Favorite garden?

Monek Marie

I learn a lot from visiting gardens, When I was 10 my family went to Thomas Jeffersons "Monticello" Stunning non stop gardens and seeds galore in the gift shop. I think this is where I got my love for unique seeds and seed saving.

I started doing a lot of research on jeffersons seed saving and his getting seeds from all over the world. Many were not properly named so this is where we get some of the unique names on seeds. So Monticello is a favorite garden I have seen.

I have yet to see Biltmore Gardens or Monets Gardens, Monet is definitely on my list for his use of color and plants that like water.

Locally we have Buffalo NY city wide garden tours in the summer. Its a one hour drive for me but well worth it.

Do you have a favorite garden that has inspired you?

Monek Marie

I have a wonderful white pumpkin. It's two years old and still a pumpkin and not mush. I am going to cut it open and start some of the seeds. Unfortunately I do not know much about it. It was given to me at the farmers market on a day we were doing a free pumpkin painting event. The lady who gave me 20 pumpkins for the event and said it was also edible, It has a white flesh inside instead of orange. She said she used it mainly for soups.

I do plan on saving extra seeds but have no idea what to call it.

Torey

I don't have one specific garden that is a favourite cause I have been to quite a few and really would have a hard time choosing between them.

I like visiting university botanical gardens. They have such a variety. UBC Botanical Gardens in Vancouver (CA) is truly amazing.

VanDusen Gardens (also in Vancouver) is a highlight as is Butchart Gardens in Victoria (Vancouver Island). Butchart gardens was created from a limestone quarry (by the wife of the owner) after production ceased over a hundred years ago. It is now a National Historic Site of Canada.

Conservatories are fun to visit in winter. There is a big one in Vancouver; the Bloedel Conservatory. Its a huge dome shape with everything from full height banana trees to tropical birds. There is a conservatory in Edmonton that I have wanted to visit for quite awhile consisting of 4 glass pyramid structures with 3 separate biomes featured. Maybe next year.

Hassena

Great conversation question Denise!

My favorite... Yet to visit garden is longwood. https://longwoodgardens.org/education/continuing-education/online-courses/free-online-open-courses

They offer classes and continuing horticulture education and they are really working to revive the horticulture field.

Some of my favorite professional gardens are

https://dbg.org/ desert botanical garden in phoenix

Pearl Fryars garden, his life's work. Brilliant philosophy and amazing collection of plants. https://www.gardenconservancy.org/preservation/pearl-fryar

@Denise Grant it's great to save seeds. Pumpkins easily cross pollinate.

unless the pumpkins were grown for seed harvest, it's not likely to be true to type, you might get a really cool ornamental pumpkin or maybe it'll taste ok.

Monek Marie

@torey I love Conservatories, especially in the winter months!

One of the prettiest gardens I ever saw was in Canada. I was only 8 at the time so I do not remember where it was but it left and last impression. I've asked my mom where it was but she does not remember where all we went.

What I like best about any garden area is it sparks new ideas.

Monek Marie

@Hassena Love all the garden links! Its not as warm as theynsaid it would be today so maybe I will learn in front of the computer today. Thank you

Yes, certain seeds you ever know what you will get. I won't take much space for these pumpkins, maybe just a container and mix with other unique seeds so if I get a different look it will fit in. ( I have this very cool corn to grow this year with verigated leaves: pinks, whites and a purple/red color.

I really love to experiment in my gardens. Each day is unique and my nieces and nephew love it too. They look forward to Aunt Denise's garden season

MaryRowe

Oh you bring back some memories! As a graduate student at UW in Seattle in the late '70's/early '80's, my very favorite thing when I could scrape up a little spending money was to take the ferry to Victoria for the day. And my very favorite places in Victoria were Murchie's Tea Room and Butchart Gardens, a truly wondrous place. Haven't been there for many years, but would love to see it again.

Though my current neighborhood here in Missouri can be frustratingly limited in some respects, we do have the gift of a wonderful botanical garden, Powell Gardens, about halfway between my place and Kansas City. It opened to the public about 30 years ago, and has been steadily developing and expanding since. A few years back they added an edible garden which has been a source of inspiration to me. They have special events through the year, my favorite being the Festival of Butterflies in the summer, when they turn their conservatory over to a thousand or so butterflies and moths. It is really something to see.

Monek Marie

@MaryRowe Such a wonderful description I feel like I am there. I'll have to look up Powell Gardens

In the summer a town in New York (I only live 2 miles from the pa/ny border) has a garden walk day. They select about 10 gardens in a few small town and they put on a garden tour.

What a wonderful day for discovering new plants and garden ideas

lewis.mary.e

My favorite gardens are at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. The peony garden is stunning every year!

Monek Marie

When I lived in Rocester NY they had lilac days. An entire huge hill was nothing but lilacs of every kind. Being on a hillside you could see it from a long distance away and the aroma carried for miles.

Lisa K

I love the gardens at the Huntington Library in Pasadena CA my two favorite gardens are the Rose Garden & the Japanese Garden.

Sharie

I used to love visiting Allen's Garden in Toronto as a child and then adult. First thing I do when visiting a new city is to see the botanical gardens. Kew Gardens is amazing. Montreal also. So many nice ones. Hard to wrong with trees and flowers 🌺

happy-trails

Denise Grant Buffalo NY city wide garden tours? WOW, I didn't even know this existed... although I am still fairly new to New York. I live upstate near Ft. Drum, and I will have to put this on my summer adventure list now! Thank you! I wish I remembered the name of the garden I visited in Seattle. I could have stayed there all day. It was so dreamy and ethereal, I felt like I was in another world altogether.

marjstratton

I have several gardens that I really like, but I think my all time favorite is Ohme gardens out side of Wenatchee which is a town in eastern Washington. The family that built it had a homestead up on the hills above the Columbia River. They built the entire garden literally by hand and went out and collected plants from the nearby mountains. It is a beautiful alpine meadow with ponds and little trails everywhere. And it is set on an arid desert hillside.

Monek Marie

Listening to everyone's favorite(s)gardens is almost like going there . I have a few from here I would like to see and I looked a few up and did an armchair tour. A total delight in this weather we have right now!

Monek Marie

@happy-trails Here are Buffalo Ny garden tour links

https://www.gardensbuffaloniagara.com/garden-walk-buffalo

https://www.visitbuffaloniagara.com/business-type/parks-gardens/

The botanical garden is also fantastic there! Its a must see, especially this time of year