A Spring Garden Tour
There's so much growing and blooming at the farm - it's a perfect time for a garden tour.
Every now and then, I agree to open my gardens for a small number of private walking tours. Yesterday morning was the first of the season. It was for a large group of 40 from the historic women's Colony Club. I showed the various gardens, groves, and allées. I spoke about the history of my farm, and the many changes I've made over the years to make it what it is today. And, I shared homemade scones and cool refreshments on my terrace parterre. It was a most enjoyable and successful tour.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
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- All the guests receive a map of the property and a short introduction and history about the farm and how it has evolved over the years.
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- Most of our tours start at the front gate of the farm. I was glad I was home to lead the tour myself. It was a beautiful morning with temperatures in the 70s.
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- My sister, Kathy Evans, also joined us for the tour. It’s always so nice to have her here at the farm.
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- I walked them around the greenhouse to these back berry and rose gardens. I always try to answer as many gardening questions as possible along the way.
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- I redesigned this rose bed last year. The area was previously planted with some rose varieties, foxglove, and lots of tulips, but we moved them and prepared the 68-foot by 30-foot space for three types of roses – floribunda, hybrid tea, and shrub roses – all with gorgeous color, form, and fragrance. Boxwood frame the garden so nicely.
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- We walked through the flower cutting garden and saw some of its first blooms. This is one of many irises we’ll see this season. Iris is a genus of almost 300-species of flowering plants with showy flowers. It takes its name from the Greek word for a rainbow, which is also the name for the Greek goddess of the rainbow, Iris.
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- And here is one of the peonies from a plant we just added to the garden a few weeks ago – so gorgeous.
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- Some of the most beautiful growth this time of year is behind and around my Tenant House. In these areas we planted Epimediums, ferns, Syneilesis, wild ginger, hostas, lady’s mantle, and other shade-loving specimens. They’re surrounded by a variety of some of my favorite trees – Stewartia, Cotinus, and Japanese maple.
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- Near my Basket House are the blooming viburnums.
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- Most viburnums flower in spring. The sometimes-fragrant flowers range from white and cream to pink-flushed or wholly pink. They are borne in terminal or axillary panicles, clusters, corymbs, or cymes, which are often spherical or domed. Some species, such as this one, have blooms similar to the flattened heads of lace-cap hydrangeas.
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- The group saw the apple espaliers and these blooming “Miss Kim” Korean lilac standards. This upright, compact lilac blooms later than others, extending the season with deep purple buds that reveal clusters of highly fragrant, lavender flowers.
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- We set up some refreshments on the lower terrace parterre outside my Winter House kitchen. I always like to offer guests tasty treats during their tours.
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- Earlier in the morning, I made scones. Yes, I made them. These are my Cream Scones. The tulips were also freshly picked from my garden.
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- My friend Ann Leary also joined the tour. Ann’s new book, “I’ve Tried Being Nice: Essays” will be out next month.
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- My herbaceous peony bed is just coming to life with the bold green foliage and all the many buds waiting to open. My herbaceous peony collection includes 11-double rows of peonies, and 22 different varieties of peony plants – two varieties in each row.
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- The group saw my long tree peony border planted in a semi-shade of giant maples near my Summer House. Many of the specimens were transplanted from my Turkey Hill garden in Westport, Connecticut and continue to thrive here at my Bedford, New York farm.
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- The garden behind my Summer House is always a favorite stop on the tour. The large ginkgo tree in the back looked as majestic as ever in all its foliage.
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- I also have six pea shrubs in this garden. They bear pinnately compound light green leaves and small, delicate yellow pea-like flowers.
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- Next, a short walk behind the herbaceous peony bed and into my new vegetable garden. There is something to see at every turn.
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- Some of the beds are already planted with brassicas, herbs, artichokes, garlic, and more. The tulips will all be pulled out after they bloom and the beds will be replanted with other delicious vegetables.
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- Then it was a walk down the great Boxwood Allée with a quick stop at the pool. Every group experiences a different tour when they visit the farm depending on what is blooming at the time. This was such a beautiful day for a tour and the gardens all looked so wonderful.
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
