It’s early July and our gardens are definitely living life in the Fast Lane now. New blooms are opening daily, and barely a speck of soil can be seen due to the density of foliage and flower. In some instances, one could argue I’ve achieved ‘too much of a good thing’. I have a few thoughts to share on ‘where we go from here’ in the gardens.

but, first a note of thanks

I would like to extend my thanks to each and every one of you who attended the garden tour and plant sale on June 24th. We received over 130 visitors to the garden, despite the gloomy and misty weather. Visitors seemed to really enjoy the gardens and plant sale as well as the antics of a couple of wild turkeys and many generations of bunnies that ~ much to my dismay ~ call the garden ‘home’.

Ticket and plant sales reached almost $5,000. Ticket sales support the work of The Garden Conservancy, and I encourage you to learn more about this important organization and consider a membership. Incredibly, close to 300 New Hampshire grown plants were sold, raising over $3,500 for non-profit organizations, including Kitty Angels and Home Health & Hospice Care, with funds specifically earmarked to beautify the gardens at the Merrimack Community Hospice House. I am so pleased to be able to support both of these incredible local organizations as they work tirelessly to assist and comfort animals and people in need. Again, my humble gratitude for your attendance and contribution to the event.

I’m sorry if I didn’t get the chance to greet or speak with each of you personally. If you purchased a plant and have questions about it or something else that caught your eye in my garden, please email me at barb@thebiglittlegarden.com and I will happily respond.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the outstanding assistance provided by the incredible volunteers who helped make the Open Days event a huge success, including: Jean Abramson, Chris Carrington, Katie Little, Gail Merril, Patti Thibodeau, Paige Viglione, and my husband, Dave. Their efficiency with pricing and organizing the plant sale as well as checking in and managing the guest list made my life a lot easier and my day so much more fun!

adapting to change

Back to the gardens… Perennials grew at an amazing pace during the days and weeks of rain in June, but struggled to stay upright under the deluge. Now with the sun out and temps in the 90’s, many areas of The Big Little Garden are struggling to adapt to recent changes in the landscape that have turned decades of partly shady conditions into ‘full sun’ conditions with the flip of a switch. The loss of 8 or 9 (I’ve lost count) mature deciduous and evergreen trees from neighboring properties that lent shade to our property for years has made the ‘normal’ July garden routine even more challenging as the plants and I attempt to adapt to 5 or 6 more hours of direct, pounding afternoon sun where there once was shade and dappled sun. It’s stressful for all. Some plants will adapt on their own over time, some plants have been relocated to shadier parts of the garden, and some plants have been given away. The effect of the loss of shade for my gardens is surpassed only by the loss of habitat for insects and birds in the neighborhood, and I am working hard to develop even more wildlife habitat on our small property. So, 2023 will be a year of observing and adapting ~ a skill we’ve all had to develop over the past few years.

houston ~ we have lift off

In my last blog, I wrote about the benefits of planting for abundance. In another, I discussed how bark mulch creates a hostile environment for plants and is essentially a stop sign, inhibiting the plant’s natural ability to bulk up and spread. The result of dense planting techniques and a more hospitable mulch, can be observed right now in my gardens. Perennials are achieving immense proportions. Even in the 2 weeks since the garden tour, they have grown and bulked up noticeably (except where rabbits set down for their next meal - did I mention my rabbit problem??)

Frequent comments during the garden tour last week include ‘your plants are so dense…I don’t even see any mulch…do you even have to weed?’ While my wild and crazy style is probably not everyone’s cup of tea, most visitors seemed to appreciate the biodiverse tapestries of foliage and bloom with nary a ‘weed’ among them. This degree of plant health could not have been achieved if I was still using bark mulch. I stopped using bark about 7 or 8 years ago and am amazed at the difference in the vitality of my gardens!

The photos above show plants in their first year in the newly expanded section of the east garage bed. Planted in very late fall 2022, they are already spreading and co-mingling in a natural mulch of our own shredded leaves and pine needles. Our homemade mulch does a great job of allowing rain water to percolate down to the soil, then holding in that moisture and suppressing weeds. It does all this without blocking the plants’ ability to spread by crown expansion or through reseeding. As it decomposes, worm activity increases and the mulch helps to condition and nourish the soil food web. Hopefully, I may have convinced a few visitors to skip the bark mulch next year and instead use their own leaves and pine needles to achieve a healthier environment in which plant communities can thrive and achieve abundance.

the downside of plant density ~ can i get a focal point?

When plant communities are so lush and dense, it can be difficult for the eye to make sense of it all. This is where a carefully placed focal point (usually man made) can help. In my case, I love water features, and we installed two new fountains this spring. One is a decorative stone fountain in the ‘Mr. Peanut’ island bed. Its strong linear form contrasts nicely with the frothy plantings. The other fountain is a naturalistic boulder fountain in the woods. In both cases, the features draw the eye in and provide a reference point for the surrounding plant life.

And, no surprise, they are a hub of activity for birds and other wildlife. Today I witnessed a chipmunk in Mr. Peanut drinking the water that spills down into the stone base. Birds perch on the edge of the coral fountain to take a sip even as the water spills over their feet. But it’s the boulder fountain where they go berserk, bathing and splashing about. The constant motion and sound of splashing water adds another dimension to the gardens and enhances the beauty of the plants. Today, a robin spent about 15 minutes just sitting in the water as it bubbled around it. So serene! It’s a great show. (click the play button on the video below, then click the four corners icon in the lower right to expand the video to full screen)

If you are interested in a high quality water feature for your garden, I can highly recommend Boulder Fountain, out of Virginia. Their quality, selection and service is outstanding. Check out their inventory on their website ~ and be prepared to sink a fair amount of time watching all their videos, which are excellent!

Full disclosure: if you want to do this ‘right’ you will need to have the electric source professionally installed. Our electrician dug deep trenches in which to run the electric cables from our house and shed to each feature. It was an added expense, but well worth it! Please email me if you have any questions. Dave and I feel like pros now that we’ve installed two!

trees as focal points in the landscape

I can’t stress enough the importance of small, ornamental trees and shrubs in the landscape. In my case, I feature them directly in my perennial beds. This includes dwarf conifers as well as deciduous trees like my native redbuds and Franklinia tree (my current obsession). My gardens are chock full of perennials and grasses that can sometimes become ‘too unified’. So shrubs and petite trees create rhythm and balance, enhancing the under plantings. In addition to providing 4 season structure, they create focal points and help the eye travel through the bed (my Art History studies in college helped me understand the importance of directional design in a painting, and the same applies in the landscape). Trees also lend contrast in form, texture and foliage color, all of which are critical elements of great garden design.

In the same bed as the Franklinia is a petite weeping redbud ‘Ruby Falls’, another North America native. To my eye, it’s the perfect stature to fit in the small nook between the stone patio wall and the bump out where our old chimney was. Whereas the Franklinia has an upright and ‘see-through’ growth habit, the redbud weeps downward and is dense with layers of heart shaped leaves, reminding me of petticoats. It’s as if ‘Ruby’ is looking down to guard and protect the plants at her feet. I love how different the two trees are, yet how well they cohabitate in this small space.

Their foliage is dramatically different, yet they are united by the common palette of Japanese forest grass ‘All Gold’. I think in this instance, it works to have two focal points in close proximity. What do you think?

The shady berm features the long-standing bird fountain that has run for years, 24/7/365 with the help of a heating element in the winter months. It’s long been a favorite view of mine from the kitchen window. With most of the plant material staying low and mounding, the white plumes of bugbane (aka, cimicifuga/actae/cohosh) become an exclamation point in the landscape. I enjoy the rhythm of the up/down/up/down/up/down pattern between the fountain and the bird house. This photo also illustrates the value of blue and crimson foliage in an otherwise green palette. A short distance away, the small bird draws the eye into the tapestry of blue and purple shade plants.

I hope this information helps you identify opportunities to focus and center the energy in your gardens. Next time, I will talk about the importance of ‘see-through’ plants, growing your plants from seed, as well as summer plant feeding and pruning routines.

~ Barb