DREAM GARDENS

Spring Bulb Ideas

2011-09-06T16:29:00.000-04:00

If you plan with a long span of time in mind, you can have a gorgeous Spring display that starts in March and continues through late May (or June if Winter was particularly cold and the garden got a late start). My favorite New England Spring bulb sequence usually goes like this.

In March start with Crocus followed by Chionodoxia then Species Tulips (Turkistanica)and early Daffodils (Mount Hood).

In April continue with Muscari and Tete a Tete followed by mid-season Daffodils (Salome)and early Tulips (Angelique).

In May you can enjoy the delicate Anemone Blanda and scented Hyacinth followed by multi-colored Darwin Tulips.

End the bulb display in June with late Tulips (Renoun) and Muscari offset by late Daffodils (Thalia, Poeticus, or Actea).

Planning a Beautiful Spring Garden

2011-09-05T10:14:00.000-04:00

It's not too early to start planning and planting our Spring gardens. Each April, when I'm hungry for signs of life in the garden, I pat myself on the back for planting what seemed like a zillion bulbs in September and October.

Ice Follies

To jog my memory each September, I evaluate pictures of my Spring gardens, then retain, supplement, or change the design. To begin, I ask myself what worked and what didn't work this past year. It's really about personal preferences.

Focus on Color and Plant/Bulb Combinations

Since I love the translucence and the energy of the mixed Apeldoorn tulips in May, I put these where the sun backlights the petals. It really adds excitement to the Spring border. The early orange Emperor tulips also make a bold statement with the yellow Forsythia in Spring. They supply such a wonderful burst of color as the Spring bulb show begins.

Apeldoorn tulips

The red and purple Darwins are wonderful together with a touch of white. Lots of energy there.

Darwin tulips

The smoky purple Darwins complement the violet of the azalea that blooms mid to late May. They look so wonderful in tandem.

A Gorgeous Azalea

The purple Darwin "Queen of the Night" tulip is perfect at the feet of the violet lilacs in May. They look terrific in groups with clusters of two-toned violet pansies intermixed for additional interest.

Soft Lilacs

The Ice Follies daffodils are so wonderful massed. If you have the room, keep adding new clusters in different parts of the garden. Ditto the delicate Thalia daffodils with their wonderful scent arriving so late in May.

Add Some Whimsy

I think that whimsy is always a good idea in the garden. Lindsay's wheelbarrow in the South border adds just the right touch.

Tulips on Parade

Containers Can Provide Flexibility and Color from Spring to Autumn

Nothing, absolutely nothing, compares with the beauty and scent of early double Monte Carlo tulips! They do beautifully in containers, especially when combined with early Muscari for that gorgeous yellow/blue complement. Underplant them with lilies and the show continues through July.

Monte Carlo Tulips

Containers planted with lilies make a nice July statement in the South garden. Add pansies in their midst for more Spring interest and your favorite annuals later in the Summer. If you make a good selection, the summer annuals will continue through early Fall.

Containers in Early Spring

Winter Wonderland

2011-01-12T17:11:00.008-05:00

The snow, powdery and whipped about by the wind, is reaching a depth of two feet outside. The gardens must be smiling. Cozy and safe from the wind under their white blanket.

I love looking at the gardens during a snowstorm. All that's visible are trees and the upper branches of shrubs. Everything is shrouded and the world is quiet. Lovely.

When the wind dies down and the sun emerges from the cloud cover, everything will look bright and crisp.

Indoors, I'm making a slow-cooking potato-leek-carrot soup. YUM! Nearby, on the south-facing kitchen windowsill I can admire Amaryllis "Basuto" from South Africa, which has been blooming since shortly after Christmas. It sits in a pot that I found in Stockholm and reminds me that winter doesn't have to be dreary!

Seed Dreams

In the living room, I have the seed catalogues nearby to get me thinking about what I'll grow this year. The pictures and descriptions are always seductive. And why not? I think gardening is really about optimism and paying close attention to life. What's more natural than nurturing a seed and helping it become a beautiful flower or vegetable that we can all admire and enjoy?

Bulb Mania

2010-11-06T15:15:00.012-04:00

It's a sickness of sorts, I suppose. But when I saw that Van Engelen was having its end-of-season sale, I took the plunge and ordered 500 bulbs. Felt wonderful until I realized that now I'd need to plant them all. And in a hurry before the ground started to freeze.

But I did it and I'm delighted! Can't wait until Spring to see the beautiful colors and shapes as each cluster emerges after the long Winter. Always a treat.

Drifts of Daffodils
Large swathes of daffodils look fantastic. Knowing this, one of the major tasks for my end-of-season planting was to add 250 more Mount Hood daffodils to my perennial gardens. I love this particular daffodil!

Mount Hood Daffodils

Bulbs in Pots
I couldn't resist planting one of my favorite combinations in large pots: Tulip Monte Carlo with Muscari. Always stunning!

Monte Carlo Tulips

Bouquet-Like Plantings
Tulip Angelique and Muscari will bloom later and be absolutely gorgeous.

Angelique Tulips

Seed Dreams

2010-03-19T21:57:00.008-04:00

Are there any gardeners who can resist the lure of seed catalogs or seed racks at the nursery or in department stores? If so, I'm not among them!

I'm trying to rein myself in and limit my purchases to what I can realistically germinate and jump start in flats in the basement. OK. Here's my happily-obsessive process.

After I set up the seed-starting paraphernalia, I spend a ridiculous amount of time working out how many seeds in each packet I should actually start indoors. Do I risk directly planting the snap peas outdoors or should I be cautious and start them inside? Hold on! I can try both methods since I have enough seeds to experiment. And how about onions and leeks. Should I give them a try this year? I love to eat both so why not? I can safely start them right now and not worry about it being too early in the season. They're slow to take off so won't suffer if I can't transplant them outdoors in the vegetable garden until late May (when the odds of a late frost are with me). I definitely won't start other vegetables until April since I don't want leggy, miserable seedlings languishing in the basement flats. But I can almost taste the lettuce, spinach, and green beans just by looking at the packets. No! Resist the temptation! Wait until April!

Next come the flower decisions. Which annuals do I really want to have in the gardens this year and exactly where? Some choices are no-brainers. I must have nasturtium and petunias for the flower pots and window boxes. Ageratum is always nice.

How about some Mexican zinnias, the true ones? These heat lovers must be started later. Darn! But there are always petunias, coleus, geraniums, and impatiens that can be started now. They take forever to get to a garden-transplant size.

Then too, there are the heirloom varieties that are fun to try. Why not see and taste what people enjoyed 100 years ago? But which ones and, again, where?

If I'm true to form, I'll have a zillion plants and nowhere near enough room in the gardens for them. Not a problem! Friends will be delighted with the bounty!

An Early Spring

2010-03-19T21:02:00.003-04:00

I don't remember ever doing garden cleanup so early in the year here in Massachusetts. But we've been having wonderfully warm weather this March and I'm thrilled to be outside working in the gardens.

The Spring bulbs have pushed their leaves to the surface and are confidently getting taller and greener every day. The daffodils are six inches tall with their flowers encased in sheathing. The tulips have surfaced but there are no signs of the flower buds yet. But the early crocuses are in bloom and they make me smile!

I walk the gardens, thrilled with the signs of life after what always seems like a never-ending Winter. I gently remove the leaf cover that served as a Winter mulch and protected everyone from freezing winds and ice. The snow is long gone and although I know we could still get a snow storm, I'm confident that Winter is more of a memory than a reality.

The Wild Garden

2009-06-15T16:37:00.088-04:00

There's no doubt that Nature has a mind of her own.

For the past few years, I've been encouraging and tending a natural garden on the easternmost lot of my property. I've fallen in love with the idea of nurturing a piece of land that is semi-wild (in contrast to my other gardens that tend to be highly cultivated). I want a garden where Nature dominates, where my efforts are rewarded but are secondary to the natural course of things.

In the Beginning ....

Within a week of purchasing my home, I discovered that the back lot was home to native plants, snakes, frogs, turtles, rabbits, skunks, birds, ants, and other critters.

Because the soil was relatively poor but dense and the area was in partial shade for most of the day, it had not turned into a jungle. Because it was a distance from the house and main yard, it had never been cultivated. So I decided that this piece of land would continue to provide a habitat for other creatures but I'd play with it a bit and see what came of my efforts.

Who Belongs Here Anyway?

I have always loved frogs and toads and so I'm consistently delighted to find them hopping around when I walk the land. To encourage their staying put, I set out low-to-the-ground water trays for them in protected areas. I worry when I don't see them.

I've banished all non-gardeners -- including pets and workmen who tramp on anything that's not human -- from the area.

Discovering the Native Plants

During my first Spring here (before I'd even moved into the house), I discovered masses of sweet violets carpeting large semi-shaded areas. I was smitten. Violets are so lovely in early May.

Later, I discovered a small clump of Ragged Robin in bloom. I loved them. I felt a need to protect and nurture them. And so I surrounded them with a simple, low, wire fence to keep them safe from foot traffic. Plus, I had noticed some wild rabbits hopping about and wondered if they would eat the Ragged Robin. Probably not but I wasn't about to chance it.

In June, when the Ragged Robin went to seed, I carefully scattered the seeds adjacent to where the mother plants were growing. I extended the wire fencing to define the new boundaries.

Just Wait and See

Now hooked on the idea of a wild garden, I continued to explore the current plot as the season progressed. I've been gardening for long enough to know that you need to wait-and-see in a garden that's new to you. It's hard but definitely worthwhile. And so I waited and scrutinized every piece of foliage on that piece of land.

I started reading gardening books about native plants and wild flowers that did well in New England, Zone 5. I sought and got advice from my friend, Sarah, whose gardens are magical. I bought seed.

As June progressed, I noticed a cluster of wild strawberries in a sunny area. More fencing installed!

Of course, there were lots of weeds and dandelions scattered about everywhere so I set myself to the task of uprooting them. I made a special pile of the weedy foliage for the rabbits. Fence guilt, I suppose.

It didn't take long to notice that they had no interest in the weeds or similar garden debris. Forget it! They wanted the strawberries and kept finding ways to out-maneuver my fencing. Clever critters. I admitted defeat and removed the fencing. Sharing is good, I reminded myself.....

Adding Texture to the Tapestry

I replaced dandelions with Hesperis for a late Spring background. I added mature plants, seedlings, and scattered a very large bag of fresh seeds that my friend, Sarah, donated from her garden.

I discovered a small group of Ox Eye Daisies at the periphery of the garden where the soil meets the tree line. I bought and scattered packets of seeds in the same area and in what I thought to be a similar micro-climate at the opposite side of the garden. I envisioned a happy oasis of cheerful daisies growing in large clusters on the north and south sides of the garden each June.

I cast down seeds of red corn poppies, hoping that they'd evolve into wild masses within the Summer garden. Think Monet...

I created a small oblong planting area for the Brown-eyed Susan seedlings that I hoped would eventually multiply and spread into a gorgeous wave that would move in the breezes of late Summer.

I transplanted wild Asters

and Goldenrod to finish off the garden year.

Fantasy Time

By July, I had a full-blown fantasy of a wild but idyllic garden tapestry. The plants would be happy and would prosper. The wildlings would spread like crazy and in late Spring/early Summer, I'd have multiple swathes of soft pastels, interwoven and stunning. Discreet paths would invite you to discover and enjoy these treasures.

Every Summer I'd munch on sweet, delicious wild strawberries. The rabbits and I would share the bounty.

In the Fall, the garden would shimmer as the tall Asters, Goldenrod, and wild grasses swayed in the breeze. The season would wind down slowly, then the entire garden would be covered in a blanket of snow, protecting the plants from the harsh Winter winds.

Welcome to Reality

In my mind's eye, the garden adheres to my idyllic fantasy. In reality, the garden does what it wants.

Every year is different. Some plants thrive while others founder. In years of abundant rain and snow, the garden does beautifully. In dry years the plants suffer and the insects take their toll. Some critters nibble away at the violet's foliage. I find tattered remains everywhere. The Brown-eyed Susans don't always get to flower. They are someone's dinner by July and struggle on as stumps with partially-chewed leaves. The asters have vacated the area. Who knows where they went? The original clump of Ox-eye Daisies returns every year but it has not multiplied by much. The Hesperis plants have done well but have not grown into the swathes that I imagined. I sometimes find a seedling growing far from the others. A loner, perhaps? The seeds that I sowed refused to germinate.

On the plus side, each year offers at least one heart-warming success. This year, the Ragged Robin were awesome! They had flourished and multiplied and offered an early June display that astounded me. I no longer scatter the seed. I let the wind take care of that task. Perhaps that's what's needed. Leave Nature alone.

The strawberries have taken over large patches of the center garden. There's enough for everyone! I've even seen bees working over the berries. Do yellow-jackets actually eat strawberries?

My biggest surprise this year was the discovery of large swathes of Celandine Poppies growing at the periphery, along the garden borders.

These shrub-like plants are exquisite. I did not plant them in this garden. I had planted the seeds in another shade garden where they did not grow. How they got to the wild garden and why they prefer this locale is a mystery. But it's a mystery that delights me.

Nature redefines this garden every year. She's much better at gardening than I am. How wonderful!

The June Garden

2009-05-28T21:54:00.003-04:00

The June garden is always a spectacular shift from the Spring bulbs and flowering shrubs to the early Summer perennials. In what seems like a flash, the gardens are bursting with new growth and masses of bloom.

As the days grow longer, the light seems to dance through the landscape across each garden.

The soft and silky colors create breathtaking combinations. For instance, the early climbing Rose "William Baffin" combines beautifully with Siberian Iris and Heuchera "Coral Bells."

Salvia "May Night," Heuchera "Coral Bells," and just about any Peony make a perfect threesome.

Who can resist perennial Bachelors Buttons (Centaurea Montana) with their true blue flowers rising gracefully behind the foliage of daylilies? Add some soft blue pansies peaking out from the base of the daylilies and the picture is perfect!

Spring Gardening Tasks

2009-05-08T20:39:00.003-04:00

Now's the time to get our gardens ready for the long-awaited days of sunlight and warmth. Summer will be here before we know it and the plants will suffer if we don't do our work now when the days are long and temperate, the nights cool, and the rainfall abundant. It's time to get out the trimmers, the lopers, the fork and spade, plus all the stamina we can muster!

Evaluate

The beginning of the garden year is an excellent time to evaluate what did and did not work in your garden design. As you work your way through the garden readying it for summer, review what garden changes delighted or depressed you last year.

Be Honest and Bold

Sometimes, we need to acknowledge that a design failed. Yes, it looked great on paper and our mind's eye thought it beautiful, but -- in reality, aka in the garden -- it was a flop. Some plants didn't thrive or they weren't good neighbors, or you realize that you consistently hurried past them, trying to ignore the fact that something was just plain wrong. Be honest. There's no point in rationalizing our mistakes. Be bold. Remove plants that are miserable, bullies, or that offend. They might do beautifully elsewhere -- perhaps in a self-contained area or in someone else's garden where they'll look smashing and thrive!

Divide, Replant, Remove

It's time to decide (and make notes about) what you want more of and what you want to eliminate. For example:

Which of the late Summer and Fall bloomers will you divide and replant now? If certain plants are thriving, encourage them. Divide and transplant them. Give them more space and create a stunning swath within the garden. If you have enough plant material and if you love the plant enough, consider making a solo garden where they are the stars.

Which of the late Spring and early Summer bloomers will you divide in the Fall? Add a small, semi-hidden marker so you won't forget that they'll need attention later in the season.

Which plants will you eliminate and give to friends for their gardens? Dig them out, pop them in planters, and send them to their new homes.

Are there plants that you want to add to your garden? Do you really have space for them? If so, get them and enjoy the new additions. But, if space is at a premium, either forgo the purchase or put them in pots where you can enjoy their beauty without compromising the garden's design.

Refresh the Gardens

To prepare the gardens for the drier, hotter New England Summer:

Remove all garden debris, dead foliage, and weeds

Gently aerate the soil

Add lime and a form of nutrients

Provide deep watering

Top dress each bed with a layer of compost

Mulch the entire garden AFTER the seedlings have emerged.

Who Can Resist the Fall Garden?

2008-10-15T23:26:00.004-04:00

There's a whimsical, almost magical cast to the garden as it winds down towards dormancy. So many of the plants that bloom from late Summer into Fall have a blowsy habit -- as if they know that the Autumn winds will kick up and give them a ride.

The Asters create mounds of luscious color that tempt the bees to dive repeatedly into the blossoms. The simplicity of Asters is a visual treat after a summer of roses and other more complicated, hybridized plants.

The Boltonia creates a tall mist of white foam. From a distance it looks almost gossamer; up close it seems like a natural bouquet of tiny yet tall daisies.

Sweet Autumn Clematis is a vanilla-scented tangle of blossoms that the buttterflies and insects can't resist. And why should they?

The Dahlias are sentinels standing guard near their friends, ever watchful for the marauding raccoons and skunks who are eager to dig out one last grub before the ground freezes.

The native Helianthus stands over six feet tall and displays its multi-stem, multi-branch, double pretties deep into October. There's a cheerful exuberance about the plant that makes me smile each time I pass it in the garden.

The native Ilex or Winterberry displays its sharp red berries in stunning contrast to its soft green leaves. As the cool nights increase in number, the berries grow more lush and vibrant. How do the birds resist the lure?

Reflect On Change

It's fun to note the changes that Autumn brings to the stalwarts in the perennial garden. Take the time to really see what's going on.

Spirea Anthony Waterer will be putting on a stunning show as its leaves turn bronze in the Fall.

Spirea Anthony Waterer

As the shrubs lose their leaves and enter dormancy, you can enjoy the beauty of their shape and color. The Variegated Red Twig Dogwood (Cornus Alba) is a beautiful shrub in all seasons. In Fall and Winter, its stark crimson stems are spectacular.

Red Twig Dogwood

Some of the early-Summer bloomers (oriental poppies, for example) and mid-Summer bloomers (Shasta daisies, for example) will be putting out new growth now to get one last jolt of photosynthesis before disappearing for the Winter.

Other plants (especially those workhorses who keep going throughout the Spring, Summer, and Fall) will look tired and miserable and will all but beg you to cut them down and let them focus solely on their root system. Let the poppies and Shastas enjoy the Autumn sun, but put the daylilies and other strugglers out of their misery by removing their top growth.

Fall Gardening Tasks

2008-10-05T13:14:00.005-04:00

Now's the time to start preparing our gardens for Winter. Although we are tempted to procrastinate when it's time to put our gardens to bed for the season, it has to be done.

Evaluate

The end of the garden year is an excellent time to evaluate what did and did not work in your garden design. As you work your way through the garden readying it for winter, review what garden changes delighted or horrified you as you watched the seasons pass.

It's time to decide (and make note of) what you want more of and what you want to eliminate. For example:

Which of the Spring and Summer bloomers will you divide and replant now?

Which of the late Summer and Fall bloomers will you divide next Spring?

Which plants will you eliminate and give away to friends for their gardens?

Which plants do you want to put on your wish list for next year's garden?

Clean Up the Garden

To prepare our gardens for the inevitable cold, tough New England winter, we should start to:

Remove garden debris, dead foliage, and weeds

Gently aerate the soil

Provide deep watering

Top dress each bed with a layer of compost

Mulch the entire garden AFTER the ground has frozen.

Is Summer Really Over?

2008-09-04T16:14:00.000-04:00

Where did the Summer go? What happened to the endless progression of long sunny days and warm nights in the garden?

The Northwest garden in early June

Late June

Mid-July

Mid-August

The songbirds -- who flew from feeder to birdbath to nest in a flurry of activity as they set up housekeeping in the trees, shrubs, and birdhouses -- are preparing to head South. And we -- who sat in the sun watching our gardens grow lush as the days lengthened and the warmth encouraged the seedlings to grow, grow, grow -- are getting ready to put away the summer furniture.

Summer in New England passes too quickly. In what feels like the blink of an eye, it's September.

Early September

As I sit in my office, looking out at the gardens, I feel wistful. Autumn Asters are ready to pop, the Verbena Bonariensis is in full bloom, the Dahlias are going wild, the Sedum is turning its cherry pink. All true, but so many of the other late Summer perennials are on the wane. Although the days are still sunny and warm, we all know that the cold is on its way -- that the dreaded Winter will follow the gorgeous Fall. Deep cold will find us.

Verbena with Variegated Dogwood

Native Rudbeckia and Sedum

The last of the Sunflowers

The Early Winter Garden

2007-12-21T20:41:00.000-05:00

The Winter Solstice is here with new snow, short days, and bitter cold. In spite of these factors -- or maybe because of them -- the gardens look peaceful and warm under their new snow blanket.

The bare branches of trees and shrubs (especially those of the Red Twig Dogwood) sparkle as the sun passes over their form.

The native holly looks particularly festive in December with its red berry clusters. Its angular shadow, cast against the background wall, moves gracefully with the wind that blusters through the yard on these cold winter days.

Winter is one of the few times when I think that the old mophead Forsythias have possibilities and should be left, unpruned, in the garden -- not cut down in late Spring to make space for more interesting shrubs or small trees.

The web of wispy branches creates an interesting perspective on an otherwise plain view.

At this time of year and in this severe cold, I tend to view the gardens from indoors primarily. When the temperature hovers in the single digits, I venture outdoors briefly and tentatively to fill the bird feeders or to examine something in the gardens more closely.

Only the heavily furred could bear to lounge outdoors today.