Putnam Park Path Project IV

The new pathway project at Putnam Park has been nearly completed. The lawns have been hydroseeded and the gardens have been planted.

The Desire Path through the Entrance Garden has already been used and has accomplished its goal of keeping the garden from being trampled by visitors trying to take a short cut. This garden was designed and planted by volunteers. The plant list included salvias, asters, ornamental grasses, hellebores and many other plants. Hopefully it will have a long season of interest. In the next two weeks, bulbs will be planted.

 The new woodland garden was planted with a wide variety of plants chosen for a long season of interest and textural qualities.

 This is the woodland garden from the opposite end of the park. The foliage of Hydrangea quercifolia can be seen to the far right.

The triangular bed containing a large oak tree at the convergence of two paths was planted with Epimedium pinnatum ssp. colchicum from divisions from my garden. This vigorous groundcover has  glossy dark green foliage throughout the season and is extremely drought tolerant. It has bright yellow flowers in April just as the new foliage emerges. The circular bed was planted with Deschampsia cespitosa ‘Goldgehänge’, Persicaria amplexicaulis ‘Fat Domino’ and Cirsium rivulare ‘Atropurpureum’.

The existing mixed border along the path looks full and lush this time of year. I am looking forward to the day when the new gardens have filled in and matured.

Boccelli Garden: the Completion of a Public/Private Partnership Project IV

The grass has grown in quickly at the Boccelli Garden Project which has been recently completed. This public/private partnership project was a great success. It involved a private donation for the retaining wall, terrace, shrubs, and grading of the site. The town of Peterborough paid for the new fence along the Nubanusit River, the herbaceous plants and a pair of new Peterbrough Adirondack Chairs, (designed specially for the parks by the Parks Committee) which are under construction. The Public Works Department did much of the heavy labor of the planting and has kept the site watered. And finally, volunteer gardeners have designed the gardens, planted the herbaceous layer and will maintain the gardens in the future. Probably the most important person in this project was our Town Adminstrator, Pam Brenner, whose leadership and support made the project possible.

The Boccelli Garden has not changed but its setting certainly has. The new terrace can be seen at the far end of the garden.

The Grove Street end of Boccelli Garden

The far end of the garden with the terrace and Peterborough Adirondack Chairs

The terrace looking out over the lawn to the newly pruned apple tree 

The new garden below the terrace will take a couple of years to fill in.. The fence and the Nubanusit River can also been seen beyond the garden. The Grove Street Bridge can be seen in the distance.

The terrace and Peterborough Chairs

A pair of Peterborough Chairs are on order to be placed at the granite table under the apple tree. The property across the Nubanusit River, that prompted the project, can be seen behind the apple tree.

Have a Seat at Chanticleer

Chanticleer, the pleasure garden in Wayne, PA, is right up there with Great Dixter on the creativity scale. I visited the garden last weekend while I was in Pennsylvania. Chanticleer, was once the country estate of Adolph Rosengarten, Sr. and his wife Christine who bought the property in the first decade of the last century.  Rosengarten made his fortune in the pharmaceuticals industry and in 1990 his son left the entire property with an endowment "for the enjoyment and education of the public."

Like all good gardens, Chanticleer combines choice plants with thoughtful design. Chanticleer, like Great Dixter, goes one step farther, where experimentation is the mantra. Both gardens have a vitality and energy produced by change. The creativity doesn't end with horticulture at Chanticleer. During the winter season, the staff is busy creating unique chairs and benches that are placed throughout the garden adding to the unique character of Chanticleer.

The seating at Chanticleer and Wave Hill inspired me to pay closer attention to that aspect of the garden in the Peterborough parks. About a decade ago, I designed signature Adirondack chairs for Putnam Park and the Boccelli Garden, and then several years later, Ron Higgins installed the whimsical stone benches at Teixeira Park. My feeling was that each park should have its own unique flavor and I was certainly inspired by Chanticleer.

The Peterborough Chairs are Out; It Must be Spring!

The first use of the Peterborough Chair this Season

The Wave Hill Chair

The Peterborough Chair

Wave Hill has its own Adirondack chair so why shouldn't Peterborough? About ten years ago, I designed a signature Adirondack chair for the parks of Peterborough. They are custom made to our specifications by Scott Masi of York, Maine http://www.chairmanoftheboardfurniture.com/. I wanted a large chair with an arm rest wide enough to hold your lunch. They are very comfortable, well built and feel like they belong in New England.

Bob Wilder, who works for the town, takes the chairs out of storage each spring and today was the day! I asked if I could take a picture of the first person I noticed using the chairs. The woman, named Nancy, happily obliged and I got a quick shot in Putnam Park. She told me she is new in town and would love to volunteer in the parks! Hopefully I will see her next Wednesday morning for our next volunteer gardening session.