The passions of architecture and nature converge to ignite your imagination and illuminate your soul. The sights, sounds and scents of these gardens will trigger your senses into overload.
Our feature gardens allow you to explore acres of fantasy gardens that capture the imagination with their vibrant colours, alluring fragrances and captivating designs. View the great gardens of Canada Blooms 2012 all over again! In this video you will also have a chance to meet some of the fantastic Designers and Landscapers whose work make Canada Blooms such a huge success.
In keeping with this year’s theme, “CityCulture”, the TAIPEI garden, designed by Landscape Architect Ronald Holbrook, reflects the primary flora, landscape, and iconic cultural features of the City of Taipei, Taiwan.
This contemporary garden, created in the tones of black, grey, white, green and fuchsia, features landmarks of Taipei, such as Tower 101, colourful Asian paper lanterns, living green wall, water feature/hot springs and formations of pink and fuchsia flowers, shrubs, such as the pink rhododendron, the official flower of Taipei, and perennials.
International Garden of Taipei, Taiwan
Ron Holbrook & Associates
Royalty Landscaping
The passions of architecture and nature converge to ignite your imagination and illuminate your soul. The sights, sounds and scents of this garden will trigger your senses into overload.
Whether it’s an intimate dinner party for two, or a family gathering of twenty, this Allweather Landscape garden offers it all. Experience the ultimate in outdoor dining, then relax on the cozy seating next to our soothing reflection pond. Rejuvenate your senses!
Bienenstock and Parks Canada are bringing an even bigger and better natural playground to Canada Blooms. Play and learn in this innovative, fully accessible natural park created from the hills, forest and bedrock of Ontario’s national parks. Features include a misting forest, two trout ponds, a waterfall, a climbing wall, giant sandbox, massive ancient logs, a sideways tree to climb, a hill slide, outdoor musical instruments, an amphitheatre, and an arts and crafts area.
Join us in the amphitheatre for live interactive video feeds from the glaciers and mountains of Canada’s national parks. Parks Canada staff will be on hand with the Canadian Wildlife Federation to show you the natural wonders that Canada has to offer.
They are at it again, thinking there is another use for a commonly found item. Those tossed aside wood pallets can indeed have a life after moving products around the globe. b sq. Design Studio Inc. is pleased to present “Plug and Play”, the pallet garden for the 2012 Canada Blooms Garden Festival.
‘Ethnography’ is an example of a modern garden. A study of a garden that presents itself in the bustling and ever changing city we live in. The world changes around us. Nature and materials – both old and new are combined to present a look at an example of our heritage and renewal. Each visitor will take away something different. Pause, look and listen, while the garden tells its story.
Inspired by the Canada Blooms 2012 theme “CityCulture”, Concrete Bloom Bursts is a contemporary horticultural installation that visually portrays the energy of a city’s culture.
Just as the hardiest plants push through the cracks in our built landscapes, the most creative moments in our culture unexpectedly and courageously push through the cracks of society. There is no stopping the energetic declaration of ideas and passion that come from artists’ unique and insightful translation of how they see the world. We draw inspiration from this beauty and admire its resilience.
As a society, how do we best tap into this energy? How do we nurture the creativity hidden in the cracks?”
This booth aims to inspire gardeners with fabulous plants that have been recently developed for home gardeners. As you walk through the display, individual plants are showcased to better highlight their unique attributes. The majority of the plants were grown and provided by Rodger Tschanz at the University of Guelph. The garden design references balcony gardens in the city with striking green and black flooring tiles, contemporary black planters and a free-standing water feature. Also, be sure to check out the dramatic green wall of living plants.
Capturing the rain is something that has been done since the dawn of human kind yet we as a civilized culture are just starting to see the urgency in the practice now. Aqua Terra represents a place where all cultures can go and indulge in all of water’s therapeutic, sustainable and life giving benefits. Together.
An intimate garden that focuses on edible plants and sustainable design and practices. The planting is a blend of ornamental and edible plants with ‘green walls’ constructed of planter boxes filled with herbs, a green roof planted with a variety of thyme, a raised bed with fruiting shrub and a vegetable plot. Sustainable features include a retention pond and rain barrel, permeable paving, composting bin and a potting shed built from a re-purposed structure.
This year’s garden is a whimsical look at garden traditions and the progression of cultural design. From the steadfast Canadian rose family, we delight the sense of smell. Visual appeal through fire and reflections catches the eye. Listen to the magic of the wind and the delicate trickle of water. City culture is based on different ideas and agendas being put forth into a plan that benefits the greater good. Designers, contractors, growers, suppliers and volunteers all see the greater good in presenting a space where everyone benefits and can “take time to…”.
We live in a diverse city of neighbourhoods where our ability to thrive hinges on reconciling the apparent juxtapositions of order and chaos and nature and architecture. We strive to find balance between work and relaxation in a large vibrant city where the built form and background noise are always present, so we seek out rooftop terraces, sidewalk patios, city parks, or private backyard spaces to recharge and get back to nature. ‘Back to the Garden’ then, is conceived as a symbolic representation of our urban environment.
Like flowers that grow mercifully through cracks in city sidewalks, daffodils rise above after a long winter to mark the arrival of spring. For the Canadian Cancer Society, the daffodil is more than just a flower. It is a symbol of strength and courage, a symbol of life. It says we will fight back. It says we will beat cancer. Lively yellow daffodils complement this contemporary urban garden of concrete walls, stone paths and wooden structures as a reminder of the adversity faced by someone on a cancer journey. The elements of water and fire are used to heighten the senses and serve as a reminder to visitors to join the fight for life.
Reif Estate Winery and Mori Gardens invite you to explore their new Wine Sensory Garden to contemplate the colours, aromas and flavours used to describe wines in a relaxed garden oasis. Mori Gardens is sure to inspire you to add just the right detail to make your outdoor living area beautiful and tranquil this spring and Reif Estate will share wines that will pair perfectly with cheese samples presented by Dairy Farmers of Canada. Reif will be pouring a Riesling, Chardonnay Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Merlot as well as the Trend Wines by Steven and Chris and will have special offers to visit the winery this summer, recipe cards and an on-line contest you can enter with your smart phone.
A space reflecting the image, feeling and emotion of an urban environment to illustrate the beauty and comfort that can be found within the boundaries of a modern metropolis. Strong walls are the surround; created with industrial materials and incorporated into a space that has been envisioned and developed with a refinement only found through a landscape that speaks to high design. Metal, wood, stone and concrete will be combined with elements of urban street culture and ornamental horticulture; creating a comfortable and useable space that encourages daily use in various areas of the garden.
Surrounded by hard structures and bustling activity, a garden have is revealed where least expected. A respite is provided for the jostled pedestrian. The sound of water – a distraction from the noise and frantic pace of traffic. Suddenly, a peaceful garden of colour, of softness, and sheltering canopy of leaves. Such is the startling contrast of a garden in an active city.
Parklane’s garden reclaims materials to restore the environment and regenerate the urban spaces.”
Toronto contains mixed cultures from around the world. In keeping with the theme ‘to live with culture’ the View from Above garden has created four gardens that represent a landscape from four corners of the world, from east, west, south and north, brought together with the X formation representing the cross culture that Toronto bridges together in an urban rooftop and building envelope setting.
Surface Deep unfolds to produce a garden field. The extensive garden unwraps and twists to create garden “pockets” while simultaneously providing an undulating surface that embeds a secret micro garden within its “superficial” thickness. More traditional garden parcels are located in the spaces created in between the unfolding surfaces, while smaller micro moss gardens are located within the thickness of the surfaces themselves, inviting visitors to interact with gardens of different scales throughout the garden.
Look how simply you can transfer your cozy urban backyard into an abundance of bountiful beauty. This backyard not only contains a variety of organically grown herbs and vegetables but also elements of best environmental practices including rainwater collection , a green roof, recycled materials and plants that will attract beneficial insects.
An ode to what has been referred to as “the most perfect corner of Toronto”. To the residents of this area, we simply call it ‘home’.
This small garden space demonstrates a timeline of the Rebirth of Roncesvalles. Starting in the back corner we envision traffic pylons, workboots and safety vests, dirt and broken concrete. As we move forward into the space we see the laying of a new interlock pathway that becomes Roncesvalles new streetscape. Filling the space with all that is Roncy, we capture the flood of new trees, collections of brightly painted bicycle posts, a TTC streetcar stop, a river of coffee beans and collection of library books, all nestled into a bed of perennials and Spring blooms.
Welcome to Roncy. We’ve been waiting for you.
City Culture is now, more than ever, about connecting people in a special
space, the space right outside your home. It’s where you share moments with the people you love. It’s where you create memories with family and friends, and where neighbours come together. With this in mind Unilock® has created a Feature Garden that will inspire you in developing a design for your ultimate outdoor living environment. Because after all, the perfect outdoor space isn’t just designed to look beautiful, like Unilock® products themselves, the perfect outdoor space is Designed to Connect.
Imagination and fun thrive in our ARTISTS’ GARDEN with sparkling water, moving sculptures, scented herbs, colourful flowers and plants essential for the creative spirit in all of us. A variety of different water features, unique fountains and sculptures are placed around the garden and beautiful artworks inspired by nature decorate the ‘house’ and ‘studio/shed’ walls to create sensually inspiring areas.
We have created a cozy space. The focal point is a 6 foot high stone water wall, surrounded by 12 foot Fraser Fir trees and custom built cedar wood screens. The patio area is covered with a cedar pergola, the colors are white, pink and red – with Keshia’s music playing in the background.
Egreen Design Inc. for Keshia Chanté
Sarah and Royal are passionate believers in the idea that nature’s gifts can be bountiful for future generations if we steward them correctly. It was their desire that the garden be an environment that brilliantly embodies how we can all be part of the solution. To that end, Great Garden Revival has successfully found innovative ways to make the old new again. The garden is full of custom pieces that have been re-claimed and re-invented. Together with Sarah and Royal, we have found ways to ‘close the loop’.
Great Garden Revival for Royal Wood & Sarah Slean
This lyrical meadow garden was inspired by the song “Good Mother”, and Jann’s love of her own meadow garden, where she spends her leisure time. It features a small brook and a bench carved with lyrics. As Jann travels a lot, when she is home, she truly cherishes nature’s tranquil blend of colours and textures. Sometimes, on quiet mornings, deer reveal themselves in the distance. The meadow is her sanctuary.
North 44 Land Design
Garden Retreats for Jann Arden
Imagine a garden that is wild and unkept, a bit rambling. One where perennials have their own history and can be relied upon to respond to the seasons and come to you as a surprise every year. Our goal is to create a garden that has been forgotten with time, letting one reminisce of their younger days.
OGS Landscape Services for Feist
