I’ve had the pleasure of visiting Glen Villa several times with groups of fellow gardeners. It’s always a particularly interesting visit, as I not only get to discover and rediscover a beautiful garden, but also observe the reactions of others during their visit: their surprise and satisfaction when they discover this garden that so carefully and magnificently combines art and history. There are so many special features to discover, as well as unusual plantings and well-integrated sculptures. Certainly one of the great private gardens in Eastern Canada!
Larry Hodgson
Past President of the Garden Writers Association, and creator of the blog LE JARRDINIER PARESSEUX
An outstanding lecture. You presented our students and community with a new way to see and think about the world around them.
Michael Goldbloom
Principal, Bishop’s University
Gardeners are many, plant collectors are few, but garden makers are a rare breed indeed. Pat Webster is a garden maker and the garden she has created is a landscape unlike any I have visited. The layout is naturalistic but the site is permeated with history. The steady climb through woods and meadows is punctuated with stunning vistas, the discovery of hidden treasures and moments of pure delight.
Alexander Reford
Director, Jardins de Métis/Reford Gardens, Grand-Métis, Québec
Your talk was wonderful, very informative, fabulous photos and your topic filled the audience with new ideas, I could feel their adrenalin churning!
Janet Rowley
Past President, Canada Blooms and Garden Club of Toronto
“After all, what is a garden for? It is for delight, for sweet solace, for the purest of human pleasures, the greatest refreshment of the spirits of men.” Pat Webster has applied Gertrude Jekyll’s comments to create a unique landscape. Working with a complex site, landscaped over 100 years ago, she has given it a contemporary interpretation, layering whimsy, art and history. Like the garden, her programs refresh and delight.
Myke Hodgins
Past President, Canadian Society of Landscape Architects
I have seen some extraordinary gardens and over time have developed a discernment about that ineffable “something” that makes a place “special.” Glen Villa is one of those very most special places, not only for its ideas drawn from reverence for the land and its history, but also for the fact that it is so personal.
Julia Guest
Garden Tour Planner, Vancouver, B.C.
Site and Insight is where I go to find superb landscape design for cold climates. Pat Webster’s sensitive thoughts on the design process inspire me to think more and do better in my own garden.
Kathy Purdy
Author and creator of COLD CLIMATE GARDENING