Visiting the Gardens of My Friend, Jim Klinko
Garden tours are a wonderful way to celebrate the season - and if you're able to visit one and still adhere to social distancing guidelines, I know you'll enjoy it.
Not long ago, my friend and owner of Furniture on Consignment in Westport, Connecticut, told me his garden was blooming wonderfully this year, and that I should take a look - the roses, clematis, hydrangeas, phlox, hibiscus, petunias, and so many other plants and flowers were thriving and filling his yard with gorgeous color. Jim mentioned one garden in particular - one he designed and planted in memory of my late sister, Laura Plimpton, who passed away six years ago today. Jim and Laura were close friends and shared a deep appreciation for gardening.
Enjoy these photos.
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- Jim and I met when he opened his original store in 1993 around the corner from my home when I lived in Westport, Connecticut. My sister met him at one of my parties and they soon became close friends. Here’s Jim in the garden he designed and planted in Laura’s memory. It’s filled with lots of lush green plants and colorful flowers. To his left is a plum tree.
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- Looking closely, one can see the antique metal elephant hiding among the many plants in this garden. In the background is also a sculptural cactus made of metal. Jim kept the garden casual and fun.
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- Hydrangeas are a genus of more than 75 species and 600 named cultivars that are native to a wide range of regions and countries, including Japan, Asia, Indonesia, the Himalayan mountains, and the Americas. Another common name for hydrangea is hortensia. Hydrangeas can grow as climbing vines and trees, but are mostly grown as shrubs. The plants can grow from one foot tall to nearly 100 feet tall as a climbing vine.
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- Across from Laura’s garden is an antique cement basket with a Buddha Jim purchased some time ago. He placed it here to watch over the gardens. The basket is filled with coleus, creeping Jenny, and ivy.
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- Jim loves clematis as much as I do. I have clematis growing on every post under my long and winding pergola. Jim grows several varieties of clematis and loves this deep purple color. This particular clematis was gifted to him by my sister who was also a big fan of this flowering vine.
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- This clematis has slightly fragrant, bell-shaped flowers that bloom from summer to fall. It typically grows to six-feet tall and features single, nodding, pale lilac flowers with recurved tips.
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- My sister loved Japanese maples. In fact, I planted hundreds of Japanese maples at the farm. I always look forward to their gorgeous displays of color, especially in autumn. These trees provide countless variations in size, leaf shape, and color. This one is a green leafed variety.
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- In this bed, another one of Jim’s gorgeous Japanese maples in dark burgundy, and surrounded by roses.
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- Many of you may recognize the coleus – a lovely plant that gives all-season color in full sun and shade. It is a very low-maintenance plant native to areas bordering the equator. They love the heat but will happily grow as annuals in any garden.
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- Jim’s main garden is also very colorful. This garden is planted with fragrant lilies, beautiful roses, hydrangeas, hibiscus, petunias, and potato vines.
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- In this bed – roses, hollyhocks, phlox, and more lilies.
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- Phlox is a genus of 67 species of perennial and annual plants in the family Polemoniaceae. They are found mostly in North America in diverse habitats from alpine tundra to open woodland and prairie. Some flower in spring, others in summer and fall. They come in bright pink, pale blue, violet, red, and white.
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- In the center of this photo underneath the arbor is an old well topped with an old copper pot filled with coleus and potato vines that cascade almost to the ground. Mexican sunflowers and coleus surround the base of the well. The metal arbor above it was another gift from Laura many years ago. It is one of Jim’s dearest treasures now covered with pretty Morning glory.
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- The balloon flower, Platycodon grandiflorus, is a species of herbaceous flowering perennial plant of the family Campanulaceae, and the only member of the genus Platycodon. It is native to East Asia and is commonly known as balloon flower, Chinese bellflower, or platycodon.
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- This planter is overflowing with begonias and creeping Jenny, Lysimachia nummularia. Creeping Jenny is a species of flowering plant in the family Primulaceae. Its other names include moneywort, herb twopence, and twopenny grass. I love Lysimachia and often use it as underplanting for my big tropicals.
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- The yellow-green trumpet-shaped flowers of ‘Lime Green’ flowering tobacco mix well with other garden plants. Growing up to two to three feet tall, this annual attracts many hummingbirds. It does best in full sun to part shade and moist but well-drained soil.
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- Caladiums are known for their big, heart-shaped leaves that feature amazing color combinations of white, pink, red and green. These plants thrive in hot, humid weather and grow best in full to partial shade.
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- Strobilanthes dyeriana, the Persian shield or royal purple plant, is a species of flowering plant in the acanthus family Acanthaceae, native to Myanmar. Sometimes called Bermuda conehead, this striking tropical species thrives on heat and humidity, yielding its most brilliant color in partially shaded locations.
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- Jim hung this spherical metal garden ornament under a large tree. Laura loved the ornament itself, but apparently not the chain used to hang it.
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- This is orange verbena. Verbena blooms are tubular in shape, growing in a round cluster typically two to three inches across. Verbena plants bloom through summer and fall.
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- This part of the garden is one of Jim’s favorite spots. The “Eiffel Tower” soars high over this garden draped with moon flowers that illuminate the night sky. Thanks for sharing your garden with us, Jim. And if you live in or near Westport, Connecticut, please visit Jim’s shop, Furniture on Consignment.
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