The rocky terrain on an escarpment precipice inspired rather than deterred the creation of this expansive Caledon garden.
natural rhyt BY ALISON MCGILL
et against a thickly wooded backdrop, Susanne McRoberts’ gardens imbue her country property with a Zen-like tranquility. “Experiencing a garden is a sensual experience that feeds my soul,” Susanne says of the gardenscape she has been creating for nearly 30 years. “It’s not just about what you see, it’s what you smell and what’s evoked inside you.” The seven-acre property is perched on a rocky precipice of the Niagara Escarpment in Caledon and boasts long views of the Credit River valley. Three decades ago, Susanne and her husband, Bob, built their dream home here. Constructed of stone and stucco, its airy, elegantly simple design features enormous windows framing the compelling outdoor vistas. The couple turned their creative attention to the gardens a couple of years after they moved in and today the gardens encompass just over half an acre. Verdant shades pervade in a seemingly effortless flow, punctuated by both gentle and bold profusions of colour. Pink primula float on a sea of green; long, furry tassels of burgundy amaranth dangle next to round, peachy blooms of dahlias. “I am not particularly rigid about a colour palette,” says the avid gardener. “I use colour to create a rhythm through repetition, harmony and drama that changes as the perennials have their moment during each season.” C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 33
A stone stairway in Susanne McRoberts’ front garden carves a swath through mossy boulders and verdant plantings that include hostas, ferns, false spirea, hellebores, lobelia and lady’s mantle. Eastern redbud and Amur maple trees stand at the top of the slope.
