Highlights from My Garden

As promised, here are some highlights from my garden. It is early in the season for New England, so I have mostly green. I also tend to purchase plants for a late summer garden and need to refocus efforts on getting more color this time of year. The gardens are most vibrant at the end of August into September and October. So, I will take more picture to share then. Our house is a little over twenty years old. When we moved in three years ago, there was a lot of mature/established plantings. They were very spread out and it has been my task over the past few years to try to pull things together. I have also put some time into moving and removing plantings, but some are so oversized that they cannot be removed without some major effort now. I am always floored when people don't plan ahead.

For example, why did previous owners put a fifteen foot cypress right in front of the kitchen window so you can't see the rest of the backyard while looking out? I'm sure it was quite cute when it was a baby. It is gorgeous now, but definitely misplaced.
These beautiful raised bed in my backyard have been one of my biggest projects. It is home to some of my favorite plants, most notably my rosebushes, St. Johnswort and Artemesia. Since it is near my back door, the beds also house my herb garden and some vegetables that don't fit in our "vegetable" garden. Following the raised beds along the back of the house, are granite steps that lead to the backyard. The yard houses our vegetable garden.

Out in front of the house a a brick pathway with a new garden that I started last year. Hydrangea, digitalis, sedum, wygelia and other select plants have been added by me. Established hollies, rhododendron, azalea and other foundation plantings form the backbone of the garden. Below the pathway is my most complete garden with rocks forming a backdrop to daisies, coreopsis and other summer favorites.

Around the shady side of the house is a newly established "reading garden" with a brook running alongside it. I put this in last year for my daughter and have added Brunela, Jacob's Ladder, hostas and other shade lovers. I have a very long driveway and lots of woods. Halfway down the driveway is a little sitting area that I'm still trying to figure out. It too is very shaded. I've tried strewing "shady" wildflowers this year. Daisies seem to do well based on last year's experience...we'll see what happens. I have found lots of wild Jack-in-the-pulpit plants here that throughly delight me.


I hope that I didn't bore you, but at least I've documented my spring garden. Thanks for taking the tour with me!