Guelph Arboretum

Yesterday's snowstorm over the lake didn't land in Grimsby.  It did land in Guelph.  I was there yesterday for Baxter's dental experience - he broke the canine tooth that had been repaired in 2014 at the same clinic.  This time it had to be removed. Guelph is a centre of veterinary specialists associated with the University veterinary programs. My interest was the Arboretum and the range of yesterday's landscapes was remarkable in the snow.  New-fallen snow outlined the trees and defined the curves of the landscape.  There was perfect light - the sun was shining through a misty haze in the sky - just the faintest of shadows.  Guelph is home to the University of Guelph.  It has an exceptional program in veterinary medicine which is ranked fourth in the world. I drove through that section of the campus - with barns, horse crossings, and horses outside in the paddock. I stopped at the beat-up recycle bins for some abstracts.  One bin was for manure.   Guelph has large agricultural, horticultural and environmental programs. The pretty Victorian conservatory is the icon that testifies to the beginnings of the programs in the late 1800's. The Arboretum, started in 1971,  is surprisingly large.  With the amount of snow -  two feet - it kept filling my boots when I walked through it.  So I toured it mostly in the car.  You can tour it on youtube here and see how remarkable it is.

Brock Road Nursery

I visit so many garden centres, and there is always a beautiful scene to take a picture of.  Here are a few more of Brock Road Nursery in Guelph.  I was so impressed with the beautiful displays just this past September.

Ontario's Autumn - Brock Road Nursery in Guleph

Hi everyone,

We get beautiful Autumn colours in northern Ontario. With Niagara being more temperate, there isn't always a brilliant show.  Yesterday, I noticed that the Virginia Creeper along Highway 8 just below the escarpment is a brilliant red.  The Virginia Creeper along the QEW, which is closer to the lake is a dull red.  This small temperature difference has a significant effect in Autumn colours. 

Guelph's colours had started earlier in the week, and Brock Road Nursery had some pretty maple trees turning brilliant orange.  Along with their rustic building and chrysanthemum show, the scene seemed to be an idyllic Ontario Autumn day.  It was a wonderful nursery - perennial plants are available for the garden.  It had personal touches everywhere, and all the people there were friendly, knowledgeable gardeners.  It was a treat to experience a garden centre with a heart.  I happily took away some viola pansies in soft blue for the Autumn containers.

My own garden centre in Grimsby, Cole's, is this kind of nursery too.  It has lots of perennials available for planting with discounts to motivate us to finally purchase the things we've wanted but seemed too expensive.  

If you live in Guelph or are planning to visit, here's the website:

www.brockroadnursery.com/