I spent a wonderful day yesterday in Margaret Roach’s garden along with a crowd of other interesting bloggers and associates of Margaret’s.  I am sure I am not alone in the feeling of inadequacy that I held as I left.  Here’s hoping that someday my garden might be as beautiful as hers.

But after the visit, we headed out to Loomis Creek Nursery, which is my new favorite place for Zone 5 plant inspiration.  Even though they are hours away, I plan to use their website as a source for plant ideas that I don’t get from so many nurseries in my neck of the woods.   As I strolled around, I took pictures of things I liked with the hopes that I would be able to come home and find it in the wholesale catalog of a local supplier…no joy…not even on one plant.  Wholesale landscape supply companies simply cannot be relied upon for interesting varieties.

image from Gilson Gardens

Thankfully though I allowed myself to buy a couple things.  Verbascum ‘Gainsborough’ is a plant I specified at a clients property last year, but ultimately had to substitute because I couldn’t find a source for it.  Well now I have one for my own garden…but researching it this morning, I learned that it can be very short lived and root cuttings are the way to keep going.  Plus, I only bought one — breaking my own cardinal rule of never buying less than three of anything….so I am challenged to figure out a new horty technique (at least for me)  — and give root cuttings a try…  have you done this?  I  could use some ‘been there done that kind’ of advice.

image from Ogrody.
What else did I buy?…well, I got myself a new Muehelbeckia…Zone 9 – but it will be happy on my kitchen window.  I will look enjoy it and it will remind me of my London days.  And I also got a big chunk of Miscanthus ‘Giganteus’. It will reach heights of up to 12 ft and interestingly it is a species that is currently being studied for biomass energy production.  My children, husband (and admittedly me too) are all a little fascinated with large plants…so this will be the next in our collection of oversized garden items….

I cleaned up yesterday at the Middlesex County Conservation District Plant sale.  My collection of treasures will be put to the test in my garden and hopefully in time and with experimentation, might make it into the gardens of my clients.  Here is what I got:

1. Bleeding Heart ‘Bacchanal’ (Dicentra formosa)Hearts to U, 2. Rhubarb Giant Rhubarb, 3. (papaver orientalis) Oriental Poppy ‘Royal Wedding’ (Papaver orientalis) 052708_3, 4. Hops – Humulus ‘Cascade’ Cascade Hops before the Harvest

My existing Bleeding hearts are in full bloom (a little odd, to be honest) but at least they are happy.  So I think this deep burgundy variety should do well also.  I hope it blooms heavily and really shows it’s stuff.

It seems that I am not doing well with rhubarb, over the last 2 years I have planted five and only have one to show for it….ever a glutton for punishment, I bought two more yesterday.  Fingers Crossed.

I spent a bit on cash on my favorite orange poppies last year.  I planted about five of them and then ran an errand…they literally lasted less than an hour in my garden before Wood Chuck got them.  They never recovered…so these will be installed within the confines of my new vegetable garden. Orange is my true love, but white is nice too…maybe if these are lost, I will not be quite so upset since they aren’t my real favorite.

The hops are the miracle in waiting.  Right now they look like an overgrown earth worm -  really just a slip of brown root.  So I can’t wait to marvel at the growth that awaits (15′- 20′ in one year)….I am still pondering my growth frame, something with a few posts and rope cross bars?…perhaps, though not sure….I want to have lots of hops eventually, so this will hopefully be the start of something successful. Any Ideas?

1. Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Little Honey’ in late Summer, 2. Stolwijk Gold

My house is dark brown/ almost black with black trim (though some will get painted white this summer) and I am convinced that the best color against this backdrop is lime green…. This hydrangea and clematis are both somewhat rare.  The combination of uniqueness and lime green coloring make these two my favorite purchases of the day.

1. Welcome back the Mexican Hat, 2. Some days the titles don’t come., 3. Hellebore, 4. Nyssa Sylvatica (Tulepo tree)

Mexican hat and Prairie Smoke (Ratibida and Guem Triflorum respectively)  are hopefully going to be big players in Oudolf-esque grassy floral sweeps that will surround and shape the lawn area of my garden.

The hellebores have their own special place — right out side the kitchen window where we sit for dinner — the ground level is just below the window height so the floor level is lower than the outside dirt.  This way, I will be able to see the nodding first blooms of the year from the comfort of my cozy kitchen.

I am still considering my Black Gum — not to be taken lightly….I am simply unsure where it will go….I am thinking perhaps it might be the tree to replace the one that came down at the end of my driveway.   We will see.

1. Harebells after rain, 2. (Campanula rotundifolia)

Scottish Bluebells — see what I mean — nothing like the Texas variety.   I have an area that is turning out to be a little on the cottagely side…I think these will go there.

1. Syringa meyeri ‘Paliban’ 01, 2. Fine Wine Weigela, 3. Japanese Hakuro Nishiki Dappled Variegated willow, 4. Dappled Pink

I was completely drawn to this little lilac yesterday when we were sorting out orders,  It has leaves like a Maidenhair fern.   I can’t wait to see what it looks like when it gets bigger.  Will it be a giant shrub with a maidenhair delicacy? That will be very nice.

When I lived in London we had a weigela outside our front door.  The scent was intoxicating even though the flowers were hardly visible.  I hope this one – with it’s slightly showy-ier blooms is just as fragrant.

I ended up with three of these willows…and it might be my only buyers remorse of the day.  One is good, but I’m not sure what I will do with three…it is highly prunable though…so I might experiment with making a couple of them into funky lolly shaped topiaries….perhaps a ridiculous play on formal?

Columbine are are about the only plant universally disliked by chippies, deer, woodchucks, bunnies and the other munchy crtters.   So I am adding these more unique versions – Columbine ‘Leprechauns Gold’ (Aquilegia).

Ghost plant (Artemesia lactiflora ‘Guizhou’) is another new one for me…with it’s astilbe like white plumes, I am hoping it will add the same shape and form to the sunny part of my garden that astilbe does in the shady part of my garden.

The last item in my haul….five thornless blackberries…I can still point to scars on my arms from last years harvest at the orchard across the road.  I love blackberries enough to endure the pain, but I would rather not, and I am excited that now I won’t have to…

I am always so happy to discover a new resource online and The Gardener’s Eden is just that.  The site was created by Michaela, who gardens in Vermont, and has created a beautiful garden that looks so at home in it’s place.  The green mossy stones and rustic nature of Ferncliff are a perfect reflection of the Vermont aesthetic.

This fire sculpture was created by local artist and stone layer extraordinaire, Dan Snow.

Michaela offers lectures and various events at her lovely garden and you can find out more about meeting her and making a visit here.

Catherine Martin is a set designer but the garden that she created for the movie Australia is worth a study to steal style ideas.

Catherine has designed many sets (academy and tony award winning), but this is the first full scale house and garden.  The design was meant to reflect what a transplanted English Lady might create when plopped down in the middle of the Australian outback. (as is the the story for the epic movie Australia, in which this garden is featured)  Even though much of it isn’t real (the Baob tree is made of plaster of paris) – the challenges that were faced were real (think shrub eating kangaroos to replace munching deer).   The garden is a beautiful set don’t you think?

images from flowers magazine.

I am enterainng lots of thoughts on how to leverage my property which has tremendous potential for lots of things to be the beautiful place that I imagine yet also resourceful and revenue generating.  So it is with special interest that I peruse stores like the Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds in Petaluma California.

Do I want to run a seed shop…not exactly (exactly what though I am not sure) but I want what ever it is to possess this sense of history, patina, and timelessness that all earthy pursuits should have.   I discovered this store in a post late last week over at Design Sponge and I can’t wait til I can make a trip to Northern California to check it out in person.

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds is housed in the 1926 Sonoma County Bank building and it sells over 1200 varieties of heirloom fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers. The Founder Jere Gettle is dedicated to saving heirloom varieites from the world over.

Check out the full post at design sponge….but it is the beautiful Amish-built seed racks are what I am taken with.  This is the look that I would want in my someday barn- come- whatever it will become.

My mother in law just forwarded me these pictures to me from her friend in Texas.  Apparently the Texas bluebonnets are in full bloom right now in the Hill Country.  I am always fascinated by how there are blue bonnets from everywhere and none of them are the same.  These look like lupine to me, but hey, I am from Colorado and our blue bonnets are actually simple little bell shaped flowers.  I couldn’t help but notice that in England, they were considerably different than they were in Scotland (and neither just like these or the Colorado version) What do the native blue bells or blue bonnets look like where you are?