June 1, 2002
8:30 am Tee Bassett
9:00 am Pat Jacobsen
9:30 am Joanne Simonson
On Saturday, June 1st we had the first of our three summer garden walks. In attendance
were Pat, Gloria, Cindy, Joanne, Nancy, Mary, Marybeth, Ruth, Kay, Davie, Rita, Agnes,
Robin, Darya, Sasha, and myself. This, I might add, is quite a crowd considering there are
no reminder phone calls. We began at Tee's house. The front border looked fabulous with
the iris, candytuft, basket of gold, and juniper. As we strolled along towards the back,
the color and variety expands and compliments the glorious rhododendron in bloom. The
deutzia was in bloom. Tee manages to keep the variegated bishop's weed in control (I
certainly don't know how she does that- I was under the belief that the only way to rid
yourself of that beautiful pest was to move!). The tail end of the lily of the valley was
in abundance. The columbine, leucothoe, and foxglove were also lookin' good. The early
summer vegetable garden was showing asparagus, strawberries, peppers and tomatoes. The
berries (blue and raz) were also doing well. My own particular favorite at Tee's house was
actually not at it's best today but she has a kousa dogwood with a circle garden at it's
feet. This is planted only with the primulas we all pick up in early march from the
supermarket, so they are all different colors. If you are ever fortunate enough to see
this part of the garden at it's prime, it is a living, colorful, patchwork quilt of a
garden with the leaf similarities holding the various bright colors together. Tee says
many were given to her. So I guess this is a living friendship quilt...
Next, we finally caught up to Pat's house. We had a minor delay as Rita shamelessly
avoided a ticket for the red light she went through (good work Rita!). Pat's house has a
magnificent old beech tree in the Front. As one might expect of both the 1823 house and
Pat's way of gardens, there were herbs at the back door- baptiste, sweet cicely, comfrey,
parsley. Of course, my personal favorite, a patch of rhubarb. In bloom also was white
flax, and white bleeding heart. Creeping thyme meandered along the brick. Amsonia (blue
star), geraniums, peruvskia (russian sage), ladies mantle, Japanese anemone, monkshood,
phlox david, gas plant, it only goes on and on. Also featured originally from the Ames
gardens, a Japanese lilac tree just coming Into bloom. This is a beautiful mature garden.
From here, with no further traffic delays we went to Joanne's house. The front border
looked splendid along the rock wall- lavender, basket of gold, candytuft, phlox, and an
amazing gypsophyllia repens miniata (miniature creeping babies breath) which I have never
before seen or heard of. Purple and yellow iris were blooming, painted daisies, and
several varieties of clematis and roses were coming into their own. Joanne has a lovely,
mature beauty bush in bloom. I really thought mine would bloom this year, but alas-
another must pass. Seedlings were in abundance and I hope some of them will find their way
to the plant sale next spring!
From here we had an add-on garden. We were treated to Al and Dot Wood's yard. Dot paints
animal pastels from photographs and I must say does an excellent dog- I mean job. Anyone
interested can find her in the phone book or ask me. But the peonies belong to Al! How
fabulous!!! Row upon row of mature, blooming peonies Lined up like garden soldiers with
their faces in the sun. Al knows all of his peonies personally, by name. Walter Maine is a
beaut- single, light eye, Red-headed, standing straight and tall. Al is a member of the
Peony Society. He has grown them since 1960. He says "do not cover- just cut them
back in the Fall and remove the debris so as not to spread disease. They like some of a
farmer's finest cowsh** (I imagine one can figure out what that is). We also caught a
quick peek at Mary's peonies just coming into their own. What a fabulous flower!
There was a very quick drive by sighting at Kay's house where we all got out of our cars
for a quick walk-a-bout. Kay has some magnificent purple irises that I now covet! Kay, if
ever you divide them, think of me. The trip to the Decordova Museum was cancelled since
they had the poor taste to close for a two week renovation. I had planned a trip to
Blithewold instead but Rita and I thought it was too hot to keep walking around in the
sun, so instead we went out to lunch. A lovely time was had by all.
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July 1,
2002
Field Trip to Suzanne Mahler's GardensUnfortunately, two of the three Garden Walks
have been quite overdue because I misplaced my notebook. Having found it, here goes
(better late than never). Suzanne Mahler, Master Gardener and Professional Lecturer opens
her home gardens each year in the month of July for anyone to walk through. The ideal time
to visit is peak of the daylilies bloom time, although she has much, much more. Suzanne
has about 8 large beds of predominantly day lilies, from the early to the very late
blooming. When asked which were her favorites we got a long list. I guess we all do it-
our favorite plant is the one we are looking at right now. She also has 2 propagation beds
for new cultivars which she grows herself. For tags she uses computer generated clear
address labels that are laser printed along with a touch label maker (white letters on
black). Just about all of her plants are labeled. In the shade gardens we found Astilbe, a
really nice Heuchera 'Amber Waves', Trycertis (toad lily- a very hardy interesting looking
plant), and Epimedeum cultivars. This last, obtained from world traveled botanist Daryl
Probst from his Hubbardston Nurseries. Suzanne also makes good use of the foliage plant
Persicaria and several colorful cultivars including 'Red Dragon' and 'Painter's Palette'.
Thank You Suzanne for generously opening your gardens.
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August 1,
2002
Linda Clary
Nancy Cohenno
Linda BealAttending
the August Walk were Mary, Ruth, Sandy, Agnes, Judy, Helen, Darya, Nancy, Gloria, Judy,
Leslie, Joanne, Linda, Suzanne, Denise, and myself. First we stopped at Linda's gardens.
It was a beautiful day, slightly humid. Linda makes good use of ferns and lambs ear for
texture. Honeysuckle, coneflowers, buddlea, and daylilies provide colorful focal points
along with sweet scents. A talented son made very garden worthy presents (trellis) upon
which morning glories climbed. Linda has a geranium "hedge" which was a very
nice demarcation between the lawn and the flower bed. We all loved the Coleus 'Flirtin'
Skirts'. Linda uses many of her plants over and over, repeating their presence in a
variety of places throughout the flower beds. This repetition allows your eye to flow from
bed to bed, sweeping the gardens. There were also many different heights of plants from
the sedum and herbs up through the ornamental grasses, Joe Pye, and campsis. There was a
positively magnificent five foot tall Astilbe repeating throughout, it's purple
contrasting beautifully with the gray house. As we were leaving we paused to watch the
hummingbird in flight.
At Nancy's house some changes had
been made since our last visit. The 2 front flower beds have been connected. Nancy has
recommended checking out the Cochatto Nursery in Holbrook for some Hostas. There is a new
hosta bed where there used to be roses. All the hosta (lots and lots of different plants)
are tagged with names. It's lookin' good! She has some new chocolate, bronzy plants
including a new Cimicifuga. Somehow, I don't think I ever paid attention to just how many
hydrangea shrubs are in this yard- mini French, blue lace cap all coming into bloom. The
ginger planted around the pond carries the look of the water lilies into the pond edge.
Also seen were Rose of Sharon, foxglove, cleome, hollyhock and kiwi vine. The brugmansia
was trumpeting away as we left, heading for Linda's hosta gardens
Linda's gardens began forty years
ago, and not originally with hosta if you can believe that! I love this yard. Almost
everywhere you look there is a garden ornament of one kind or another. But these are not
your garden gnome variety. Linda and her husband have incorporated tokens of family rock
hunting field trips of the past into wonderful, one of a kind garden jewelry. Instead of
keeping things in boxes in the cellar they are gloriously displayed for all to see and
some to remember. There are discretely placed insulators resembling mushrooms, a chimney
flue, rebar sculptures filled with rock and a pot man. The burn pit resembles past
offerings to the Garden Gods and Goddesses. Linda has one Hosta 'Confusion', which was
registered by her and her husband. This is not yet available for sale in the nurseries.
Hopefully she will keep us posted. There is a Hosta nursery which has a lattice
"roof" over it to create dappled shade for delicate plants.
More of Nancy's and Linda's gardens
in the future, since they will be on our Garden Tour on June 28, 2003 with a rain date of
June 29.
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November
16, 2002
Plymouth Garden Club
Holiday Kitchen TourI want to preface this review by letting you all know that
this is the last year I will be organizing the Garden Walks. I have really enjoyed being
able to see all the gardens and getting together, chatting, having lunch out, and
especially seeing folks over the summers. I hope that whoever takes over this board
position has as much fun at it as I have. If anyone is interested in learning what is
involved in organizing the Walks, just ask me!
On that cold, windy, rainy day of November 16th, nine of us got together and carpooled
down to Plymouth to see the Plymouth Garden Club Holiday Kitchen Tour. Ten homes were on
the tour and we hit every one! I must admit that many of the ideas I got were not so much
floral design ideas as home accessory ideas (which I appreciated). In one house (I thought
this was absolutely charming) they had about 11 pictures of brides in wedding photos along
the fireplace mantle. On inquiring, they were all family photos! What a nice way to see
the generations. Another house used a very simple yet elegant nosegay with ribbons (which
coordinated with the flowers on the table)on the top of each chairback for a more formal
and festive look. This same house had a wonderful piece of granite in the yard balanced on
two specially cut stones to make a table. This overlooked a stormy ocean. What a sight!
One of the houses used only the centers of cabbage roses, then berries, then spirea to
form a lovely arrangement in a candle holder converter. We had a very nice lunch at Bert's
Place (although the consensus was that the lobster rolls were skimpy). It was a great day.
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