Garden Tour

This is my favorite time of the year for my gardens. So much is in bloom everywhere you look. Here are some of my favorite spots.

Way back in 1995 when I went through the Master Gardening program through the University of Tennessee, I learned that clematis was a good pairing with roses. Plant them together and the clematis winds up through the roses. It's just beautiful. The clematis is Jackmanii paired with New Dawn roses.

If you peek through the fence, you can see the peonies blooming in my perennial garden on the far edge of the yard. I missed the pink ones in their prime---they bloomed a little earlier when I was gone a week.

 I have "knock out" roses all along the top of the driveway. I also have a ring of them in the front yard where we lost a tree in a storm. They are so great for continual color. They do have brief rest periods throughout the season. They're just about ready to "sleep" for a couple of weeks right now.

This clematis is called Henryi. This one was already here when we bought the house 17 years ago. It was continually being cut down by the lawn people. I think I discovered it the 2nd or 3rd year. This year, the blooms are pretty small. Usually they are dinner plate size---really huge and gorgeous. I'll need to add some fertilizer.

 The peonies are always a pleaser. They are so profuse and snowy white. I don't know the name or variety as I inherited these too.

 I need more things in this garden so the peonies aren't all alone. I have planted many things out here, but it doesn't get much water in the summer. The sprinkler system isn't very efficient in this area.

 These giant albums are in the garden with the peonies. Growing all around it are yellow cannas. They get about 5 or 6 feet tall and have big yellow blooms. They provide a good show from the driveway.

 Carolina Sweetspire cirlces our magnolia trees. I love the unusual tendril-like flowers. It also cuts pretty good too. White flowers are my favorite.

This view looks out towards the driveway. You can see the edge of my knot garden. It's hard to tell, but that tree is a Sweet Bay magnolia---one of 3 in the yard. I love to use the foliage at Christmas---huge, shiny, bright green leaves. They do dry out really fast and are a terrible fire hazard. I use them on top of the furniture in the dining room, grandfather clock and mantles.

My white garden looks a little sparse right now. I have really early bloomers here---hellebores (lenten rose), dicentra (bleeding hearts---mine are white), lily of the valley (don't know the latin name---I'm starting to lose them---that's why I try to use latin names whenever possible). You can see the edge of mom's bench I inherited. In the pot is heuchera (coral bells).

I have a few rhododendrons around. This one is in with the white climbing hydrangea that has never bloomed. It's been fertilized, so I don't know what the problem is. I'll be featuring my friend, Karolyn's garden here soon---then you can see how magnificent this plant can be.

My shade garden that is no longer shady. It started out as full shade, but then we lost a couple of huge 30-40 foot trees. That changed the entire light situation. Luckily the ostrich ferns can go with sun or shade.

The ostrich ferns really put on a good show. The foliage always looks good---no browning or dying fronds. It's easy, healthy, disease free, pest resistant and spreads fast. I have an autumn blooming clematis on the arbor, but it doesn't bloom. It's in too much shade in this spot. I don't care as I love the foliage climbing on the arbor.

View from the side yard. The "stick" looking things are crape myrtles. They bloom on new wood, so I like to keep them trimmed. They won't bloom until the end of July, but will stay until late November or early December. They're kind of messy around the pool, but their fuchsia color is so beautiful, that I don't mind the mess. I put in the 3 arborvitae on the left---those tall thin conifers---to add another texture and dimension to the landscape.

View of the white garden on the left looking out in to the shade garden on the right.

 This is the only thing that distresses me. I prefer these foster hollies be "topiaries" but they are too big now. When we moved here, they were to the ground and huge. I just got in there and started chopping away. In order to have these trimmed smoothly the way I want them, requires my buddy, Aaron, my arborist---to bring his big equipment. I didn't do that this year. It's still not too late.

I forgot to take a picture of the knot garden. It's meant to be viewed from above anyway.

I love sunrooms. You feel like you are outside. I like to have cut flowers in here all summer long, but sometimes I'm too lazy to cut them---plus, it's hard for me to cut things out of the garden because then you can't enjoy them there.

I have to give thanks and credit to Sara and Missi---my "garden girls"---who do all the work in my gardens these days. It's a lot of work keeping it all up. I got tired of all the hauling---soil, amenities, mulch. Now I only do the fun stuff---a little dead-heading and "picking,"

There is nothing more peaceful than a garden. I just wish I could sit out there with a book and a glass of wine or iced tea. But the mosquitoes are too bad---and I hate always putting on bug spray.

We have the Steeplechase today---Nashville's "social event of the year." After 25 years, I'm kind of tired of it. 7-8 hours---too long for me to sit and do nothing. Usually it's really hot, but today, the temperature is mild and it's a bit overcast. I'll report on that tomorrow---especially the hats! The most fun thing to do is people watch.