City Gardening

Gardeners seem to grow like weeds up on the Bruce Peninsula. In addition to all the fabulous gardens I wrote about in A Day (Or Two) in the Country, I recently discovered another beautiful country garden large enough to make a city gardener green with envy.

My Heart Is In It

From the winding country road it flanks, My Heart Is In It looks like a lovely cottage garden. But drive down the lane towards the barn and you’ll see this rambling garden unfold as your guides, Edith and Wolfgang Geffken (and the energetic squirrel-chasing dog, Heidi) lead you from rock garden to scree, from flower garden to woodland path and still onwards to the pond and bog garden.  The Geffkens have lived on this Dornoch-area property for about 20 years, and judging by the extent of the immaculately kept series of gardens, every minute has been spent building and maintaining them. (Not true — during the winter, Edith is a potter and also quilts up a storm!).

When in the Grey-Bruce area, pick up a map of the Rural Gardens of Grey and Bruce Counties and be sure to stop by and visit My Heart Is In It. Open Friday and Saturday, by chance or appointment.