WHAT THEY SAW

More than a hundred enthusiastic people came garden-viewing
on the Garden Conservancy Open Day, Saturday May 12th.

This is what they saw:

The mingling of Japanese Maples Autumn Moon and
Red Moon at their freshest.

The last tulips--this one named Sky High Scarlet--
very fiddle-dee-dee
in the shadiest border

sharing space with shy Arisaema sikokianum, who this season
decided to turn his back on the garden path.

The secret architecture of Allium triquetrum -- so  named
because of the charming little bells rising on a sturdy
three-sided triangular stem.

English bluebells that are really Spanish bluebells, but calling them English bluebells has more resonance--and they are slightly heartier
(and a little less expensive) than Hyacinthoides hispanica 'Excelsior'. If you are a purist, then get Hyacinthoides non - scripta which is commercially grown as Scilla nutans and is most closely akin to the indigenous English bluebell. But I would stick with this...

Allliums ready to pop.
Aren't they sexy...

That caressable makes-you-limp-kneed lavender Tree Peony....one
of many, many blooms on this old tree - well, old for me, brought
from my first garden where it barely produced a flower and
has now flourished in the sun.

Columbines mixing with Fritillaria acopetala under the snowy
whiteness of Japanese maple 'Butterfly' bought at the
Horticultural Alliance of the Hamptons some 3 or 4 years ago.

And lastly - and I suppose most importantly because it was
the absolute People's Choice. Everyone's favorite densely
layered dwarf Japanese maple, I think it is 'Mikawa yatsubusa'
and I acquired it from Lynch's in Southampton in 2007.

GARDEN CONSERVANCY OPEN DAY

May 12

86 Davids Lane

East Hampton, New York

10 - 2

The weather is supposed to be gorgeous!

I look forward to seeing you!

EUPHORBIA  EUPHORIA

Having just torn open a packed-to-last-forever box fromForestFarm, that grand Oregon nursery that has everything,
I am reminded again of my abiding Euphorbia ecstasy.
Among the most advantageous of the useful plants – and by
useful I mean the ones that really give you year-round pleasure
and punch – it is no wonder I ordered 4 new kinds.  Well, one of
them isn’t new, this will be my 4th or 5th attempt at Tasmanian Tiger,
but I am heartened enough to try again because one of three last
year that had come from the wonderful North Fork grower,  
Glover Perennials, survived our climate-changed winter in
full sun and now I can say with assurance that this is a plant that is fabulous 12 months a year.

HOLY SATURDAY RIFE With SMALL  MIRACLES

Things that had never bloomed, non-growers that I had given
up for lost/never found or just plain disappointing
appeared before my very eyes like a wonder.

An Arisaema sikokianum…you know, the one everyone adores,
was lovingly planted two or three years ago...
and nothing
till
Miracle Day.

A vining Fritillaria planted in 2009! That had never shown its face
before suddenly was there climbing up the fastigiate yew – just as
I had pictured it...all those years ago.

 Fritillaria verticillata – the only vining spring bulb,
or one of the very few.
And a tricolor quince, or Chaenamoles, sporting several little
bouquets of flowers on its limbs that are indeed three colors,
never before seen,
but I have faith in ForestFarm,
even though this took 6 years to bloom!

And Never Give Up!  That is how I see it…

THE  GARDEN REALLY  IS  ART

E.V. Day, an artist that I first came upon at Edsel Williams' always-interesting Fireplace Project Gallery when
she was in her wrapping- Barbie-like-a-mummy phase.

She has done many great things since,
recently showing her work at the great
James Salomon Gallery in Chelsea and has now leapt
into a new –and sacred – arena with a body of work created at
the God-head garden at Giverny.  Monet’s idyllic springboard has
been transported to The Hole Gallery on the Bowery where E.V. has
collaborated with Kembra Pfahler.