Canadian gardening magazines - who are they kidding?

So I'm leafing through a new edition of a famous and trendy Canadian gardening magazine. I couldn't help but notice the lovely garden decor and architectural details. I'm thinking to myself; "well that looks georgeous", but wonder where in Canada this type of decor is feasible.

I mean, who would have thought you could have an outdoor bed including vintage quilts AND a mattress in a mosquito infested yard? And those lovely tall spindle candles, they ought to hold up to a raging thunderstorm, right beside the Laura Ashley table linens!

The 32 potted plants (I counted the pots in one of the features) look beautiful. I don't know about you but I especially enjoy coming home from a long work day and spending the first 60 minutes watering the plants that look to be dying due to the 35C temperatures!

I try to be green and have a rain barrel to collect rainwater to water the plants. It works out well for the first 3 days of a heat wave, but by the 4th day who are we kidding? Screw the rain water! I whip out the hose and water those suckers with the freezing cold well water. They are lucky to get it!

By day 8 of the heatwave I've given up and spend all my 'water arm' muscles on hoisting a couple of cold coronas. The plants start to look much better by the 3rd one!

Ok, it's not that bad. I do love the garden and I have potted up some herbs and flowers (keeping it to a managable number of pots) but I really do wonder where these people in the magazines live?

My humble pots - Happy gardening!

Something to ponder: In gardens, beauty is a by-product. The main business is sex and death. ~Sam Llewelyn