture putting some of our deck chairs onto the new patio part and adding some containers full of colourful flowers.

As with all renovations, once you change the first thing, you often need to change something else.

At the back, because the yard slopes downwards towards the back fence, they will build in some steps to descend to the back of the yard. This area could use some plantings so I started to plan what might be suitable.

I think my best bet will be to stick with ornamental grasses. They have a natural beauty that suits water and the lovely swaying plumes will add movement. Their root system is shallow so it will not interfere with brickwork.

What else? Perhaps daylilies and sedum. Both are tough and low maintenance and blend well with the grasses.

Annuals are always good for all season colour.

I will not plant even small trees because of possible damage to the pool by tree roots. Also, I certainly do not need anymore leaves/fruit/catkins in the pool!!

Probably good to stay away from plants that attract bees…. and anything with thorns.

Any other ideas would be more than welcome :)