Will Large Cottage Gardens like this one Disappear One Day?

"The truth is that all gardens are transitory– more like our lives, less like architecture: we build them to give the illusion of permanence. In this way too they resemble our lives."

from Transitory Gardens. Uprooted Lives by Diane Balmori and Margaret Morton

Elderberry, Black Lace Sambucus

In a brief email, Jane Dykstra told me she was embarking on a whole new chapter in her life and wasn't looking back. Her garden, which had been open to the public for almost twenty years, was closing and the sale of their farm property was about to be finalized.

I struggled a little with this news. How could anyone leave behind a garden they had laboured so long to create, I wondered?

Malva sylvestris 'Zebrina'

This is not the only example where the gardener is retiring from a large, high-maintenance, cottage-style garden. I have already shown one such property this spring, and have yet another which I hope to post in the coming weeks. Baby boomers are getting older and it is unclear if there is a generation of younger gardeners to replace them. All this has me wondering if large, cottage-style gardens might become a thing of the past.

In Jane's case, she wants less work and more time to lavish on her twelve garden children. She hasn't given up gardening, she's just planning to do so on a much smaller scale. The garden Jane named "Carpe Diem" will go to a new owner, who may or may not be a gardener with enough time, energy and enthusiasm to maintain the extensive flowerbeds. Chances are a large part of Carpe Diem may be grassed over.

I love the mosaic that makes use of pieces of broken china and decorative tiles.

The cutting garden.

Annual poppies.

Carpe Diem translates as the "the pleasures of the moment without concerns for the future." The phrase "Carpe diem quam minimum credula postero" advises us to "Seize the day, trusting as little as possible in the future."

How prophetic that choice of name seems given the garden's uncertain future!

Gardens are indeed transitory which always seems to be at odds with our love of permanence and stability. We like to build things that last and create things that out live us. Without a caretaker, a garden will fill with weeds as Mother Nature reassumes command.

Is devoting yourself to making a garden a waste of time then?

Some might think so, but I doubt very much that Jane would agree with them.

Centranthus ruber 'Albus' 

An old tub filled with hosta.

Hidden just behind the stone patio is a little pond.

There are a number of these piles of stones known as "cairns" in Jane's garden. In ancient times, a cairn was a landmark or trail marker. 

Campanula and pink peonies.

Gardening is not a whole lot different from other creative pursuits.

When a writer finishes a novel, he or she sends it to a publisher with fingers crossed and then moves on to write new stories. Same thing with artists. They create a painting and move on to the next challenge. 

That is exactly what I think Jane has done. She's acted on her ideas and given Carpe Diem her heart and soul for almost twenty years. Her work is finished. The garden has given her all it can give and now she's ready to move on.

The rose and iris garden at the front of the house.

Do you see the bird nest? It is tucked discreetly in among the stonecrop sedum.

Rosa glauca has marvellous grey foliage.

Believe it or not, Rosa glauca is a rose you grow for the foliage. (To see the full shrub scroll back two pictures.)

Rosa glauca is a species shrub rose that has glaucous, grey-green foliage. The roses are single five petaled flowers that are slightly fragrant. The tall plum rose canes have few thorns. This rose likes rich, well-drained soil. Full sun. Height: 6-8 ft Spread: 5-7 ft. USDA zones 2-8.

There is a generous deck that runs from the back door around to the side of the house.

The shaded patio at the back of the farmhouse.

A hanging basket–literately!

I am sure you will join me in wishing Jane all the best in her new endeavours. Gardening is a transferable skill, so I am sure her new smaller garden will be terrific in its own right.

For the rest of us, her garden is a good reminder that nothing is forever. So make the most of your time in the garden this summer and enjoy every moment!

The Garden Tourist

Visiting gardens can be fun and so inspiring! There is nothing like seeing a plant in a garden setting to give you a true sense of how it grows, what shape it takes and how it mixes in with other plants. And you're bound to come home with a lots of ideas and projects in mind.

How can you find gardens to visit in your area?

Check online to see when your local horticultural society is having its annual garden tour (For those of you here in Canada, Garden Making Magazine has a list of garden tours and events organized by province). There are also public gardens and parks you can visit.

Here in Ontario we are lucky to have an organization of over twenty privately owned gardens that are open to the public in Grey and Bruce Counties. Here is a small sampling of the gardens you can visit:

Moorland Place 

Host: Barry More
102645 Grey Rd. 18, Owen Sound, Ontario
Open daily for self-guided tours.
Donation box at the entrance.

Our first stop is an architectural curiosity. With a rambling series of structural additions, Moorland Place seems like an ancient estate home, but in reality, the house is about fifty years in age. 

The extensive grounds that surround the sprawling manor house have the mysterious feel of a forgotten garden. On the hillside below the house there is a long rows of regal lions, brooding griffins and a great abundance of little cherubs balancing pots of yellow pansies on their heads. 

In the perennial garden, the unkempt mix of long grass, weeds and flowers feels forlorn and deeply romantic.

Within the confines of the high walls of cedar hedging, the air was fragrant with the perfume of peonies in bloom. Pink and purple lupins were everywhere.

Here a mounds of gold-colored Spirea framed by sun-scorched hosta lead 

visitors in yet another direction.

The garden "rooms" of Moorland Place unfold for the visitor as a series of surprise discoveries. You'll never be able to guess what's just around the corner. The garden feels wild, curious and very eerie. Would I recommend a visit? Absolutely!

Earthbound Perennials and Gardens in Red Bay, Ontario (not far from Sauble Beach)

14 Hea Rd, Red Bay, South Bruce Peninsula

Hosts: Brenda Sutherland, John Close and Judy Larkin

Open: daily 9-5, May through Thanksgiving

Website: Earthbound Gardens

Group/Bus tours welcome

Nursery, café & gift shop

Earthbound Gardens is a plant nursery and a display garden. Garden expert, Brenda Sutherland couldn't have been more friendly or welcoming. We wandered around the garden and then did a little plant shopping.

The fragrance of these old fashioned shrub roses was amazing!

One great reason to visit places like this are the unique and unusual plants you'll find. The nursery offers a wide array of lilies, daylilies and native plants. This purple geranium is a perfect example. It's an old variety called 'Aunty Marge' that is no longer sold commercially. I liked it for its strong upright flower stems and huge purple blooms. 

Check out Earthbound Gardens website to plan your visit and for more information on their free Sunday series of concerts and workshops.

Carpe Diem Gardens

496487 Grey Rd 2, Clarksburg

Host: Jane Dykstra

Open: Monday-Saturday by chance or appointment. Closed on Sunday.

Admission: $3

plants for sale

If you stand next to the sign at the entrance to this next garden, you'll have a panoramic view of the rolling countryside in one direction and an amazing garden in the other.

Owner/gardener Jane Dykstra came out to our car, umbrella in hand, to greet us. Despite the rain, she was more than happy to show us her garden. 

The rose garden toward the front of the house.

The perennial garden at the side of the house.

A pergola and shady seating area just off the back deck.

Bright red annual poppies with the garage in the distance.

 A row of bouquets on a rustic bench.

This is a lovely garden that deserves a closer look, so I will come back to revisit Jane's garden in another post.

Keppel Croft Gardens

504156 Grey Rd. 1, Big Bay, Wiarton, Georgian Bluffs, Ontario

Hosts: Bill and Dawn Loney

Open: 10 am-5pm Wednesday-Sunday, Closed Monday and Tuesday (except for holiday Mondays)

Website: Keppel Croft Gardens

Admission: $3 (Bus tours welcome)

Plants for sale

This was another incredible garden. We happen to arrive along when the peonies were all in flower.

Visitors sitting and enjoying the view.

Love these round stepping stones!

 One of a number of miniature gardens.

Again this garden merits a closer look, so I will return to it in another post. For more information about this garden visit their website: Keppel Croft Gardens.

To plan your trip to visit the gardens of Grey/Bruce Counties, visit their website or look for this map and brochure at your local tourist information.