Downtown Toronto Gardens

I was downtown last week and came upon some beautiful garden gates in the Baldwin Street Village area. I was on Henry Street to visit Karen of Viva Tastings, and took these shots of garden gates.

Find out more about Karen by visiting her website - Viva Tastings! or come to the St. Lawrence Market on Saturday mornings and visit her in person on the north side.

Enjoying the Weather Whatever it is

It was cold in Toronto last week, and this week it's warmed up with a mix of sun and cloud. Today was a very overcast day with rain. It makes all the colours stand out so much - the trees look luminescent. Here in the city, I don't see great sweeping landscapes. I see small vignettes and beautiful close-ups. Here are some photos from this week in my neighbourhood at Royal York and Blook. I hope you enjoy the colours wherever you live!

Autumn in the Music Garden

The Music Garden is located just west of the foot of Spadina at the Toronto Waterfront. Its musical theme is played out in a series of labyrinth paths with complex and beautiful plantings. Yesterday was a splendid day with a beautiful blue sky and golden grasses all rustling in the brisk wind. The first 2 photos are within the Music Garden, and the last is nearer to Bathurst, a natural wetland garden with a special habitat for the Northern Pike (a fish).

Autumn Flowers

Some of the showier autumn flowers are also uncommon. I visited Frank Kershaw's garden earlier this week and saw both the showy and the uncommon. His autumn crocus, Colchicum The Giant was a brilliant show as you can see from the photos. His Callicarpa, Beauty Berry, is just starting to show it's beautiful purple colour, and I expect to see an ever better show next week. Finally, his Dogwood Kouza berries (I know, not flowers) were wonderful - so full of texture and colour. Enjoy!

Santa Fe Architecture

When we visited Santa Fe in September, it was in the middle of the summer festival. There was the festival of drinking (yes, drinking), then the festival of the pet parade and the royal family parade, and then the festival of the historical and hysterical, and more festivals to follow with parades and horses.

What I like most, though, is the lovely architecture. Here are a few shots of the adobe buildings and adobe colours everywhere.

Autumn Abstracts

I was in Niagara this past week and stopped along Highway 8 so that I could take some photos of the beautiful fields of purples, yellows and browns with asters and teasels everywhere.

Here are some of the images.