Here's some pics from a recent trip to Montreal. We went to the International Flora and it was my first visit to the Botanical Gardens... and we're only a 3-hour drive from Montreal. Tsk, tsk.
International Flora is interesting and a bit wacky and wild, sort of like a garden fashion show. It's set up down at the Old Port of Montreal. I think there's about 50 gardenscapes exhibited by designers from here and overseas.
There were some nice gardens. Interesting, thought provoking, idea generating - all of that.
A nice September combo.
The Garden of Ruins. The right side of the arch is a recirculating waterfall!
Environmentally friendly garden. A rain chain diverts the water from the roof to a terra cotta container. Note the tap at the bottom. A rain barrel would be more practical here, but I prefer the look of a rain chain to gutters. I wonder if they work, does anybody here have one?
I liked this pergola because it seemed very enclosed and cosy - something that's lacking in my own garden. I heard somewhere that it is Marjorie Harris' pergola from her own garden. Don't know whether that's true or not.
Of course, there were some really WAY OUT exhibits meant to catch your attention. Well, that they did! Take a look:
Hmmmm..... maybe I'll put some mannequins in my garden.....NOT!
A see-saw for trees? .....Huh?
OK, what the .....!
Call me crazy, but I think this was my favourite little vista of the whole exhibit. A container of asparagus fern with a cabbage in the middle!. Such a great contrast.
Now for the Montreal Botanical Gardens. Across the street is the infamous Olympic Stadium. You Montrealers will know this but, according to Wikipedia, the projected cost was $250 million...and it ended up costing a billion dollars! It's nickname is the 'Big O'. Some joke that it should be called the 'Big Owe'. And, for those of you who watch the show, the stadium was featured in the final episode of the Amazing Race: Family Edition.
There's a nice, colourful raised planting all along the street.
Here's a closer pic of the planting. Looks like Fountain Grass, Sweet Potato Vine, Rudbeckia, Cleome, Verbena bonarienses, Canna, Castor Bean. Anybody know the tall plant behind the cannas?
The place is HUGE! I believe it's around 185 acres. Seemed to do a pile of walking and only saw about a quarter of it!
This is a view of the beautiful Japanese Garden.
A little girl checking out the koi (carp).
They have a fantastic Alpine Garden.
I'm always drawn to waterfalls.
I liked this pebble mosaic patio with stone chairs. The garden also had a bed (yes, an actual BED) with a moss pillow and grass duvet!
A cute little faux birdhouse.
Last pic. Hope you enjoyed the little tour. Montreal is a great place to visit.
A very neat & tidy veggie garden.
Wonderful tour Sandy. Thanks for taking us. I'd love to spend a couple of days there.
Thank you Sandy, for giving us all a glimpse of these wonderful gardens. --Ginny
Great pictures! Thanks, I enjoyed the tour very much. In May, I was in Montreal for a weekend, and spent an afternoon at the Botanical Gardens - way not enough time! I have vowed to return.
Regarding mannequins in the garden: the previous owner of our property surrounded the pond with plywood cutouts of fishermen and herons. After we moved in, we gave the herons away and used the fishermen for firewood. I guess we just don't appreciate garden art! But if I could find some flat stones, I might build an Inuit-style statue (inukshuk?).
Wonderful pictures, sanannie! Montreal Botanical Gardens looks like my kinda place. :)
Always wanted one of those Rain Chains. But, not in the budget just yet. They are pretty pricey, even on ebay.
Thanks for sharing.
Don
Thanks for the tour. Must add that to my list of thinks to do when I retire. Oops forgot gardeners never retire! Lynn
Thank you so much Sandy for giving us such a wonderful visual treat!
A great prelude for me! I'm heading to Montreal for Thankgiving Weekend and the BG is on my list. I hope they don't get any frost between now and then!
So many wild rugby weekends spent in Montreal - never managed to make time to visit the gardens. A lovely vicarious visit. Thank you so much.
I think the pergola is larger than Majorie Harris' whole garden. Maybe she took the front design part when designing hers.
inanda
Thanks for the pics. I'm only TWO hours from Montreal and haven't visited those gardens. Maybe next year.
Ann
Nice pics!
Don I want a rain chain too! But wasnt sure how to disperse the water- didnt want to use a small dish or regular eavestrough but that big jug in the pic would do the trick.
check out this website!
http://www.japanesegifts.com/arain.asp
Glad you all enjoyed the mini tour! I'd like to respond to a few of you, if I may:
June_Ontario - I guess I dissed the mannequins but wanted to say that my neighbor has a sewing form (is that what they're called) with no arms in her garden, a la Venus D'Milo. She's spraypainted it black with a bronze overlay and it looks very cool as it's weathering in the garden. I really do appreciate people's garden art, especially if it is imaginative and resourceful. Plywood cutouts aren't my thang either, though! lol
Todd, I hope you have a nice Thanksgiving weekend in Montreal! I hear tell it's the final weekend for the International Flora at the Old Port too, as they are dismantling and auctioning off the gardens. Here's hoping the frost holds off. Here, a zone colder, we expect a killing frost by mid October, so you should be A-OK. We stayed in one of those boutique hotels in Old Montreal, walked down Rue St. Paul, dined in one of those mega ambiance outdoor cafes - ooh la la very romantic! Most of all I'd suggest a new pair of running shoes for the Botanical Gardens.
Fancy - thanks for the link. Wow. aren't those rain chains gorgeous! I guess they're pricey as copper is worth a fortune these days, no? It's kind of like, yeah, I'd love to try it, but it's an expensive experiment! Maybe when I get all my gardens done...Ha ha. Well, you never know. There are birthdays and Christmases between now and then!
Sandy
Carol, I was going to drain mine (when I can afford to get one) straight into my existing rain barrel from the eavestrough, about a 5 foot drop. It's supposed to be not only eye-catching, but also pleasant-sounding too.
Don
Hey Don, that's what I was thinking too; making the rain chain go directly into the rainbarrel. Although, I've seen a pic of a rain chain with the copper bowl and it's so lovely and different looking, I'd love to do that. However, I'd have to wonder about adding to the mosquito population. It's pretty nuts here in the spring and I have to wear my space age looking bug suit or wouldn't be able to garden for two weeks in May when they are out in full force!
Sandy
Don - well yes I would do that but the corner where I would want to put a rain chain leads to a narrow connection betwen flower beds on the back and side of the house and a rain barrel would not sit there and wouldnt add much to the ambience either!
A terra cotta jar would look nice especially if I could tap it at the bottom and drain it into the flower beds!
Dream, dream , dream!
carolvan
Sandy, I have seen pictures of them draining into nice Copper basins, and different containers like a hollowed out rock. Others just draining into a a bed of rocks or pebbles. All would look good, but I like to collect rainwater for watering my potted plants. Like you said Carol... Dream on....
Sandy check out this thread of Candy's (Happenstances) creations : http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/424626/
She has done such a marvelous job of incorporating the unusual into her yard. I'm really looking forward to seeing what she does with her new Field of Dreams.
I would love to see a RoundUp in Montreal........Milan (PanamonCreel) will prolly hop on the first plane to Germany (knowing that sooooooooooo many women would be arriving there ;) but I know Zarcanat would be tickled pink to show us her beautiful old city (not so sure about where we would stay tho ;). No matter what I'm just going to keep working on building up my airmiles.
re Japanese rain chains I was going to suggest that you contact cybercrone as to how well she found hers worked but I see she's let her membership expire. :( http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/546455/
If we planned it at the right time of year we could stay in Uni res. or..... where I used to take groups of kids .... no, don't think you would like to sleep in sleeping bags on floors.
Lots of rain chains on straw bale houses. Will try to find some.
Enjoying Vinyl tap. Randy Bachman is so full of musical history. (R&R) Tonight, the beetles. Can you believe ... 40 years.
inanda
Pam,
Oh yes, I remember ready Happenstance's thread and being totally inspired. She really thinks out of the box - so creative. Thanks for reminding me!
Sandy
Here's another rain chain from the same display at International Flora.
International Flora will be back next year with all new exhibits.
This is another wild one. The walls are planted and the ground is coloured crushed glass, or a similar material. Just think, you wouldn't have to mow the lawn, but your walls would need watering!
