Garden Photo of the Day

Remembering an Incredible Year in Carolyn’s Garden

A banner year in a garden fueled by compost

By GPOD Contributor

Today we’re in Westport, Massachusetts, visiting Carolyn Berube’s garden.

These pictures were from 2017, an incredible year. I don’t water my gardens and seldom fertilize, but I do use lots of compost, bought and homemade.

Baptisia ‘Starlite Prairieblues’Baptisia ‘Starlite Prairieblues’ (Baptisia × bicolor ‘Starlite’ Zones 4–8)

azaleaAn azalea (bought at the grocery store!) with Calycanthus ‘Hartlage Wine’ (Zones 5–9)

Heuchera ‘Caramel’Heuchera ‘Caramel’ (Zones 4–9), behind Geum ‘Mai Tai’ (Zones 5–9). ‘Mai Tai’ is the the only geum I haven’t killed. The hostas are ‘White Christmas’ (Zones 3–8) and ‘Krossa Regal’ (Zones 3–8).

Tradescantia ‘Sweet Kate’Tradescantia ‘Sweet Kate’ (Zones 4–9) a favorite moisture-lover, though it may go dormant in a drought.

Amsonia tabernaemontanaAmsonia tabernaemontana (Zones 4–9) provides three seasons of interest: blue flowers in early summer, yellow foliage in fall, and tan and white stalks in winter.

Gerbera daisiesGerbera daisies (Gerbera jamesonii) will last for years in a pot if kept really cool over the winter.

Hibiscus ‘Kopper King’Hibiscus ‘Kopper King’ (Zones 4–9) before the Japanese beetles skeletalized the leaves. It produces huge pink flowers in August in New England.

Iris ensata ‘Maroon Giant’Iris ensata ‘Maroon Giant’ (Japanese iris, Zones 4–9)

Clematis ‘Etoile Violette’The rich purple flowers of Clematis ‘Etoile Violette’ (Zones 4–8) provide vertical interest, with another favorite—stokesia ‘Wyoming’ (Stokesia laevis ‘Wyoming’, Zones 5–9)—in the foreground and the small white flowers of feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium, Zones 5–8) growing in between.

 

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Comments

  1. User avater
    meander_michaele 04/20/2020

    Hard not to have a drop jawed reaction to the magnificense of those 'Maroon Giant' iris. I imagine they are treasured royalty in your garden and rule supreme during their time in bloom. And the abundance of blooms from your Clematis ‘Etoile Violette’ is quite impressive. Your plants obviously thrive on your dedicated application of compost.

    1. Icgirl 04/21/2020

      I have such a big garden that I often have to ignore some things. Those plants just want to live!

  2. User avater
    treasuresmom 04/20/2020

    Carolyn also shared earlier this month. https://www.finegardening.com/article/plants-kind-of-like-children

  3. wittyone 04/20/2020

    Wow! I love that Tradescantia 'Sweet Kate'. Those purple flowers really pop against the yellowy green foliage.

  4. User avater
    simplesue 04/20/2020

    So nice to wake up and se your gorgeous garden photos! And wow it's a huge garden, you really do a lot of work and do it well!

    1. Icgirl 04/21/2020

      I think I’m just crazy!

  5. btucker9675 04/20/2020

    Your baptisias make me so jealous... having NO luck with them here in NC. What a gorgeous color-filled garden you have created - like an impressionist painting!

    1. Icgirl 04/21/2020

      That is my favorite genre of painting. I can’t believe you can’t grow baptisias. Tony Advent from Plant Delights Nursery in Raleigh grows many varieties. When this virus thing goes away, take a road trip.

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