Our July 2024 garden tour features some gorgeous gardens that demonstrate exceptional creativity – from the innovative use of slopes, to imaginative combinations of real and imitation plants. Join us on the evening of Tuesday, July 9th, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., rain or shine, to explore these four lovely spaces. Find a map of the four locations, here.
A reminder that gardenKitchener Garden Tours are open to active members only. If you need to purchase a 2024 membership, you can do so online here, or in-person at Garden A (26 Duncairn Avenue) on July 9th. In-person memberships will be cash-only.
A summary of the tour by organizer, Bruce MacNeil:
As was the case in June, we will again be touring gardens in Kitchener’s Forest Hills neighbourhood. The homes in this area were predominately built by Dutchmen Homes, good solid homes that have stood up well over the years. Once on the southernmost part of the City, it has now been passed by a number of other subdivisions.
This time, the homes and gardens are a little further apart. The first home is on Duncairn Ave, followed by one on Stoneybrook Drive, and two on Forest Hill Drive. Because I walk or drive by these homes on a regular basis, I forget how scrupulous many of the home owners are about maintaining their properties. It is interesting to see and hear the experimentation that takes place in the area. I’ve also been surprised to see how many gardeners in the area have taken up vegetable gardening on a limited or serious basis.
I have been surprised to see a number of trees and shrubs that you don’t normally expect to see in the area. I had a local Pharmacist tell me today about his plan to include as many native trees and shrubs as his property could accommodate. He too has planted a Tulip Tree.
Here are the four gardens that you will be touring:
Garden A: 26 Duncairn Avenue, Kitchener
Memberships available here – cash only!
Cleffie and her husband are relatively new to gardening, he tells me. She is the major gardener and he does what he can to help. The front yard, like many in the area, is a steep slope. Sloped gardens can be difficult to maintain, but these owners seem to do it quite effectively. They have a nice design throughout the property and like one of the gardeners from our June tour, they are experimenting with some fruit bearing trees and shrubs that you don’t find in many local gardens: Pear tree, Fig, Grape vine, Mango, Avocado and Blueberries. A few of these are in containers so that they can be protected overwinter. I asked if they had two or more varieties of blueberry bushes as that is what is required for fruit and was told that their one plant is grafted with a couple of varieties on the same plant.
Garden B: 273 Stoneybrook Drive
I’ve walked by this garden for years and have always enjoyed seeing the changes throughout the season. The property backs on to the Forest Hill Park that features playgrounds for children and some pretty interesting trees and shrubs too. There are Gingko trees and an American Chestnut that draw this amateur photographer at various times of the year. Janet’s garden is an attractive design that includes Bear’s Breeches (Acanthus mollis). Delphinium, Lantana and succulents around the property.
Garden C: 551 Forest Hill Drive
This garden and the next were recommended to me by another gardener, Carol. At one time, Carol was one of a team that selected gardens for Society members to tour on evenings such as these. Marlene and Jeff’s garden was included in a tour about 10 years ago. It was beautiful at the time, and still is to this day. They are meticulous gardeners who keep their garden in pristine shape, and help neighbours with their gardens as well. In addition to a lovely design you will see several spots in the garden where you can sit and take things in. They have a unique water feature, a number of varieties of Clematis and a lovely Harlequin Maple in their back yard, in addition to a wide variety of perennials.
Garden D: 50 Forest Hill Drive
Now this garden is quite unusual as gardens go, as many of the plants in the front garden are imitation. Carol and I feel that the design is well worth seeing and it doesn’t take much to see that were this your garden, there are real plants that look much like the imitation that you see around the property that you could use. The design is really amazing though and for me, the things to pay attention to are use of stone and gravel and the Cedar Rail fence around much of the property. Bert and Alan have a great eye for design. The real plants they have around the garden are primarily Hostas, Ferns, grasses and some Euonymus vines planted at the base of some tall trees.