SCENT-SATIONAL!
The Gardenias are blooming! The fragrance is amazing. I follow *Margaret Moseley’s advice and have a Gardenia planted every 25 feet or so where conditions allow. According to Margaret the fragrance will permeate the entire garden. And it does.
Every Gardenia in my garden came from a bouquet she gifted me when I lost a bidding war over a house. Turned out to be a good thing….that house was not right, and I got these fabulous plants!
* Margaret Moseley, Dear friend & famous Atlanta gardener, celebrating her 95th Birthday tomorrow. Happy Birthday Margaret!
MAKING AN ENTRANCE
What are the elements that make this entrance so welcoming?
The stone walls & arch certainly give it gravitas, the lush planting softens the hard surfaces…
There is no gate, clearly we can enter… 
The pot, as focal point, arrests the eye, then the curved path pulls you in…don’t you want to see what lies beyond?
The entrance above begs the question…”Do you have an invitation?”
Both have their place.
HYDRANGEA SEASON!
Hydrangea Season is perhaps my favorite time of year. It signals the beginning of summer and triggers memories of summers past to be savored in the peace of the garden.
Long before it was “The Mourning Bench” this area was ‘The Morning Garden’. Here, in the shade of a dogwood, with variegated Boxwoods on either side, I would bring my mug of coffee and notebook to plan the gardening day.
Originally, the bench was surrounded by hydrangeas, struck from cuttings, of the bouquets brought to me by Penny McHenry* on the occasion of my daughter’s wedding. I imagined sitting there embraced by all those hydrangeas and reveling in the happy memories of that time shared with family members and good friends.
Unfortunately, this site was windswept in the winter. Year after year the hydrangeas would die back to the ground. Although they produced luscious foliage every year, there were no flowers. A change needed to be made. I swapped them out for other hydrangeas… ‘Annabelles’ (Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’), these bloom on new wood (i.e. this years growth) so they were perfect for this area. The wedding hydrangeas were moved to a more protected space.
BLOOMING NOW:
(For names of the hydrangeas in this post, hover over photo with mouse.)
To be continued…..
* Penny McHenry- Dear friend, client and founder of the American Hydrangea Society.
“ONE SICK PLANT”
My husband came in from the garden and told me I had ‘One sick plant in need of some nitrogen’.
Ha! introducing Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) ‘Little Honey’ .
It seems to bloom a little later than the species (seen in the background), and I do love the golden foliage.
More Hydrangeas in the next post.
OVERWHELMED!
The garden is overwhelming!
Above, the rose New Dawn positively dripping…….
Below,Brother Stefan’s Clematis‘PolishSpirit’ 
Below,Clematis‘Madame Julia Correvon’ 
Tomatoes, eggplants & pepper plants waiting to be planted…they are constantly fed Fish emulsion & kept watered..those are small pots & growing roots take lots of moisture.
Seed for Zinnias and Foxgloves are sown ( late on the Zinnias) below
Then there are the onions to harvest….
So, on the way to do attend to all of the above, I pass …
Glorious Deutzia above, Clematis Ruutel and C. Piilu below
Below, another pairing, Clematis ‘Carnaby’ and Clematis ‘Odoriba’
I really like the two different forms of Clematis mingling, as they climb through Smoke bush ‘Royal Velvet’…. Below, Clematis ‘Catherine Clanwilliam’.
All in all, its very pleasant “GETTING THERE’ I designed it that way.
LESSONS FROM CHARLESTON S.C.
No cameras in the gardens! The only photography allowed was from the public sidewalk. Still there are many lessons to be learned.
All the gardens are small, tiny in fact, some no larger than a postage stamp.
In small gardens, design is more important than it is in larger landscapes; for here, there is a concentrated use of space. Also, because the space is limited and seen all at once, the details & planting must be faultless.
Consider the ground plane, it is significant in all seasons. Below, variety in materials & texture. This is a driveway.
With a little imagination —- garden by day, parking at night.
There should always be a focal point to lead the eye.
Reinforce the design of beds with edging.
Keep the planting simple,
And finally.. co-ordinate…
POTTING ON..
Another week has just slipped by! So much garden…so many weeds…so little time.
All the plants started from seed have been ‘potted on’ i.e. planted into larger containers and watered with diluted fish emulsion.
I do love the names on some of these tomato plants. “Boxcar Willie” was a favorite last year, new to us this year is “One Time Charlie”. Who makes up these names ?
The garden continues to unfold. Below, Clematis‘Liberation’ and ‘Barbara Jackman’ mingle with Viburnum ‘Kern’s Pink’ ( It never was pink. ) 
Showing off now too, are the early blooming Buckeyes. In my garden I grow three of the species. The early blooming Red Buckeye (Aesculus pavia), below…
the Painted Buckeye (Aesculus sylvatica) …
the third,the Bottle Brush Buckeye ( Aesculus parviflora) is later blooming, end of june. Too bad these are such neglected & underused plants. They deserve a place in any garden with some dappled shade.
MEANWHILE…IN THE GARDEN
Sorry for being away so long. Family health issues…..
Meanwhile, back in the garden… early spring ephemerals have given way to roses peonies mid-season viburnums and early clematis.
ENJOY
More tomorrow.
© All photos 2011
THIS ‘N’ THAT…
This is the busiest season in and about the garden.
Seedlings must be nurtured in the house,
the semi-finished Bothy is being organised… with a nod to its previous tenants.
Weeds are rampant and everything needs attention at once!
Still, the garden is beautiful and feeds my soul.
The potager,is putting forth such succulent delights as ‘Gourmet Lettuce Mix’ ,’ Italian Kale’ & ‘Red Mesclun Mix’.
Finally the arbor has found its home. Poor thing , one has moved her about so often…
I like the way it ties into the Bothy. Evergreens will be planted on both sides of the arbor, forming a hedge. This will serve as the entrance to the Potager and the end of the ‘Pleasure Garden” (so Edwardian don’t you think?)
© all photos 2011
THE MEADOW…YET AGAIN
The meadow is once more looksing like an impressionist painting. Swaths of blue native phlox (Phlox divericata) make their way between the daffodil foliage and the ‘Wake Robin’ ( Trillium cuneatum) .
The trees are now playing an important role, so the focus changes.
This is The Meadow viewed from the driveway on west side of the house looking east. (Above)
Soon the weeds & wild grasses will cover this all and it will look wild & wonderful. Then the hum of beneficial insects, bees and butterflies will fill the air. After the plants set their seed it will get the annual cut. This meadow gives me 12 months of joy!!
© all photos 2011
Note: WordPress noted that I published a draft & not the updated version of this post AFTER it was posted…why not BEFORE???
WORDLESS WEDNSDAY
Stachyurus praecox… blooming now.
Well, almost wordless. No photography allowed in the gardens in Charleston. Only shots allowed are from the public sidewalk. There was an exception where we obtained permission from the owner who was present in her garden for questions. No matter, walking down Charleston streets is a lesson in gardening effectively on a postage stamp! More to follow.
© all photos
CHARLESTON SC
I’ll be at the Charleston South Carolina 64th annual Festival of Houses & Gardens next week. Can’t wait to share the fun.
Hope you have a wonderful week.
THE MEADOW CONTINUES….
The meadow continues to delight. The last of the daffodils…
are joined by Woodland Phlox (Phlox divericata) and Trilliums (Trillium cuneatum).
Unfortunately the colours do not photograph well, the Trillium are a beautiful shade of claret, which is very effective with the blue Phlox.
Every one has different markings ………amazing!!
© all photos 2011
KITTEN UPDATE
Thanks to all for your concern over the new kitten. I am so please to report she is on the mend, taking her antibiotics out of my hand (wrapped in chicken pate of course) and exploring her new home.
Her name is Elizabeth… Liz, after the late, great, Elizabeth Taylor.
Recreating Eden Landscape Blog 