Speaking to the Bedford Garden Club
Spring doesn’t officially begin for another few weeks, but it’s never too early to start thinking about gardening.
As many of you know, I am a very serious and passionate gardener and am often invited to speak about my gardens at various horticultural organizations. Yesterday, I was delighted to speak to fellow members of the Bedford Garden Club right here in Bedford, New York. I was one of several who participated in a series called “Around the World in Eight Months: Gardens of the World.” My topic was “Three North American Gardens Above the 44th Parallel.” I spoke about the gardens of Les Quatre Vents, one of North America’s most acclaimed private gardens in La Malbaie, Quebec. I also talked about The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden - a garden I visit every summer when I am in Maine. And, I shared photos and stories about my own gardens at Skylands, my beloved summer home in Seal Harbor.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
-
- I was asked to speak about North American gardens as part of this winter series, but some of the other interesting lectures cover Persian gardens, Irish gardens, and Japanese gardens.
-
- To start, Bedford Garden Club President, Nancy Kronenberg, welcomed all the guests and thanked everyone for attending – it was the best club turn out of any membership gathering.
-
- The title of my lecture was “Three American Gardens Above the 44th Parallel.” The 44th parallel is a circle of latitude that is 44 degrees north of the Earth’s equatorial plane. It crosses Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean. Because this area includes Maine, it was very natural for me to talk about growing plants at Skylands.
-
- The Bedford Garden Club focuses on preserving nature and promoting it through the planting and conservation of gardens in the area. As a member, I always enjoy speaking with others who share my passion for gardening and preserving the environment. The event was held at the St. Matthews Church in Bedford.
-
- I explained to the group one of my favorite traditions – going to Skylands in spring and filling the large planters on my terrace with beautiful specimens. My greenhouse at Skylands cannot accommodate the large plants, so many of them are wintered over at my Bedford farm and then loaded onto a trailer to Maine for the summer months. They thrive on this terrace all season long.
-
- I purchased this trough at Trade Secrets several years ago and it fits perfectly on the stone ledge of my expansive terrace. Every year, I plant different succulents in this container and they always do wonderfully.
-
- This photo was taken by Kevin Sharkey showing one of the many stone planters potted up. I love the view from above.
-
- This is an Alocasia planted in a faux bois pot and paired with Lysimachia. I love the large leaves of Alocasia, also known as elephant ear.
-
- I showed them “the lady” that rests on one of the landings off the West Terrace, reclining in the foliage – La Riviere by Aristide Maillol.
-
- I talked about the paths through the property. Each season, the outdoor grounds crew covers the meandering footpaths with pine needles – they add such charm to the woodland.
-
- I also love to bring the outdoors inside. During summer, we fill several garden planters with moss and other natural elements. Once the season is over, we always make sure the moss we harvested is returned to the forest where it can regenerate and flourish.
-
- The Living Hall at Skylands is always used during summer months. This grand faux-bois cement table is where I like to display large flower arrangements. About 100-stems of lilies were used for this arrangement made by Kevin. The lilies are from my garden at Bedford. We planted more than 1500 white lilies of various types and transported some by truck to Skylands.
-
- After my talk, the floor was opened to questions from fellow club members.
-
- The club also conducted a small flower show for those who wanted to submit various potted plants, cuttings, and arrangements. In this class, exhibitors designed and created arrangements using only plant material from one’s personal yard.
-
- This arrangement includes Clethra anifolia, Hydrangea petiolaris, Forsythia intermedia, Rhododendron maximum, and Pieris japonica.
-
- In this container – Leucothie catesbaei, Hamamelis molis or witch hazel, Juniperus virginiana, and Thuja plicata.
-
- In another grouping, participants designed submissions under the theme “Warm Cup of Tea.”
-
- This charming entry includes thistle, winterberry, and rose.
-
- Some of the plants were potted container plants, such as this Aconium.
-
- And some of you may recognize this one – Pilea peperemisides, or the Chinese money plant. I have many of these growing in my greenhouse.
-
- This grouping included specimens from any plant shrub or tree blooming or evergreen in the month of February. Those entries bearing flowers, berries or pine cones received extra points.
-
- In another room, there were photo entries showing elements of European or Canadian style gardens – some in black and white.
-
- And others displayed color and pattern. All the entries were so beautiful.
-
- Here I am with Bedford Garden Club’s Head of Programs, Denise Santomero, who coordinated this lovely event, and her daughter, Charlotte, who helped with all the technical aspects of my presentation. It was a fun and informative morning – I can’t wait until the gardening season begins!
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
