Summer Growth at Skylands
My large terrace at Skylands is so full of growth and splendor this season.
It has been such a beautiful summer at my home in Bar Harbor, Maine. The weather has been warm, but glorious and we have had a lovely time exploring, hiking, and entertaining. As you know, every May, I come up to Skylands to plant the large urns on my terrace. I am happy to report they all look fabulous - every planter is overflowing with lush, green specimens.
I've been taking many photos to share with you - enjoy. Tomorrow, I will post images from my wonderful birthday celebration here at Skylands - you will love them.
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- From my large terrace, these magnificent red spruce trees frame the glorious view of Seal Harbor, with Sutton Island in the distance.
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- Here’s another amazing view.
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- The vines growing on my home are kiwi, or Actinidia. These attractive woody vines are original to the house, very hardy and can tolerate shade.
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- They are also fast-growing climbing vines that are capable of surviving slow temperature drops in winter.
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- Here is one of the two glazed terra-cotta sphinxes that watch over the terrace and guard this entrance to the house. These sphinxes were designed by Emile Muller.
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- One of my favorite spring traditions is coming to Skylands and filling the large planters 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 back to Maine for the summer months.
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- Last May, we filled this antique square lead planter with agave and the easy-to-care-for senecio.
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- And look at it now – there has been so much growth this season. The planter is one of a pair, and was made sometime in the 18th to 19th century.
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- Last May, we also planted this urn on my terrace.
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- Here it is now – so full, you can hardly see the planter. It is filled with palm and underplanted with Helichrysum petiolare, and alocasia.
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- This large urn looks wonderful with the agave and Helichrysum.
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- At the front entrance circle, purple smoke bushes, hay-scented ferns, and yellow spruce trees fill the garden bed. The spruce trees are Picea orientalis ‘Skylands’. When I found them, I got many to plant at my Skylands.
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- This peaceful sitting area on my terrace is located outside my dining room. It’s decorated with a faux bois bench and Gertrude Jekyll style pots. Gertrude was an influential British garden designer, horticulturist, artist and writer. She created more than 400 gardens in the United Kingdom, Europe, and the United States. She has been described as a “premier influence in garden design” by English and American gardening experts.
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- I grow lots of true lilies. Lilium is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs and all with large, prominent flowers. They’re also tall – some grow up to six-feet. This year, the lilies peaked earlier up here in Maine.
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- Here are more lilies growing outside this leaded window.
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- On one of the landings off the western terrace, reclining in the moss and ferns, is the lady – La Riviere by Aristide Maillol.
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- On the windowsill, large jars of stones I’ve collected over the years.
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- This photo was taken using a drone. Luca Acuna, the grandson of my longtime housekeeper, Laura, has a business called Full Focus Films. He often shoots company videos or events when he is not in school. Recently, he visited Skylands to take some photos. I will share more of his stunning photos in an upcoming blog. http://www.fullfocusfilms.net/
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