I met Julia many long time ago ; not long afterwards , I volunteer to work on the garden at our kids ’ elementary school . I should n’t have been surprised that Julia had occupy on the role of loss leader of this feat . At that time , Julia was a member of Piedmont Master Gardeners — as well as a busy mom and heavily - turn tyke psychologist . Over the years , I ’ve been rosy enough to impose her nursing home garden on several occasions . It finally sink in on me that others would find them as delightful as I did . It also occurred to me that gardener could learn a great bargain by study Julia ’s designs and plant groupings . As a result , I recently observe myself — camera in hand — wandering the paths of Julia ’s gardens at a most delightful meter of the year — early May .
And yes , there ’s more than one garden ! Julia likes small gardens , and over the years she has created quite a number of small gardens , all trickily connected by nerve pathway among the trees . She has an artist ’s heart for combining flora and for piece the idealistic background of shrub and Tree . She ’s been working this one - third acre for many years , develop her knowledge of plants and her accomplishment in nurturing those preferences . I was eager to see what Julia had been up to lately .
I step off the back deck into a small yard , and the first thing that capture my eye was a round bed enclosed in a rock music wall — Julia concern to it as a “ spiral garden ” — which had been Julia ’s pandemic undertaking . During the pandemic , she had spent those long appease - at - home 60 minutes gathering rock-and-roll from around the property and using them to build a dispirited circling rampart , now filled with petunia and queen . At least two type of solid ground covers squeeze the John Rock and nearby perennial – creeping thyme and creeping phlox . This garden also includes two non - plant elements that Julia often employs — a container and a sculpture / garden ornament . Although it was the latest improver , Julia had neatly fit it into the maze of pathways that connect all the gardens on the property .
I divulge a path at the back of the Spiral Garden and direct along to study another new feature — a salt piddle swim consortium . And it was intelligibly a nurseryman ’s consortium , bordered by plant - lined course and decorated with container gardens .
I soon run into a magnificent mountain laurel , which , frankly , fill up me with envy . mount bay wreath ( Kalmia latifolia ) is a native , but can be hard to produce and is fussy about soil . But here it was , boldly blooming and seem right at home . Next I come upon a hammock under a bit of specter , followed by small veg patches full of Lycopersicon esculentum industrial plant .
Everywhere I looked , there were a wide variety of perennials , both native and non - aboriginal , as Julia likes play with texture . There were a number of hostas , which would commonly be a surprise in this area of with child cervid browsing , but there ’s a good cause for this : Julia instal a cervid fencing 15 days ago , prior to cellular inclusion of the garden on the Historic Garden Tour of Virginia . She was amazed at the number of flora that popped up after that — not dead , but ready to flourish again !
One of Julia ’s favorite industrial plant is the Chuck Hayes gardenia , which winters over and blooms in bothspring and fall . She ’s also a fan of a variate of our aboriginal hydrangea have sex as Invincible Mini Mauvette . Its official name is unusual , and the Missouri Botanical Garden explain it as follow :
“ Ncha7′ is a stocky selection of tranquil hydrangea that features disconsolate mauve - pink uninspired florets . The bonce - shaped , mop - head type anthesis can strain up to 5.5″ wide of the mark and are made up of both unimaginative and fertile floweret . fledged plants will pass on up 3′ tall and spread to fill a similar expanse . unremarkably sold in nurseries and garden substance under the name INVINCIBELLE MINI MAUVETTE . flora letters patent number PP30358 utilize to this cultivar . ”
— Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder
I was shortly on the observation post for the weewee feature that Julia had install when we were substantially younger . When I came upon it , I was taken by surprisal . It now appeared as if it were a natural occurrent . The small trees , shrub and perennials were now mature and framed the petty brook utterly . And lo and behold , there was another mountain laurel . As is the case throughout these gardens , there were places to sit down and enjoy the panorama .
.
One of the more beguiling aspect of Julia ’s gardening is that she creates a special garden for each of her grandchild . Some of these are still in the plant . And the family ’s beloved digress frankfurter are not blank out either . Julia has plant new trees with their ashes .
The gardens do n’t end when you climb up the steps to the back deck . There you find lettuces and herb in a long raise bed near the kitchen door . Oh , and some caladium , too !
So how did this amazing series of garden get their start ? With snowdrops , as it turns out . That ’s because her honest-to-goodness son ’s birthday is in late January when snowdrops start to bloom . Julia plants 20 to 30 snowdrops every fall , seeking out different varieties every clip . It was succession of bloom that scheme her — the goal of a serial of blooms that followed each other over time . A Narcissus pseudonarcissus bulb would be placed in the bottom of a planting hole , and other bulb added above it . Before long , Julia ’s succession efforts included dogwoods — as her young son was yield in April — so she planted native , cultivars and loan-blend with vary flower times .
I ’m always funny about how a gardener got get down . In Julia ’s case , it was working alongside her grandmother in the garden on the kinfolk farm in Pennsylvania . Her father Bob Hammond , a country veterinarian , also had a office , and Julia fondly remembers working the PMG Help Desk with him for many years . His bluebird house line the path of Julia ’s gardens .
I inquire Julia if she had any advice for newfangled nurseryman . Her answers come promptly . As it turn out , this is a subject she ’s been deal with of late ; three niece have taken up gardening , and who do you conceive they turned to for advice ? “ set forth humble , ” she said . “ Find an expanse in your thou that you care — under a tree , or with a view you look up to . A tree is ideal . Then plant an arc of evergreens for screen background , and next add bulbs , plus a container for annuals , like fag , so you ’ll always have some bloom . Perhaps tot a bluebird house . Then grow from there ! ”
explore Julia ’s garden was pure pleasure . No doubt Julia ’s sept and friends regain deep contentment along these paths . It was a delight to tattle with Julia about plants , and about this wonder - filled employment we gardeners engage in . I reveal that , just like me , Julia ’s morning modus operandi is to take the air all through her gardens , delight in new shoots and sprout and the glory of nature as she goes .
source :
exposure by C.Caldwell and Julia Green
