Aiken House and Gardens

A day or two prior to leaving town on vacation I decided to take in my very first garden tour.  Hubby was already in Toronto and I had the afternoon to myself so it was the perfect opportunity.  I have been to plenty of public gardens before but never a private garden so this was a new experience for me.  The thing that jumped out at me right away was how a private garden is so distinctly that of the person who created it.  Aiken House and Gardens is thoroughly the creation of Carolyn Aiken and her romantic flare jumped out at me from every corner.  Baskets full of flowers, statues, water fountains, tables set for tea, Victorian books and linens popped up in unexpected places and set the tone throughout.

I just loved this chicken guarding the table set for tea

If only all scarecrows looked this classy!

charming cherubs

There's a beautiful day bed hidden in this alcove.
Perfect for whiling away a summer's afternoon

Almost as soon as I arrived I chastised myself for not bringing the big camera with me.  Initially I had not wanted to lug it around and be 'that girl' with the ginormous camera but now I'm sorry I didn't capture better photos of the sights I saw that day.  I also managed to run out of memory space on my small camera and that meant finding a spot to sit and transfer photos to a memory card mid-tour.  Luckily that turned out to not be a problem at all as this garden was full of pleasant spots to sit a moment.  I had no trouble finding a quiet place to sit and muck with the camera.


The perfect spot to sit and fiddle with my camera

I sat in this cozy nook, listening to water running from an almost hidden fountain, surrounded by the flowers of Hydrangea and Astrantia.  I could have stayed hidden there all afternoon, it would have been a real pleasure.  Another Carolyn - from Carolyn's Shade Gardens - recently wrote a post about garden seating and how it not only about providing seating but is also for viewing and can evoke feelings in the viewer.  Wandering around that afternoon that post really came to light for me as the seating not only provided a spot to sit but reflected the style of the garden and it's romantic tone.

Tempting to sit but also lovely to gaze at.  The blue highlights drew me in.

Another design feature I really admired was the use of paths leading you through the garden.  I never felt lost at any moment.  I easily walked from the entrance and through each garden, one path leading to the next.

It was as easy as following the path

A small detail, greatly admired, was the use of the same colour in different shades.

In the photo above is royal purple Jackmanii clematis, lavender and white monkshood and a bluish purple hydrangea.

But perhaps my favourite spot in this garden, the one that made me swoon and say I have to Have That! was this grove of Staghorn Sumac.

The lower limbs appear to be pruned creating an inviting spot to hide in the shade.  I couldn't resist.

This native shrub is so exotic looking, and the architecture of the plant so defined.  It's really eye catching on its own but to see so many in this grouping was awe inspiring.

There were so many details swirling in my brain after this tour.  Plants I admired, things I would like to try.  It was a great energy booster and I wanted to run to my own garden afterward and get straight to work. 

I would like to thank Carolyn for opening up her garden to the public that afternoon.  It was a wonderful treat and greatly enjoyed.  Please visit Carolyn at her blog Aiken House & Gardens to see many more wonderful photos of her gardens.