The Dunbar garden Club Private Garden tour

The Dunbar Garden Club garden tour provided lots of inspiration and great ideas. Photo of J. Dixon's garden.

I recently had the privilege of attending the Dunbar Garden Club private garden tour. All four gardens were incredibly beautiful and so very different from each other. I saw wonderful plant combinations integrating exciting colours, the integration of differing plant forms and textures from bold to delicate lacy things. It was not just pretty gardens, but it was a learning experience. There were so many great ideas such as using chairs to stake plants and the artistic solution of painting a boring fence with a colourful mural. Such talent and imagination! 

A heartfelt thank you to the Dunbar Garden Club for this wonderful garden experience and a special thank you goes out to the members that opened their garden gates to us. It was my pleasure! 

​Since pictures speak louder than words, I have a picture gallery to show off these beautiful and innovative gardens. Hope you garner some great ideas like I did.
​
Cheers,
Amanda

---

B. Bone

The front garden consists of a formal enclosed courtyard.

A lone gargoyle is trying not to be seen,

All green plants with a touch of white is a good use of the different forms of the hostas, lilies and Solomon's seal

This is a great example of the effective use of colour.

A mirror offers a borrowed view of the garden.

Funky art is always a pleasant garden addition.

A boxwood hedge adds to the formal front courtyard.

A mirror is a nice accent to this shady corner.

A dish of succulents is a work of art and a conversation piece.

D. stag

There's no room for a lawn in this back garden.

Trees seem to hug the house.

There's also room for a productive vegetable garden.

A plant pot is a study in colour with burnished red coleus, yellow creeping jenny and the round water repellent foliage are nasturtiums.

The large starry flowers of the ornamental onion (Allium christophii).

A variety of shrubs and perennials ensure there is always something going on in the garden.

A silver gazing ball is a nice accent.

A golden fuchsia, F. magellanica 'Aurea' provides a contrast with the blue perennial geranium in the foreground.

The round burgundy foliage of the butterbur (Petasites).

J. Dixon

The house is cleverly hidden with an array of trees and shrubs.

One of the many giraffes hidden among the flora.

A wonderful work of art painted by the talented owner.

A mosaic tiled urn is the end of line for this rain chain.

Stonecrop sedums are enmeshed in a metal basket creates old fashioned charm.

Another seatless chair provides an accent for the mirror, while providing support.

A seatless chair acts as an innovative stake!

The tall giraffes add an whimsical vertical element to the garden.

A garden room is created with the addition of a charming chair.

A 'folly' garden wall is reminiscent of a romantic garden style of landscaping.

The garden consists of numerous rooms.

A beautiful bouquet of fresh cut flowers welcomes visitors and does not go unnoticed.

Runcie & Peters

A rain splashed David Austin rose called Graham Thomas.

The front garden spills into the road with no regrets.

Gazing balls add that extra drama.

The blue chair combined with the pink Mutabilis China rose, shows the effectiveness of colour combinations.

There's no lawn, just oodles of flowers, especially roses.

A simple birdbath is not just for the birds, it looks pretty cool too.

The cherry red blossoms of the rugosa rose called Grootendorst.

A loose and more relaxed area of the back garden has a wild and natural feel.