Peconic River Herb Farm

It's finally here! It's Spring!!

If only I could rush outside and see dew drops on my ladies mantle. Unfortunately most of our beds are still covered in snow or dusty leaves. It will be two more weeks before I uncover everything so right now I'm still living in anticipation mode.

Alchemilla mollis (Ladies mantle) is one of my "can't live without" perennials. I always explain it by saying it's like adding crown molding to a bare painted wall. Ladies mantle makes all of it's companions look fabulous. It's the ultimate tapestry plant.

There are no visions of sugarplums dancing in my head right now. The only visions are of the garden centers and nurseries that I will be visiting in a very short time. Luckily we have so many of them available to us here on Long Island. This year I hope to adventure out and try a few north and west of New York city too.

Peconic River Herb farm is a must visit nursery for any gardener on Long Island. Pack a picnic lunch and a chilled bottle of champagne, there's plenty of places to sit and have lunch.

I love all their quirky garden art like this planted wheelbarrow.

Last year it was cold and rainy when I visited the herb farm but it didn't stop me from taking photos and buying plants too. They have a fabulous selections of herbs (of course) but also a surprisingly large selection of perennials, annuals, shrubs and small trees. The staff there is super helpful too.

If you get to visit, save time to walk the large grounds. You'll find all kinds of plant combinations and ideas every which way you turn. There's many mature trees so you'll get lots of ideas for semi-shade areas if that's your style. I love this combination of Epemedium, Dicentra spectablis (bleeding hearts) and Podophyllum (May apples).

The rustic charm and sounds of nature will whisk you away to a place far far away from home. 

I can't wait to go back again this May. Maybe I'll see some of you there...

Random Thoughts & Photos

This morning is perfect for taking photos in the garden. It's damp and overcast outside so no shadows thrown by early morning sun.

Here's some photos I took today with the thoughts that ran through my head as I took them:

I'll begin with my favorite gnome, Claus who seems quite happy to be resting under a clump of Symphytum.

The Cotoneaster in my front bed is doing so well. I love how it softens the edge of the walkway although I have to remember every now and then to cut back the longer branches. I really have to get after those perennial seedlings that pop up from underneath.

Heuchera 'Caramel' once again doing it's magic. Need to get those Digitalis (fox gloves) out of there before they hide everything.

I just love the blooms and seed pods on Lunaria (honesty plant or money plant). I just wish it didn't always seed itself in the front of the border and hide everything behind it...kind of like the Digitalis in the photo up above.

Zizia aurea, given to me by a friend who said it seeds around in her garden. I've had it here for three years and although the plant itself looks happy, I have yet to find a seedling...boohoo...

Couldn't get the colors right on this one so you'll have to add a bit of imagination to it. Wonderful golden hosta with the most amazing blue Ajuga bloom coming right up in the middle of it. Can't get much better than that!

Pulmonaria 'Little Star' has my favorite foliage of any of the Pulmonarias. The white spots are just enough.

Corydalis and Iris cristata really are the perfect companions. I only wish the Alium foliage didn't turn to crap before the blooms even emerge. Maybe I'll go out and cut the foliage back.

This morning I'm going to try to do a little digging. Mom might be doing the work while I play supervisor. Can't do much yet due to some complications from my surgery but I'm trying! We'll be open for business this Friday 11-4 and Saturday 10-4. Hope to see some of you then.

Melanie

Spring Containers

Container planting has to be one of the most rewarding types of gardening. When it comes to containers, you can be in full control. Chose the ideal type of soil, the bloom season, the light conditions (after all, you can move those containers around) and of course, the watering requirements.

Just the other day I posted about ferns in the spring gardens. Ferns are wonderful in containers, this photo was taken the other day in the Lincoln Park Conservatory in Chicago.


For those of you who haven't read my other blog, Old Country Gardens, I've just returned from the most wonderful four days in Chicago. The plantings were amazing, street corners, parks, median strips, sidewalk plantings and of course lots and lots of containers.

I thought I was taking too many photos but as usual, I now wish I had taken twice as many!

Visible from the hotel room window was this amazing array of planters. Best of all was getting to walk past it several times a day.

The weather was quite harsh, cold downpours, gusting winds and bright sunny days with nights near freezing. Yet look how lovely these hardy spring plants look!

The color combinations were spectacular, I couldn't get enough of the blues and once you add some gold, wowza!


Color combinations don't have to be hot or cold, I found this yellow, green and white arrangement very pleasing.

Putting all those colors together was even better, you could hardly guess that it was so cold that my fingers were numb while pressing on the camera button.

Three cheers to the folks of Chicago for showcasing such a lovely city!

Melanie

Spring Ferns

There's something about ferns that fascinates me. When it comes to the botanical names, I'm totally lost. Even the common name often eludes me but I just love ferns in the garden.

This top image is a fern that showed up here without me planting it. If I had to guess, I'd call it a hay scented fern. It does smell yummy when you pot it up and drive around with it in your car.

The Cinnamon Fern is another one that I've been adding here and there. I just adore this fuzzy stage as they first begin to grow and that cool cinnamon stalk that emerges in late spring is bonus.


Last year I saw a lone fern for sale at Fox Hollow Farm. It didn't have a name tag but I just had to add it to the garden. For some reason I couldn't find a photo of it from last season so I'll have to wait and shoot one this year. It formed a perfect whirl, round and round.

Probably the ugliest fern in the beginning of the season is the Japanese Painted Fern. It almost looks like it's dead and yet each day more of it emerges.

Here's one of the few shots I could find of a fern once it's totally unfurled from it's early spring stage. Not a great photo, I do know this is one of the Painted Ferns, possibly 'Ghost'.

Got Ferns? Let me know what does well for you!

Melanie