The Water Garden

Water in the garden, whether humble or grand, serves as a decorative eye-catcher, a focal point to an area and can, on the hottest of days, create a cooling atmosphere.

As we in the northeast suffer through an unbearably hot summer with the rarest of rainfall, I'm reminded how my backyard patio still has the element of coolness. The falling water, the soothing sounds still bring a feeling of tranquility even in the misery of this heat.

My own pond was installed about eight years ago and has been one of the best things I have done to my property...it draws more nature to my yard and just watching my koi can be very relaxing.

 A simple round or octagon pond seems to be a very popular design, as seen here at various English gardens and one that any homeowner can create. I found the one with the plant in the center with a fountain billowing over the top extremely unique...moving water makes such a difference over a calm pool of water. 

This amazing formal garden not only has an octagon pool in the center but the water flows underground to a series of steps where it continues it's flow down the stairs through a narrow channel and into a large pond as seen in the bottom shot.

 The theme of water flowing through a channel seemed to be a frequent feature of English gardens as seen here at Batesman, home of Rudyard Kipling.

Whether it's small or large, a rectangular pond is very popular and lends a formal theme to any garden.

A waterfall be it large or small adds an extra dimension to any garden because of the sound.

A large pond is usually only possible in an enormously large garden such as these in England...the top being a bog garden.

Even something as small and simple as this wall mounted fountain adds the element of sound and interest.

Of course dogs think a pond is their own personal drinking fountain or....

a lovely spot to cool off on a hot day.

Basic Black

Black goes with everything,
even in the garden.

I have been in love with black plants for years and more and more people are discovering the beauty of black plants. If you're interested there's a great book called "Black Plants" by Paul Bonine and available through Timber Press. It lists 75 different black plants but my guess more and more are being discovered and hybridized all the time. A lot of "black" plants are really either deep purple or deep maroon but are considered black.

One of the earliest blooming black plants is "Black Accord" Pansy...pair it with some orange pansies and be prepared to be dazzled.

"Queen of the Night" tulip is a late bloomer with large velvety, deep-black-maroon flowers.

One of my great regrets is a couple years ago not picking this black Siberian Iris up at the White Flower Farm in Litchfield, CT one cold and rainy spring day because when I went back, it was gone and I have yet to find it again.

 Another beautiful Iris, this one a Bearded Iris called "Superstition" is certainly on my list of "must haves".

I spotted this Aeonium "Zwartkop" at Great Dixter in England...stunning paired with yellow. This is a succulent and the more sun it gets, the blacker it will be.

I grew these mini Calla Lilies several years ago, this one called "Black Forest" also known as "Schwartzwalder" and was amazed how long the bloom lasted, even after it was cut and placed in a vase.

Colocasia "Black Magic" or Elephant Ears is a must in my garden every year. It thrives on water, great both in containers or in the ground and the size can become 5-6 feet high with two foot ears. Here in the east it's considered an annual for zones 4-6.

A spectacular bloom for mid-summer is "Black Nigra" Hollyhock...at my present house sun is at a premium so I haven't grown it in a while because it really does need full sun to thrive.

These ornamental Pepper plants are courtesy of a friend's garden...perfect for containers, the fruit changes from black to red as the plant matures. 

Probably one of my favorite plants is Black Mondo Grass, a dramatic ground cover which spreads by underground stolons...it is evergreen, or is that everblack and deer-proof. I have found them slow growers but well worth the wait. Paired next to any bright-colored plant, especially yellow and you've got a show stopper. The first time I saw this plant was at the Chelsea Flower Show in London years ago...the display was a large bed of them and nestled in the middle were bright turquoise bowling balls...I've never forgotten it.

I don't know if this is considered a black plant, especially since it's called Purple Fountain Grass but if you ask me, it qualifies. I love it in container plantings...it never fails to impress. It is considered an annual here in the east.

Another plant that probably doesn't qualify as black, though when I used to grow it, the green was so deep it certainly looked black is a Castor Bean plant and it is considered one of the most poisonous plants you can grow. If an adult should eat one or maybe two of the seeds, there's a good chance they will die. Because of that and because I wouldn't risk that around my dogs, I no longer grow it. It's a shame too because it's spectacular, especially it's red fruit.

And how can any list of black plants not include the very popular "Black Heart" Ipomoea Batatas or better known as a Potato plant. It's a very vigorous trailing plant and looks stunning pair with the yellow potato vine.

Of course my favorite "black" in the garden are my border collies, Max and Nemo.

Arbors, Pergolas and Follies, oh my

What is a folly you say? 

Follies are simple temple-like structures meant to be a plant frame, today as well as a hundred years ago when temples in the garden were originally used as a place of contemplative thought...today used for a summer house or a
shady place to sit.

A garden that slowly reveals itself excites curiosity and maintains interest. Arbors and pergolas are garden structures designed to bring a feeling of intimacy and secrecy into the garden. A pergola is basically an extended arbor.

These follies at Great Comp and Pashley Place in England are simple examples of how a folly can command attention like few other garden embellishments can.

I would classify this as a folly, not very typical but it's definitely unique.

 This is the classic example of the rose covered arbor most gardeners would love to have. This is actually three consecutive arbors at Goodestone Gardens in England.

The series of arbors here at West Dean form a series of alleys, a perfect frame leading to a garden bench at the end.

Arbors draw you through a garden, leading you down the garden path, so to speak, not knowing where it leads but because your curiosity is peaked, you go willingly.

 Not all arbors of made of metal or wood...this lovely one is formed from a yew hedge at Batemans, home of Rudyard Kipling.

An arbor doesn't have to be a small entrance either, such as these very large ones at Merriments and Batemans in England.

 I found this structure very interesting, just pieces of willow bent and roped together to form a simple arbor and each leg of the structure served as host to climbing vines.

There's no more spectacular example of a pergola than this 300-foot Edwardian Pergola at West Dean Gardens in England. It spanned through several levels, had a pond in the center and ended with this charming little room complete with a bench to relax and contemplate the view.

The Fourth of July

Red, White and Blue

Seems fitting on July 4th to highlight the Red, White and the Blue in the garden. Let me first say, I'm not a fan of red in the garden...just my own personal preference...so most of the pictures shown here aren't from my garden. White has been the subject of entire gardens in many places. At the famous Sissinghurst Castle gardens in England, the white garden is quite famous. Everyone says they love blue in the garden, and that's true for me too, but in reality, there are very few true blue flowers.

A red hot poker plant, a white lupine and a blue fescue bring that fourth of July feel...and even though it's yellow, the Ligularia the rocket keeps with the theme.

The one exception in my own garden to my "no red" rule is red roses but I usually pair them with something purple. The white Nicotiana or tobacco plant is always an eye-catcher and looks sort of like fireworks, doesn't it? Everyone loves Hydrangeas and you can change the color by making your soil more acidic to get blue ones and more alkaline to get pink ones.

These red poppies are certainly show stoppers. The white balloon flower's look like stars in the garden...but be sure if you plant them to mark where they are because they are late to break ground and leave nothing to know they are there.  I spotted these blue poppies at the Chelsea Flower show in England and they are one of the truest blues you will find and definitely not a common poppy.

These little begonias are called "Bonfire", keeping with our theme and the white foxglove looked like rockets in the garden to me, and the Nigella is perfect for bursts of blue.

I discovered these red Chilean Lanterns in a garden in England...it was instant love at first sight. There are numerous species of Hydrangea and these are two of my favorites...the PeeGee Hydrangea tree gives gigantic big fluffy white blooms and the Lace Cap Hydrangea is covered with tons of blue blooms for weeks.

And finally, this beauty isn't red, white OR blue but it's fittingly called "Fireworks".

Happy Fourth of July!!!