Monday, April 22, 2024

The Hume and Johnstone gardens

Today we're headed back to June in Vancouver BC and the 2023 Study Weekend garden tours. First up is Diana Hume's garden, if I'd been with friends (or not on a tight schedule) I might have found that swing impossible to resist...

From our tour booklet: "This older 1920’s/1950’s 2/3 of an acre character house and garden has a bit of everything; from trees, including the old apple orchard that was originally here, shrubs, vegetables, herbs… many of the plants have been started from seed. There is also a greenhouse which mainly houses citrus trees in winter, seedlings too when appropriate."

I love it when gardeners have work spaces open for us to explore.




There's the greenhouse. I intended to get closer and snap a photo or two but never did.

Those wheelbarrows look like they're about to be called into action.

This garden seemed like an old friend. Comfortable to walk thru, like I really could have just sat down and spent the afternoon.




Wide swaths of orchid foliage (Cypripedium formosanum I believe?) were a common sight in the Vancouver gardens we toured.




Imagine when those plants at the base of the stairs are producing ripe tomatoes and the geraniums, stairsteps, and tomatoes are all displaying pops of red...

Now we've jumped to Delphia Johnstone's garden: "Thirty years in the making, this garden is full of unusual plant treasures that will intrigue gardeners of all levels of expertise and areas of interest. It is a treasure trove of herbaceous perennials, where hostas, from mini to mammoth, play a key role. (there are over 350 different varieties of hosta in the garden)"...

Yes, there were A LOT of hosta, but many other fabulous plants as well.


Next to the front door.

And heading into the back garden...

What an impressive patch of Syneilesis aconitifolia (shredded umbrella plant)!

It's always nice to see Pyrrosia sheareri.



I really liked the way this gardener raised her hosta collection so some were near eye level. It makes them more interesting than just a sea on the ground plane.

Rodgersia blooms I believe.  

This was the last garden I toured as part of the 3-day event. I mixed things up for posting though and there are still three more gardens to come...

To receive alerts of new danger garden posts by email, subscribe here. Please note; these are sent from a third party, you’ll want to click thru to read the post here on the blog to avoid their annoying ads. 

All material © 2009-2024 by Loree L Bohl. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

8 comments:

  1. Both gardens would be wonderful places to stroll. I understand the reference to the one garden feeling like an old friend - both have the feel of being wrapped in a hug. And, oh to have both a potting area and a greenhouse!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes indeed, to have an out-of-sight area to dedicate to those garden tasks would be amazing!

      Delete
  2. Both of these gardens are really restful. The one thing I miss about Vancouver is the many types of trees and shrubs that can be grown. On a hot summer's day the shade they provide is perfect. Love the front door display and the work area too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Glad you enjoyed. I must say I was kind of stunned by the lack of diversity in the plants grown in these gardens. I must be spoiled by Portlander's experimentation.

      Delete
  3. I don't remember ever seeing Cypripedium formosanum. Its foliage is outstanding! I looked it up online and most if not all photos are of the flowers... In this instant, I'd prefer it not to bloom at all.
    Chavli

    ReplyDelete
  4. The pea-gravel filled tables in the greenhouse were cool. Very peaceful gardens!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Plunge tables I believe they're called, very cool!

      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!