13th annual garden tour

A Self-Guided Tour of 11 Outstanding Guelph Gardens

Sunday, June 25 - Noon to 5:30 p.m. (Rain or Shine)
Admission $12

Gardenscapes 2006, the 13th annual garden tour organized by the Art Centre Volunteers, offers both private and public gardens open for self-guided tours throughout the day. This major fundraising project drew over 1,000 people in 2005, raising more than $5,000 which was used to sponsor new acquisitions for the Macdonald Stewart Art Centre collection. The Art Centre offers an Ikebana display, tours of the galleries and sculpture park, as well as a Hospitality Suite (on the second floor), serving special treats prepared by the Volunteers.

Gardenscapes 2006 showcases 11 exceptional properties:

#111 Westmount Road is a peaceful sanctuary for wildlife with more than 30 trees and shrubs, flagstone paths, and dry stone riverbeds surrounded by areas of hostas, ferns, periwinkle, sweet woodruff, and pachysandra;

#102 Kathleen Street features a front garden with a small boulevard, a fence-enclosed south-facing garden, two ponds of waterlilies and lotus, a limestone-encircled rose and peony bed, and an enclosed Mediterranean-style dining patio;

#21 Crestwood Place offers a pesticide-free garden including a hosta collection, a shade garden, and a dramatic spring bulb and alium garden;

#8 Crawford Street is a garden oasis including ceramic pots, stonework and walkways beneath a shaded canopy of leafy trees;

#6 Crawford Street features a philosophical garden inspired by the writing of Vita Sackville-West including three ponds and fragrant herbs;

#5 Dean Avenue, a 3/4 acre lot surrounded by a 60' private hedge and 110 pyramidal cedars, includes an iron gate, vine-covered trellis, vegetable garden, two flagstone patios and a conservatory;

Summerhill House at #25 Harcourt Drive presents a host of mature trees including a unique Siberian Crabtree from China, a portico and gate, and a series of garden rooms;

#39 Carnaby Crescent is a cottage in the city with raised levels, paths and winding beds, a shady retreat and a refreshing pool;

#1 Augustine Court is a horticultural collector's garden featuring unusual species and cultivars, as well as flagstone paths that lead to a secluded garden deep on the property;

#39 Fox Run Drive, a 1.25 acre lot, attracts bush birds, butterflies and wildlife with a stone patio, fireplace, two decks, and a serenity garden;

Glenmore Gardens at #6714 Concession 1 in Puslinch dates from 1867 and includes 100 acres of woodland, pasture and open ground bespeckled with cast-iron sculptures by Pascal Sharp (featured in the May 2006 edition of Garden Life).

For Advanced Ticket Sales: Macdonald Stewart Art Centre, Barber Gallery, Royal City Nursery, Brock Road Nursery, Buy the Yard, Meadowville Garden Centres, and the Framing & Art Centre (Gordon Street). On the day of the tour, tickets can also be purchased at the gardens.

Image: photograph Courtesy of Annette Twist (www.photoartimages.ca)