Garden tours and the Toronto Botanical Garden

The last of this year’s?tours came through the garden yesterday. I let my garden out to charities for silent auctions so they can raise money. Otherwise I leave my garden to me.? In this case it was one of my favourite outfits:? the Toronto Botanical Garden.

If you haven’t been make an effort to visit. It’s wonderful and particularly good this time of the year. The plantings designed by Piet Oudoulph are coming into their own and you can see just what he meant with the geometric blocks of colour he had in mind.? You don’t always get good ideas when visiting a public garden but certainly will with this one. I made a plant list from it last year and found new cultivars of echinacea, gaura and a few other perennials I didn’t have or know about.

I like the idea of visits and yesterday’s group had it down pat:?? wine, smoked salmon, cheese and lots of talk about gardens.? Then we toured the place. This takes an hour to an hour and half so it’s not for the faint of foot or heart.? Even in this little garden it takes time because we have to talk about just about every plant.

I like pointing out the difference between plants. I have two Physocarpus ‘Diabolo’s and there’s no way you’d know they are the same plant they look so different.? One is whacked away at and it blooms outrageously has a pink polish to the foliage;? the other I’ve left alone just to enjoy the foliage which is a?dark velvety purple.? I adore them both.

I’ve done the same with Sambucus ‘Black Lace’ a gorgeous elder. And it looks different in all three places I have it in the garden.? I don’t get garden envy very often but I sure would love more space.? I’d do this even more often.

The thing about someone looking at the garden other than yourself is you see every flaw;? and I tend to think out loud in the “If I moved this over here, and that tree over there….” mode which must be more than a little confusing.

But I did get more ideas about how to change the garden next year.? And today is how to change?computers since I’m switching to an iMac. Another learning curve is about to take place.

Can you let people know I’m doing this?? I have no idea how you attract people to a web site. One mag editor said “Say outrageous things.”? Oh, right.? Anyway I need all the help I can get.

your marjorie