Decorating & Design

May 23, 2013

Beautiful Backyard Gardens

Yesterday I attended the 26th annual Through the Garden Gate Tour, hosted by the Toronto Botanical Garden. This year, the 19 privately owned gardens are scattered within Toronto’s Forest Hill and South Hill neighbourhoods. As media, we had the opportunity to see five of the gardens ahead of the scheduled tour, which runs from June 8th to 9th. Visit the Toronto Botanical Garden website for advanced tickets.

The gardens were all stunning in their own way. I was particularly impressed with the mix of species within each garden. The peonies were absolutely gorgeous — some in full bloom and others ready to bloom any day. Irises were in full bloom too, and the Japanese maples added stunning spectrums of reds. The colours were endless!

I love the mix of tropical plants (Monstera) with more traditional plants, just like in this planter. The height of the Monstera plant and the jagged outline of the Coleus leaves gives the planter a edgy feel.

I also loved the walkway of Alliums in the same garden, mixed with grasses and Chinodoxa.

The garden with the greenhouse was exceptional. I didn’t get a chance to speak to the owner, but I did overhear that it’s not just for show — the owner is an avid gardener and starts all his plants with seeds. The greenhouse complemented the Arts & Crafts-styled house perfectly. It was obvious the owner took great pride in his garden — every aspect of the yard was attended to with care. I love that.

It must be my English roots, but I’m always drawn to Wisteria and Clematis. In the last garden we viewed, this Clematis was growing along the stone wall. It was beautifully pruned to trail along the wall just so. The soft pink was so delicate! Side note: If you’re in Toronto, make a point of driving by the Korean Consulate at St. Clair and Avenue Road — the Wisteria along the iron fence is absolutely stunning, you can get one similar with fencing townsville contractors.

If you don’t already have plans for June 8th or 9th, call up a friend and spend a day touring these beautiful backyards. You will not be disappointed!

Browse our gallery of Gorgeous Gardens for more inspiration.

Photo credits:
1-7. Sarah Hartill