A Few Random Images

It's been a roller-coaster of a week here and I haven't been able to spend as much time in the gardens as I'd like. My husband had a bicycling accident and will need surgery to repair his quadriceps tendon. So, the gardens are going to wait a while longer for my attention. Fortunately they do seem to cruise along with minimal TLC this time of the year. If you look closely the daylilies need deadheading, there is a bit of crabgrass poking its head up here and there but the overall affect is still pretty. I had a bit of time yesterday morning and decided to do a walkabout with camera in hand and snapped a few things that caught my eye.

I really love this new cordyline. Unfortunately it didn't come with a tag but looks like Cordyline 'rubra'

The large front planter is filling in nicely. I gave the coleus and ipomoea a haircut the other day to balance things a bit better. I'm looking forward to the Mandevilla 'Alce Dupont' filling in the trellis.

The Thunbergia grandiflora vine is getting huge.

Some of the begonia collection. They are very happy this year

Love the form of this echeveira

The purple pot in the Driveway Garden has filled in nicely although the red coleus planted in that arrangement has failed to meed expectations.

Daylily 'Pastel Classic' in front of Spirea 'Ogon'

I just removed some of those dwarf iris and planted Eucomis 'Oakhurst'

Echinacea 'Pink Poodle' with Hydrangea 'Bobo'

Love that Echinacea 'Supreme Cantaloupe'

Alium 'Millenium', Nepeta 'Walker's Low', Amsonia, Angelica

Containers on the front walk

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

I just spent a marvelous couple days in the Booth Bay Harbor area of Maine. The highlight of my trip was a day long visit to the beautiful Coastal Maine Botanical Garden. This is a relatively new garden and was the brain child of Maine residents who felt the area needed a botanical garden. The concept  and planning for this beautiful garden began back in 1991 and it first opened its doors to the public in June of 2007.  The garden covers 270 acres  of tidal shorefront. It is a beautifully designed space that makes aesthetic use of the impressive outcrops of native rock.  There are several miles of trails that wind through lovely woodland gardens and provide spectacular ocean views. The upper gardens are planted with swaths of perennials and annuals that create a vivid tapestry of texture and color. Any garden lover should make the time to tour this garden if they are in the New England area.  I'm already planning to visit again before the summer is over. Hmmmm, maybe a fall trip too.....



I loved this sculpture that shimmered and moved with every slight breeze.

Benthamidia japonica 'Samzam' (Samaritan Dogwood) Phlox paniculata 'Danielle'

The Symphytum 'Axminster Gold' is coming in nicely after pruning off the flower stalks.

Living walls looking beautiful with some terrific looking lobelia.  I've never been able to grow it well beyond mid summer. These were superbly grown.

The path winds down in front of the waterfall so the viewer is eye level with the surface of the upper pond.

Love the reflections of the golden grasses.



Gentiana triflora var. montana

Shasta 'Becky' with Coleus 'Religious Radish'

Syneilesis aconitifolia (Shredded Umbrella Plant)

Love this Platycodon, Blue Fescue combination

The Echinacea 'Hot Papaya' were stunning

Spiraea 'Anthony Waterer'

Delphiniums were at their peak of perfection

Calycanthus 'Aprohdite'