Hedges and Topiary on the Passionate Gardener Tour

 Hidcote

 Hidcote

 Hidcote

 Hidcote

Vann

Vann 

Pettifers Garden

Rousham Gardens

Rousham Gardens 

Great Dixter

Great Dixter 

Great Dixter 

Sissinghurst

Sissinghurst

A Last Look Before I Go

I am leaving for England this evening for The Passionate Gardener Tour. I am very excited to return to see old favorites and a few new gardens. The main feature of my New Hampshire garden right now is the trio of Prunus 'Hally Jolivette' trees on the hill between the Blue Bench Terrace and the Woodland Garden. Some special spring ephemerals are also in flower. I hope to come back from England with new ideas and a garden on the cusp of June.

 Glaucidium palmatum, the Japanese wood poppy, has fleeting single lavender flowers. I am glad I didn't miss them this year.

The Himalayan mayapple, Podophyllum hexandrum, has pink flowers that last about as long as the flowers on Glaucidium palmatum. It has mottled leaves and a bright, shiny, red, egg-sized fruit in late summer. This mayapple has happily self-seeded around the parent plant. I have thrown the seeds throughout the garden and this spring I spotted new plants dotted throughout the Woodland Garden.

I got this plant, Lamium orvala 'Silva' or giant dead nettle, from Ed Bowen of Opus Plants. Speaking of Ed, I am pleased to report that he will have a 'Pop-up' nursery at my garden during the Monadnock Area Garden Conservancy Open Day on Saturday August 20, 2016. Gardens will also be open in Vermont the following day. As part of the new 'Digging Deeper' program, Page Dickey will be giving a talk on Friday, August 19th at Bass Hall in Peterborough called "Outstanding American Gardens". On Saturday, Tovah Martin and Roger Swain will be giving free talks in two of the gardens. See the Garden Conservancy website for details. It promises to be a great weekend!