May 10, 2008

shall we take another walk?

Filed Under hot p(l)ants, photo galleries

THE RAIN HAS DRIFTED AWAY and so I thought we’d take another walk, yes? More areas of the garden are coming alive gradually, so let’s go see. (If you didn’t come along last time, you can always backtrack, by the way. The beauty of the internet: It’s realtime, or anytime.) Click images for the best views.

The potted Japanese maples (above) that overwinter in the barn are leafing out beautifully, despite a late hard frost I thought would take them from me.

You can see them in the far background in the next photo (left), too, sitting at the top of the driveway where the front garden begins. The driveway used to come all the way up beside the house to where this shot is taken from, where my oldest magnolia, ‘Ballerina,’ and many favorite perennials now make a much more beautiful view for me year round from my windows than the gravel surface and passenger side of my car and truck ever did all those early years.

The pots are just outside the lower left corner of this next picture (above), taken from the driveway. Soon no mulch will show, once the rest of the perennials leaf out. And in another month I can take out the bamboo stakes that are marking off the areas along the garden edges, where I have lawn repairs under way. Pray for the seed to sprout before the birds take all of it.

At left, we are just a little farther uphill (and my whole place is on a hill, so everything is always either “uphill” or “downhill” from where you are now). The front walk, used by nobody but opportunistic plants like ajuga, is flanked by many large bleeding hearts this time of year, which will then disappear underground in summer. Some of the numerous lilacs in the garden are in the background.

Looking uphill (there’s that word again), left, from the big magnolia’s bed, you can start to see the gold foliage of the three young Metasequoia ‘Gold Rush’ that will eventually call to you more loudly from a distance, I hope, helping connect the lower parts of the property with the upper reaches. Gold foliage is great for that, to draw the eye and really shout instructions to the visitor: “Come here, this way!”

Looking down from that uppermost field (above), where the metasequoias are, a view of the only flat strip of land I have ever gardened on, my “back yard”. I painted the house last year, and as you can see from the darkest of olives and the hottest of orangey-reds, I have a high color tolerance. And then some.

I didn’t acquire much in the way of a garden when I moved here more than 20 years ago…but I did get the last survivors of an apple orchard, trees easily more than 75 years old. There are only six still with me, and this is the one (photo below) that I love the most (don’t tell the other five).

Nearby I have planted groupings of the old apples’ smaller-fruited cousins in the genus Malus, a total of 10 crabapples. These two Sargent-type ‘Candymint’ crabs (below) are wonderful for their decidedly horizontal structure, as nice in winter bareness after all the fruit’s been taken by the bird as it is all trussed up with blooms right now. Thanks for coming along today.

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20 Responses to “shall we take another walk?”

Andrew Ritchie on May 10th, 2008 6:44 pm

A beautiful walk, indeed! Some comments and observations:

1. Your favourite apple tree is also my favourite now! It looks like a giant piece of wafting coral under the sea! Gorgeous! And I love that it is so old.

2. I see you’ve stripped all the vinery off the garden shed. Or will it be covered by foliage by fall?

3. I admire your brave colour choices for the house and I really like the dark shade of olive, which makes the house disappear into the summer landscape.

4. Great shot of the ‘uphill’ and the planted birdbath.

Gorgeous work, as always, Ms. M!

-Andrew
margaret on May 10th, 2008 7:07 pm

Thanks, Andrew. The buildings all got a facelift last year, and (oops!) the contractors tried to “tie back” the very old, treasured climbing hydrangea when the temps were VERY low…and it snapped right at the base. I was furious…but now I have planted a new one and have just let it go. You win some…
bluearrow on May 10th, 2008 7:26 pm

Hi Margaret!

Loved the walk through of your lovely home and gardens!
I am a newbie here on Awaytogarden.com
I work at a local nursery and just love the idea I can come here and see what some of the plants look like in an actual landscape!
Thanks for sharing.
margaret on May 10th, 2008 7:56 pm

Welcome, Bluearrow. Glad to help. If you mean “local” as in my locale in the Hudson Valley/Berkshires region, then be sure to try to come for Garden Conservancy Open Days 6/14 as well. Nothing like the real thing, I suppose, but I am trying w/my snapshots, I am. Have you ever toured local gardens on “Open Days” (wherever “local” is for you)?
M.
leslie land on May 11th, 2008 8:03 am

Gorgeous and inspiring as always –

and maybe an object lesson, too. Do you have any Japanese maples that live outdoors full time? Mine that got clonked in the end-of-April frost is in the ground in what I hope is a warm spot and expected to survive there - mercifully, it’s leafing out again, but

well, I wonder.
margaret on May 11th, 2008 8:20 am

Hi, Leslie. I am being a sissy and planning to keep them in pots like bonsai, root-pruning every few years I think. Though I have seen an incredible (hardy) collection in the ground at the nearby garden of Susan Anthony and Richard Galef (an Open Days participant 6/14). I wonder how his fared (they are all in a woodland setting with shelter of larger trees around). Have to go see…
Elaine on May 11th, 2008 8:25 am

Oh, Margaret. The photos are gorgeous. Your garden is just beautiful and your home - I love the color palette! That apple tree is a great climbing tree. Thank you so much for inviting us on your walk.
Kathy from Cold Climate Gardening on May 11th, 2008 6:47 pm

Are all those hot pink flowers in photo #2 the Primula kisoana you talked about in a previous post? Whatever they are, I want some!
margaret on May 11th, 2008 9:25 pm

@Elaine: I have never climbed my apples…but you are right, they are perfect for it.
@Kathy: Yes! The purple-pink or orchid-color primulas are kisoana, which I highly recommend. It will grow even at the edges of a woodland in shady conditions…I give it no attention except to dig out bits to share or transplant. Friends brought me a plant or two from Seattle, and now I have oodles, but it’s easy to uproot and say “NO!” to if it goes too far from home.
David on May 12th, 2008 11:57 am

Just wondering if there is a practical purpose to the stones placed on the small terracotta pots situated at the front walk, or are they merely a visual treat? (I’m hoping the latter.)

I too appreciate your high color tolerance, but for selfish reasons. I painted the body of my house a similar orangey-red. I’m sure it’s a little much for most tastes, but I think the contrast between the house and surrounding foliage is great.
margaret on May 12th, 2008 12:18 pm

Hi, David…and you are correct, there is no practical purpose, just who knows what. Usually I stack descending sizes of pots w/the stones atop each “cairn” up and down the walk, but I haven’t gotten that far yet this year. Thanks for reminding me…
And glad I am not alone in “loud house” (sounds like you shout even louder than I do).
M.
Randy on May 12th, 2008 12:38 pm

Gasp!* This is my second peek into your garden and it’s just wonderful. Oh Margaret, to have a garden just like it… I would never ever leave it. I have a question or two. I really like leaf mulch, but that isn’t an option any more. This may sound like a crazy question to ask but, since cedar is supposed to repel moths, would cedar mulch make our garden a less pleasant place for butterflies? I’ve been told pine bark attracts termites and harvesting cypress is causing wetland problems, and so on and so forth. What type of mulch do you recommend?
David on May 12th, 2008 12:42 pm

M.,

I do love the whimsy of it.

I have a similar but opposite project. I tilled a small area for a wildflower bed (fingers crossed for germination) and stacked the abundant “found” stone around an embedded large stone I’ve found impossible to move with the thought of placing a decorative pot there.
margaret on May 12th, 2008 12:59 pm

@Randy: Fine-textured, organic (meaning something formerly living), dark-colored. I don’t think cedar and butterflies have an issue with each other, but never thought of it or researched it. I actually talked about my mulch faves on the Forums recently, and here’s the link, which will give more details.
laura on May 12th, 2008 4:45 pm

Margaret, thanks for your comment on my blog. I have gleaned much from reading your posts. It is quite fun to have first read about your garden in the pages of Martha Stewart Living and earmarked the page and now be able to tell you here that it was and is absolutely lovely.
margaret on May 12th, 2008 5:24 pm

Nice to see you, Laura, and it is very sweet to hear that you enjoyed some of what we did…and that you’re enjoying my new home-baked project!
Carol, May Dreams Gardens on May 14th, 2008 8:46 pm

Who says you still have to buy gardening magazines because they have inspiring photos that blogs don’t have? Those are very inspiring pictures of your garden. Thanks for taking us along for a walk with you.
margaret on May 14th, 2008 8:56 pm

Thanks, Carol–and particularly since you have a very successful garden blog of your own. Kind words appreciated! Now if I can only get it together tomorrow for Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day…
M.
writermom on June 27th, 2008 6:11 pm

Is that an ice plant in the birdbath? I did the same thing, but didn’t think to add something for it to climb on. I’ll have to scrounge around in the garage and see what I can find.
margaret on June 27th, 2008 7:13 pm

@Writermom: Welcome, and it’s Sedum ‘Angelina,’ a lovely (and ambitious) gold, low-growing sedum. A must-have.

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Who's Gardening Here?

from martha to just margaret
I was so blessed to visit and document many of the nation’s finest homemade gardens for 15 years for ‘Martha Stewart Living,’ first as its garden editor and then as editorial director for the company. The list of places we were proud to publish included my own upstate New York home a few years back. Take a tour of how it looked then. Want to know more about me? Or read what Anne Raver said in June in The New York Times, calling A Way to Garden “the best (garden blog) I’d ever seen.”
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Why Do You Garden?

One of the most popular questions at A Way to Garden: Why do you garden? A bunch of us answered in a stream of comments, but there's great newer stuff on the Forums. Just in case you'd like to tell us why, too (or have a good read about what makes the rest of us tick).
July Garden Chores

All based on my Zone 5B Berkshire/Hudson Valley location; adjust accordingly.

JULY STARTS OUT as Throw In the Trowel Month here, but then summer shapes up and the heat-lovers have their day. All is forgiven! Keeping up with watering and weeds tops the to-do list, with planting and other more macho tasks (other than mowing my steep hillside) at a minimum.

FIRST, THE HAIRCUTS: Many perennials (euphorbia, some true geraniums, ribbon grass) do better the second half of the season if cut back hard. Others need just deadheading. Annuals that grow leggy can often benefit from a chop job, too. Do some experiments. Sometimes a plant can’t look worse, and you probably won’t kill it. :-)

MAKE A PASS through each bed each week, since weeds are not just unsightly but steal moisture, nutrients and light from desired plants. Top up mulch in all garden beds if washed or worn away to help in the plight.

IF YOU ARE IN JAPANESE BEETLE territory, handpick (as with other obvious pests like tomato hornworms) in early morning and drown in a can of water to reduce infestation. Plan to try to reduce grub population with nematodes.

GARDENS NEED an inch of water a week from you or the heavens. Check your rain gauge to make sure they get it, and remember: soak deeply in the root zone, don’t spritz things with a sprayer now and again like you’re washing the car. That’s a garden no-no. Pots need extra attention, especially smallish ones in sun, and they also need regular feeding. Be alert!

TREES & SHRUBS

STOP FEEDING woody plants. Promoting more soft growth in high summer isn’t good; time for them to start moving toward the hardening-off phase of their cycle. No more eats till earliest spring.

TREES ARE especially vulnerable to drought, particularly the oldest and the youngest (those planted in the last few years). Water deeply, as with a Tree-Gator. Ugly…but better than not watering the kids!

ALWAYS BE on the lookout for dead, damaged, diseased wood in trees and shrubs and prune them out as discovered. Ditto with suckers and water sprouts.

SPRING-FLOWERING shrubs like lilacs reach the end of their pruning window after July 4th here, otherwise risking damage to emerging buds for next year’s blooms.

THROUGH MONTH’S END, softwood cuttings of Buddleia, Weigela, Rose-of-Sharon and roses, among other shrubs, can be taken to propagate more plants inexpensively.

VEGETABLE, FRUIT & HERBS

STRAWBERRY BEDS may appreciate rejuvenation now.

KEEP GARLIC AND ASPARAGUS well weeded. Garlic may start to fade and topple by later this month or next, as harvest time nears. When several lower leaves yellow, try carefully lifting a head or two to judge readiness, before lifting all to cure during a warm, dry spell in an airy, sheltered place. Let asparagus ferns grow till frost to feed the underlying crowns.

CONTINUE SOWING carrots, beets, radishes, lettuce, dill. With salad greens, select heat-resistant varieties, and sow small amounts every 10 days. Direct-sow a short row of bush beans every two weeks through month’s end, and another mound of bush cukes and zucchini right now.

FOR PEAK FLAVOR, harvest basil, sage, marjoram and oreganos, mint, tarragon are best harvested just before bloom. Start more basil from seed for combining with those September tomatoes, and dill for late pickles. Harvest lavender, rosemary and chamomile as they flower, blossoms and all.

FLOWER GARDEN

SOW VIOLAS (and pansies where they overwinter) in flats indoors for set-out in fall, where they’ll appreciate a protective mulch after the ground freezes. Fall-planted violas bloom earlier next spring.

PRUNE RAMBLER ROSES and once-blooming climbers now, after their flowering period.

MANY PERENNIALS and biennials can be started now from seed, then set out in the fall into nursery beds.

I MOW THE foliage of my ripened daffodil drifts around July 4th. Deadhead faded perennials unless they have showy seedheads (same with bulbs), or you want to collect seed later (non-hybrids only).

ARE ANNUAL VINES getting the continuing support they need, whether twine, wire, lattice?

ORDER BULBS to get varieties you want (see Sources). Remember our “early, middle, late” mantra when doing so.

PREPARE NEW beds for fall planting by smothering grass or weeds with layers of recycled corrugated cardboard or thick layers of newspaper, then put mulch on top.

EDGE BEDS to make a clean line and define them, and keep edges clean with regular fine-tuning with grass shears. A clean edge makes a big difference.

HOUSEPLANTS
Houseplants, including amaryllis, can spend the summer outdoors, in a sheltered location with filtered bright light (not direct sun). Feed regularly.

LAWN
Don’t bag or rake clippings; let them lie on the lawn to return Nitrogen to the soil.

COMPOST HEAP
Don’t let the heap dry out completely, or it will not “cook.” Turning it to aerate will also hasten decomposition, but things will rot eventually even if not turned.
In Brief

genetic reversions in progress
THERE APPEARS TO BE A REVOLT GOING ON around here. A mass reversion, to be specific…so far noted in four plants who have changed color on me. What’s a gardener to do?

why I count birds
I LEARNED RECENTLY that I am one of 50,000 people (a million total so far) who submit monthly bird-watching checklists to ebird.org, a joint program of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Audubon. That number is up from only 5,000 a month just three years ago (and you can make it 50,001 if you sign up to help). But why bother?

loving to hate white flowers
I KEEP SAYING I hate white flowers, but then I see them all over the yard and think, hey, I must have planted them, so what’s up with that?

when the godlight shines
YOU KNOW IT WHEN you see it, and I call it the godlight. That heavenly slanting light that turns things, well, heavenly. Have a look—and tell me if it’s been shining on you lately?

twist-off ticks
I AM COMING IN everyday with at least a tick or two on me; not embedded, thankfully, so far, but it's only a matter of time. But I am prepared. Are you?

foliage fetish
ASK YOURSELF with every plant you consider buying: how are its leaves? Flowers come and go, but leaves stick around, so they had better be good.

body-count update
SOME OF US confessed early on to having lost some plants to winter, but what’s up and croaked since? I can’t believe everything’s just gone perfectly…anyone ready to confess?

can-do pruning
REPEAT AFTER ME: I can prune. I can prune. If you follow this simple method for starters, your woody plants will thank you.

the ‘other’ peonies
JUNE IS PEONY TIME, the big raucous kind of peony time, but not long ago another kind of peony you might want to consider adopting did its subtler, wonderful thing.

which lilac to plant?
SO MANY LILACS, so little space. Browse a glossary of some of my favorites before you shop—maybe you’ll like them, too.

non-blooming peonies?
ARE YOUR PEONIES not cooperating—is there not a good crop of flower buds, and you don’t know why? This came up on the Forums, and here’s the dish.

gone, but not forgotten
ONE OF MY FAVORITE spring bloomers, Hylomecon japonicum, poked up through the soil surface the last week in April for a showy couple of weeks. Learn about this little-grown but easy perennial.

anything but forsythia
I guess I have a thing against forsythia…even though I have several specimens of it along the fringes of my property. But there are better choices for spring color among shrubs.

surprise (avian) visitors
If you make a garden for birds, or even plant a crabapple or two (or ten), you never know who’ll show up.

gourd of all gourds
DON'T GET ME STARTED on Cucurbita, the genus that includes pumpkins and squash and some gourds. But rather than digress into a thousand-word rant here on my truest loves, let me just say this: nest egg (as in ‘Nest Egg’ gourd).

magnolias to love
THEY’RE MEMORIES NOW but I couldn't garden without magnolias. Want to know more about the queen of the spring-blooming trees?

a cage supreme
READY TO END your relationship with tomato cages that are barely tall and wide and strong enough for half a healthy tomato plant? Try these.

order in the garden
I AM LABELING my plants, I am. As memory fades, out comes the label machine, just in the nick. Saved by the Dymo. You can be, too.
Buried Treasure

I NOTICE THAT BLOGGING results in some rich but buried treasure: great stuff in a comment thread you may not see; interesting topics on the forums that perhaps you haven't visited.

Subjects ranging from feeding and pruning Hydrangeas and pruning clematis, to entertaining (read: ranting) lists and lists of garden no-no’s (not just mine!).

Pick a click, and enjoy. Better yet, CHIME IN yourself. Up in the nav bar…that's right, GO FOR IT: our Q&A FORUMS.