tour

The garden looks very different from last year at this time. We lost our Magic Carpet spirea hedge out front, which succumbed to root rot and died over the winter. I lost all my foxgloves and several deep purple salvias, which dominated the main perennial bed last year. And I coppiced our purple smoke tree, so its height is missing in the landscape. I also had to take out about a third of my roses due to disease.

When workers installed our new roof last fall, they managed to damage several foundation plantings. Several Sky Pencil hollies in the same area were languishing (not enough sun), so I ended up replacing half the foundation plants on the north side of the house. Even so it will take time for those holes to fill in.

But the peonies and iris are just wonderful this year, loaded with blooms! All the replanting gave me ample opportunity to try new things. There’s still plenty to see. Come along for a virtual walk-through!