Yet Another Great Toronto Botanical Gardens Tour - Lawrence Park

Peggy and I set out on our 5th annual Toronto Botanical Gardens Tour - this time to the "Garden Community" of Lawrence Park.  This has always been a very tony neighbourhood.  Large stone homes with elegant landscaping.  What I didn't realize was how large the lots were and just how many great gardens there are.

One thing you can always count on in any TBG tour is fantastic containers - I'm wondering if Paul Zammit Director of Horticulture had a hand in some of these gorgeous displays.  Notice they've used pale irrigation material instead of the black plastic - so much nicer with the stone.

I'm thinking these have the P.Z. touch:

Not on the tour, but great containers all the same:

Many of the homes are still the originals - others are new to look old.  Often when the homes had been rebuilt, many of the original plant material remained - it was a day for lovely old peonies.

This gives you an idea of the back garden - the Syringa in bloom is 'Ivory Silk':

There were several gardens with water features:

And of course those with pools:

 

This one won the Grandma Phillips 'Doozy' award - see how tiny the people are on the cone wall?  Perfect for large elegant parties



Several of the owners bulked up on annuals to give their gardens more colour.   What a pretty show:

Then there were a couple unusual gardens like this scree garden:

Always fun to see if you can flatten the image with your camera to make a cool combination:

There were older gardens - where the boxwood appeared to be unscathed by the cold winter - quite unlike our boxwood here in Oakville:

Splendid old features and gigantic perennials:

Now this is the sign of either good neighbours or perhaps family - look, no division between the yards:

After all the rain we've been having the hosta are looking big and beefy.  While flowers are lovely, these gardens show beautifully, that all you need are interesting leaves in the right position.  And, no wonder I was having trouble a couple of years ago finding Hakonechloa for my customers (the striking yellow floppy grass) - it was all sold to these clients in Lawrence Park.

Just so elegant and beautiful.  And kudos to the maintenance team, they must have Hoovered between visitors.

 

The only thing I might have changed if I could have this day was the weather - rained steadily and became heavier as the day went on:

At our last garden, we ran into my buddy Veronica Sliva!  And for some unknown reason, a gentleman with a media badge decided that we were going to be his 'subjects'.  While we may never know if and where we've appeared - it looked like he represented a French group - he was nice enough to take my camera and take our photos:

From here it was onto the bus to Headquarters, and then onto the bus to the subway where we'd left the car.  I'd found a business building with underground parking for the bargain price of $5.00!  Little did I know I might have to leave my car there forever.  Peggy and I found our way back to the entrance door - locked.  We found another door - locked.  Then we decided we'd have to go in where the cars did.  Fortunately we didn't have long to wait - the exit door opened and a nice gentleman saw us, reading signs, looking completely confused.  He motioned to us to scoot down through the garage door he was keeping open for us so I could get my car.  When we walked by he asked for our photo ID and then started to laugh - the sales office for Royal LePage Real Estate was upstairs, no doubt an agent on his way out.  I'm thinking we aren't the first people he's rescued.  Thank goodness - we were soaked and so ready to go home, plus I had guests for dinner.  So nice to see that gallantry is alive and well and living in Lawrence Park!  A great ending to a lovely soggy day.