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…
Opening your garden to the public takes courage. What will people think? Will they like what they see or notice only the shortcomings? Last year, after we had opened Glen Villa Art Garden to the public, I was relieved. People praised the sense of peace and tranquillity they felt in the garden. They appreciated the…
As I prepare for another season at Glen Villa Art Garden, I’ve been thinking about other gardens I’ve visited. What lessons can I take from them, that I can adapt and apply to my own? Asking those questions has led me to reflect on something different. Why do some gardens stand out as clearly as…
Last week I was in Austin, Texas to give one of my favourite talks, about using art in a garden. I was there as part of a series called Garden Spark, arranged by writer and gardener extraordinaire, Pam Penick. (You can find her regular blogs at www.penick.net/digging) The talk was held outdoors at Barton Springs…
My first blog post appeared in January, 2013. I had so much to say then, so many thoughts about gardens and garden design, that for many years I posted weekly. Recently my posts have been fewer and farther between, not because I have less to say but because other work has been more pressing. I…
Pond, Waterfall, Gorge and Stream The Pond, Dam and Waterfall are man-made, created over 150 years ago to provide power for a saw mill. The Gorge and Stream were formed over millennia by natural forces that date back to the retreat of the glaciers. Environmental regulations in Quebec prohibit cutting grass around the pond and…
Many garden writers include a post at the end of every month that chronicles what has happened in their gardens in the weeks before. I’ve just finished reading one from England that turns me green with envy. So many blooms to write about, so much to enjoy. Not for me. A view onto my garden,…
When I look out my bedroom window, this is what I see. Or what I will see before long. Lake Massawippi isn’t frozen yet, but frozen or not, the prospect reminds me that this is the time of year to look ahead. And to look back. What did I accomplish in the garden…
Memorials are not typically found in private gardens. Occasionally you see a marker for a well-loved pet, like the one below that I came across at Glen Villa Art Garden, my garden in Quebec’s Eastern Townships. Stones like Goldie’s make a sorrowful statement about the past, but they also are aimed at the future, at…
Shrubs are a key element at Glen Villa Art Garden, my garden in North Hatley, Quebec. Unfortunately deer like shrubs as much as I do. So when I decided to plant shrubs in an old farm field to add seasonal colour and to block a view of the road, I knew I needed a fence.…
