Here are some of my favourite gardens from the 2006 tour (much too long ago — time to visit again!)

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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.

Larkwhistle

In the summertime, there are two types of families: cottage people and stay-at-home city folk. Ours is one of the latter. On the May 24 weekend, we watch as the city empties out and wait for the blissful quiet to descend on the city. This euphoria lasts for a few weekends, and then we get twitchy. Before you can say, “Let’s hit the road”, we’re planning excursions into the countryside. As a dyed in the wool gardener, these trips always manage to include seeing a garden or two, so I was thrilled to discover a network of private gardens open to the public all summer long: the Rural Gardens of Grey and Bruce Counties.

Larkwhistle

Spanning the countryside wedged between the shores of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, the gardens of Grey/Bruce (some 37 in total) lie down dusty dirt roads and along winding country lanes. One sunny June day, I headed off with a group of garden writers to the tip of the peninsula near Tobermory to visit Larkwhistle, a garden hewn from the rocky landscape near Dyers Bay by two talented (and plucky) gardeners, Patrick Lima and John Scanlon. The garden was brimming with peonies, dianthus, roses and lavender. And in the several ponds, water lilies opened their blossoms while frogs basked on their sunny leaves. A visit to Larkwhistle is like taking a lesson in gardening from a pro: stunning plant combinations, unusual plants and a healthy crop of vegetables and herbs. You could easily spend an afternoon exploring and learning from this garden.

Keppel Croft

But the siren calls of Keppel Croft Farm and Gardens drew us south to Big Bay. Here Bill and Dawn Loney manage four acres of spectacular gardens divided into a variety of styles, including traditional English flower borders, a Zen garden, rock garden and even a meadow with a stone-henge-like art installation the owners call Keppel Henge. The day we visited, a flock of guinea hens was feasting on the insects and seeds of the meadow grasses, ready with an album of poses for the camera that threatened to steal the show from the flowers of the garden (but not quite!).

Earthbound

Crossing the peninsula to Red Bay, our group visited Earth Bound Perennials and Gardens where herbs and perennials filled the landscape. Earth Bound is noted for its lilies and daylilies, which are in bloom from June to August. While strolling the grounds, visitors are sure to fall in love with one or two of these beauties, and to satisfy acquisitive gardeners, Earth Bound’s greenhouses boast one of the largest selection of lilies that I’ve seen, including the rosy coloured ‘Toronto’ lily, which is now blooming in my garden next to ‘Summer Wine’ beebalm – a more perfect combination I could not have planned.

These are a small handful of the many creative gardens scattered throughout this beautiful region of the province. The best way to explore the area is with the Rural Gardens brochure (available at many shops and at tourist offices throughout the region), or with information from the website: www.ruralgardens.ca. Both sources provide a description of each garden, the address, opening hours and entry fees or donations, and a handy map. As you travel through the counties, watch for the yellow daisy logo displayed at each garden. It’s a sure sign that a beautiful garden awaits discovery.