Quietly strolling through the early June gardens . . . while a gentle breeze whispers and restores, numerous birds sing and dart here and there, Tree Swallows silently sweep the sky, dozens of butterflies flit about the shrubberies and layers of fragrances merge . . . feels quite close to heavenly.
Rosa Rugosa and Miss Canada Lilac are very compatible in color and scent and are truly the flora stars of this late spring rambling garden.
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| Rosa Rubrifloia 'Glauca', Rosa Rugosa 'Purple Pavement' in North Garden |
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| Delicate Rosa Rubrifloia |
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| Rosa Rugosa 'Purple Pavement' |
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| Delicious! |
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| Rosa Rugosa 'Purple Pavement' in North Garden |
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| Unknown old fashion rose in South Rock Garden |
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| Unknown white Rosa Rugosa in North Garden |
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| Looking between Apple tree trunks up toward Middle Garden |
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| 'Miss Canada' Lilac, Beauty bush and Rosa Rugosa ~ Lovely shades of pink as seen from the barn studio door. |
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| Tiger Swallowtails were all over the florets of 'Miss Canada' Lilac just outside the barn studio windows. |
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| Looking north and down from the upstairs apartment window Miss Canada Lilac and Beauty bush spread out nicely. |
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| Spirea 'Bridal Wreath' spills over between 'Miss Canada' Lilac and Beauty bush just outside barn studio at sunset. |
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| A waterfall of white Spirea 'Bridal Wreath' |
I do get lost when walking out into our jungle-like gardens . . . camera around my neck, garden gloves and pruners in my pocket . . . hours go by without my noticing. I feel like a member of a wild community and there are many small eyes warily watching my movements.
Ms. Bluebird is busy building her second nest, in the same nestbox (after I cleaned it out), in the middle garden! Yeah! The Baltimore Orioles, Phoebes and Tree Swallows are steadfastly caring for their young and countless other birds are too . . . in hidden places I have yet to discover.
I am always discovering something new within this lush landscape and love how it merges with my softer sanguine self, to create an inner peace. For . . . have I mentioned . . . our gardens are like a jungle? Yes, I have a few times at least. After long years of anxious angst, I have accepted . . . that the gardens have a life of their own . . . and I have yielded to it . . . mostly.
Weeding to any major extent is impossible without a full-time staff of three or four . . . with two part-time helpers we are able to keep things we care about alive and at least give them a head start on the invasives. I have come to enjoy the rather overflowing garden floor and luckily most of my plants and shrubs reach high above the carpet of bishop's weed, bedstraw and (right now) comfrey. The comfrey will be cut down once the flowers have passed (pollinators adore the generous nectar) and I will continue to add more natives that are robust enough to survive here.
One thing that survives here with no trouble at all . . . is the pure magical quality of surprise and suspense.
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14 comments:
I see I stopped by my computer at a very good time... such a beautiful post again and what a wonderful environment you share! Larry
What a lovely post and photos . This is how I feel about our gardens and nature whilst I have camera in hand or gardening . Have a wonderful day !
I had a nice scroll through your garden, Carol. Every photo was prettier than the last.
Do you notice that we seem to have lots of butterflies earlier this year?
Your last line says it all: "the pure magical quality of surprise and suspense". I admire your closeups~they are so lovely, oh, but, that view into the mountains and sky is spectacular! gail
Hello Carol:
To refer to the gardens at Flower Hill Farm is to do them, and yourself, a great disservice. In the wonderful setting in which you find yourself, with so much natural beauty all around, it would seem to us that too greater a reliance on formality would be inappropriate. What is so pleasing, as far as we are able to judge, is the way the garden flows into the landscape so that any boundary becomes blurred and of no account.
So much of what you show in this post we recognise from our own gardening days although we are not at all familiar with the very lovely, soft colouring of Rosa rugosa 'Purple Pavement'. Now that is something we should have loved to have grown amongst all of our old fashioned shrub roses.
And we have noticed that remarkable stand of blue irises. We take them to be a Sibirica, but may be wrong.
Do you, in mention of comfrey, use the cut leaves steeped over a period in water as a liquid manure?
As always . . . Thank you Larry and CG for your kind words of support. Thank you Sandy I am so glad you had a nice stroll with me . . . and yes I have seen many more butterflies than usual for the time of year, especially in early spring. Thank you dear Gail! The surprises and mysteries abound, when living in harmony and so close to nature. Dear Jane and Lance, Oh, I so appreciate your kind words. I know what you mean and do intend for these gardens to gently merge with the surrounding landscapes. I do love a jungle (meaning more wilderness, though it can be a bit messy at times) and as you say formality would be so out of place in my rustic realm. . . the undergrowth beneath the shrubberies does offer protection for weasels and such (rabbits too unfortunately . . . hopefully the weasels will catch up with them.) Sometimes I wish I could have a choice in the understory is all. Not to mention that these non-native invasives are spreading and I shamefully allowing them to. Yes, I have a good amount of Siberian Iris. Voles enjoy dining on them, so I had a poor show this year by comparison to last year say. Ah, yes some years i do make batches of comfrey manure tea but often just compost it. Thanks for the reminder! I did cure myself of eczema with comfrey tea and rather hold the plant dear for that reason. I feel if it is such a good blood purifier its nectar must surely be good for all the butterflies, bees and hummers that frequent the blooms. The spiraling blooms are quite lovely in their dangling way.
Carol, this post just makes me happy! I love your wonderful billowing garden full of wildlife. Strolling through it must indeed be a magical experience. I think semi-wild gardens especially offer surprises to those who allow themselves to get lost in them.
Carol, I swear I can smell the thick scents of the garden looking at your photos and reading your posts. Thought of you the other day - the monarchs came in early and have started to lay eggs. Was so glad I read your post about these marvellous creatures and knew enough now to leave all that milkweed where it stood.
Barbara
Carol, I can imagine how wonderful the combined fragrances of peonies, lilacs and roses must be in your garden at this time of year. A farmhouse in my neighborhood as a white rugosa rose growing on the fence along the road. As I pass there on my morning walk, I slow my steps, inhale deeply, and smile. -Jean
I very much enjoyed that stroll through the gardens. It felt warm with wonderful scents on the soft breeze. I am also quite taken with the Rosa Rubrifloia - lovely.
I was wondering how you managed to keep your garden under control. Help would be necessary. Those pinks are simply gorgeous.
A glorious garden you have there, and the butterflies, they are special.
This time your garden looks very Swedish! Almost all the plants you mention grow here too, I suppoase you know that the roots of comfrey are miraculous healers for infected wounds and that the folliage is excellent for fertilizing. Fill a large bucket with the the cut-down plants, cover with water. leave for 5-6 days, strain and use for watering plants that need a kick, diluting 1 to 6 approx.
Kram/Laila
Your roses are magnificent! I am glad that you spoke frankly about the maintenance of your garden. A big garden is hard to take care of. Yours blends in with the surrounding landscape so beautifully.
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