Mulch and weeds have consumed a good portion of my gardening energies of late. When you are sweating with armloads of garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata), it’s easy to forget what gardening is all about, so today’s post is an attempt remind myself—and everyone who reads this post—why all the sweat and bug bites are worth it.
ABOVE: View from the kitchen door, April 26, 2012. Spiraea ‘Magic Carpet’, lavender, golden marjoram, and self-sown wild blue phlox (Phlox divaricata).
For me, putting plants together and seeing what they do is at the heart of my gardening obsession. Collecting as many interesting plants as I can get my hands on is high on my list, too. These pictures of the front garden at Hackberry Point are meant to show how those two passions—or obsessions—have come together thus far. I hope you enjoy them.
Above: Variegated lily-of-the-valley (Convallaria majalis ‘Striata’) with foamflower (Tiarella ‘Oakleaf’), crested iris, ferns, epimediums, and wild blue phlox (Phlox divaricata).
Above: Alas, I can’t find the label for this gorgeous purple-leaved heuchera. Name or no-name, it’s a keeper! It is growing with heuchera ‘Autumn Bride’, Caryopteris ‘Hint of Gold’, an Agastache ‘Golden Jubilee’ seedling, and enthusiastic-to-invasive self-sowing bronze fennel (Foeneculum vulgare ‘Purpureum’).
Above: Spiraea ‘Golden Elf’ adds a splash of gold to this combination and grows happily with tricolor sage (Salvia officinalis ‘La Crema’), Heuchera ‘Caramel’, a variegated sedum, and purple-leaved Euphorbia amygdaloides ‘Ruby Glow’. Self-sowers Lychnis coronaria ‘Angel’s Blush’ and wild blue phlox fill in.
Above: Chinese ginger (Hexastylus splendens, formerly Asarum splendens) with ajuga, European ginger (Hexastylus europaeum, formerly Asarum europaeum), rue anemone (Anemonella thalictroides), and dwarf mondo grass (Ophiopogon japonicusi).
Above: A favorite hosta that came down to Maryland from my garden in Pennsylvania, Hosta montana ‘Variegata’. It is underplanted with European ginger and foamflowers (Tiarella cordifolia ‘Susquehanna’)
Above: This is the bed that forms the oldest part of the garden. It’s under an elderly redbud and on the edge of a steep drop off that starts just beyond the tree’s trunk. Hellebores, double bloodroot, and Dutchman’s breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) are first to bloom here. By April 20, yellow trillium (Trillium luteum), originally from my mother’s garden, and Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum biflorum) are in bloom. Hellebores, large merrybells (Uvularia grandiflora), and stinking gladwyn (Iris foetidissima ‘Citrina’) foliage cover the ground around them.
beautiful pictures. Your elderly redbud looks as though it has a face. Cool.
Hi Valerie!
I think it looks like it has a face, too. I absolutely love it!
Barbara
Beautiful. Barbara – you are an artist!
Barbara,
First time checking out your garden pics. Beautiful! I live at the Jersey shore and I am looking for some different plants for my new garden. Where do you find these little gems? Geri
Geri
Thanks for visiting! Your best bet is to find a local nursery that specializes in plants for your area. One that offers natives from your area is great. If you have friends or neighbors with nice gardens, ask them where they buy plants. By sticking to local sources, you’ll find plants that can tolerate your conditions–I’m assuming sandy soil and probably salt spray. That said, I do like Rare Find, up in central New Jersey. (http://www.rarefindnursery.com/) They have lots of rare plants and you can always find something unusual.
Barbara
What wonderful photos, Barbara!!!
Loved the pholox that self seeded.
Hi Clare! Glad you liked the photos! The wild blue phlox is seeding in everywhere. I started with a couple different colors, and I still have some that are darker purple, others that are lavender, and lots that are white. I can never have enough of it!
Barbaras