My son named it the ‘mosquito trap’ and he wasn’t wrong. The small pool of water in a depression in one of the large boulders on the lake side of York House was a perfect place for mosquitoes to breed. But the watery space was also an opportunity. The question, though, was how…
My garden is one of the true pleasures of my life. When I moved into my new house about a year and a half ago, the garden’s potential excited me, but I knew that I needed time to assess how to develop it to its best advantage. Enormous glacial boulders surround the house, protecting it…
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…
I’ve been living at York House for almost three weeks now, and I’m loving it. Almost every day I’ve spent time looking out the windows and walking around the house, trying to understand what the land has to offer. The most prominent feature is the view of Lake Massawippi. But competing for star…
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. Apologies if you are reading it for the second time! I’ve edited it slightly. It was a busy summer! We held three very successful open garden days, all to benefit the…