This is the day I wait for every year - the first tree peony blossoms. I bought this one because of the name which translates as Guan Yin's face. Guan Yin is the goddess of compassion and I am sure her face is as beautiful as this blossom. Tree peony flowers look fragile, but the plants are extremely hardy. I vaguely remember buying a bag of pink tulip bulbs last fall, and then sticking them in any old…
If there is anything more enjoyable than an afternoon working in one's own garden, it is spending an afternoon working with a daughter in her garden. Yesterday we visited Betsy for a garden consultation, nursery shopping and planting day. Betsy has done some landscaping around her house which is built on sand that hides many many stones. In fact the house is directly across the road from a granite quarry whose boulders form a major element of the…
So many groups hold plant sales in the spring. They give us a chance to expand our gardens AND often support any number of worthy community organizations. Nasami Farm of the New England Wildflower Society is now open in Whately on weekends, Thursdays through Sundays from 10 am - 5 pm. until June 13. Nasami sells native plants that will thrive in our area, support birds, bees and butterflies - and our whole eco-system. Friday, May 7 9…
Siberian iris are among the hardiest perennials I can think of. There were clumps of white iris, and deep purple iris around the house when we moved here 30 years ago. I've moved clumps of these around the garden, I've given them away to friends, donated them to plant sales, and I've even tossed divisions into the field and over to the edge of the road - see above. I don't want you to think I planted them…
The term rain gardens sounds kind of romantic. I imagine something vaguely tropical with exotic blossoms amid rain drenched foliage viewed from a wicker chair on a veranda. In reality a rain garden can have colorful blossoms, not necessarily exotic, but when the foliage is rain drenched the rain garden is doing its work of infiltration. Infiltration is not a romantic term. I have heard the term rain garden and seen Master Gardener work sheets on building a…
Last Sunday was muddy and dreary but the group that gathered in front of the blazing fire at Curtis House in Ashfield was as bright and sunny as a summer day. We had all gathered to have Jeff Farrell, Gloria Pacosa and Lisa Newman, the newly formed Trillium Workshops, teach us how we could all have cutting gardens to fill our houses with fresh flowers while leaving our flower borders intact. These three friends came together hardly more…
The historic Bridge of Flowers is in bloom! When I ran across yesterday admiring all the flowers I met three visitors from Australia, taking lots of photos - and who could blame them. I took photos too. First there is the new sign on the Shelburne side. It was painted by Jane Wegscheider of The Art Garden and hangs from a structure created by Bob Compton of Rising Sun Forge. The flowers begin even before you step on…
The main task for these past few beautiful days has been setting up the new garden in front of the house which gets protection from the wind, and sun early in the season. I thought I could plant hardy vegetables here and start my harvest early. Once again I used the lasagna method of starting a new garden. First I put down old chick house cleanings in lieu of finished compost. We did not get chicks last year…
Finally, I was able to use the solar clothes dryer! The sun shone and temperatures are rising. The daffodills under Miss Willmott lilac have started to send up shoots. When I cleared away dead foliage I could see that the Lady's Mantle, alchemilla, has a lot is going on. The snow is gone from below the vegetable garden, and there was only moderate squelching across the lawn to see the snowdrops. My very first blooms.
Probably the first thing I knew about Beatrix Farrand is that she was the niece of Edith Wharton, and designed the approach to Wharton's home, The Mount, in the Berkshires. Although she did not have anything to do with the rest of the gardens, I cannot believe that Aunt and Niece did not sit together and talk about what might be done during the years she lived there, 1902-1911. When you have talent in the family, surely it would be…