Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Canoe Cove Garden Tour

So I may have told you folks that I was NOT attending the garden tour this year.  And really, I wasn't supposed to.  I was supposed to be camping in Nova Scotia.  But that was not meant to be as somebody's back protested such a trip.

So garden tour it was and I'm really glad I didn't miss it.  Holy crap there's some nice gardens around here.  I was simultaneously really really excited and then totally ashamed of my own garden.  I know our gardeners have been working their butts off to prepare for this but not a weed was to be seen!!  Perfect edging, waterfalls, beautiful containers - they had it all.  I came home excited to do some work and utterly embarassed by my state of affairs.  I got weeds and then some.

Overwhelmingly what strikes me about people's gardens is the personality.  I love love LOVED the details that made these places unique.  The first garden I took in was a country property complete with barn and horses.

Flowers were literally everywhere with window boxes decorating this barn
Flower beds were nestled under a canopy of trees and quirky fun details like this miniature wicker set caught my attention.


An artistic soul lives here I think.  Old carriage wheels, water pumps, and bird houses all caught my eye as I toured around.


My one wish is that I could have spent more time here.  With six gardens to tour I felt like I rushed a bit trying to see everything.

There was even a tree swing!
Every corner of the property was adorned with details and I could have used a whole afternoon to take it all in.


Even the shed was beautiful for pete's sake.

The next garden is also a rural property that features a barn but this property is waterside.

Now THAT'S a barn!
Silly me, seems I was too busy photographing the barn and didn't get a shot of the water.  oops.

Again, the details caught my eye.  Two little children rowing silently through a bed of thyme.


Bird houses aplenty with more birds than I could name visiting them.  These little houses are made by the owners and decorated in exquisite detail.


Some details made me stop and take note.  Orange rudbeckia paired with the blue grey tones of echinops.  This was a WOW colour combination that I intend to find a place for in my own garden.


Also interesting was seeing plants I already own.  In the photo below there is a large plant situated between the hosta and the hydrangea.  It's cushion spurge.  I purchased a couple of these plants a year ago and right now they are quite small in my garden.  I had assumed, incorrectly, that they would stay small.  Seeing this plant grow a couple feet high in someone else's garden made me realize I need to rethink arrangements in my own garden.


And that concludes this portion of the garden tour for today.  There are many more photos to sort through and four more gardens to go so hang in there while I get myself organized and I'll be back with more.

16 comments:

Curbstone Valley Farm said...

Wholly moley, what I couldn't do with a barn that big! It's enormous! I could probably live in that, with plenty of room to spare for the goats ;)

Laurrie said...

How great that the personalities of these gardens were so evident. I love that. Sometimes around here we get "perfection gardens" on tour -- the professionally built garden that is so very tasteful, but lacks the kind of personality you saw on your tour. I'm glad to see they had real and fun gardens for you to visit!

Lisa at Greenbow said...

Those personalities are what lead us through gardens. Everyone is different. I am glad sore backs didn't keep you away from the tour.

Optimistic Existentialist said...

What a beautiful tour you took us on with these pictures. I truly love how unique all of these are. I really dig the bird houses!

Gardeningbren said...

Oh I enjoyed that!! The orange rudbeckia is quite stunning.

Anonymous said...

Many fun ideas. I too love that barn, I would have so many horses. The little shed was cute too.

Rose said...

Sorry that your trip got cancelled, but glad you were able to make the garden tour, Marguerite. I love garden tours, but like you, I always come home a little embarrassed at the state of my own garden. But the best part is coming home with some new ideas. Love all the whimsical touches in these two!

By the way, I have so many pictures of a couple of garden tours I took this summer that I haven't even gotten around to posting. I keep thinking maybe that will give me something to write about this winter:)

Casa Mariposa said...

I love gardens that are a bit funky and express the personality of the gardener. Looks like a fun tour. :o)

HolleyGarden said...

Well, a garden tour is a great condolence prize! I love the tree swing! I wish I had a tree large enough to hold one. And the children rowing is such a sweet statue. I have made the same realization on plants - thinking that they would be small, when in reality they are quite large! I know close ups are nice, but sometimes we need a bit of a frame of reference!

Janet, The Queen of Seaford said...

Hope you didn't miss going on your trip too much. Looks like the garden tour was lots of fun.

Pat Hatt said...

Nice shots and quite the garden tour. That last bird house is a good one.

Jennifer said...

Some great ideas! I pinned the shed (love the color and the heart wreath) and the pump container planting. The birdhouses are adorable too.

Marguerite said...

Clare, I love that barn. simply love it. Just as nice inside too. Wish I had one of my own.

Marguerite said...

Lisa, it was my husband's sore back so luckily I've been free to garden as I please :)

Marguerite said...

Brenda, I love that rudbeckia and am incredibly lucky to have some of my own. I was gifted with some seed and while most of the flowers are yellow, there's one or two orange plants that I'm going to try and grow out.

Marguerite said...

It was so great to see some plants in their mature state. I saw a baptisia as well that blew me away. Had no idea they would get so big.