A garden walk is a non-curated garden tour. It means the gardeners self-select, volunteer, their gardens. All kinds and variations get volunteered. Some exquisite, and others less so. They may be close by or farther away to reach. Each typically comes with the gardener available for conversation and questions or to relay the history of the house and garden.
A garden tour is curated - a committee decides the number of gardens, their style and size, and location is a consideration, seeking clusters of houses so that it is easy to get around.
The Niagara-on-the-Lake Horticultural Society had a garden walk yesterday - over 30 gardens volunteered themselves. I saw less than half of them. It was the distance to get around to them all that took the time. It would have been a full and packed day to get to all 30. That's part of the enjoyment - to see as much as one can.
It is immediately clear how much more diverse the gardens are than on a curated garden tour. What the public might want and expect given the've paid some money. This is in the forefront of the organizers' minds. When that's not the case, we can welcome all manner of gardens - smaller and larger houses and gardens - some starting out, others mature.. Two were on the lake-front street and one on the water with its huge boat, swimming and infinity pool. The view across the river is wonderful as the river narrows there.
So we have the contrast of what was Niagara-on-the-Lake and what is now. The first picture today is a picture one might have taken 75 years ago. A screen door with a view of the stained glass transom windows. These were the houses of Niagara-on-the-Lake back then. Seaside/lakeside cottages and homes. It wasn't the pretty town it is now.
The next porch - this is a new house only a few years old. It is built in the style of the grander stone cottages. It has a contemporary interior. Its porch looks like a luxury hotel to me. It is beautiful and elegant. This represents the town of today - a destination location for the rich who are attracted to the restored architecture set in quaint streets meant for walking and biking.
