Saturday, 18 June 2015
Music in the Gardens Tour, Long Beach Peninsula
a benefit for the Water Music Festival and music programs in local schools
ticket tour map
Garden 1: Lily and Rose Garden
The lush green entry gives you but a small clue to what is beyond. Kristine’s secret garden slopes down from a deck filled with bountiful containers of flowers and a small kitchen garden. This gentle change in elevation provides a vista of the perennials and roses she grows for bouquets. This is a classic cutting garden and bird watchers’ paradise. Continuing through a second gate to the west, you’ll discover an artistic deer fence enclosing flowers and vegetables. Granddaughter Lily’s delightful playhouse, The Lily Pad, has been the site of many tea parties.
Garden Tour Nancy and I previewed this garden on July 3rd; those photos are included in this post.
On tour day, look for the pink and red balloons.
Kristine, an avid photographer, made all the beautiful signs for parking, guest book, and refreshments.
The day was already hot, so the greenery and shade of the front garden was restful to the eyes.
The garden is close to the dunes. (Allan’s photo)
front garden
up the front door (but we are not going that way); note the well trimmed sword fern
the gate to the secret garden, with our friend Gene emerging
(Gene’s garden was on the 2013 tour, and we have some new photos of his garden to show you in an upcoming post.)
through the gate (Allan’s photo)
tour guests entering
another of Kristine’s photo signs on the entry table
guest book and bouquet inside the front gate
The Mozart Chicks were playing under a tent in the front corner of the garden, to the right as we entered the gate. Hot bright sun made photos difficult today.
The Mozart Chicks
the Mozart Chicks, tootling
Allan’s photo
Kristine her ownself
path curving around the house
south wall of house
from a pre-tour visit on July 3
rose on pre-tour visit, July 3
I want this pale pink fringed sidalcea or whatever it is; Kristine says I can have seeds.
Kristine doesn’t spray anything toxic for blackspot on roses; she told us she picks off any bad leaves.
Allan’s photo, looking through flowers to the deck
looking up at the back deck, pre-touring on July 3
July 3
July 3
tour day
pre-tour visit, July 3rd
bouquet, Kristine’s cards, and treats
Cool liquid refreshment was so refreshing on such a hot day. It was a scorcher by beach standards, possibly up into the 90s.
containers on the deck
Brodiaea in deck container
view from the deck
from the deck, Allan (right) taking a photo
This is the photo Allan was taking.
view looking west from next to the deck
looking southwest from the deck (telephoto)
I never find time to just sit on these garden tours, especially the Peninsula tour which always has at least eight gardens. I know that some folks here just skip and garden or two, but as the administrator of the Facebook page, I need our photos of each one, and also I just cannot bring myself to skip a garden.
southeast corner of the garden at the top of the grassy slope, next to the deck
photo by Kathleen Shaw
Allan’s photo
Allan’s photo
Halfway down the garden from the deck, on the south side, is Kristine’s cutting garden.
cutting garden
pre-tour visit, July 3rd
Kristine said she wished there had been more lilies in bloom.
pre-tour visit, July 3rd
Allan’s photo, the Mozart Chicks viewed from the cutting garden
Allan told me he found out halfway through this garden that his camera was on a “night” setting so he did not get many photos here.
gladiola
cutting garden path
clematis in the cutting garden
pre-tour visit, July 3rd
pre-tour visit, July 3rd
pre-tour visit, July 3, 2015; a second garden area is on the other (west) side of this fence.
Beside the conical tree, one enters the second (west) garden area.
astilbe inside the gate
deer fenced garden in second area (pre tour visit, July 3rd)
rose climbing on deer fence, July 3rd
looking through the deer fence
with my camera lens poked through the fence
a picotee gladiola
that flower that I want
Outside the fence, lavender is unbothered by deer.
July 3rd
looking through the veg patch into the playhouse patio
and from the playhouse path looking north
veg patch, July 3rd
The Lily Pad
Kristine’s grand daughter, Lily, is three, and could not come visit from the east coast this summer because Lily’s mom is expecting a baby soon. As you can imagine, this has been sad for grandma Kristine. Thanks to Skype, grandma and granddaughter can communicate daily. This tea party was set up to Skype to Lily for her birthday.
The Lily Pad
Allan’s photo
a message to Lily
Oh, how I do wish I had a granddaughter named Lily (or Rose, Iris, Violet, Jasmine, Poppy, Willow, Fern…)
The Lily Pad
view west from the Lily Pad
monkey puzzle tree to the west of the Lily Pad
a simple border along the north fence
looking along the north fence toward the house
Kristine’s was a contender for my favourite tour garden because of the driftwood gate on the deer fence and the assortment of colourful plants, especially the lilies.
Next: an inspirational one year old garden.
