Welcome to the GVAG Blog

The Upper Room is pristine in the morning light.

The Upper Room in Winter

The Upper Room is as glorious in winter as it is in spring, summer and fall. The highlight in every season is the beautiful screen outlining the bare branches of a dogwood tree.     Drawn by the Montreal artist Mary Martha Guy, the tree branches become more starkly striking with the late afternoon sun…

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This view shows the Aqueduct shortly after it was completed in September 2014.

Congratulations!

I’m happy to share some very good news — the Aqueduct at Glen Villa is the winner of the grand prize for design in the residential category at ADIQ, the Quebec industrial designers association.     This prestigious prize recognizes the work of designer and friend Eric Fleury, of the landscape architecture firm, Hodgins and Associates…

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It

Yearning for Spring

It’s grey and nasty today and all I can think about is spring. I know it will come but its arrival seems a long way away. So instead of moaning, I’m dreaming of snowdrops …     and crocus …     and buds beginning to bloom.     I’m dreaming of stretching out on the…

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Tropical Foliage (and a little bit more)

It’s fascinating to see plants you think of as house plants growing outside. During a recent trip to Florida, I visited a friend and took a quick walk around her garden. The colours and textures were astonishing.     I can’t name any of the plants, although they may be familiar to those of you…

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The Angel Oak is named after a family,

More Memorable Trees

I love trees. Not surprisingly, many of my favourites are in my own garden, Glen Villa, and I wrote about some of them here.  But in my travels, I’ve come across many other special trees, and they stand out in my memory for different reasons. One I remember because of its size. The Angel Oak,…

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