Eastern prickly-pear cacti stand out at the Tillsonburg home of Marcus Johnston and Susan Balazs.
During peak blooming season, which usually lasts five to six days, the front and rear rock gardens are a ‘sea of yellow,’ said Johnston. That season came about a week before Garden Artistry – A Tour of Gardens on July 9, but there were enough flowers in full bloom Saturday to make their gardens visually stunning.
“These are the last of the blooms. There’s one big splash, then you get a few, occasionally, through the rest of the summer.
“The plant is very hardy. As a native species, they over-winter with no problems. Apparently they are native to the area, down by the lake. The soil is extremely sandy here so it’s dry in the summer. I thought I would plant something that both goes with the rocks and doesn’t need a lot of water.”
Ontario’s Eastern prickly-pear cactus web page states the cacti are found naturally growing in southern Ontario mainly along Lake Erie, including Long Point and Point Pelee.
The rear garden at their home features sedums, hostas, lilies, and irises, geraniums, and cedar trees pruned in bonsai fashion, along with water ponds in front and back.
“I just wing it,” he laughed. “There is no plan whatsoever. Although we did put more annuals in this year because of the garden tour.
“Mostly the theme here, for example that pyramidal cedar over there, is trimming. Those cedars are very old and they can overwhelm the place if you let them.”
There were six homes on the 2022 Garden Artistry Tour, including gardens on Whispering Pine Lane, Wilson Avenue, Woodland Crescent, Glenridge Road, Christoper Court, and Dereham Line, as well as Annandale National Historic Site and Tillsonburg Garden Gate.
Co-hosted by the Tillsonburg Horticultural Society and Tillsonburg Station Arts Centre, A Tour of Gardens also featured six local artists – Paul Belcher, Jan Duncan, Pat Duwyn, Barbara Lowik, Don Spence and Joe Knauer.
“Lots of people, lots of interest,” said Johnston. “There were quite a few here today.”
“A steady stream,” Balazs nodded.
“I thought adding the artist to each of the locations was brilliant,” she added.
“I liked it, it was a great day,” said artist Joe Knauer, who had samples of his wood carving set up on a table next to the Balazs-Johnston pool.
“And I sold a few,” Knauer smiled.
One of his hand-carved pieces, a brilliant half-size blue and white painted blue jay featured finely carved details on the wings.
Knauer first started carving after he retired about 15 years ago.
“My wife had said, ‘There’s all that activity there in the Buckhorn Community Center (Peterborough), why don’t you go there?’
He was introduced to carving and six months later he was at his first show.
“I was carving a seabird and there was lots of people coming by for the show… and one little boy said, ‘Oh, what are you carving? Are you carving a shoe?’”
Knauer had laughed, “No, no, it’s a bird.”
“That’s how I started. I used to carve in different places, Peterborough and Bobcaygeon, until we went to Hickory Hills five years ago. It was a good move.”
On Saturday Knauer was hand-carving birds starting with small blocks of wood to demonstrate stages and techniques.
“I used to do it all by hand, but at home, at my age, rotary tools are much better.”
Learn more about Knauer at www.joescarvings.wordpress.com or email [email protected].