Happy Monday GPODers!

We see gardens large and small here on GPOD, but it’s not every day we get to see gardens on a 76-acre farm. Today, we’re heading north to see photos from Bill and Dawn Loney’s expansive space exploding with fall color.

We, Dawn and Bill Loney, have developed Keppel Croft Gardens on our 76-acre farm located near the tiny hamlet of Big Bay in Ontario, Canada on the south shore of Georgian Bay. It has taken years. We experienced raising sheep, highland cattle, various fowl—enjoying the “hobby farm “experience. We also operated a B&B, taught elementary school locally and in the High Arctic of Canada, and raised a daughter as well! All the time we gardened until we had about four acres of various gardens, nature trails and an arboretum.We even managed (with a friend) to construct a full sized stone henge (Keppel Henge) to celebrate the second millennium’s arrival. And, here we are in our early eighties struggling to maintain the gardens.

As elderly people do, I ramble. There is so much to tell and the dreams never end… but it takes so much longer to bring them to reality. We are so fortunate that the gardens have brought joy and a feeling of peace to so many visitors. We have created a ‘white elephant ‘ as far as real estate is concerned, but the real joy is knowing that something as ephemeral as a garden has given us so much pleasure and, perhaps, others if you so choose to post the photos.

On that note I sign off. As always, Bill Loney (and Dawn also)

Autumn splendour on the lower lawn showing two large monolithic stones.The foreground one is named Lewis, the further one is Connor.

A nearer view of Connor retrieved from the sheep pasture beyond the fence.

Vibrant sumachs which just appeared in the garden.

Connor, given that name because it resembles the head of a young condor.

Sugar maples (Acer saccharum, Zones 3–8), columnar English oaks (Quercus robur, Zones 5–8) and staghorn sumachs (Rhus typhina, Zones 3–8).

The line of cement spheres lead the eye to the focal point.They tend to be a bit of a chore for the person mowing the lawn which was a former sheep pasture.

Autumn rockery scene with burning bush (Euonymus alatus, Zones 4–9), ginkgo tree (Ginkgo biloba, Zones 5–9), weeping white pine (Pinus strobus ‘Pendula’, Zones 3–8). Bird house with a sedum-covered roof hides an electrical outlet.

View down our farm lane with burning bush, ginko tree and a bit of Georgian Bay showing in the distance.

View up our lane with ginko tree, burning bush, white birch (Betula papyrifera, Zones 2–7) and Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii, Zones 4–6) at the end.

Gateway to no where in particular.

Some plants may by faded, like the hostas drooping in the large square pots on the right, but this pathway to “no where in particular” is exactly one I’d like to follow.

Thank you so much for sharing your garden in peak fall color, Bill! While you and your wife may now struggle to maintain this picturesque landscape, I can assure you that what you can manage is spectacular. It was such a delight to hear of all your were able to achieve on this special property, and I hope we get to see it again in the future.

Have a garden you’d like to share?

Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!

To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.

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