Another Leslieville front garden makeover

Leslieville front garden renovation with pollinators in mind

As summer rolls on, I've recently completed another front garden makeover for this Leslieville client. The front garden actually is shared between the two owners with most of the area owned by one (who hired me.) The area is a narrow strip that's about 4' wide by 20' long, in full sun during the day and watered by an irrigation system.

The owner wanted more flowers (besides the Shasta daisy, there are none) and didn't like how the ornamental grasses "spilled" over onto the neighbour's path. I didn't find the Miscanthus (Maiden grass) offensive but scratched my head as to why the original designer or gardener planted a now large juniper in a 4' wide bed. This poor thing had been pruned into a ball over the years and, frankly, ugly.

Oh, yes, weeds took over the front of the bed as well!

Here's a before picture looking towards the house. The neighbour's walkway is to the left while the client's driveway is on the right.

Leslieville front garden renovation before 

After consulting with the client, we decided to remove everything except the Shasta daisy and one Blue Rug Juniper and chose perennials that tolerated/preferred full sun, flowered and attracted pollinators. She did like ornamental grasses so I replaced the Miscanthus with Calamagrostis (Feather Reed Grass) which is more upright.

Other new perennials include "Zagreb" threadleaf coreopsis, English lavender and "Scarlet View" beebalm.

The final outcome is a little more colourful!

Leslieville front garden renovation after

More before and after pictures from different views:

Leslieville front garden renovation before

 Leslieville front garden renovation after 

Leslieville new front garden before 

Leslieville new front garden after 

Leslieville front garden before

Leslieville front garden after 

Leslieville front garden installation before 

Leslieville front garden installation after 

Summer blooms at James Gardens, Etobicoke

Summer annuals and perennials at James Gardens

Another visit for my client, Dale, means another visit to nearby James Gardens in west end Toronto (Etobicoke). It's public garden run by the city's Parks, Forestry and Recreation department so that usually means a ton of annuals are planted and looked after. I guess it's assumed that visitors will appreciate this vestige of the Victorian gardening style I profiled previously in posts titled "Toronto's James Gardens, in Technicolor" and "Lovers of bedding plants: get thee to James Gardens!".

Luckily, there are perennials and shrubs that anchor the rest of the garden:

Liatris spicata "Floristan Violet" (Blazing Star)
and Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia)
at James Gardens, Etobicoke

Massed pink Astilbe "Rheinland" 

Massed Echinacea purpurea
(Purple Coneflower)

Pink shrub rose flower detail 

Same shrub roses with pale blue balloon flower
 (Platycodon grandiflorus),
Liatris spicata (blazing star/gayfeather)
and Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage)
at  James Gardens,  Etobicoke 

Red dahlia at James Gardens,  Etobicoke

Magenta-coloured sweet william (Dianthus barbatus)
at  James Gardens,  Etobicoke 

Same sweet william massed
with group of pink astilbe "Rheinland"
at James Gardens,  Etobicoke 

Pink zinnia detail at James Gardens, Etobicoke

Summer blooms at James Gardens, Etobicoke

Written by Paul Jung on July 22, 2014

Summer annuals and perennials at James Gardens Another visit for my client, Dale, means another visit to nearby James Gardens in west end Toronto (Etobicoke). It's public garden run by the city's Parks, Forestry and Recreation department so that usually means a ton of annuals are planted and looked after. I guess it's assumed that visitors will appreciate this vestige of the Victorian gardening style I profiled previously in posts titled "Toronto's James Gardens, in Technicolor" and "Lovers of bedding plants: get thee to James Gardens!". Luckily, there are perennials and shrubs that anchor the rest of the garden: