Zephyr Garden Tour -Part Two

This weekend, my mom held an open garden for the members of her Horticultural Society. Yesterday we toured the front, see Part I here, and today we head to the backyard.

We go through the arbour, and into a sheltered spot between the house and the barn.

The barn is on the left, and makes for a great place to store pots, shovels, hoses, and everything else needed to tend the garden.

Looking back at the house, is a little veranda; a great location for a cup of tea!

We served some lemonade, bottled water and sweets to the members of the Horticultural Society. I had fun doing a little baking, and making some of mom’s favourites for her special day. I made chocolate chip shortbread, shortbread fingers, and mini lemon meringue tarts. They seemed to be much appreciated. 😉

There are lots of pots on the veranda, all in terracotta here.

You remember my fairy gardens, see how I made them here, well I made one for my mom too. No fairies around today, I don’t thing they like so much company.

And here is the view from the veranda, looking out to the rest of the backyard.

On the corner of the house, on the right, beside the back door, is a lovely purple clematis, and at it’s foot another gorgeous pot of simple coleus and fuchsia.

Just behind here, under the maple tree is my mom’s Japanese garden.

There are hostas, grasses, a new little cut-leaf Japanese maple, columbine, a boxwood, hydrangea, a red corkscrew hazel, peonies, and a snowball tree. I remember when my mom first planted it, with a little research done at the library. It’s such a peaceful spot, and a great lesson on how what is mostly plants without flowers, can still create such a beautiful display with differences in texture, shape, and leaf colour.

Around the edge of the barn is a climbing rose, with a sweet little trough garden at it’s feet, and the wheel barrow ready for service.

And, behind the barn is the vegetable and cutting garden. My sister is a florist, and during the summer my mom sometimes supplies flowers to her from home. The flowers are still coming up, the veggies are doing amazing. My mom’s friend, Russ, is the veggie gardener. He lives in an apartment and is happy to have a little space at a friends to grow his fresh veggies. And so are all of we…the happy recipients of extra tomatoes, zucchini, onions, etc.

The garden is divided into quarters, with a sweet little sundial at its centre.

Along the back of the property is another big perennial boarder.

The giant pacific delphiniums look almost as good as mom does. 😉

This lilac tree was the perfect spot to add some simple candles in their overhanging branches.

And heading back to the house, one of my mom’s favourite gardens, the Austen Rose garden.

The Austen roses are uniquely fragrant and full. This beautiful pink one is “Abraham Darby”, and won mom the best of show Rose basket at her club last year!

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