Friday, July 3, 2015

Visiting the Swansea neighborhood gardens

And now for something completely different! Following on the heals of yesterday's post, with it's colorful chaos, these gardens are rather peaceful. Serene and green...

We're back in Toronto (the 2015 Garden Bloggers Fling) and visiting a trio of gardens in the Swansea neighborhood. I rather liked this front entrance...

As you've seen in my past Toronto posts, the color palette here is quite similar to ours in the Pacific Northwest. In fact this photo could have been taken at many Portland-area gardens.

Lots of conifers here too.

The hanging metal strips were hard to photograph but delightful in person, I believe this the work of artist Wojtek Biczysko, who also did the metal work at the front of the house and the railings around the back patio, which you'll see soon.

Standing at the patio level and looking down. The "white" color isn't sky but water.

Having started my descent I'm looking back up.

I'm not going to comment in the Bishop's Weed. I'm not.

That's a lot of stacked rocks!

Love these...

So very much (also from Biczysko).

At the water's edge, Grenadier Pond to be exact...

Climbing back up...

The patio, with a water view.

I snapped a couple plant photos on my way out. This one is Gentiana scabra 'Berg Blauw' - thanks to Beth (who blogs at PlantPostings) for the ID!

And this as a reminder that I really need to consider using clematis as groundcover!

Now I've walked down the street a bit and we're in the second open garden.

It too is perched on a steep slope.

Hosta (and Rodgersia) heaven!

Have they no slugs in Toronto? Seriously...

Gratuitous peony photo (just because I could)...

This is the third (and final) open neighborhood garden. The first thing my husband would do, if we lived here, would be to remove the trees blocking the front of the house. This kind of landscaping drives him bonkers, doesn't bother me. How about you?

I do love a somewhat hidden path!

This particular one ends in an open backyard.

That also has a view of the pond.

Weigela was another prominent plant of the Fling.

I don't know what the bud about to burst into flower is (iris?), but I love this stage...

These homeowners have a small pond of their own, over looking the much larger Grenadier Pond. And with that our visit to the neighborhood ends, we Flinger's had worked up an appetite and were off to enjoy lunch at High Park...

All material © 2009-2015 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

38 comments:

  1. The tall trees, lush greenery, you can almost the tranquility coming out from the photos!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's 95 here today, looking at these photos I was able to transport back to those cool gardens...

      Delete
  2. I love that garden with the metal sculptures and the stacked stone. It may sound funny coming from someone who has a harbor/ocean view but I envy pond/lake views - there's a feeling of peace and enclosure that the ocean doesn't provide. Happy 4th Loree!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It doesn't sound funny at all, I totally get it! Hope you have a grand 4th Kris!

      Delete
  3. Hi Loree, loved the first garden! You are right it is green and serene and that does it for me! The metal art is also quite fascinating and even more all the stone hardscape. That must have been an awful lot of work and very pricey, too. Thanks for the tour, I really enjoyed it!
    Happy 4th of July!
    Christina

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Happy 4th to you too Christina, glad you enjoyed the tour.

      Delete
  4. Out with the trees blocking the view, but I'll keep and treasure that front entrance. Without the irregularly shaped blue stones in the courses, it reminds me, too, of a place called Jerico in Oxford. Many double takes here ... clematis as a ground cover? not chewed to bits by snails? a wobbly metal fence? that odd pink bud? lily? allium?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Off with their heads! (the trees, of course)

      Delete
  5. Very nice. I bet it felt very soothing to walk those garden paths.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Indeed, although one always has to keep an eye on the clock, so as to not miss the bus.

      Delete
  6. The architecture looks pretty predictable, so plants are fine with me...as long as they are not making the interior dark and gloomy. Gardening on a steep hill may be challenging, but it sure keeps things interesting.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think I'd rather a happy medium. Not completely flat, but not quite so steep. Although the idea of having a slice of property along the water (to escape to) does sound lovely.

      Delete
  7. A great overview. That third garden was my favorite! Do you have bad experience with Bishop's Weed? It was in my garden when we moved here and I find I can keep it under control.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh do I. Some dimwit planted it in front of our house. It took over - and about the beginning of July it would turn crispy brown. Not a great look. To get rid of it I dug and dug, because any bit of root left behind would regrow. Vigorously. Now on the other hand my mom has it growing in the shade on the north side of her house (USDA Zone 5) and it looks great, and doesn't spread.

      Delete
  8. The first garden has the most gorgeous sculpture -- I love when sculpture seems to blend in at the same time as it reminds you that the garden has been shaped by human hands. Thanks for the tour!

    ReplyDelete
  9. The last one's my fave. I love the trees in front of the house, and love that it's balanced with an open back yard, big windows and an awesome view. Also love the "fallen branch" railing down those steep stairs!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh yes, I didn't mention the railing but it was pretty fabulous!

      Delete
  10. Love the hidden path leading out to the wide open garden! These gardens by the pond seem so peaceful.

    ReplyDelete
  11. patio garden furnitureJuly 03, 2015

    Gah, this is just gorgeous. What a lovely little area, you should consider becoming a photographer, these are awesome photos!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I think the plant in bud is Siberian Iris, although it might be japanese either. I really enjoyed seeing your perspective of gardens in a more eastern northern climate. We do have slugs, but not like out west. Beer cans and diatomaceous earth get rid of ours.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Siberian Iris! Yes, I think you're right, thanks!

      Delete
  13. AnonymousJuly 04, 2015

    Wow...the vertical metal strips work so well with that eastern forest. Can't put my finger on it, since I only visit family in far western NY and the mid-Atlantic every decade...but that firepit area and the railings remind me of the east, but how Ontario would do it...a touch of England, a touch of Canada.

    The entry with dense tree cover - I like it. Partly as a desert rat, I'm like a shade-seeking missle.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "shade-seeking missle"....haha, you had me laughing pretty hard.

      Delete
  14. Beautiful gardens--that stone wall with the stairs in it fabulous. Beautiful homes as well, so different from here.

    I'm with Andrew on the covered-up front of the house--no like.

    Watch for snails/slugs/earwigs on ground cover Clematis flowers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hmm...yes, I suppose that would be a problem. Damn critters!

      Delete
  15. Yes, we do have slugs. But we didn't want to include them on the Fling this year. Just because. Weren't these three gardens fab? And "bishop's weed" which we tend to call goutweed is a pernicious pest here -- especially when the variegated form reverts to all green and invades our ravines. Grrrr. Only dog-strangling vine would cause me to growl more.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well I am sorry to hear that Bishop's Weed/Goutweed is just as problematic there, I was hoping maybe it was a nice peaceful groundcover for ya'll.

      Delete
  16. As long as Andrew left the red tree (was it a Japanese maple?), I would tend to agree. Not that I dislike the look of that sort of landscaping. It makes the house appear as if it's nice and settled in there. I also loved those hanging pod-like things at the beginning.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think it might be, and he could probably be persuaded...

      Delete
  17. Oh my gosh! So much gorgeous! Wish I lived there and were as talented as these folks. Lovely pictures of this magical journey. . .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Could a desert girl such as yourself really be happy in Toronto?

      Delete
  18. I love all the green!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Green...ain't seeing much of that around Portland these days are we?

      Delete

Thank you for taking the time to comment. Comment moderation is on (because you know: spam), I will approve and post your comment as soon as possible!