Do you recall that about ten days ago I wrote a note to a nearby gardener to congratulate him on what lovely gardens he had? Well, today Elegante Mother and I got to walk through those gardens.
My gardening friend called when he received my note. He invited us to come see them first hand, so this morning I called to be sure that it was convenient. The day has been gorgeous, one of those beautiful, warm days with intense blue skies, and it was perfect for strolling through the gardens. We went to visit at 1:30, and were there for 90 minutes.
My note to my Gardening Friend (GF) came about because I had watched him create a shade garden under some pine trees over the last decade or more. I wasn't prepared to find that in addition to that splendid garden, he also had 90 varieties of roses, two kinds of raspberries (BIG beds), rhubarb, and tomatoes. And about a million other plants.
I didn't know that you could grow holly here! Or bamboo!
I saw plants I recognized, and plants I'd never seen. I saw plants that looked familiar, but the names wouldn't come to me. I discovered that there is a variety of lily in the valley that blooms pink, and found out that I'm not the only one who has trouble with beetles eating the leaves of the hollyhocks!
GF is 84. This is the first year that he's hired a lawn service, and had them edge the garden for him. I was astonished at the amount of land he has under cultivation that was 99% weed free. It seems we like the same plants and shrubs, but he's much more focused on his gardening than I am.
I asked if he gardened every day, and he shrugged a shoulder and said he got out when he felt up to it. He must put in 8 hours a day 7 days a week! His gardens are fabulous! We've been invited back to see them at their peak.
I can't begin to tell you the names of all the plants, but the variety was incredible, and GF mixes shrubs nicely with perennials and annuals.
I didn't expect to have such a pleasant afternoon as a result of writing that note, but I sure did!
Comments (10)
That was probably a fast 90 minutes that you and your EM spent. Just don't let the bamboo get out of hand. It tends to be invasive. Other than that, everything sounds wonderful! Would you think that you are too far south for holly, or what is the deal with it?
Posted by Cop Car | September 26, 2006 9:44 PM
Posted on September 26, 2006 21:44
Pink Lily of the Valley is something that I've wanted to get. However, it is expensive, so I settled for the white variety which got planted this spring.
Bamboo is tough and invasive even up here. There was a house in Francestown that everyone knew as the "Bamboo House". The entire hill was bamboo. The house isn't there (burned down), but the bamboo sure is.
Posted by bogie | September 27, 2006 3:47 AM
Posted on September 27, 2006 03:47
Is that the property you pointed out to me on the way to exercise class??? Oh! I want to see, too!!!!
Posted by Frankie | September 27, 2006 7:24 AM
Posted on September 27, 2006 07:24
Holly is my favorite tree. When I was growing up we had 3 very large Holly trees in our front yard. I always cut a few sprigs and bring back to colorado when I visit Pa.
We do have a variety of holly that is more like ground cover in the mountains. In fact I was a bad girl and removed a small cutting on one of our wood cutting trips a couple days ago. We face the mountains we aren't in them, so doubt it will survive.
Posted by janet | September 27, 2006 8:48 AM
Posted on September 27, 2006 08:48
i love bamboo. we had some in our previous garden and after 19 years i just had to bring some with us. its thriving too.
sounds like a lovely afternoon buffy.
Posted by bod | September 27, 2006 4:44 PM
Posted on September 27, 2006 16:44
Cop Car, those 90 minutes just flew by. I wish we could have stayed longer, and hope we'll be invited back when the roses are at their prime.
You should have heard the tone of voice when GF spoke of the bamboo. It seems that the plant was a cutting from a friend, and you know how gardeners love to share their plants. But, bamboo IS invasive, so each time we talked about the bamboo, you got the sense that he had to work all the time to keep it trimmed back.
Bogie, I'm amazed that it grows in your neck of the woods. Isn't it interesting to see how landscaping continues to grow even after a house burns down. It gets wild and wooly, but the structure is still there.
Yes, Frankie....the house next to the row of pines on the left, as you go toward exercise. We'll have to see if you can see it next spring.
Janet, and Bod, I love holly, too, but I've never seen it growing in this area. I just assumed that it needed a warmer climate to thrive, but GF had several varieties. These were small rounded mounds, not the big trees you see further south, but they had the traditional glossy, prickly leaves.
Janet, I hope that cutting survives!
Posted by buffy | September 27, 2006 11:30 PM
Posted on September 27, 2006 23:30
Did you take pictures?
What did he have in the shade garden?
Mine is all shade and I can hardly grow anything there. I need suggestions!
Posted by Susan | September 29, 2006 9:51 AM
Posted on September 29, 2006 09:51
I ended up with two pictures of the couple, and two pictures of the rose garden! I'll do some looking around and see if I can't find some sites or suggestions for you. What temperature zone are you in, Susan? And, are you looking for annuals or perennials?
Posted by buffy | September 29, 2006 4:49 PM
Posted on September 29, 2006 16:49
What a lovely thoughtful thing to do - dropping a note to someone whose garden gives you pleasure.
There are many different types of bamboo - not all of which are invasive. And the invasive stuff can be planted in large tubs to constrain it.
I'm surprised bamboo isn't more widely available where you are as it's as tough as old boots over here! There are probably more details of varieties on bbc.co.uk/gardening or crocus.co.uk.
Posted by Blue Witch | October 3, 2006 10:17 AM
Posted on October 3, 2006 10:17
Thank you, BW. I'd really love to see your gardens as a whole. I love the bits and pieces we get to see as you blog.
I'm surprised that we don't have more bamboo, too, from what you've all had to say. I'll have to talk with my friends and the nursery people to see if I just haven't been paying attention.
Posted by buffy | October 3, 2006 3:07 PM
Posted on October 3, 2006 15:07