Let’s go back to June and the Garden Bloggers Fling in Toronto...
On Sunday morning we set off for a “pre-opening preview” of the annual "Hidden Gardens and Private Spaces of Cabbagetown" garden tour. We weren’t allowed access to all the gardens open later that day, but a select few. Are you curious about the name? “Cabbagetown's name derives from the Irish immigrants who moved to the neighbourhood beginning in the late 1840s, said to have been so poor that they grew cabbage in their front yards.” (source) Cabbages in the front yard!? (the horror!)...What sounds like was frowned upon then is the height of hipness in Portland these days!
A few scenes from the gardens we visited, in no particular order because, well, I can’t remember what was what…it’s all run together...
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There's an idea here for me (different metal finish and different plant choices)...something to think on...
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This scene is so very "East Coast" to my West Coast eyes...
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This is more familiar.
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Sometimes you've got to make adjustments.
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That's a big planter!
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It was huge...
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The contents.
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The horizontal slats disguise a carport, brilliant eh?
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The car is in the garden, basically, but you don't see it. Of course I'd be tempted to grow a vine or two...
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After finishing up in the neighborhood we walked on to tour a green-roof that was billed as “the first of its kind in Toronto.” Enroute we walked past this…
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No nursery stops were included in this Fling itinerary, no doubt because most of the attendees would be passing through U.S. customs on the way home and plant purchasing was a moot point. But it was June, and a week without visiting a nursery was torture for me. I abandoned the group and let myself get briefly distracted…
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I’m so glad I did.
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I needed this!
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The odd coloration here is due to the blue tarp covering this sales area, presumably to keep it dry.
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Okay, on to the roof-top! And the view...
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"The Hugh Garner Housing Co-operative, built in 1983, is located in the historic Cabbagetown / St. James Town area of downtown Toronto. The 181 unit non-profit housing co-operative is home to a vibrant community of varied economic and cultural backgrounds. As is typical for co-ops, the members participate in its operation. The roof membrane was scheduled for replacement in 2003 and the Green Roof Committee, with the backing of the Board of Directors and Membership, took it upon themselves to further the goals of the Co-op by instigating the green roof project." (source)
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"The design mimics a rural, park-like setting. Barrier free paths lead to intimate seating areas. A raised gazebo provides shade. The garden has been designed with the security of the users in mind (no blind spots and all items fixed so they can't be blown or thrown off the roof). A wide variety of planting including native trees, shrubs and perennials add visual interest, while the 'stream' feature ties the space together" (source)
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I would be up here every (sunny) day, if I lived in one of the co-op homes.
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The Weigela (on the right) was huge, I'd never seen one that big (not that I'm an expert, not by any means).
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I believe I heard there was a leak or some such issue with the "stream" feature. Thus the poor frog was high and dry.
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The other side of the "stream" feature...
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And now we jump ahead, to the end...Cabbagetown visit over we're about to board the bus for our next destination (to be continued...).
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All material © 2009-2015 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.
On Sunday morning we set off for a “pre-opening preview” of the annual "Hidden Gardens and Private Spaces of Cabbagetown" garden tour. We weren’t allowed access to all the gardens open later that day, but a select few. Are you curious about the name? “Cabbagetown's name derives from the Irish immigrants who moved to the neighbourhood beginning in the late 1840s, said to have been so poor that they grew cabbage in their front yards.” (source) Cabbages in the front yard!? (the horror!)...What sounds like was frowned upon then is the height of hipness in Portland these days!
A few scenes from the gardens we visited, in no particular order because, well, I can’t remember what was what…it’s all run together...
There's an idea here for me (different metal finish and different plant choices)...something to think on...
This scene is so very "East Coast" to my West Coast eyes...
This is more familiar.
Sometimes you've got to make adjustments.
That's a big planter!
It was huge...
The contents.
The horizontal slats disguise a carport, brilliant eh?
The car is in the garden, basically, but you don't see it. Of course I'd be tempted to grow a vine or two...
After finishing up in the neighborhood we walked on to tour a green-roof that was billed as “the first of its kind in Toronto.” Enroute we walked past this…
No nursery stops were included in this Fling itinerary, no doubt because most of the attendees would be passing through U.S. customs on the way home and plant purchasing was a moot point. But it was June, and a week without visiting a nursery was torture for me. I abandoned the group and let myself get briefly distracted…
I’m so glad I did.
I needed this!
The odd coloration here is due to the blue tarp covering this sales area, presumably to keep it dry.
Okay, on to the roof-top! And the view...
"The Hugh Garner Housing Co-operative, built in 1983, is located in the historic Cabbagetown / St. James Town area of downtown Toronto. The 181 unit non-profit housing co-operative is home to a vibrant community of varied economic and cultural backgrounds. As is typical for co-ops, the members participate in its operation. The roof membrane was scheduled for replacement in 2003 and the Green Roof Committee, with the backing of the Board of Directors and Membership, took it upon themselves to further the goals of the Co-op by instigating the green roof project." (source)
"The design mimics a rural, park-like setting. Barrier free paths lead to intimate seating areas. A raised gazebo provides shade. The garden has been designed with the security of the users in mind (no blind spots and all items fixed so they can't be blown or thrown off the roof). A wide variety of planting including native trees, shrubs and perennials add visual interest, while the 'stream' feature ties the space together" (source)
I would be up here every (sunny) day, if I lived in one of the co-op homes.
The Weigela (on the right) was huge, I'd never seen one that big (not that I'm an expert, not by any means).
I believe I heard there was a leak or some such issue with the "stream" feature. Thus the poor frog was high and dry.
The other side of the "stream" feature...
And now we jump ahead, to the end...Cabbagetown visit over we're about to board the bus for our next destination (to be continued...).
All material © 2009-2015 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.