Artist Turns Rocky Farm into Pottery & Sculpture Garden Sanctuary

What if an old, rocky Quebec farm could become a pottery studio, sculpture walk and mountain garden sanctuary all at once? In this episode of Some Time in the Garden, we visit the Stanley Lake Pottery and Sculpture Garden in Mansonville, Québec, where artist and gardener Almut Ellinghaus has spent over two decades transforming challenging soil and a 19th-century farm into a living artwork. Between hostas, ferns carpeting a rocky slope, fire hydrangeas, bee balm, phlox, and cranesbill, every path is layered with colour, story and experiment. Almut walks us through: Gardening on tricky, almost soil-less ground Sharing 20 wooded acres with a land trust – and with bears, deer, raccoons and groundhogs How climate change has reshaped winters, storms and the way they plant near the house The constant battle with invasive goutweed and the tough choices it forces Her sculpture walk: cedar posts and old stumps crowned with clay heads watching over the slope The conversation between art and plants: fountains as “natural humidifiers”, masks on cedars, and tiny clay figures adding “spirit” and presence to the garden By day, Almut makes sculpture and helps her husband Stanley Lake with his pottery; by night, they play jazz and help animate the cultural life of the region through local art and music. In summer, she “goes berserk in the flowers,” letting foxgloves (digitalis), cranesbill and other self-seeding plants find their own place in the garden. If you’re interested in: Artist gardens and studio tours Pottery and sculpture in the landscape Mountain gardening with wildlife Climate-resilient and low-ego gardening (working with what wants to grow) The mental health benefits of spending time in a creative, living space …this episode is for you. About the series Some Time in the Garden is a documentary garden series that visits passionate gardeners, artists and growers to explore how gardens shape our lives, landscapes and inner worlds. 👇 Join the conversation How has climate change or wildlife changed the way you garden where you live? What plants are thriving (or struggling) in your space? Let us know in the comments. If you enjoyed this visit, please like, comment and subscribe to discover more gardens and gardeners around the world. #ArtistGarden #SculptureGarden #PotteryGarden #StanleyLakePottery #AlmutEllinghaus #mountaingardenerpodcast #RockySoilGardening #ClimateChangeGardening #WildlifeInTheGarden #DeerResistantPlants #HostaGarden #beebalm #CranesbillGeranium #eveningprimroseoil #FernGarden #landtrust #ArtInTheLandscape #GardenStudioTour #ArtistStudioTour #sometimeinthegarden #gardening Documentary #SlowLiving #creativeliving #canadiangardening #jazzandart #GardeningWithWildlife Ep 26 Artist Turns Rocky Quebec Farm into Pottery & Sculpture Garden Sanctuary | Some Time in the Garden https://tourdesarts.com/en/almut-ellinghaus/ https://tourdesarts.com/en/stanley-lake/ https://www.facebook.com/StanleyLakePottery/ Produced by Films Reflektor https://www.filmsreflektor.com Follow us on Instagram: @SomeTimeintheGarden • FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61567096132599