An Elevated Toronto Garden
OK then, let’s visit another of the gardens included in the Toronto Garden Bloggers Fling. This one was located on a bluff near Lake Ontario, northeast of downtown.
Arriving in the front garden, the first thing I noticed were the lovely clumps of Iris.
The second thing I noticed was that this was an entire lawn of thyme. I loved the soft-looking mounds of tiny leaves. I wanted to roll on the thyme just to see how it felt and smelled, but I restrained myself since I don’t want to be barred from future Flings.
Going around to the back garden, I was struck by a Baptisia with bright yellow flowers – maybe ‘Carolina Moonlight’? An exciting plant, in any case, and so upright!
Clearly the gardener here has a soft spot for the fuzzy purple flowers of Thalictrum.
I liked this metal hummingbird. Wouldn’t The Metal Hummingbirds be a good name for a band? Even better: The Iron Hummingbirds.
When you come into the back garden you are actually in a sort of elevated terrace overlooking a steep slope and a lower garden. I’m generally not fond of weeping trees (just grow up, I want to tell them), but that weeping purple beech has a certain charisma.
Sadly the poppies were not quite ready to bloom. This one looks like it is peeking to see if the coast is clear.
Pulling back a little from the edge of the garden, you can see that Salvias are a go-to plant here.
I like this creeping thyme creeping between and onto stepping stones.
Here’s a view of the lower garden, a small grass lawn surrounded by native shrubs and trees.
Plantings on the slope utilized lots of Hardy Geranium, among other low-growing and ground-covering plants.
To reach the lower garden you use this terraced path. We wondered how they got the lawn mower up and down.
If you’re yearning for those sweet days of June – fear not. I still have plenty of Toronto gardens to show you from the 2015 Garden Bloggers Fling.
gardeninacity 
Did you visit a part of Ontario I missed? Lake Superior?
That particular part of Lake Ontario is so great it’s considered superior.
Ha, ha. Lake Ontario is very pretty though.
thyme instead of grass, now that’s a great idea!
Agreed!
I like the soft yellows, blues, and purples in this garden….and I’m thinking about more thyme in our garden too.
So am I.
Spectacular, love the mix of colors and the rock steps
There is great color in this garden.
I like this garden a lot Jason. Lovely contrasts of tone and shape. I really like the fourth photo with snaking box edging and soft foliage contrasting. I love the thyme lawn too. Maybe you could have had a little discrete roll! I’m glad you have more summery photos to show us throughout our winter 🙂
For a discrete roll I would have to sneak to the front while everyone else was in back. Might need Judy to keep a look out as well.
I’ve enjoyed all the posts from the fling. Would love to attend one. I’m a big salvia fan, so I loved the bed with those. Very pretty yard. Thanks for sharing!!
I hope you get to attend soon. The next one is in Minneapolis.
I am glad you saved some of these lovely garden photos for this time of year. I want to be there when you start rolling in the thyme. 🙂 I can understand your interest. I have seen a moss garden that made me feel the same way.
I’m told there are lots of bees on the thyme so maybe it’s not such a good idea.
This is my favorite of the Toronto gardens you’ve shown. Love the Baptisia and the lovely purples all around.
There were a lot of purples, from blueish to dark reddish-purple.
That Baptisia was really a high-impact plant.
What a pretty garden! Love it. Did you feel at home with the blue, purple, yellow color combo?
How many gardens did you visit in Toronto?
The Thalictrum, the Weeping Beach, plus the steep slope gave this garden a very different feel from mine. We saw so, so many gardens. All worth visiting, but I do sometimes think the fling itineraries are a little overstuffed.
I think it safe to say that we all long for these remembrances of all things June. You’re welcome to roll in my thyme any time.
I may take you up on that.
Oh….what a lovely hummer! That is a lovely pic of the poppy opening! This post is most welcome as it’s utterly grim here!xxx
Same here since Friday.
I have thyme in a large part of the back lawn and the only things you have to watch for with it are bees. They love it and it’s covered with them when it blooms. Run a mower over it and you might be sorry.
I worked for people with an upper and lower yard and they had two mowers.
Guess I should rethink that rolling in thyme idea.
Really lovely and inviting!
Agreed.
I loved all of this! The colors, the design, and especially the thyme lawn! I bet the bees go crazy.
That’s what I hear.
I loved the colours in this garden, and will be writing about it soon. Judy did a great capture on that yellow Baptisia, and shows its character off really well – my shot is a little busy.
I like that photo of the Baptisia as well.
I love both the plants and that hummingbird.
Me too!
Hello Jason, I’d not come across a lawn of thyme. Thyme can spread rapidly given the right conditions, our harsh, poor, sun-baked gravel drive is the perfect seed bed for thyme and lavender such that I’m forever pulling out wayward seedlings!
Wow that is tough gardening on that steep grade….love the plants chosen.
I know, I don’t think I would want to have to garden on such a steep grade.