Views of the gardens and interior of the "Crooked Tree" Guest House, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada.
On the west side of the house we have a long fence fronting on to Ramsey Road. Here we have planted clematis, roses, lupins and delphiniums (left photo). At the corner of the lot, we have built a planter box, which welcomes spring with creeping phlox and bulbs (center photo) and later features geraniums and annual flowers (right photo). Passers by stop and study the changing sequence of flowers and foliage. It has become quite a Sudbury landmark!
The south frontage of the house is on Edmund Street. We have tried this year with window boxes featuring geraniums along the white picket fence (left photo), and are very pleased with the effect. The main feature of course is our Manitoba Maple tree that is growing at a crazy angle like a large bonsai tree. This is what we chose to give as a name for our bed and breakfast: "The Crooked Tree" (central photo). In early summer, we have a spectacular show of lilies in front of our crooked tree (right photo). As you can see we have placed a helpful sign identifying the house.
We are particularly pleased with the result of our water gardening experiment in the back yard. John dug a couple of big holes and constructed a waterfall feature out of glass blocks (left photo). This has now grown in and established a water garden floral paradise. At the height of summer we get water lilies in profusion which provide shade for the goldfish (center left photo). We find it very relaxing, even therapeutic, to sit and listen to the falling water and watch the fish activity in our pond. Our guests particularly appreciate this oasis of tranquility in the heart of Sudbury. They can enjoy an afternoon tea here at the end of a strenuous day. We also have a barbecue and picnic table, which our guests are welcome to use if they are sated with bought restaurant meals (center left photo). At night the water garden area is illuminated with soft floodlights placed in the trees and behind the glass wall (right photo), this a very relaxing spot to spend a quiet evening sipping a glass of wine!
Other features of the back yard are our 32-foot diameter, 5-foot deep swimming pool that our guests are encouraged to enjoy . The photo above was taken this spring and shows our crab apple and Japanese cherry trees blooming over our oriental statue of an ancient Fu Dog which we are assured brings blessings to all who visit us!
Since we pride ourselves on providing a year round service it is only fair to admit that winter does come to Sudbury! The left photo shows a somewhat disgusted Renate standing in our front doorway measuring the depth of the accumulated snow. The second photo shows our crooked tree draped with snow. We have weatherproofed and heated the front porch that you see in this picture. Throughout the winter it is full of flowering geraniums and begonias, the over-wintering goldfish are snug in their own indoor pond replete with a mini waterfall and tropical foliage. It is a great contrast to come inside from -20 degree weather into this tropical environment! You can see the frosty exterior surroundings in the photo on the right where Victoria is sitting snug and cozy admiring the goldfish.
Welcome inside the Crooked Tree Guest House! These photos show the dining room and you can probably see some of our antiques and heirlooms in these pictures. These include a grandfather clock that was in John's family in England for several generations. The antique corner cabinet was originally in use in a Norwegian farmhouse and Renate bargained furiously for it with an antique dealer friend when we lived in Norway.
The left photo above shows our computer focussed area where we designed these web pages and keep in touch with friends all over the world. We would love to hear your reactions to our web site You can contact us at gammonj@cyberbeach.net. The other photos show a glimpse of John's den, where he pursues his stamp collecting hobby and studies seed catalogues over the winter months. They also show the lounge area with the outstanding original fireplace and unique chimneybreast cabinetry. To cozy up here during the winter months in front of a blazing wood fire helps us and our guests ignore the interesting winter weather prevailing outside.