Most of us will never have a reflecting pool in our garden, but water in the garden comes in many forms. The Bloedel Reserve has many beautiful ways to use water in the garden., this is just one. A small fountain near the house makes electricity for the recirculating pump easy. This small waterfall has been 'tuned' to make lovely music. The water enters in a lovely fishpond. A simple birdbath in the shade. A more elaborate…
You might think The Fairy to be a fragile pink rose, but in the 1960 Roses of Yesterday and Today catalog this sturdy polyantha is described as 'unexcelled for vigor, spreading growth, perfect health and hardiness, and its superability to produce those charming pink rosette type blossoms in constant abundance, - each a fair flower, crisp and waxen like a pink sea shell." The Fairy has proved herself to be a stalwart star of my mixed border for the…
Welcome to the Greenfield Garden Club Garden Tour. Welcome seems to be the theme on the Greenfield Garden Club Tour which will be held on Saturday, July 6 from 9 am to 4 pm. This beautiful garden on a challenging slope in Gill has several garden rooms, from the small sunny garden with its fountain and pool surrounded by astilbes, ornamental grasses and bright coreopsis to the woodland garden with its gravel paths and colorful mushroom ornaments. Each garden…
Last week I mis-identified this rose as Winter Sunset. Winter Sunset and Folksinger are both Griffith Buck hardy rose hybrids. This image from the gardenweb forum shows that both roses have a similar form, but Winter Sunset has deeper color. I have both of these roses, but right now Winter Sunset is not doing well at all. To see what else is Wordless this Wednesday click here.
My report for the first of the month and the first of the week, is a day late - but recovering from the pleasures of the Annual Rose Viewing is my excuse. My first of the month reports are to help me keep a better record of bloom times throughout the whole garden. Most of the perennials are in the North and South Lawn Beds. These two slightly curved Lawn Beds were born 14 years ago. Their purpose…
It has never rained on the Rose Viewing, and I think I can claim it did not rain yesterday either. The Rose Viewing is from 1-4 pm. At 3:45 yesterday there were a few drops of rain, but then no more. The guests who were here at that time strolled into the Cottage Ornee where we stayed and chatted, ate the last few cookies, and strawberry sorbet that one of the guests brought, until Sunday afternoon exhaustion set…
I was inviting a new friend to our Annual Rose Viewing. She looked at me in absolute amazement. “You can grow tea roses in Heath?” No, I cannot. Tea roses will not grow in Heath. The word rose is not synonymous with the words tea rose. Mostly I have rugosas, albas, damasks, shrubs and farmgirls. Since 1980 when I planted my first rose, Passionate Nymph’s Thigh, I have planted over one hundred roses. More than half of…
I bought Thomas Affleck from the Antique Rose Emporium. It suggested planting it near the door so you would pass it often and enjoy the fragrance. I did plant it near the door, at the end of the Herb Bed which is next to the entry walk. There is no fragrance that I can detect, but it certainly is a pleasure to walk past it several times a day. This is a magnificent rose that requires very little…
Winter Sunset is a big rose in an amazing shade. Just opened this morning. For more Wordlessness this Wednesday click here.
A sizeable work crew showed up to help prepare for the Annual Rose Viewing, but it was impossible to get a photo of them all working together. Diane directed the weeding of the Peony Bed that was in great need. Henry took direction as well as the girls. Eveyone felt the 90 degree heat. Granddaughters Caitlin and Tricia couldn't even spare time to look up from their labors. I directed the shed clean up. Lola and Bella were ready…