Simple lines, big impact in Forest Hill contemporary garden: Toronto Garden Bloggers Fling
One of my favorite gardens on the recent Toronto Garden Bloggers Fling was a contemporary garden of massed grasses and alliums in the upscale Forest Hill neighborhood. Nearly all of the gardening space is located in front of the house (the back and side gardens are very narrow). The inner garden, pictured here, is separated from the street with layers of screening, including a steel-rod fence, a naturalistically planted outer garden, and this horizontal board fence.
Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pensylvanica), outlined by a stone path, makes an emerald throw rug in the enclosed courtyard. In the center, a clipped, potted shrub adds height, and a solitary metal chair creates asymmetry and perhaps a little tension. Does someone sit there, or is it just for decoration?
The spherical heads of purple and white alliums, popping up from a grassy border, seem to dance along the path. They provided the only floral color that I recall. The rest of the garden was shades of green.
Bright sunlight contrasting with deep shade made photography difficult, but here’s a long shot that gives a slightly bigger sense of the garden. In the foreground is a patio with space for multiple chairs. On the far side of the sedge lawnette are two modern orange chairs facing each other, backed by a small, rectangular pond.
Chippendale-style wooden screens lay across the pond, presumably to keep out raccoons — or errant bloggers?
At the other end, a shady patio with a fire pit offers space to sit and take in the serenity of the space.
A few intriguing sculptures, including this hanging metal basket with an egg — don’t put all your eggs in one basket! — attract the eye throughout the garden.
A narrow side path leads to this pretty vignette: a robin’s-egg blue chair, Japanese maple, birdhouse, and climbing vines. Turning left…
…you pass through a rustic arbor behind the house…
…and find an intimate patio for two. A birdbath is filled with river rock instead of water — and the stones look somewhat like eggs, wouldn’t you say? I sense a bird theme.
I wish more of my photos had turned out because there were more details to show you. But here’s a close-up of the screening fence. A black-painted core (I’m not sure what it’s made of) is overlaid with 2×2 slats spaced about an inch apart, creating an illusion of depth.
And here’s the view along the street. Short metal rods, regularly spaced but unattached to each other, make a striking low fence to keep out dogs or pedestrians. A simple massed planting of ferns and birch trees fills a sloping bed between the street and interior fence.
A close-up
This is a disciplined garden, with masses of just a few species to create a restful mood. The fences, made of simple materials used in unique ways, add to the beauty of the garden.
Coming up next: Designer Marion Jarvie’s vividly hued collector’s garden. For a look back at a beautiful Algonquin Island foliage garden, click here.
All material © 2006-2015 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
So glad the owners agreed to put their garden on the Fling itinerary. I’ve been crossing my fingers about that for two years. One of my favourite gardens, too.
Well, I’m glad they agreed too! This garden was simply wonderful. —Pam
Pam, finally my life has slowed down enough to read your wonderful posts about the gardens we saw in Toronto. I am so impressed by the thoroughness with which you covered each garden, and with the gentle way in which you acknowledged shortcomings without in any way sounding critical. It is easy to see why you were recognized for blog writing by the GWA. Congratulations! (and thanks for referencing my blog in one of the posts. I appreciate it.)
Thanks for visiting, Pat! I’m excited to have discovered your beautifully written and photographed blog and look forward to reading your impressions of the Fling too. —Pam
I like this one a lot. It’s simple and well composed, with intriguing decorations. The different shades of green are gorgeous, and I especially like the Pennsylvania sedge. I enjoyed your comments about it, too.
Thanks, Clare. You described it perfectly: simple, well composed, and intriguing. —Pam
An interesting use of different fencing materials. Love it. The lawnette as you call it is sweet. I like that look too.
The swath of sedge, for being so simple, really grabbed everyone’s attention, Lisa. —Pam
Elegant garden with great chairs!
Yes, I especially loved those orange chairs. —Pam
Looks like such a peaceful garden. Thanks for the virtual tour!
My pleasure, Kit! —Pam
Mmmmmm…I like this garden, and I bet it smelled fresh and green?
I don’t recall this one smelling like anything in particular, Heather. But the first Swansea garden sure did! Several of us commented on the Christmasy fir scent in that one. It was so strong I joked that someone had hidden a pine-scented air freshener among the plants. —Pam
I’m simply crazy for this garden, but simply not disciplined enough to do anything like it.
No, me neither, Ricki. At least not at this point in my life. But I can see where a day may come when I want a garden that requires less work, and this would be a great way to go. —Pam
I am absolutely smitten with the discretion and restraint demonstrated here. It feels very sophisticated. That said, I am completely incapable of executing anything remotely like it on my own. This approach does seem to offer lower maintenance overall but I’d require more pollinator friendly surroundings long term. A garden’s just gotta have that “buzz” for me….
Pollinator friendly gardens and restrained contemporary gardens don’t necessary go hand-in-hand, do they? I think shade gardeners probably have a hard time making pollinator gardens too. Still, it’s not all or nothing, and every flowering plant helps. I commend you on your passion for the buzz, Deb! —Pam
You expressed much better than I could why this garden was so simple yet energizing. Not at all my kind of garden, but I’m glad I experienced it.
It’s always fun to see gardens, even if they’re not the style we’d choose for our own. There’s always something to learn, and beauty to enjoy. —Pam