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.
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.
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.
My sister, Kathy Evans, also joined us for the tour. It’s always so nice to have her here at the farm.
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.
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.
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.
And here is one of the peonies from a plant we just added to the garden a few weeks ago – so gorgeous.
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.
Near my Basket House are the blooming viburnums.
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.
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.
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.
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.
My friend Ann Leary also joined the tour. Ann’s new book, “I’ve Tried Being Nice: Essays” will be out next month.
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.
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.
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.
I also have six pea shrubs in this garden. They bear pinnately compound light green leaves and small, delicate yellow pea-like flowers.
Next, a short walk behind the herbaceous peony bed and into my new vegetable garden. There is something to see at every turn.
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.
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.
All the spring flowers are just spectacular this time of year - just look at the blooms under my long and winding pergola.
Soon after I bought my Bedford, New York farm, I built a long pergola along the carriage road leading up to my home specifically for clematis. Over the years, I've added lots of bulbs and perennials that bloom at different times throughout the season. Right now, the Camassia and alliums are covering the area in an eye-catching palette of purple and blue - it's just stunning.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
This garden under my long pergola grows more colorful and vibrant every year. And it transforms throughout the growing season. In a couple of months, this border shall change once again and feature lovely shades of orange.
The palette of blue and purple is a theme here at my farm. I use these colors in several of the gardens.
The most prominent plant in this pergola garden right now is the Camassia – it’s blooming profusely and so beautifully.
Camassia leichtlinii caerulea forms clusters of linear strappy foliage around upright racemes. Camassia is a genus of plants in the asparagus family native to Canada and the United States. It is best grown in moist, fertile soil and full sun. Here it is in light blue.
On this, one can see the six-petaled, two-inch, star-shaped flowers.
Camassia also grows in this darker shade of blue.
The flower stalks stand 24 to 30 inches tall and display dozens of florets that open from the bottom up. Camassia is also known as camas, wild hyacinth, Indian hyacinth, and quamash. The bulbs are winter hardy in zones 4 to 8 and both the plant and the bulbs are resistant to deer and rodents.
Another beauty in the garden – the alliums. Alliums are often overlooked as one of the best bulbs for constant color throughout the season. They come in oval, spherical, or globular flower shapes, blooming in magnificent colors atop tall stems.
An allium flower head is a cluster of individual florets and the flower color may be white, yellow, pink, purple or blue.
Alliums require full sunlight, and rich, well-draining, and neutral pH soil. This one is intensely purple with tightly compacted globes that may bloom for up to five weeks.
Spanish Bluebells, Hyacinthoides, are unfussy members of the lily family, and native to Spain and Portugal. They are pretty and good for cutting – they add such a nice touch of blue.
Spanish Bluebells are also clump-forming and naturalize easily in the garden.
Catnip has jagged, somewhat heart-shaped leaves and thick stems that are both covered in fuzzy hairs. The botanical name for catnip is Nepeta cataria. The name Nepeta is believed to have come from the town of Nepete in Italy, and Cataria is thought to have come from the Latin word for cat.
Bordering the garden on both sides are these boxwood shrubs. There are more than 300 boxwood shrubs planted here. These boxwood shrubs were grown from small saplings right here at the farm.
On one side of the pergola is this giant weeping copper beech tree – I love these trees with their gorgeous forms and rich color. I have several large specimens on the property. The deep red to copper leaves grow densely on cascading pendulous branches.
In the “soccer field” between my orchard and my clematis pergola are six matched standard weeping hornbeams, Carpinus betulus ‘pendula’ – a dense tree with a strong center, a shapely form, and gracefully arching branches. These rare, slow growing, and exceptionally beautiful weeping hornbeams are full of gorgeous foliage.
In the center are wisteria standards. Right now, these beauties are cascading over the pergola and giving off the most intoxicating fragrance. Wisteria is valued for its beautiful clusters of flowers that come in purple, pink and white.
The flowers drape down from soft green heads of foliage. When blooming, the compact head of a wisteria looks so sensational.
Here they are overhead – so pretty. Wisterias flower best and grow most vigorously where they receive ample sunshine – at least six-hours a day. They thrive in any type of soil, as long as it is well drained.
I am so proud of this garden – it fills in and grows more beautifully every year.
My azaleas are putting on quite a show at my Bedford, New York farm.
Of all the shrubs that flower in spring, azaleas provide some of the most brilliant displays. I have hundreds of them planted together in a garden that starts just outside my Summer House and runs along two sides of the carriage road all the way down to my stable. When they bloom this time of year, this area of my property erupts with spectacular color - from pure white to shades of pink, crimson, yellow, and orange. Azaleas can thrive in a wide variety of growing conditions, which makes them so useful in many different landscapes. They are popularly referred to as the “royalty of the garden,” long adorned for their brightly colored flowers and evergreen foliage.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Are your azaleas blooming? The azaleas here at my farm are looking more beautiful than ever.
My azalea collection starts in a lightly wooded area where they get lots of filtered sunlight throughout the day. A few years ago, I extended the garden down the carriage road and planted more than 300-azaleas.
These are two of my mature specimens – and they continue to flourish year after year. Plant height ranges from about three to six feet for most varieties, but rare plants can range from under one foot to well over 15-feet tall.
Azaleas are flowering shrubs in the Ericaceae family, which includes blueberries and mountain laurel. They are also all rhododendrons and members of the genus Rhododendron.
Azaleas are generally healthy, easy to grow plants. Some azaleas bloom as early as March, but most bloom in April and May with blossoms lasting several weeks.
Here they are flowering among the tree peonies. The large mounds of bold pink look so gorgeous surrounded by all the green foliage. Azaleas are native to several continents including Asia, Europe, and North America.
The tube-shaped base of the flower contains a stamen that protrudes from the center.
The leaves are often evergreen with wooly undersides. The length of azalea leaves ranges from as little as a quarter-inch to more than six inches. Leaves of most azaleas are solid green, with a roughly long football-shape.
When I expanded the azalea garden, I added a variety of different azaleas and arranged them by color.
Azaleas thrive in moist, well-drained soils high in organic matter. They benefit greatly from a few inches of acidic mulch applied around the base to protect the roots and help conserve moisture.
Azalea petal shapes range from narrow to triangular to overlapping rounded petals. They can also be flat, wavy, or ruffled.
Azalea flowers can be single, hose-in-hose, double, or double hose-in-hose, depending on the number of petals.
Many azaleas have two to three-inch flowers and range in a variety of colors from pink to white to purple, red, orange, and yellow.
Here are some beautiful, crisp white azaleas.
The best time to shop for azaleas is when they are in bloom, so one can see their bright colors and forms.
Buy plants that are sturdy, well-branched, and free of insect damage or diseases. And, avoid plants with weak, spindling growth and poor roots.
When selecting a location for planting, be sure you know the mature size of the plants so they can be grouped accordingly in the landscape – tall plants in the background and short plants in the foreground.
These beautiful bold orange azaleas are at one end of the grove closer to my stable. Azaleas prefer morning sun and afternoon shade, or filtered light.
Azaleas have short root systems, so they can easily be transplanted in early spring or early fall. Be careful not to plant too deep and water thoroughly after transplanting.
Prune azaleas after they bloom to remove tall, lanky growth or vigorous suckers that detract from the overall form and shape of the plant.
And never eat azaleas. Like its cousin the rhododendron, the azalea is a toxic plant, and all parts of the plant are poisonous, including the honey from the flowers.
Azaleas are so stunning in any part of the landscape. I am so proud of this garden – its beautiful display gets better and better every year.
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