garden whimsy

Creating a new garden and dog-friendly landscape

We moved in June, and left behind the garden I built over 16 years.  I feel like I’ve left behind so many dear friends and labors of love.

I have moved on, as the new garden really needs me desperately.  The new owners of my garden have asked for my help in getting to the know the garden and how to care for it.  And, they’ve been very generous about my collecting some seeds and a few volunteers as well.  I look forward to teaching them to care for all my plant children.

So, the new house.  The new old house.  Ivy, actually, three kinds of ivy – English, Jasmine and Virginia creeper, have eaten the entire large, corner lot, and are now trying to eat the house and all of the beautiful live and red oak trees.  Ugh.  And because I need to keep a little of it, eradication is going to be labor-intensive to say the least.

In the back, there was a tiny square of what I believe may have once been grass.  But, it was sad – invaded by ivy, a half dozen volunteer trash trees and a small circle of weeds, it was a poor excuse for a yard for the boys.  So, the first step was to clear the trash trees, dig out the ivy and the primrose jasmine, and open the chain link fence to install a gate to the next grass-creating project.

Dog inspection was critical to the leveling and retaining wall work and they were eager to check out their new space.

Once done, it was a fine yard for exploring and enjoying, and a lovely loquat tree was rescued from the encroachment, providing just a little shade.

Then, onto the next part of the project.  Along the back of the deck, another incredibly steep slope of ivy and trash trees.  (Surprise, right?)

More leveling, more retaining walls, more soil and more Zoysia grass.  Opening up the trees and adding irrigation made a great, long yard for the boys to run behind the deck all the way down to the side street to watch passersby.

 

A gate at the bottom gives us some more flexibility and access.

The retaining walls will hopefully keep water from rushing down the hill during the periodic gully washers.

One last dog-friendly project awaited.  On a steep hill, the house has catwalks from the driveway and carport to the house.  In the space below, the owners had let poor grading and dirt erode the side of the house, so we regraded, took out more volunteer trees, installed a French drain and filled the space with river rock.  I had two more gates created so the dogs could run from the back yard and deck to the front next to a courtyard where they watch everyone go by the front yard.

Then it was time to create the first garden bed!  Whoo hoo.  I was so ready for it by this time.  It was the peak of summer and I didn’t have a single flower in the ground on the entire property.  I can’t tell you how depressing that was.

A spindly Crape Myrtle reached so far into the other oaks above the only bare trunks were visible, so we removed that and added an attractive curve to the river rock, building a bed behind it.  A spindly Crape Myrtle reached so far into the other oaks above the only bare trunks were visible.

In sad shape, the enormous concrete wall needed attention.  Step number 1 – get the bed prepped and find the right plants.

 

Then came concrete painting.  After a good bit of pondering what color would work with the dark sage green of the house, the gray fences and the red doors, I settled on a medium shade of blue.

 

I decided that the iron art I designed was worthy of so much more than an air conditioning screen, so I placed three of the panels as a focal point in front of the blue.  Wow, does that pop.

We’re not sure if the large plastic owls mounted all over the property were to keep the local hawk family away from their tiny dog, or to keep birds from pooping on the deck or what.  But, for all the trees, there are precious few birds.  I put a birdbath on the edge of the courtyard and since we are rarely out there, I’m hoping some nearby feeders and houses serve to invite some feathered friends.

Add a table, more plants and a chandelier and, voila, the perfect spot for morning coffee or afternoon iced tea.  It’s starting to feel like home.  Once again, I’m able to say I have a “happy place” to sit and relax.

Check back for the next saga of “Save the Garden,” where I’ll walk through the before and after of the two main beds directly in front of the house.

Take a step back in time at Hillwood Gardens…

It felt as if we stepped back in time when we toured the lovely grounds of Hillwood Gardens at the 2017 Garden Bloggers Fling in the Northern Virginia/D.C. area.  The grounds of the estate offered something for everyone.  From the formal areas to the cutting garden, Japanese garden and the pet cemetery, the patchwork of styles was delightful.

Filled with traditional and eclectic statuary, the grounds were dotted with whimsical touches.  This pair of sphinxes, half woman, half lion, drew many stares from visitors.

Across the lush lawn from the mansion, a flagstone patio marks the edge of a balcony overlooking the hilly lawn below.

I did not venture down the hill; my dog took me down on the street in our neighborhool 9 weeks before the Fling and I spent the entire trip hobbling around with a broken foot in a boot!

It was very manageable almost everywhere.  There were only 3 hilly gardens that I either couldn’t or chose not to navigate.  And I brought baggies to make ice packs for my foot every night.  The kindness of my fellow bloggers was astounding.  I believe that every single person asked me at least once or twice about how I was doing and asked if there was anything they could do for me.  It really touched me how kind and generous every one was.  Thank you all for your help and support.

In the midst of many formal garden elements, I found this border dotted with tropical plants and bold color contrasts a delightful surprise.

The Japanese garden lies down the path to the right of the patio.  The hillside garden winds through rocks and holds an extensive collection of Japanese style statuary. The stunning color combinations almost take your breath away and the varying textures and forms create fabulous contrasts.

What Japanese garden would be complete without a water feature, a pagoda and an arched wooden bridge.

The water feature brought an element of calm and cool to the garden, in spite of the heat of the day.

Down the path to the left of the patio a pet cemetery honors the furry family members of Marjorie Merriweather Post.

We enjoyed a delicious lunch and then I found my way to the cutting garden.  Filled with beautiful blooms of every size and color, the flowers were also given a helping hand with stakes and a a full length grid.  About a foot high, the grid allowed the flowers to grow straight up through it from early on, ensuring nice, straight stalks.

One of my favorite plants for its exotic look and structural shape, there was a big patch of Eryngium.

And, a few more whimsical statues to close out this blog tour.

Back to the work at hand, we shoot each other at the same time!

Another wonderful garden experience on our Capital Region Fling.

Chanticleer’s Ruin Garden filled with magic and mystery…

I expected that Chanticleer would be the highlight of the recent garden trip I took with Pam Penick of Digging. I’d heard of the amazing gardens and had done a little research, but I was in awe as each and every element of the garden unfolded before me. On its website, Chanticleer claims to have been called “the most romantic, imaginative and exciting public garden in America.” They aren’t kidding. It towers above all the other public gardens that I’ve visited — not having missed a fling in 8 years — I’ve toured a few!

The Chanticleer estate was originally built in the early 20th Century by Adolph and Christine Rosengarten as a country retreat. It later became their permanent home and they bought additional neighboring land to give homes to their two children as wedding presents. One of those homes now serves as the entrance and offices and the other is the site of the estate’s Ruin Garden. In 1990, Adolph, Jr. left the entire property as a public garden and museum under the guidance of The Chanticleer Foundation. Today, the garden employs 20 full-time staff, among them 14 gardeners and groundskeepers.

That said, I’ll bring you through what I thought was the most innovative part of the garden — the Ruin Garden — for my first Chanticleer post.

Chanticleer’s Ruin Garden was built on the site of the original Minder house, which was given to Adolph Rosengarten, Jr. as a wedding gift. Composed of three ‘rooms’ – the Great Hall, the Library and the Pool Room, it evokes an air of crumbling history with a macabre undercurrent. The ruin isn’t really a ruin at all, but cleverly created hardscape backdrops into which succulents and shade plants are creatively tucked. Perched on top of a hill, it’s barely visible until you come right up on it.

The Library is scattered with displays of slate books.

Stone acorns appear to be entombed in the pages of an open stone book.

Dominated by a 24-foot reflecting pool shaped like a sarcophagus, the Great Hall is mesmerizing.

Every element in the room is reflected in the vast, dark pool.

Succulents fill the mantle and provide little pops of color in the water’s mirrored image.

The stillness of the water is enticing. I didn’t trail my fingers in the fountain, but enjoyed watching these two little girls prepare to test the waters.

The giant black water feature rests on a stone mosaic carpet.

Through the next stone doorway lies the ‘Pool Room.’

Here, polished marble faces rise up from the black depths to make themselves known to visitors. Their garish, mottled faces are disturbing, to say the least.

Beaten down by the water sheers, the faces are trapped forever in the pool.

I’m not sure if the girls were intrigued or frightened, but they did approach with some caution. The prospect of touching the cool water on a hot day won out over trepidation.

Next to the pool, a column lined with succulents seems sweet by comparison.

Delicate coral-colored succulents stand out along the post against the green and gray rooms of the Ruin Garden.

Stone acorns seem to be sprouting in a bed inside the Ruin Garden.

The plants and vines intricately woven throughout the walls of the Ruin Garden appear to have been there for centuries, however, this garden was created and opened to the public in 2000.

As we left the garden, a stone face peeked out from a bed of sedge, appearing to watch us leave.

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