A Utilitarian Area of Skylands
On a recent visit to Skylands, my home in Maine, I took a camera down to the stable area, which is where the vegetable and cutting gardens are. Unlike most of the grounds, which are pristine woodlands, this area is a utilitarian space and has been cleared of trees. Years ago, a kitchen garden was planted there. After I obtained ownership, that garden was expanded and improved. I even had a small greenhouse installed. With cooler temperatures and a shorter growing season, I’m always amazed how well things grow in Skyland’s northern clime. Please enjoy this little stroll in the garden.
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- A member of the nightshade family, ornamental Chinese lanterns are related to potatoes tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and petunias.
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- This perennial plant is a vigorous grower. Like mint, it sends out underground rhizomes from which new plants sprout. Be careful where you plant it.
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- Zinnias are a member of the large Aster family of plants and originated in Mexico and the Southwest United States.
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- They come in a form suitable for every garden situation, including single, double, cactus, ruffles, and pompom.
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- Colors include every shade except blue, and many are multicolored.
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- Zinnias are started incredibly easily from seed and they grow and flower very quickly.
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- Obviously this wonderful flower thrives at the Skylands garden.
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- The garden at Skylands has always been colorful and thriving.
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- And the views are spectacular.
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- The healthy stalks and leaves of Swiss chard
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- The garden at dusk – those box-like structures are cold frames and have glass covers for colder weather.
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- Its edible flower petals can be used to add color to salads.
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- Bachelor buttons are also called the ’boutonniere’ flower because the small, one inch flowers are perfect for button holes on suits.
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- Bachelor buttons are a cutting garden favorite, and they are one of the easiest flowers to dry for everlasting arrangements.
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- The pots rest in holes on the surface of the stove.
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- The utility area is also where you find the cutting garden and kitchen garden. This is where herbs grow.
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- Vibrant Chinese lantern plant (Physalis alkekengi) is also called the winter cherry or bladder cherry.
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- This sliding wooden door is the entrance to the garden.
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- With the cooler temperatures in Maine, it’s possible to have leaf lettuce growing all summer long.
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- The tomatoes grew nicely.
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- Beautiful red onions
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- The fluffy tops of carrots
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- These are great sliced and eaten raw in salads and sandwiches.
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- The black-eyed susans are spectacular!
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- A lovely row of mixed bachelor’s buttons or cornflowers
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- Salvias in the foreground and zinnias behind
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- A tripod sprinkler is great for watering a wide swath.
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- Zinnias are such happy flowers.
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- The unfurling petals of a dahlia
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- Long-lasting dahlias make excellent cut flowers.
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- This is the utilitarian area of Skylands. Across from the stables is the greenhouse, storage garage, and the lobster cooker.
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- Built many years ago, this is a traditional lobster cooker, found in lobster shacks along roadsides throughout coastal Maine.
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- With grills at either end, this stove can cook a variety of food for a very large crowd. It can handle 100 lobsters at a time!
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- Traditional hand-made wooden lids cover giant pots.
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- A fire is built beneath each pot.
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- We use only birch wood and hardwood lump charcoal.
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