Today’s photos come from Beth Tucker, who currently lives in Waxhaw, North Carolina, but sent in these photos from her previous home in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, where she gardened on a one-acre lot. She says she is still struggling to come to terms with gardening in red clay and summer heat in her new garden. From the images, it is clear she learned very well how to make snowy winters in New Jersey work for her, so I’m sure she’ll adapt to create something beautiful in her new climate as well. The secret to gardening well anywhere is to lean into what makes that place unique. Beth certainly did that, with plants that show off beautifully when covered with snow, turning the winter from a down season to a time of beauty in the garden.
This image is of the area around our little pond in the backyard of our former home in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey.
Here is a crabapple tree in the side garden area, covered with snow.
Here is the same tree, but in full spring bloom. It is so beautiful both times of the year!
My gnarled hazel, Henry Lauder’s walking stick (Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’, Zones 3–9), after a snow. I loved it best in the winter when you could really see the shape.
This final image is looking toward the front walkway. The arbor had David Austin roses—one pale pink, one white—planted on either side that climbed over the top and met, creating a beautiful sight during the blooming season. We lost the original arbor the previous year during Super Storm Sandy, so the roses were still making a comeback. The front walk was bordered by perennials on both sides and was spectacular in the spring and summer.
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Comments
Beautiful landscape. When I moved from the Adirondack region of NY to an elevation of 7,500' in Colorado there was a big learning curve. Then first thing I did was take the Master Gardener classes. They were extremely helpful, plus I met a lot of wonderful gardeners.
Love your snow pics! A little snow (not nearly as much as yours) brings to a stop everything here in the deep south.
It looks like your beloved garden in New Jersey had a lot of mature plant material...the magnificent crabapple tree with those artistic wide spreading limbs....sigh, so beautiful. So, if you're starting with a fairly blank slate in NC, that's a toughie to bond with. I'm guessing you are in zone 8. You'll sure have tons of interesting and attractive plants to choose from as you make selections. I have orange clay where I garden in east TN so I do a lot of amending with compost when I initially plant. and, frankly, I have cheated, at times, and brought in better soil to create gentle berms. Good luck.
I have done some cheating already - bags of compost and garden soil, digging out and replacing the clay! : ) I just created a compost pile this summer so will have to wait for my first homemade batch. My peonies in NJ were breathtaking in bloom and I'm hoping that I'll be able to have them here, as well. Having trouble with irises (one of my favorite plants) even with amended soil. Guess it will take lots of hit or miss over time!
Beth, it is so good you have these pictures to revisit your old garden. The beauty of the dark shapes covered in snow is so striking. Gardening is a motif for life, isn't it - as we go along we have new and challenging conditions to meet, understand, and learn to create beauty with. We look forward to seeing how you adapt to the new challenges!
I have videos of several gentle snow falls that I regularly view during the summer here when it's brutally hot... Thank you for your comment about gardening being like life - so true and I am hoping to keep my chin up and become accustomed to living here.
I wish all of you gardeners a very Happy New Year and plenty of good dirt on your hands!
Beth, your winter garden was beautiful! We have gardened in 3 completely different climates and have had to learn anew each time - some plants that prospered in one area flopped in another. Wish that we had known about Master Gardener courses. Now we look back and think how fortunate we were to have the different experiences and learn about new plants such as the glorious dogwood trees in Spring in the mud-Atlantic region! Looking forward to seeing photos of your new Sc garden
The only word for your crabapple is Magnificent! Love all your photos, and hope your New Year is full of fun gardening experiences!
I've often been impressed with generosity of passionate gardeners to share their knowledge (and often some plant divisions) with new gardeners in the community. So if you are new to the area, ask around about garden clubs or local plant sales/swaps to get some experienced insight about growing in a new region. I am blessed to live in an neighborhood where so much about gardening can be learned by opening up to neighbors. I now love to give back, sharing plants and advice.
Very nice!
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