It can be risky to review a garden with a big reputation. When that garden is as well known as Claude Monet’s garden at Giverny, the risk is enormous. Will I like it? Everyone else does, so why should I be different? Certainly I knew what to expect: the iconic Japanese bridge, floating waterlilies,…
I’ve been focused so closely on my new garden at York House that walking today around my old garden at Glen Villa was a real delight. Yes, I saw much that needs to be done — when does any gardener see only the good parts? But seeing the garden with fresh eyes gave me…
With warmer weather finally arriving, Jacques, Ken and I have been working on the new garden at York House, just outside North Hatley, Quebec. We extended the border that backed onto the woods, widening it and backing it with a low stone wall. Here is the view before we began work. Here is…
Starting a new garden on a piece of familiar land is like embarking on a journey into a country I thought I knew. For years my daughter and her family lived where I now live, and since my old house was only a short walk away, I visited frequently. So I thought I knew…
The Open Garden Days last summer were very popular, but now that I’m in a new house, adjacent to my old one, things have to change. There are no Open Garden Days this summer. BUT … here’s the good news. You can still visit the garden! All you need to do is gather a group…
If asked to define an Italian garden, many of us would mention symmetry, shades of green and statuary with classical themes. La Mortella does not conform to these stereotypes. Rather, it is a garden with an international flair that sings to those with ears to hear. Located on the island of Ischia, in the Bay…
Because of technical problems with the distribution of my blog, I am reposting this one, written in early November, 2023. I’ haven’t made any changes, so “last week” was actually many weeks ago. This is the last blog I will be re-posting. While I won’t commit to weekly blog posts going forward, I am aiming…
I wrote this blog last fall and am re-sending it now that the technical problems that prevented my blogs from circulating have been resolved. I’ve edited it slightly. Apologies if you are reading it for the second time! 2023 was a busy summer! We held three very successful open garden days, all to benefit the…
Recently there have been problems with the distribution of my blog posts, so I’m re-sending this, my most recent post. For some of you, it will be new. Apologies to those for whom it is a duplication. For the past few years, we’ve opened Glen Villa Art Garden to the general public on…