That certain “je ne sais quoi”...

Last winter, out on a long walk, I passed a garden with several of my "trigger" plants. You know the ones, they’re unusual and typically a sign that you’ve stumbled upon a kindred spirit. I lifted my camera and tried to frame a shot. The Edgeworthia, with its fat buds. No, no it just wasn’t right. But that Manzanita! No. I couldn’t make it work. And on and on. They were all healthy, nicely grown, but the garden was just lacking. I walked away with a puzzle. How could there be so many cool plants, but no soul?

I’m still at a loss, but at least I remembered a phrase from my high school French classes. The garden was lacking a certain “je ne sais quoi”...it had all the right pieces but as a whole it just wasn't speaking to me. While touring through the many gardens on the Toronto Islands I came upon a garden that, for a reason I can't quite put my finger on, had that certain something. It was small, but I could have spent an hour exploring it.

At the "streetside" (do you call it a street when no cars travel on it?) entrance to the garden there was a group of rusty chairs supporting bright green foliage.

Overall the garden had an abundance of foliage and just a few blooms...

I should have asked for ID on this little guy. Anyone know what it is?

And that bright green conifer on the right! It manages to convey the look of a Foxtail Fern but of course is much hardier.

Just a very lightly traveled path to the front door.

It looked like most visitors knew to go around to the side of the house.

That's where I discovered this structure that I immediately wanted to emulate. I believe they're rusted metal wreath forms.

How wonderful for growing a vine on!

I'm on the hunt!

I didn't think to ask about the origins of that concrete box on which all of those plants were growing. I just thought it was fabulous.

Yes, there were Alliums.

And a matching Azalea, at least that's what I think it is.

That's a big bench for such a little fellow.

This is a very Pacific Northwest color scheme, don't you think?

Which reminds me...in the gardening section of the used bookstores we visited there were always books specifically about gardening in the Pacific Northwest. Titles I hadn't previously discovered. Curious, no?

I'd already fallen in love with the garden when I spied that spiky houseplant collection through the window.

A stand very much like this one (if not exactly like this one) stood on my grandparents back porch for years.

Because I am absolutely horrible with names I've forgotten this lady's name, she is the creator of this splendid garden. Also - this is a better view of the cement structure I should have asked about.

If this were in my garden I can't help but imagine plastic animals and and cowboys would show up here on occasion. Playing out some seen that originated in my husband's imagination.

I final look at the front of the garden an I was off to see more of the island. But was very happy to have stumbled upon this garden that really spoke to me...

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