Beauty of style and harmony and grace and good rhythm depend upon simplicity……………

                                                    Plato

   

 

This time of the year it is fun just walking around and admiring all the beautiful gardens and balconies of the neighborhood.   Every year in July we have a day where we can visit the secret gardens of Rosemere, a suburb of Montreal.  Some of these gardens are shown here as well.

It does not matter how big or small a garden is, or if it is just a tiny little balcony or terrace, they can all look beautiful and romantic and unique🌷

The front of this house looks lovely with its many flowers, shrubs and trees

 

just a little bench with a couple of flower pots is already enough

 

I just loved this little pink tree house.  So unique.

 

a beautiful terrace surrounded by trees and plants

 

 

love the bench next to the wooden fence

 

a cute little statue under the tree

 

a cozy little garden house in the middle of the garden

 

a beautiful garden and balcony  on the waterfront in Rosemere

 

cozy  patio at the back of the house

 

I love this beautiful blue house with its stairs and tiny front garden

 

My own little terrace overgrown with plants, flowers, shrubs and weeds…

 

one of the beautiful gardens I have seen on my Secret Garden Tour

 

Finally summer is on its way.   Everything is green outside and pots of flowers can be seen everywhere.   Even though I am not an experienced gardener and do not have the know-how to create the perfect garden, I do try my best to get rid of some of the weeds and make the garden look tidy.   Comparing to my neighbors I am still a beginner, but I love my little green space just the same.  🌸💚🌺

 

I love sitting on my terrace.  It is easy to make it look nice.  Just a pretty tablecloth and a couple of flower pots and everything looks lovely.

My terrace seen from the other side.  Because I have many trees and bushes it makes it very cosy and I have lots of shade from the hot summer sun.

 

This is my little angel garden, just next to the fence.  I just removed some earth and placed some stones in the middle so you can easily walk through it.  Some of the weeds have grown into bushes and even a big tall tree, without me planting it.

 

Just a small table and 2 chairs make it look inviting

 

At the front of the house I just placed a folding chairs and a few potted plants.  In the background you can see the the hydrangea plants growing taller and wilder

 

Another view from another angle of the garden

 

On the other side there is a small balcony where I placed more pots of flowers and tomatoes .  And here is my new friend “Misty”.   She is 2 years old and she was looking for a new home.  I am so happy that I have found her💖

Another view of the angel garden

 

Somebody likes to smell the flowers

and to watch the bees and the birdies on the other side of the fence

 

       HAPPY SUMMER 🌺💚🌷🌸

After a long endless winter finally the time has arrived when we can enjoy the outdoors again and start planting our gardens.  Even though Montreal looks very nice during this time of year I also like the streets of the suburbs along the riverfront.  Here are just a few examples…

 

private gardens along the waterfront in Rosemere

 

a lovely front garden of a house in Rosemere

 

love this street in Boisbriand

 

a street in the town center of St. Therese

 

a beautiful little front garden

 

Canada geese in Charbonneau park

 

another lovely street in St. Therese

 

a house in Rosemere

 

a typical village house in the old town of St. Therese

 

a little corner in my garden

 

another little corner in somebody else’s front garden

 

people going for their morning walk along the shore of Rosemere

 

My soul can find no staircase to Heaven unless it be through Earth’s loveliness

Michelangelo

 

Beauty surrounds us, but usually we need to be walking in a garden to know it.

Rumi

 

Since we have almost 5 months of winter the outdoor garden, as seen above, can only be used a short time.   Somebody who loves plants and flowers will have to create his own indoor garden,  This can be done near a window or any room where there is a lot of light.   Tina loved her plants and she liked to sit in the “plant room”.   Since I took many pictures I would like to share them here.

 

This picture was taken this winter.  You can see Tina outside in the snow

 

Tina posing next to the plants

 

Surrounded by flowers.   Tulips look so lovely and are my favorite flowers

 

sitting in the jungle

 

There is still some room in the jungle to walk around

 

this picture was taken last summer when it was also green outside

 

The indoor jungle in winter

 

Tina having a nap next to the plants

 

A Buddha statue surrounded by last year’s geraniums

 

This is how Tina’s garden looks today.   The plants are growing taller….

 

The last picture of Tina and me…

It is with deepest sadness and a broken heart that I have to tell you that my beloved Tina, my best friend, has passed away suddenly after a short serious illness.  She was 14 years old.  Because it was so unexpected it is so painful to deal with this loss.   I wish she could have lived forever, and I will miss her so much.   I only know that one day we shall meet again.  This blog will continue in her name and her pictures will continue to feature regularly.

Dear Tina,

A million words would not bring you back, I know I have tried, neither would a million tears, I know because I have cried…….

 

I shall love you forever……always in my heart…..until we will meet again….

In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter and sharing of pleasures.  For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed…

 

                                             Khalil Gibran

We are still in the midst of winter with no spring or summer in sight.   Outside everything is white, covered in snow and ice, and we long for a bit of green space.  Here are the good news.  We can all create our own little indoor garden, no matter how small.   There are so many different plants and one for every corner of the house.  Some plants need more light and should be placed near a window while others thrive in the darkest corner.  Just find the right one for your home and which suits you best.    There are plants which  do not require lot of care, like the spider plant for example.   And then there are plants which grow very fast, like the rubber plant and they can look spectacular in any room.   My plants in my home have grown quite a bit and here are some pictures…

a tall rubber plant near the staircase

 

nice place to sit surrounded by plants while everything is white outside

 

a real little jungle

 

I transformed my plant room into a garden terrace  with umbrella and garden furniture

 

Tina relaxing on the sofa surrounded by plants and books

 

another plant corner in the dining room

 

I also like plants in my kitchen

 

Tina has the best spot in the house

 

I love placing different plants and flowers on tables around the house

 

happy Tina

 

another view of the plant room

 

another room decorated with plants and flowers

 

A large Monstera plant near the window

 

 

In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside you..

Deepak Chopra

 

 

(picture taken in St. Eustache, the park behind town hall)

Despite the freezing cold and icy roads Montreal looks very pretty with its snow covered streets, trees and houses.  There seems to be something magic when everything is white outside and dark streets become light at night,  casting shadows from the street lamps and holiday lights.  Not only the city, but also the suburbs, are  pretty at this time of the year.   Here are some examples…

a lovely entrance and stairs of a house in the downtown area of Montreal

 

lovely architecture in the center of Montreal

 

downtown Montreal in winter

 

the Big Wheel of Montreal

 

The clock tower in the old port of Montreal

 

a street in Old Montreal

 

romantic street in the Villeray district of Montreal

 

the look…after a snowstorm here in Laval

 

a lovely street in Rosemere, a suburb of Montreal

 

another snow covered street in Rosemere

 

beautiful houses covered in snow, here in St. Therese

 

Tina enjoying the outdoors..

.

a cute little street in St. Therese

 

Everybody says love hurts, but that is not true.  Rejection hurts.  Losing someone hurts.  Envy hurts.  Everyone gets these things confused with love, but in reality love is the only thing in this world that covers up all pain and makes someone feel wonderful again. Love is the only thing in this world.

Liam Neeson

 

Tina and me………….TRUE LOVE…..