Monday, February 18, 2013

An Old World Garden in the Heart of Rosedale, ON



More than majestic trees, beautiful flowers, elegant stonework or even deep pockets, you need vision to create a breathtaking garden. 

Today, I hope to inspire you with just such a garden. Though it is set in the center of a big Canadian city, this garden feels private and remote. 

The atmosphere is decidedly Old World. 

The mood is slightly melancholy and deeply romantic.


Here you see the vine covered side of the house which is set into a hillside.


There are gardens on either side of the front entrance.

To the left of the front door, there is small courtyard of pea gravel. Two contemporary metal spheres make a nice counterpoint to the more traditional elements in this part of the garden. 

Though it looks like it has been there for all time, the moss covered stonework was added just 5 years ago and includes many pieces salvaged from old Ontario buildings.


A closer look at the plantings that include a white rose, ivy, purple campanula, hosta, 
japanese grass, and ferns.


At the top of a short flight of stone steps, there is a small terrace. Wouldn't this be a perfect 
place to sit with your morning coffee or to enjoy a light summer lunch? 



To add the relaxing ambience of splashing water, there is a small circular pool 
with a tile mosaic at the bottom. 



Now, we will walk by the front of the house and turn to our right this time.


There is also an entrance right off the street into this part of the garden.


Did you notice the wrought iron lamp that overhangs the gate? It's a nice detail.


The stone pathway leads to the side door.



Just beyond the doorway, there is the gateway leading to the back garden.



Just beyond that gate, we can see one of the garden's more interesting and unique details.


The former spire of the Cathedral Church of St. James in downtown Toronto was taken apart and rebuilt on the property by stonemason Augustus Butterfield.



A low stone wall arches across the back of the property.


Directly behind the in-ground swimming pool, is the focal point of the back garden- a Grecian folly with two ancient-looking columns.


Stone steps lead up and into the faux ruins.



Plantings here include English yews, junipers, ferns, Lady's Mantle, and purple allium.


Outside the garden gates a fast-paced modern world rushes by, but on the inside this quiet cocoon, it feels as though the world has stood still for all time.


More Information and Links:

Stonework: Augustus Butterfield

36 comments:

  1. How wonderful! I'm rather fond of those low stone walls. It must have been a treat to meander through that garden.

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  2. Such awesome pictures, Jennifer! That's a lovely garden and house. You also have birches there. Have a great week!

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  3. Despite the big city enclosing it Rosedale to me in general feels like another world. I think the ravine and all those trees sets it apart. I was particularly blown away with the stonework in this garden. Those columns and the spire are just such a huge scale but they look absolutely perfect in their surroundings.

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  4. You find the most wonderful gardens to photograph, Jennifer.
    This one is a beauty.
    The house looks pretty special too! :-)

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  5. Thanks for the tour of this garden, I had never heard of it before. I love the big ferns, the mossy stone, the dense understory of shrubs and small trees.

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  6. Romantic indeed! I loved the plant combination along the stone wall! Absolutely stunning! Every shot is breath taking...I would love to take a stroll through here any day! Beautiful pics lady!!!

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  7. What a wonderful garden, so much to be inspired by, now all I have to do is find someone to make me some concrete pillars :)

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  8. This is one of the most beautiful gardens I've ever seen!! I love everything about it. How lucky you were to visit it. Thanks for taking me along!!

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  9. Heavenly garden! Thanks for sharing those gorgeous photos!

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  10. Jennifer, this is a beautiful garden! I love the garden art and how it just seems to have always been there.

    Eileen

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  11. Great photos, I love this garden, it's so serene, I like the different shades of green contrasting with different foliage shapes, and the rockwork is lovely. I would have liked to have been there myself, oh, but thanks to you I have, wonderful.

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  12. Thanks for taking me away to this beautiful garden on such a cold and snowy night. How stunning....the steeple..imagine that!! Good heavens. And..the wrought iron gate. One of the most beautiful I've ever seen. Great photos Jennifer and thanks again.

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  13. Oh, that's gorgeous! I especially love all the stone - and the moss. It gives the impression the garden has been there for decades. Fantastic garden!

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  14. What a wonderful garden! This is one of the most beautiful gardens!

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  15. Oh my goodness...how extrodinary. This is beautiful!

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  16. Hi Jennifer
    I remember this house on the Rosedale tour. My friend and I really enjoyed it. And you are clever enough to have captured photos with no people getting "in the way"! Bravo! Excellent shots - thx.

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  17. What a wonderful secret garden it makes you feel like you want to explore - it looks like it has been there forever.

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  18. I love this kind of green, old world. Wonderful!

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  19. What a beautifully planned garden. It feels a bit magical, as if something is about to happen there. Great photos!

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  20. What a beautiful garden, I especially liked all the wrought iron fences and gates, I love all those things, but the white wooden gate was beautiful too.

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  21. Jennifer, awesome garden! I love a stone in the garden and there are stone walls, terraces, paths, columns... Thank you for sharing!

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  22. Yes, really like old world, beautiful and peaceful atmosphere. I almost wait old fashioned lady to walk in this garden with her umbrella.

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  23. Magnificent garden. I love all the architectural details.I could live there, yes I could.

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  24. Such a beautiful garden. I thought this kind of gardens only exist only in fairytales. How wonderful it must have been for you to visit this garden.
    Have a wonderful day Jennifer.

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  25. What an extraordinary garden. Hardly a flower in sight but all the plants are grown so beautifully that you don't really need any. So bright green. And the stone structures are amazing. I want a church spire for my garden. Someone was looking for a source for snowdrops in Canada. Was it you? If yes, leave me a comment.

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    1. Carolyn, This garden is proof that you don't need flowers to have a great garden. No, it was not me who was asking about a source for snowdrops in Canada. I haven't been able to find some of the rarer varieties that you offer, but I have been able to find a number of snowdrop varieties through a couple of Canadian mail order companies.

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  26. Jennifer this is one of the most peaceful beautiful gardens I have ever seen...I love the stonework and various art work and structures throughout the garden...your incredible pictures have made me feel as if I was transported there.

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  27. A really lovely garden! Is that grape and climbing hydrangea growing up on the sides of the house?

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  28. What a beautiful, elegant garden. I feel certain that a garden with more flowers would be inappropriate with all the bits of architecture.

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  29. I really love this artful garden. The use of architectural finds warms my heart. It has the sense of a ruins, a place where history happened, a place to explore and try to understand. You did a great job taking the images to convey the feeling and emotion of this place.

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  30. What an absolutely wonderful coincidence! I'm including this garden in a post I'm writing on garden follies for our blog Toronto Gardens, and did a Google search to see if I could find the name of the mason who did the stonework. Here I landed. Your photographs are superb. I'm going to link to your post, if you don't mind. And, if you do, just let me know and I'll remove the link. A pleasure to make your acquaintance.

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    1. Hi Helen, It seems great minds think alike. Everyone sees things a little differently however, and I look forward to seeing your pictures of this same garden. A link will be just fine. I appreciate the mention and look forward to reading your post.

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  31. I really like the mossy stonework. The moss, the ferns, and the ivy make it feel lush and green. Very nice.
    Love that little turtle fountain fixture.

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  32. Jennifer loved this tour....... all the special little and big touches

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