Comments

1. 
   user-7007498 08/19/2016

   Nancy: Love what you and John have created. The structures are very rustic, which is quite cool. Hard to tell the size of the garden from the photos. The pergola is beautiful. Thanks for sharing your garden.

1. 
   johndebellas 08/19/2016

   Thank you Kevin! The garden is about 1/4 acre.

2. 
   frankgreenhalgh 08/19/2016

   Hello there Nancy & John - Nice team work to design, create and maintain such a lovely, romantic cottage garden. Bet you are blown way by the colours and beautiful fragrance walking along the path and between the rusty chain fences. Hey John - do any of your wooden structures rot? Down here in Aussie land we use a lot of treated pine to overcome the rot problem below ground level (e.g. due to white ants/termites).

   Sorry GPOD'ers I was a day early wishing everybody a good week-end yesterday (obviously a kangaroo loose in the top paddock). So I'll express the sentiment again now!!!!!!!!!

1. 
   meander_michaele 08/19/2016

   Wow, "kangaroo loose in the top paddock"...now there's some imagery that will entertain me whenever I think about it.

1. 
   frankgreenhalgh 08/19/2016

   FYI Michaele, alternatives are: 'A sandwich short of a picnic'; 'A beer short of a six pack'; and 'A few cards short of a full deck'!

2. 
   johndebellas 08/19/2016

   Hello Frank, Thank you for your kind words. The wood is Locust, a tree native to NE US that is totally resistant to rot. It has traditionally been used for fence posts and foundations. Here our animal problems are mostly with deer!

3. 
   NCYarden 08/19/2016

   Hello, Nancy. Great woodland setting for your fairy tale garden....a garden I'm sure to be "fabled" by all who see it. Love the natural timbers for the structures - very authentic and charming. Of course I'm in awe of that gorgeous and vibrant Japanese maple. And I'm really fascinated by the hanging crescent moon(?) sign....a little more story with this? What do the letters and numbers mean?
   A delightful garden indeed. thanks for sharing.

1. 
   johndebellas 08/19/2016

   Hi NC, I made the tavern sign strictly as a decorative feature to complement our traditional style house. It is based on the sign that hung outside the Munro Tavern in Lexington MA. The crescent moon is the symbol of Diana The Huntress, the goddess of Oak groves. As our home is surrounded by giant oaks, we like to think of Her as our muse.

1. 
   NCYarden 08/19/2016

   Sweet. That is awesome. Love how you meaningfully tied it into the landscape.

4. 
   meander_michaele 08/19/2016

   Nancy, your garden has so much relaxing charm...everything seems so harmonious and blends in with the beauty of the tall trees. Your husband, John, did a wonderful job with the various structures which all have the soothing quality of timelessness. And who wouldn't love to walk under a cloud of billowing pink roses?! Is that 'Johnson's Blue' geranium that is highlighted in picture #4? If not, please share the plant's name since I am always wanting to add more blue to my garden.

1. 
   johndebellas 08/19/2016

   Yes that is Johnson's Blue. The hardy geraniums are quite rampant in our light sandy soil. We like the way the blues and purples harmonize with the pink roses. We have also used delphiniums in the past but they are strictly annuals for us here in Stony Brook.

5. 
   frankgreenhalgh 08/19/2016

   Nice words Diane.

6. 
   greengenes 08/19/2016

   Thank you for inspiring us with your beautiful gardens and structures! Love the rusticness that the fence a arbors provide.

7. 
   frankgreenhalgh 08/19/2016

   Definitely romantic then, Diane - lovely!

8. 
   HelloFromMD 08/19/2016

   Just lovely, So much bloom and looks like you have a fair amount of shade. What are some of your best performing roses? How do you deal with black spot? You are zone 5? So you have found some successful hardy climbers. I am also enjoying that you are Nancy DeBella and I am Nancy Bellaire so are we related? I think Bellaire is French and DeBella Italian, but certainly related in love of gardening and roses.

1. 
   johndebellas 08/19/2016

   Hello MD, Most of the roses get about six to eight hours of sun. We specifically chose hardy, not to say rampant, varieties. Some of my favorites: American Pillar, Madame Alfred Carrier, Albertine, Peggy Martin, Awakening, New Dawn, Vielchenblau, Mermaid, Eden Climber, Paul's Himalayan Musk, Violette. These roses are all totally disease proof for us! We just water, fertilize a couple of times per year, and do a lot of pruning. They are rampant!

1. 
   johndebellas 08/19/2016

   MD, by the way, we are zone 7. Quite near the water.

9. 
   johndebellas 08/19/2016

   Thank you so much Diane! The roses are mostly old roses and ramblers, with a few newer varieties that rebloom. It is a lovely sight.

10. 
    user-4691082 08/19/2016

    1/4 acre? It looks like several acres! I don't know what valerian looks like, I just know I take it if I can't sleep! It's all so romantic and fairy tale esque! Thanks for sharing!

11. 
    user-4691082 08/19/2016

    And Frank, I love the kangaroo expression!!!

12. 
    VikkiVA 08/19/2016

    Your roses are so lovely and you have created the perfect canvas to display them. Vikki in VA

13. 
    Tim_Zone_Denial_Vojt 08/19/2016

    Absolutely delightful. The plantings are charming and I love the structures. The chain between the posts has me so envious!

14. 
    thevioletfern 08/19/2016

    So romantic that I'm in love! Love the arbor, all the pinks and blues. So frilly yet so well structured all at once.

15. 
    LindaonWhidbey 08/19/2016

    John and Nancy, as everyone here has noted, you have created an amazingly beautiful, romantic garden and all on a quarter acre. So impressive! Bravo!!

16. 
    NWAgardener 08/19/2016

    A quarter acre of heaven! I love the wooden structures - rustic and timeless - and they are softened so beautifully by the roses and other cottage garden plantings. The pictures look like they could have been taken at an historic New England property. It appears you have the advantage of undeveloped woods adjacent to your property which is a real bonus. Thank you for sharing your garden, for the excellent description and for responding to everyone's questions.

1. 
   johndebellas 08/19/2016

   Thanks NWA! We are deff going for a New England look! That's where our hearts lie! A little bit of Tasha Tudor, Mirabelle Osler, Peter Beales for inspiration, and the rest is our imagination. We have more ideas than time, alas!

17. 
    sheila_schultz 08/19/2016

    Nancy and John, your gardens could truly grace the pages of a romantic fairy tale, every detail is perfect! What a lovely vision to end the week!

1. 
   johndebellas 08/19/2016

   Thank You Sheila! And Thank You, Thank You , Thank You to everyone for your lovely and encouraging comments. Nancy and I truly appreciate it!

18. 
    Cenepk10 08/19/2016

    FAB U LOUS !!!!! My favorite garden style & plants !!!! Great stuctures too !!!!

19. 
    sharongoetchius 08/19/2016

    Hi Nancy! What an amazingly breathtaking garden you've created! Your colors and combinations are absolutely gorgeous! Your choice of structures are perfect! The funniest thing, though, it appears that you live in the same town as me! But..even funnier, was the fact that my garden was garden of the day on Tuesday!! We need to meet!! ????

1. 
   johndebellas 08/19/2016

   Hi, Sharon! Nancy here. Thanks for your lovely comments! Yes, we need to meet! Your garden also was beautiful! And yes, it is amazing that our gardens were featured so close together. Destiny!

20. 
    lindanewber 08/20/2016

    Your garden is breath taking. Love the pergola and roses most. Truly is romantic

21. 
    wGardens 08/20/2016

    Absolutely lovely! You two obviously make a GREAT team.

22. 
    schatzi 08/20/2016

    I am late to the party as I had another party to attend today, so I will just echo everyone else's praise and say Bravo - well done. Love the colors and rustic architecture. Frank, LOVE the Aussie-isms! especially the kangaroo...