Glog
A marvelous floral spectacle (July 19, 2011)
July is already upon us and we are catching our breath as the high season begins. This summer we have seen exceptional bloom, a combination of the slow spring, wet weather and occasional bursts of sunshine. The result is a floral spectacle that is quite marvelous, with lilacs, azaleas, blue poppies and peonies all in bloom at the same time. The extraordinary bloom of the Gilbert collection of peonies adjacent to the terrace of Estevan Lodge has only just ceded pride of place to the peonies on the Long Walk that are now bursting into bloom.
Planning floral bloom is a complex art and humans can only control so much. Fortunately nature is oftentimes an enthusiastic partner and contributes to variations in the floral tableaux that are inspirational and colourful. Our gardens offer a unique display because of our Nordic climate and long winters. Visitors from Europe, the United States and other parts of Canada remark on how plants that are in bloom weeks and even months apart in their gardens are all in bloom at the same time in Metis.
This is just one of several ways in which our gardens are unique and specially endowed by nature and our microclimate. The contemporary sculpture walk, the gardens of the International Garden Festival and our culinary offerings are some of the ways in which our gardens are distinct and offer unique flavours to every visitor.
Our 2011 Festival is off to a roaring start. A recent article in the New York Times highlighted the designs of the three New York designers invited to take part in the 12 edition of the festival, Ken Smith, Diane Balmori and Michael Van Valkenburgh. Their work is exceptional – challenging, pure, conceptual and very different from the work of designers who have participated in past editions of the Festival. The range of projects is remarkable. The grass covering the murky room in Noli Tangere, the pure almost blindingly white salt of Fleur de sel and the bubbling vessels of the Algae Garden offering a range of experiences illustrating the conceptual force of the designs. Comments from visitors are enthusiastic and will doubtless become more so as the plantings mature. Those wishing to follow the maturation of the gardens and their popularity can do so by watching our web site where we will be posting new photographs regularly and allowing visitors to follow the most popular Festival garden from one day to the next.
Alexander Reford
