The future is as misty as the piece of land partly hidden by the tree branches.

Looking Ahead to 2016

Two weeks ago I looked back at Glen Villa to see what I accomplished in 2015. Last week I reviewed the gardens I visited during the year. So as we approach the new year, the topic of today’s post is almost inevitable: my garden plans for 2016. Announcing goals has positive and negative aspects. Seeing something that is…

The contours of the terracing are visible when looking up the hill.

A Year of Visiting Gardens

2015 was a bumper year for garden visits. I’m almost overwhelmed when I realize how many gardens I visited — well over 100 by a quick count. Some days, I found the experience exhausting; every day it was fun. My year of visiting gardens started in February when I saw two outstanding gardens in South Carolina. Middleton Place…

The tree stood between the house and the garage, the flat-roofed building seen here.

Tree Rings

Tree Rings, my most recent sculpture, was installed at Glen Villa a few weeks ago. Making this sculpture has been more challenging technically and mentally than I anticipated. Certainly it has taken longer than I thought it would. The project began in September 2014 when the top of an old maple tree blew off during a heavy…

The low stone wall marks the foundation of a sugar camp that once stood on this site.

Colour in the Woods

At this time of year, when the startling reds and golds of a Quebec autumn are long gone, the woods around Glen Villa are grey and colourless.       At least they appear that way at first glance. But a closer look reveals all sorts of surprises.     This year, thanks to the unseasonably warm…

The one touch of yellow makes me think of a trendy young woman who dyes a single lock of her hair in an odd colour.

Following My Tree: November

I haven’t followed my tree, a linden or basswood (Tilia americana), since August. The reason is simple — in September and October I was travelling during the time when the Tree Following meme (originally hosted by Lucy Corrander of Loose and Leafy and as of this month hosted by Squirrelbasket) was open. But I’m at Glen Villa today, so a…

The shingle house was designed by Meade White, one of the premier New York design firms of the Gilded Age.

Naumkeag, Then and Now

Naumkeag is one of America’s finest gardens. Located in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, and designed over a period of 30 years from 1925-1956, the garden reflects the desires of the last owner, Mabel Choate, and the skills of her friend and collaborator, the landscape architect Fletcher Steele. Pushing the boundaries of the old Beaux Arts traditions, together they…