I did take a week out of my flurry of tour preparations to attend the yearly Idyllunion with my wonderful internet gardening friends. Sue from Idyllhaven has a great explanation of our group from a post last summer so I won't repeat it here. We did a five day whirlwind tour of gardens and wineries on Long Island and had a fabulous time. My favorite garden of the trip was the private gardens of Dennis Schrader & Bill Smith of Landcraft Environments, LTD. Many thanks to our wonderful hosts for opening their gardens to our group. It was beyond marvelous with many different garden rooms all featuring beautifully grown and maintained plants. The gardens presented everything from a formal knot garden with Berberis flowing around an urn with a twenty-year old specimen of Bougainvillea to a meadow garden that was a textural feast for the eyes.
As they say a picture says a thousand words so I will let the photos tell the story here. I shot about four hundred frames in the time we were there and here is a collection of my favorites.
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Knot Garden |
Meadow Garden |
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Loved this window box! |
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Newly planted border of tender plants. Would love to see this in a couple months
 
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It never ceases to amaze and delight me how sharing fellow gardeners are. I can only imagine how busy their schedule is but they made time to let us tour their gardens and spent the time to visit and answer questions. Many, many thanks to Bill and Dennis for their hospitality!
My favorite as well. What an incredible home and garden! Bill and Dennis were fabulous hosts.
ReplyDeleteI wish that Stipa Grass was hardy here. Their use of it in the meadow garden was brilliant. So gorgeous
DeleteThis looks like a fabulous garden, and you got some great shots of it. I'm on the last day of the Garden Bloggers Fling, and we saw some wonderful gardens, including one today that I thought was jaw-dropping gorgeous. Sometimes it's so hard to convey in words and pictures how great the experience was. I met one of your Idyllunion companions here in San Francisco too. It's great to get together with people who share our obsession with plants and gardens.
ReplyDeleteThanks Alison! It was a wonderful garden indeed and our hosts were wonderful. I wish I could have joined you for the Bloggers Fling but I'm on an Open Days tour on the 13th and 14th so couldn't make it. So happy you met my friend.
DeleteGreat photos Deanne ! What can it never be a little overcast when we do these things ?? This was my favorite garden too,though tied with the HighLine. but I've been on such a garden-tour fast-track I still haven't finished processing all my photos from IU.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kathy, wish I could have joined you on the Bloogers Fling! I'm going to send you and email for my 'formula' for processing images taken in full sun shots with very dark cast shadows.
DeleteOne reason gardeners are so generous with their time is that they love to share with others who share their passion!(and not get that glazed look in their eyes...) Your photos are magnificent. I'm surprised to see that there is still lawn on their property! I love the stone, the stipa, the peachy colors in the window boxes, the garden room... heck, there's nothing I don't like except the fact I missed it!
ReplyDeleteThanks Marie! Wish you'd been there too, it was a fabulous garden
DeleteA spectacular garden! I especially liked the covered seating area filled with tropical looking plants. I've not met an unkind gardener! It was nice meeting Kathy at the fling and I sure hope you can make it to Portland next year!
ReplyDeleteMany thanks, they call that their Tiki House, appropriate. I hope I can make Portland too!
DeleteOverall a beautiful garden but that shot of the meadow garden, wow!
ReplyDeleteThis garden won me over completely too. I was too busy looking and didn't take enough photos, so thank god for your excellent post. I have no photos of that amazing "Tiki Hut." And now I'm wondering where I can squeeze in a knot garden/parterre.
ReplyDeleteThanks Denise! It was indeed a fantastic garden, so many different personalities in one space.
DeleteHow wonderful! While I wish you could have joined us this year for the Fling your absence certainly makes sense. Just remember next year...Portland! I want to see you and Sue both there (and Kathy and Denise too...but I've already been working on them)
ReplyDeleteThanks! I hope I can make Portland next year too...
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