Garden Photo of the Day

Alice Says Goodbye to a Special Garden: Part 2

Our finale to a farewell tour of a garden full of love and memories

container with banana plant in garden bed

Hi GPODers!

Today we continue our farewell tour of Alice Fleurkens’ garden in Sweaburg, Ontario. If you missed it, please check out Part 1, which includes links to some of her previous submissions. To celebrate this final look of a garden we’ve seen so many times, here are a few more posts from the archive: High Summer in Alice’s Garden, Summer Blooms in Canada, and Fall to Winter.

backyard with fern in hanging basket on treeOur back yard. That tree was here when we moved in, we either had to cut it down or trim it up because of where it was. We decided to keep it. It is getting really big. But the birds love it and the garden beneath it does okay. I like the fern hanging on the bottom. It does great in that spot. In the spring I replace it with a new one.

view of garden from back windowThis is the view from our back window, we will miss that. I am hoping for another window with a nice view.

container with banana plant in garden bedA lovely banana palm (Ensete ventricosum ‘Maurelii’, Zones 9–11) that will soon be frozen sadly the green leaves beside it are eddoes (Colocasia antiquorum, Zones 7–9). They reminded me of elephant ear bulb so I planted them and they look rather nice.

back garden at duskAlice’s back garden is just as lovely, if not even more beautiful, at dusk as it is during the day. Bright green foliage and bright begonia blooms glow in the setting sun’s rays.

pink dogwoodThe tree (potentially Scarlet Fire® dogwood [Cornus kousa ‘Rutpink’, Zones 5–8]?)  I wish for is in Nova Scotia. We were there in the summer and what a glorious dogwood this is. I never saw one that colour. Where we live they have white flowers and flower in the spring.

purple clematis on back deckThis clematis gifted to me by a friend is so pretty, so all the tulips, narcissus, clematis etc, they will not see till spring.

garden bed with yellow tulipsAlice’s garden beds delight all yearlong, but I think they really shine in spring when her tulips steal the show. She has so many gorgeous varieties in such a fun, hot color palette. Alice mentions below and in past submissions that several of her tulips are gifts, making the plantings even more special.

frilly tulipsGift form my sister in law. Beautiful frilly tulips and she helped me plant them too.

multicolored tulipsA few more.

nelly moser clematisThe last one (a beautiful Nelly Moser clematis [Clematis ‘Nelly Moser’, Zones 4–11]), and sadly is it good bye to all this.

– Alice and my husband Albert, who has cut the grass, and done the edging, and helped me bring away trailers full of dead plants every year. Dug up overgrown zebra grass etc. And it is on to the next place.

We already can’t wait to see what you create in your new space, Alice! Leaving behind so many special plants tied to so many memories is incredibly difficult, but many more memories await. Thank you for sharing this amazing final tour of the beautiful gardens you created.

 

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Comments

  1. User avater
    musabasjoosue 10/15/2024

    Leaving a beautiful garden you've taken 20 years to create is hard. I did it in 2016. But you will make a better one in your new home. The views and the plants won't be the same but they will be equally as stunning. Good luck on the move!

  2. User avater
    user-7007816 10/15/2024

    You have created an absolutely stunning garden.
    Thanks for sharing.

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