FORGET BOTTLE TREES, HOW ABOUT A BOTTLE HOUSE

On the same day we visited the garlic farm, on Prince Edward Island, we visited the Bottle Tree Houses. The visit made my day because, not only did I enjoy the bottle houses but they had a very nice garden.

 I wasn't filled with confidence when we stopped at the visitor center in Victoria Harbor and they had no idea where this was. Maybe not on everyone's list of things to do on Prince Edward Island.

The three bottle houses we were to visit were built by Edouard Arsenault and, following his death, the large bottle at the entrance was built by his grandson Etienne Gallant.

After buying our entry tickets we took the pathway to the first house, The Chapel. Built of 10,000 bottles the chapel has an altar and pews, although difficult to capture in such a small space. After Mr Arsenault died several small services were held in the chapel as well as several weddings.

The pathway from the chapel leads over a small bridge with pond to The Six-Gabled House. This was the first building built by Edouard in 1980 and used 12,000 bottles.

 Edouard gathered the bottle from the dump and restaurants and eventually people would bring him their boxes of bottles.

How clever to use rectangular bottles on the sides of the house.

Beyond the Six-Gabled house as replica of the lighthouse at Cap-Egmont, where Monsieur Arsenault was the last resident keeper. The coast line is dotted with lighthouses of a similar structure.

I have a feeling that a bird house similar to the one you see here may appear in my own garden one day.

The third house is called The Tavern. Well, of course , most of the bottles would have come from there.

I was wondering if there would be a bottle tree and there was one set in the middle of the expansive lawn. The lawn is a very important part of the landscape here with green swards of perfectly manicured lawn stretching down to the roads. Islands of planting with shrubs and flowers break up the lawn. There is no shortage of water here.

I love the catmint clumps interspersed with yellow daylilies. Catmint grows well for me and I would love to achieve this effect but because of our long growing season tends to get too large and has to be cut back at least twice a year.

When a large Manitoba maple tree was brought down by heavy winds in 2010, Bill Galland carved this Spirit of Wood. The carving was named Edna, after the sister of Monsieur Arsenault, who died at the age of 99 the week the sculpture was completed.

They even provided little tables for picnickers and we just happened to have ours with us.

After lunch, as we walked back to the exit this perfect scene caught my eye and gave me my garden fix of the day.