Just as a sidenote to your sad news about Mary Anne Brinkman – you are absolutely right about those early issues of Toronto Life Gardens. They are gorgeous! I can say “are” because I have them all, every single issue through all the metamorphoses which occurred, right up until the latest one. (And what WAS it with all those editors which came and went so quickly during the middle years?) I had hoped to bring the first issue (Spring/summer 1996) to your presentation here in Ottawa last fall so that I could beg that you autograph it for me but illness intervened. I’ll have to wait until the next time you’re here – and think of how much an autographed first issue might bring on E-bay someday! My descendents will have to sell it though; I’ll never part with it, or any of the others for that matter.

I do wish, though that Gardening Life would return to its roots and concentrate more on plants and garden design; I’m heartily bored with outdoor rooms in what might otherwise be a lovely garden. My 2 cents worth.

I’m sorry for the loss of some one that sounded to be a wonderful woman and gardener.

Sheila’s comments on “getting back to plants and gardens’ .. ‘rather than “outdoor rooms” really touched a nerve with me ..
I can’t say how much I dislike that trend .. the garden is a refuge away from all of that for me.
I hope that is finished and we can get on with the REAL point of plants and gardens.
Marjorie .. will you ever make a stop in Kingston ?
Joy

Thanks for your comments. I would love to come to Kingston. But someone has to pay my fee and expenses. Old freelancers find it hard to do all the freebies asked of us alas.

I don’t blame you Marjorie .. I would follow that rule of green thumb too ! haha
Alas, I’m a rebel gardener on my own here in Kingston.
It is a very tough cookie to crack, getting in on the “old girls” garden groups in this place.
Meaning Kingston can be a very closed community, in many different areas of interest.
That is why I appreciate the garden blog world so much !
Maybe some day one of the so called Kingston garden icon people will have your name dawn on them ? .. maybe Chapters might too .. with a book signing ? I can always hope ! haha
Joy : )

I googled Mary Anne’s name to try and reconnect with her and ask her advice. How shocked and saddened I was to read your news.
Mary Anne came to view our garden space after we had built our [modern] home and were looking to incorporate a minimalist feel in the back. She agreed to come because she was “sick of herbaceous borders” and being asked to design more. She stood in the middle of the space, and then looked at it from several angles before declaring that she only saw “one way” to deal with the design and if we weren’t prepared to go along with it she would go no further. We embraced her design and have not regretted the decision for a moment. We enjoy a wonderful, private, simple and modern garden which has only been slightly modified and enhanced over the past 10 years or so since she put her mark on it.
We have lost a really talented, enthusiastic and charming woman.