There has not been much time for the garden since I began working at Sundown Gardens just over a year ago. My enthusiasm is no match for my exhaustion. I liken it to being a chef or housekeeper. Most likely, they do not delight in cooking dinner or cleaning house after a long day at work. Yet the distance between myself and my garden has brought on something of interest– a new perspective. I see it through new eyes now. On a recent journey into the backyard, this is what I saw.
The delicate yellow blooms of Epimedium x perralchicum ‘Frohnleiten.’ Tiny, but quite cheery. Low to the ground– as in groundcover. Delicate red mottling in spring.
Pretty shades of mauve on the candles of Pinus parviflora v. ‘Glauca’ or Blue Japanese White Pine.
The short bottlebrush blooms on Fothergilla x gardenii ‘Blue Shadow’ (Blue Shadow Fothergilla) are a delight. I love white blooms and I’m inspired to create a White Garden out of annuals for the patio this year.
As the various Hostas emerge, I am struck by how intense the coloration is on the yellow plants. They seem to emit light from within, especially in the morning and early evening. Hosta ‘Paradise Island.’
The wavy edge on a Hosta leaf is referred to as a ‘piecrust edge’, and who doesn’t love pie? Hosta ‘Dancing Queen.’
This Acer palmatum ‘Kiyohime’ is a tree I regularly visit and stop to ponder. Far wider than it will be tall, the new growth stretches and pushes out farther and farther every year. I always feel as though it’s trying to tell me something.
The flowering of Aesculus hippocastanum or Horse Chestnut Tree is always a noteworthy event. The showy white flowers are quite elaborate with just a touch of pink.
The Horse Chestnut’s foliage is large and reminds me of tropical plants.
Not my favorite tree, but I was impressed with how many samaras (helicopters) were hanging from the branches of Acer negundo or Boxelder Tree. The tree can handle higher moisture levels and perhaps that is why it seeded itself near the banks of the creek.
Two things strike me about Acer palmatum ‘Emperor 1’: First, how lateral the older branching has become and the extreme horizontal position the leaves hold on the branches. This is my one and only red tree.
I feel exuberant when I see Euphorbia x martinii ‘Ascot Rainbow’. The whimsical coloration and form of the bracts always lift my spirits.
It’s not spring in my book without Dicentra spectabilis (Old-fashioned Bleedingheart) and Peonies. Both hold special places in my heart and memory. There is something so sumptuous about a Peony bud breaking open.
There is a threat of frost this evening and I’m not too concerned about it. Just as the individual plants have grown, so too has the garden in my mind’s eye. I hold the images of lovely springs past and present there. Come what may. Nothing lasts forever.
