Stone has been used as a material in the construction of buildings and gardens for centuries. The Midwest has large deposits of limestone; when quarried, it is commonly referred to as Indiana limestone. It is soft enough to machine , cut or carve. It is an ancient material , of the earth. It is not surprising to see it in many forms in the garden. Old stone or new, what does it matter? Natural stone is a living material.
Ornamental stone vastly predates the modern and sophisticated machinery we have now; many old garden pots and urns were handcarved. I planted this delightful old French stone urn with one 4″ plant of sagina subulata; it would be equally as beautiful unplanted. The stone is darkened with age; the object has history, in a visible form.
Montreal has many stone buildings. It seems sensible that a City build in such a fierce climate would be made of stone, for permanence. This feeling of permanence gives garden objects, made of stone, great cache. So many things in a garden are ephemeral; the stone by contrast speaks quietly to great age.�
This building in the Old City of Montreal is now the Hotel Galt. Its modern interior is fashioned of glass, polished concrete, molded urethane, wood, woven steel drapes-very modern materials. Besides being a fabulous place to stay, it is a striking example of how building materials have evolved. Much of my fascination with English, French, and Italian gardens has to do with their history-their age. Newly placed limestone still holds the promise of history to come.
The limestone step in the foreground here has blackened with age. Limestone is porous enough to host very slow growing colonies of lichens and other plants. Many old stone pieces show the effects of coal used for energy. Old ornament from England can be dated before, or after, the Industrial Revolution, by its surface. Some limestone steps are actually worn down in the middle from many hundreds of years of foot traffic.
This 19th century cistern was carved from a solid block of stone, and was probably used as a watering trough for livestock. Filled with water, mosses and lichens flourished on its surface. Placed in a client’s garden as a fountain, the exterior of this cistern now is velvety green with moss. This centuries old piece is still working.
This old carved limestone seat is supported at either end by large barely shaped pieces of volcanic rock. Gone now, I hope it went to a shady moist garden that keeps its old plant life alive. The base of this organic and natural volcanic rock is formally carved; the hand of a person is evident.�
This terrace has a patina only time in a garden, exposed to the weather, could produce. Gardens need time; no doubt the best time to start gardening is right now.
These old English limestone benches are more sculpture, than seating. The giant maple that shares the space with them has heaved them topsy turvy. I have no idea to level them. This vignette is a side story about stone. It’s a big story about nature. It’s a good story.
I never really worried about the weather; gardening people usually like weather. And I plain have faith that when I need to be in the garden, I will be able to. But this morning promised perfect weather, and delivered partly sunny; the 74 degrees in the afternoon-perfect for touring. 
All day long there was a steady stream of keenly interested and thoughtful people. I so enjoyed being there, hearing what people had to say about my place, and the other 7 gardens on tour. So many questions; what plant is this? How do you do this? What is your idea here? It is such a good way to figure out if your design ideas are being translated into the garden you intend. Listen to what people say; are you being clear?
I heard not one cross or disparaging word. All I heard was energetic appreciation-for the gardens and the people behind those gardens.
My neighbors, Fred and Jean, brought their Oscar and Beckett for the day they spent as docents; they were right at home. My corgis would have been low little and long wrecks over all the people; I left them at the store.
The overcast day made all my color look intense and rich-just as I intended. I like this color so much I am already fretting over what I will do next year. 
Adding people to the garden is always the best part. People we had-over 300. This hefty increase over last year was unexpected-and so welcome. We had a party going on.
Landscape clients, customers of the store, new people, old friends-a great mix made the reception afterwards so much fun. So much talk about gardens-I could not have had a better time.
Gardening is bloody blasted hard and frustrating work, but this tour made it all seem so worth it. My favorite comment came from a woman whom I did not know. “You don’t use unusual or rare plants particularly-its how you use them, the numbers you use, and the shapes you make that is so interesting”-this was music to my ears. 
A close second, this woman here from Cleveland for the tour. She was determined she was taking a variegated Moses in the Cradle she saw in my yard home with her. “Will you please get me one of those plants before you have a cocktail?”-too funny. We got her the plant.
Diana and I both dearly love the Baumgartners. They have sold their house and garden, and are moving out east to be near their kids. We will so miss them. I was so glad they put their garden on tour; I have worked for them for almost 25 years. From the looks of this picture,, they enjoyed it every bit as much as I did. 
