Undoubtedly, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And no question, the beauty of the garden surrounding the koi pond is a matter of taste. But, does it matter if anyone besides the gardener is less than enamored by such a jumble? I cannot quite claim that I created this lovely mess, at least…

The stream runs along a section of the southern property line, bordering a narrow area of forest bisected by a natural, spring fed creek. A wide spreading serviceberry (Amelanchier) overhangs the small pond and much of the length of the stream, dropping leaves during various dry spells until autumn. References warn against placing water features…

The planting surrounding the new greenhouse has quickly filled. The space is not large, but an extension of a long planted area into which the small, octagonal greenhouse was shoehorned. The new planting is no more than two hundred square feet, and as if given new freedom to spread, it seems that long ago planted…

Two large buttonbushes (Cephalanthus occidentalis, below) were long overdue to be cut back, but both are situated in swampy ground and more or less out of sight, so there was no rush. I could get around to a project such as this sometime in the next decade, but beavers beat me to it over the…

There are several small patios scattered about the rear garden, each with a chair or bench, and since gatherings are rare (despite my wife’s wishes) there is no need for larger areas or more seating. The number of patios is a convenience to sit to rest without going too far, but also to enjoy the…

Last year, a ‘Little Honey’ Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Little Honey’, below) was moved from a spot where the yellow leaves were often damaged in too much sun, to the shadier far side of the garden that borders a forest of tall maples and tulip poplars. I didn’t like ‘Little Honey’ much in the sun,…

My age is showing, I’m certain, when I say that a significant amount of my time is spent at the kitchen table (a new one, thanks to the pandemic) reading the newspaper (a sure sign of an old timer, it seems), or looking out into the garden. I will readily admit that my reading time…

Another big project is on the horizon, probably for this weekend. Once I’m motivated, there’s little to stop me, even my wife’s insistence, and though it pains me to give in, this is a project my wife has long suggested so there will be no resistance on her part. I might even earn a few…

I did not intend to accumulate the numbers of hydrangeas (or azaleas) in the garden today, but trialing one, then another became a small, but favored collection that belies my stated preference for treasures less common. Yes, the lovely blooms in June come shortly after the garden’s peak, so a void is filled. My son,…

By late spring a year ago I noticed handfuls of big leafed seedlings scattered through the garden. The thought occurred that these looked much like a calla lily (and not the caustic Giant hogweed that was a popular topic at the time). I was reminded since a neglected, nearly forgotten, somewhat cold hardy calla (rated…

Amongst a number of spring plantings, mostly singles plugged into whatever small gaps remain in this thirty-one year old garden, there are two areas with more extensive new plantings. One is the partially shaded area where a large, failing Alaskan cedar was removed in late winter. A slightly larger area borders the small, newly constructed…

The lower half of the rear garden remains a disappointment. Someday, though not soon, it will return to its previous glory, or some approximation of it, I’m certain. The culprit responsible for the area’s decline was a doubling of our yearly rainfall a few years ago. The lower half of the garden is indeed also…