“In my last house, I didn’t have the spots that I have here, so this is really fun for me, but the lead-up to it is really the most fun,” Gordon said. Farther down on the patio, surrounded by shade plants, visitors are offered panoramic views of the waterways below. Taking a closer look in between the stones, one can see a cultivation of Irish moss, sedum and other succulents flourishing in the cracks. Hydrangeas, roses and boxwoods border the stone stairwell at the top of the cliff. “We’ve been working very hard the last three or four years to restore the backyard.” “I’ve always loved the garden tour, and it’s been a lot of fun being a host,” Gordon said. It took over 10 years to complete, which included the building of tiered retaining walls. She said her green thumb was only recently realized, when she saw the opportunity to transform the eroding cliffside of her new home into a planter’s paradise. Just across from Pirie Park, on Summit Avenue, Nancy Gordon, another first-time exhibitor, greets guests visiting her clifftop garden, which blends stone, metal, wood and greenery into one tranquil scene. “I think it’s better for your health, and it renews the spirit to be out cultivating and nurturing plants.” “We would like to see more people growing their own herbs, avoiding all those pesticides, and we’d like to see more of an interest in vegetable gardening,” Donna said. Lining the beds are vibrant marigolds, which act as a natural insecticide, true to the Kiankas’ tradition of organic farming. The micro-farm boasts more than a dozen raised beds bursting with vegetables like tomatoes, onions, peppers, corn, beans, carrots, cucumbers, garlic, squash and eggplants. “We had one guy come earlier, and we were sharing advice regarding irrigation systems and whatnot.” “I like answering their questions and running into people who also like to garden, and they give me some ideas, too,” Peter said. He called sharing his expertise with fellow plant-lovers “fun.” Her husband’s interest in farming grew out of spending summers on his grandparents’ 90-acre farm in New Jersey. “We put it off for a couple of years because it’s a little bit of a maze, but we had faith that people would be able to navigate it,” said Donna, who is an herbalist by avocation. This is the first year their home was featured on the tour. What began as a few modest plantings along the north end of their property has blossomed into small “maze” that fills the backyard, abundant with herbs, fruits and vegetables. “The family sells veggies throughout the season in their front yard.”ĭonna and Peter Kianka have nurtured a micro-farm since 1989, when they moved to the village. “People will be able to see beautiful suburban gardens, a smaller garden based on a French landscape design, and one stop which is very creative is the micro-garden,” Lennon said. Among this year’s stops were a micro farm, a garden vista with water views and elaborate perennial shade gardens. The event celebrates “home-grown horticulture” in Sea Cliff and flaunts the “floral ambitions” of some of the village’s residents. “There are nine stops, including six private gardens, and we try to keep the gardens secret until the day of the tour.” “This is a big year for Beautification because it’s our 60th anniversary,” said Gwynne Lennon, a member of the Garden Tour committee. Since 1997, committee members have identified “hidden retreats” in the village that residents can explore in a self-guided walking tour. It isn’t, but your heart will be thundering all the same.The scorching heat last Saturday morning didn’t discourage visitors from attending the Bi-Annual Secret Garden Tour, sponsored by the Sea Cliff Beautification Committee. Some people will tell you this is the highest cliff in Europe. And to deepen the sense of awe, the clifftop viewpoint has been rebuilt to include a glass-floored skywalk. Here, not far from the island capital of Funchal, a wall of rock drops 589m, straight down on to one of the island’s all-but-unreachable strips of faja farmland. So go to Cabo Girão early in the trip and accelerate your acclimatisation. Madeira’s staircase geography of lush green terraces and dark, plunging cliffs is so abrupt and dramatic, it’s hard to comprehend when first you see it. The clifftop view at Cabo Girão (Alamy) 1. If you click and buy a product, we may earn revenue. These buttons and adverts are clearly signposted, and provide direct links through to external sites. We also feature properties and itineraries from a specially selected list of trusted operators. Our travel journalism is written and edited by independent experts to inform, inspire and advise our readers about the best choices for your holidays.
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