Garden Inspiration: Exploring the gardens of Niagara On The Lake

Alliums are a popular choice for the gardeners of Niagara On The Lake. Hear a lucky situation with the alliums protruding from the fence into the public sidewalk. A Lensbaby lens helped provide a dreamy look to the image.

Lensbaby optics add a romantic flavour to garden images

There are cities and towns all over Canada, the United States and especially Europe worth exploring just for their gardens. Even within large cities, there are neighbourhoods that offer the same inspiration in just a few square blocks.

One of these places, located not too far from where I live, is the small tourist town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. Not to be confused with nearby tourist Mecca Niagara Falls that has its own lovely public parks, but offers nothing near the private gardens of Niagara-on-the Lake.

Walking the residential areas just off the main commercial street has probably been one of my main inspirational points of my garden life. For years, my wife and I have visited this little gem where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario, My wife tours the little quaint shops on main street while I take my camera and explore the garden scene.

Both are actually quite sensational – quaint with a serious spoonful of sophistication that is often missing in many neighbourhoods where money and the size of the house takes precedence over the gardens.

Here, it’s almost as if the gardens take centre stage around equally beautifully historic homes.

This soft, romantic image was taken with a Lensbaby Composer creating the dreamy effect and capturing the mood of the scene. Touring public or private gardens provides the ideal opportunity to practise creative photographic techniques.

Mackinac Island in Michigan is another community that comes to mind where gardeners can go to be truly inspired. I’m sure readers know more places of inspiration. Please leave a comment telling readers what your inspirational garden cities, towns or neighbourhoods are in the comment section at the bottom of the page.

It’s here, in Niagara-on-the-Lake, where I got the idea that driveways don’t have to be asphalt or concrete. A simple crushed red stone is not only acceptable but preferred for even the most sophisticated of homes.

It was here where I fell in love with Japanese Forest Grass after seeing it used in large clumps to welcome visitors in the front yard of an elegant home.

It was here, in neighbourhoods dominated by large trees, that I realized woodland gardens can take on a sophisticated look with trees and plants growing up through the ground cover.

And, it was here where I realized that garden art can take the form of a gorgeous bubbling rock, a simple garden swing or a natural moss-covered boulder greeting visitors.

A beautiful bench provides a little nostalgia to the garden especially when it is taken with a Lensbaby lens, giving it a soft, romantic look.

Although a visit to Victoria B.C. introduced me to the glory of Japanese Maples, it was their exquisite use in the landscape as understory trees in Niagara-on-the-Lake that inspired me to use many of them in our woodland garden.

It’s hard to believe that most of these gardens – many of them tied to elegant bed-and-breakfast facilities – were not designed and maintained by professionals. But, unlike many professionally landscaped homes in areas where I live, these have a sophisticated aesthetic that gives the impression that the gardens were lovingly installed over the years by the owners themselves.

On this afternoon, I chose to photograph the gardens primarily using a Lensbaby optic to give the images a soft, romantic appearance that seems to match the feeling the gardens present to the public.

The homes themselves, even newly built homes, have that same sophisticated look.

Red flowers complement the beautiful red door photographed with a Lensbaby lens to create the dreamy look.

On this visit, I was particularly drawn to the extensive use of alliums in many of the gardens. (See top photo) The balls of purple and white add architectural interest to the gardens and seem to fit naturally into the landscapes, often dripping out between stylish fences into the more public areas.

They certainly are stealing the show during the month of May when many gardens in my area are just beginning to wake up.

The moderating affect of Lake Ontario gives Niagara-on-the-Lake a slightly earlier start to gardening season and probably allows gardeners to push the boundaries of what they can successfully grow in the area.

Obviously known for their grapes and fine Ontario wines, Niagara-on-the-Lake’s real gem and maybe best kept secret isn’t the wine, fine dining, the Shaw Festival and elegant Inns, it just may be the gardens and gardeners that make this little tourist town so special.

If you are in the area this summer, make sure to drop by for a glass of wine and a self-guided walking tour of the glorious gardens.

Romantic porches, mature trees and white picket fences combine for a romantic image. The creative effects of the Lensbaby Composer and 50mm double glass lens adds a romantic look to the image.

Get creative with your garden photography

Photographing beautiful gardens and capturing inspirational garden vignettes is an excellent way to collect ideas for our own gardens.

It’s also an opportunity to get creative and try to capture the feeling that inspired you to stop and take the picture. Maybe it was the romanticism of the wisteria vine over the arbour, or the white picket fence covered in delicate white flowers.

Maybe the garden swing hanging from the tree branch brought back nostalgic moments of when you were a child.

does that clematis growing over the arbour, or the chair on the large front porch remin you of mornings at your grandparents?

On my most recent visit to Niagara-on-the-Lake, I used a Lensbaby Composer and 50mm double glass optic to capture many of the garden scenes. The soft, selective focus qualities of the Lensbaby lenses provide the perfect effects to capture the romantic garden scenes I came across on my short walk.

For more on Lensbaby optics and effects, check out my post on Lensbaby flower photography here.

All of the images were shot with the original Lensbaby Composer and 50mm double glass optic using the F4 disc on an Olympus micro 4/3 camera. I only mention the specific F-stop because the it has a major influence on the selective softness of the images.

Below are a few more images of the gardens taken with the Lensbaby. If you are looking for creative inspiration for your flower and garden photography, why not take a look at the American-based Lensbaby line of lenses and accessories?

White flowers cover this picket fence creating a truly romantic scene made even more special by the creative properties of a Lensbaby Composer and 50mm double glass lens.

A massive art installation inspired by nature works perfectly in this front yard.

The pastel colours make the perfect backdrop for garden containers and the perfect place to sit out overlooking the garden.

Soft pink roses surround a lamp post leading into the garden.

Allium is a popular choice among the gardeners in Niagara-on-the-Lake.