Last week I showed a tiny speck of white at the end of the La Grande Allée. In that post, I promised a closer view of that hint of white. And here it is. The white crabapple trees along La Grande Allée have finished blooming now, thanks to several (wonderful) days of…
The crabapple allée is in full bloom and boy, is it gorgeous! The long line of trees are stunning whether you look from the side … straight down the middle … or up close. Last week my friend Tim Doherty came over with his drone camera to give a different point of view. …
On Saturday, July 20, you are invited to visit Glen Villa — to explore the gardens, fields and forests and to help support an important community cause. Visit the China Terrace, where an old resort hotel has been delightfully re-imagined. Enjoy the rich assortment of wild life that lives at the Skating Pond. Walk alongside…
According to the official calendar, spring arrived four days ago. Yet two days ago we received the largest dump of snow we’ve had all year — 40 centimeters, or almost 16 inches. A late winter snowstorm is not unusual in the Eastern Townships of Quebec, where my garden Glen Villa is located. Snow tires are required…
Long winters like the one we are experiencing this year in Quebec’s Eastern Townships make life difficult for animals. Deep snow that persists for months makes it hard for deer to find food in the woods and as time passes they come closer and closer to barns and houses. Yesterday I glanced out a window, disrupting two…
Making history visible on the land is the concept that guides the projects I undertake at Glen Villa, my landscape and garden in Quebec. Recognizing and honouring what happened on the land before I came onto the scene is my way of hearing the voices of the past. It’s my way of listening to what the land has to…
This final post of 2018, written on the last day of the year, brings the garden at Glen Villa to a close — for now, at least. August is high summer in the Eastern Townships of Quebec. Insects make their presence known. NOTE: Thanks to Mark A. for identifying this as a damselfly. …
The meadows and fields at Glen Villa are white with snow in December, but in June and July, they are alive with colour. Closer to the house, colours appear in smaller doses. The Aqueduct is satisfyingly colourful throughout the summer. Animals played their part…
On a surprisingly mild winter’s day — not at all typical for Quebec in December — I’m remembering the garden at Glen Villa as it looked earlier this year. January brought lots of snow. February brought snow and gloomy skies. In March, skies began to brighten. April conformed…
For the last eighteen months or more I’ve been working on an art installation that stretches along a 3-4 km trail at Glen Villa, my garden in Quebec. The trail moves in and out of fields and forests, and each environment has its own character. When I started the project, the idea behind it wasn’t entirely clear.…