Typing Montreal Gardens into a search engine revealed a list of gardens to visit, the botanical garden being at the top of the list. One seemed interesting, it was billed as a secret garden, found behind the Château Ramezay museum in Old Montreal next to Place Jacques Cartier tourist street. It is totally open to the street, just surrounded by tall stone walls covered in vines. At the top of the ramp you see the old apartments in the background, they looked like a movie set or something they were so well kept. I bet they cost a fortune.
Secret Garden Shrubberies, watercolour 5 x 7" 80lb, May 2024
At the bottom of the ramp, there is a maze of shrubberies and conical pine trees, interspersed with flower beds and planter pots. The flowers had already bloomed, irises and tulips. Otherwise it was almost all greenery. Another expensive looking apartment loomed in the background. As always I use four paints to mix greens, including phthalo green yellow shade (PG36), dark green (PBk31), yellow (PY154/PY97) and orange-yellow (PY110). For the really dark areas I dab in black (PBk6) or dark red (PR179/PR176).
Secret Garden Planter Box, watercolour 5 x 7" 80lb, May 2024
Finding shade in a corner I set my bike up and did this scene, on the left you see the tall stone wall completely covered in vines. The remains of tulips and irises were near the base of the wall. The plant in the bottom right was a raspberry bush, and apparently strawberries grow here according to a sign. Fresh potable water was coming out of the wall into a mini pond so I filled my water container. To get that colour of the path, I actually used red paint and neutralized it with greenish hues. For a long time I did not know how to make that shade of grey until I learned that it was a dull neutral red. In the background you see one of the historical buildings, they have old stone masonry walls, checkered aluminum roofs, and windows popping out of the roof in French Canadian fashion. Kids were running around shouting the whole time, it seemed like a lot of fun for them.
Secret Garden Path, watercolour 5 x 7" 80lb, May 2024
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I want to go to this "secret garden" with you. Can you bring me there one day?
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