The most common comment I hear about my flower business is that my gardens must be beautiful. They are, in a way that others may not expect. Floating row cover over seedlings isn't particularly pretty. Bare stems where I've harvested are boring. Still, some things are lovely and serendipity often produces stunning vignettes.
Here is a tulip bed before harvesting. I'll sell the dark tulips this week. The yellow and pink were too far gone last week to sell so I get to enjoy them.
This is Clematis Montana. It likes to sprawl and eat buildings. It's most common pest is men with pruners. On a good year this clematis hangs down over the pergola forming a fantastic curtain of pink along the edge of the patio. Sadly, it suffered a bad attack of man-with-pruners year before last and hasn't recovered to its full glory.
The dark tulip, Queen of the Night, with rose foliage and late flowering tulips Blushing Maid in the background. The dark tulips highlight other colors. Note how this brings out the tiny purple edge on the rose leaves.
Half of my property is wooded. I get lots of lovely little combinations like this Solomon Seal with the forget-me-not.
Weeds. There is no hope that one little old lady can keep up with all that grows on an acre and a quarter. Really, I don't try. I found this combination of trailing blackberry and wild blueberry charming. The trailing blackberries are my favorite to eat but the birds will get all of these.
Volunteers have move into our woodland garden. These small white flowers are slowly spreading. I have no idea where they came from or what they are. They form small clumps under the trees. The deer don't eat them. They're pretty. I haven't had to spend any energy on them. Sounds like the perfect combo to me.
This pot is totally the result of serendipity. The large Mullen is a volunteer but I like it with the Creme Upstar and Purple Parrot tulips. The tulips have been in the pot for three to five years. The blooms are quite small. They might grow bigger if I ever thought about fertilizing that pot.
My herb garden. I keep promising to pay attention to this bed that has been taken over by the sweet bay, at the back of the photo, trailing blackberry, fern and rosemary. The rosemary keeps getting cut back for arrangements and has grown into a bit of an odd shaped plant. We use a chainsaw to try to control the bay. I sell tons of the bay as a green and give it away as a culinary herb. It just bloomed with small yellow flowers that have turned mostly brown. The birds will love the trailing blackberry just before the berries get ripe enough for people.
I'm so glad lilacs and Scotch Broom bloom at the same time. They are so lovely together. Sadly, the broom is invasive and many people are allergic to both of these plants.
This baby rhododendron bloomed for the first time this year. It's growing on the edge of the enchanted forest.
I love dogwoods. The may be the most perfect picture I've taken of a dogwood bloom.
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