Today's photos are from Maria Fleming (Quiltingmamma) up in Ottawa, Ontario. We visited Maria's garden back in August of 2013 (HERE), but she's taken us garden visiting, too, like to Versailles (HERE) and Monet's garden (HERE) in France, to gardens in Ecuador (HERE), and to the Montreal Botanical Garden (HERE). Today we're back in her garden, with some winter moments. She says, "It has been a rather grey winter so far, but today has some sunshine. While doing dishes, the long slanting afternoon light drew me out with my new camera. Time for a little practice before traveling with it and before the weather turns too cold and snow too deep. The colours by now are rather dull, but with a little focused light, some colours pop, details shine, and hardscapes and ornaments add interest to an often bleak landscape. My one colour concession is this year's Christmas urn. I know I haven't been very 'communicative' since the format change – but I do check out the GPOD every day. It is a source of inspiration and pleasure. Thanks to those who brighten my day." Beautiful, Maria! I can't wait to see where you travel with that camera…..
Come and meet up at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show this year!
I'm scheduled to give another GPOD talk (A few of you will be getting emails in the next two weeks as I put together the slideshow…), and a number of people have emailed to say that they'll be at the show, and that they'd love to meet up with a bunch of fellow GPODers!
The RSVPs so far:
Glenda Curdy (Nurserynotnordstrom)
May Kald (GrannyMay) – tentative
Catherine Campbell (CrannyCC) – tentative
Tia Scarce
Jeanne Cronce (Greengenes)
Sheila Schultz
Nora
Shirley Graves
Chris Niblack (ChrisSeattle)
So…who else is going to be there?? Let us all know in the comments, and we can start planning an outing! Perhaps after-dinner drinks one night at the bar at the Sheraton? I'll repeat this announcement for the next week or so, at least, and keep a running list of who's coming….enticement for even more people to come. Oh, and when you comment to say you'll be there, give us your real name so that I can plan name tags that include both that and your screen name…
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And as always, SEND ME PICS OF YOUR GARDEN, OR A GARDEN YOU'VE VISITED! Email me at [email protected]. Thanks! –Michelle
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Comments
Pretty. Thanks for sharing. Merry Christmas.
Those rich brown and rust tones look beautiful! Love the light in the first photo. Thanks for sharing your garden and your travels.
Marie, your grape gathering lady statue looks as serene in the snow as she did among the bountiful summer flowers...nice to have an object d'art in the garden that is impervious to weather and can remain out as a focal point. There's something very calming about the buff and tan tones of winter...maybe it's because they represent a little respite from garden chores... until late Feb. and through March, then they call out for cutting back and so the cycle of work begins again.
Hi Maria! So glad you sent these in for us! This also brought us back to your previous photos and I must say they were wonderful to look at again! Someday I would like to see Monets gardens in person! The botanical gardens were such a delight as well! So where will you be going next? Well winter is finally here and your new photos surely show it! I enjoy seeing the brown tones in contrast with the white snow and it brings such hope knowing that it will definitely change! Oh and that is so great that you are growing food amongst the other plants for the food bank! Have fun with your new camera and a great new year! Do send more photos of your yard and new adventures!
Hi Marie, Love your statue. She is beautiful and there is something about Grapes. I find if a container or pedestal has a grape motif, I am always drawn to it. I have a 'fruit basket' on a pedestal for a focal point. Art objects add so much personality to gardens.
So nice to see glimpses of your garden again, Maria! I'm not surprised that it is lovely, even in its winter hues. Would love to see what you have done with the front yard and see the rose, hydrangea, sedum and other plants in their summmer finery. Please do share again!
Lovely photos that show even in winter there is beauty.
Lovely,I tend to be a no color person,so your photos are perfect to me. Snow phew that would be difficult for me to deal with I think I would go stir crazy.we are headed out to garden today it's a lot colder today than yesterday so will layer up. Maria how do you spend your winter other than traveling?looking at gardening catalogs, garden books and magazines?
Enjoyed the winter photos. What is the bush with the yellow berries or seed pods?
Hi Elizabeth. If you mean the shrub in the second-last photo, my guess would be Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus) a native shrub.
Winter in the garden is the perfect time to see a new set of subtle colors and textures. Thanks for taking the time to document the season. I looked at your past front yard pictures--what a fun space to work in, and great job on the lawn replacement.
Thanks for the kind words. After a warm spell this week, the garden looks more like late March than late December, but I know that won't last.
Nurserynotnordstrom, I am also a quilter (as per my 'name') so I quilt in Winter, but also travel. Ecuador was this February. Back to East Africa for a month Jan/Feb, and I expect closer trips in future winters. We Canadians like to take a winter break from the cold if we can. I do have Williamsburg and Virginia historic garden week planned for April and my garden will be featured this August as part of my hort society summer tours, so will be sure to share those photos and how the front yard makeover is doing. I will admit that planning about gardening through a long winter is just too painful. Come March, however, all things switch to gardening.
Thanks for helping me appreciate the fine and wonderful details of our winters Maria. Enjoy your quilts and travels this season! (Wonder if your quilts reflect the gardens as well?).
Happy New Year to all!
I'm somewhat new to GPOD, so I just viewed your previous posts for the first time. I loved your front yard transformation, it is such a nice use of the space. What a peaceful oasis you've created! Also, thanks for your post from your tour of Monet'a gardens! (I'm an artist/art teacher. My students too are enchanted by Monet and his gardens! So, I am pleased to find thru you a few more photos to place into my 3rd grade Monet unit. I'm also inspired to dream more about digging that wannabe waterlily pond in my backyard.) Have fun with that new camera of yours!
Hello Maria, You have a wonderful garden. I also live in Ottawa, Orleans actually, and in the summer of 2013 dug up the whole of my front lawn. We have a huge evergreen in the front which my husband categorically refuses to be rid of, so you can imagine its height after living here for 25 years! After trying very unsuccessfully to grow grass, spending thousands of dollars and even buying prairie grass from Lois Holt in Alberta and various nurseries in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, I gave the hand lawn mower to charity, got out my good old handy spade inherited from my Dad and started my digging. I planted many different types of hardy succulents and hens-and-chicks, sedums, creeping jenny, hardy geraniums and hostas. Although I was skeptical about what would survive our winter ( our city snow-plough or garbage collection people are not always the most careful), I was very pleased in the spring to see that everything had survived. I would be very pleased if we could communicate somehow and share advice,experiences, etc. Take care, enjoy our somewhat unusual second green Christmas season in 25 years for we both know that that mighty white stuff will be upon us with a vengence very soon. Happy New Year to you and your family and do hope to hear from you.
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