Monday, April 8, 2013

Third Time's the Charm (Part 2)


Musk Mallow, Malva moschata

Today, I will pick up where we left off in my previous blog post, and we will tour the two remaining garden rooms at Merlin's Hollow, while taking a look at how the garden transitions from spring into summer.


On the upper left, you can see the plan for The Fragrant Garden, which is the first room 
we will walk through.


Heading through the arbor, here is The Fragrant Garden as it looks in June.




Columbine were blooming throughout this part of the garden in the early part of the summer.



As you stroll around, a carpet of creeping thyme fills the air with fragrance.



On my last visit in July, the carpet of thyme was covered in small white flowers.



To the delight of bees and butterflies, lavender flowers also filled the air with their fresh perfume.




Now we will take a quick look at The Rock and Water Garden as it transitions from spring to summer. 

Here is the entrance to this area of the garden as it appears in May.


Spring Pea, 'Lathyrus vernus' in May


In June, there are more delicate Columbine flowers in this part of the garden.


Now here is the same arbor at the entrance to the garden in July. As you can see, a maroon-colored Clematis now covers much of the rustic, wooden arbor.


In July, the garden has filled in so much you can barely see the back door to the house!


Creamy-yellow foxglove, digitalis grandiflora


Musk Mallow, Malva moschata reaches to the top of the bungalow's low roof.


As in the other sections of the garden, there are more delightful, bell-shaped Clematis.


Here is a perennial that I am dying to add to my own garden: Queen of the Prairie or Meadowsweet (as it is sometimes called), Filipendula rubra. 

This variety has pink, cotton candy flowers in summer. Full sun/part shade. Height: 120-180 cm Spread: 90-120 cm. Queen of the Prairie likes moist or wet soil.


Here is the white blooming variety of Queen of the Prairie.


These are a summer blooming allium known as Nodding Onion or allium cernuum

I have never had this type of allium in my own garden, but apparently they are very adaptable, and will grow in sun or part shade in dry to medium-well drained soil.

David Tomlinson

So what is the secret to having a beautiful garden just like this one?


Merlin Hollow's big secret is now revealed.

It's not a pretty picture, but make no mistake, this stuff is gold. Rich, black gold!


All along the garden's back fence there are numerous piles of composted leaves and vegetation.

A white Hollyhock

Though it is a private garden, Merlin's Hollow is open to the public on a number of occasions each year. 

You can tour the garden located in Aurora, Ontario free of charge on the 2nd Saturday in May, the 2nd Saturday in June, the 1st Saturday in July and 2nd Sunday in July.

29 comments:

  1. This really is a fantastic garden, not too manicured which is how I like a garden to look. I love the idea of a thyme carpet - I have heard of chamomile lawns before but not thyme. Thank you for sharing this garden with us.

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  2. Ah, summer! That garden looks so lush and green. I especially like the nodding maroon clematis - i wonder which cultivar it is?

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    1. Hi Spurge,
      The maroon clematis is just beautiful isn't it? I would like to add one like it myself.
      Unfortunately, nothing in the garden was labeled and therefore I don't know the name of this particular cultivar. Clematis a bit like daylilies I find however- there are lots of cultivars with similar colors and characteristics. I would ask the staff at your favourite nursery if they have any maroon colored varieties of clematis.You are likely to end up with one that is just as pretty.

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    2. I'd bet some pocket change that the clematis is 'Mme Julia Correvon'. I had one just like it at my previous home and it is fairly common.

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    3. I looked at the photo again and it is really too hard to tell what it is for sure :( This is why I am a big fan of keeping tags and having a garden diary.

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    4. Stacy, I looked up 'Mme Julia Correvon' online and it certainly looks like you may be right. If nothing else, it looks like an beautiful option for someone wanting a maroon clematis.

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  3. Hi Jennifer
    David's garden is so lovely and so are your photos! I totally agree that compost is one of the secrets of a great garden. My fave plants were the Sweet Peas and the Foxglove.

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  4. Ah, yes, black gold! I need more of that for my own garden! Love the tunnel arbor to the fragrant garden. And that clematis is just stunning!

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  5. This is a wonderful garden. I have had many of these plants mostly in my last garden as I had a lot more room there.

    Eileen

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  6. What a wonderful garden. I've "pinned" about 5 varieties for further reference when I'm out buying this spring. Love the meadowsweet - think that would be gorgeous at the back of my perennial border.

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  7. A very lovely garden. So serene, and I love all the fragrant flowers.

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  8. Simply gorgeous series of photos! Loving the Hollyhock!

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  9. I can't wait to start landscaping!!! Thanks for the gorgeous photos xox

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  10. Now that is sensational! What a feast for the eyes and the nose I'm sure! That Meadowsweet is stunning!!! I wish I lived closer so that I could see it for myself!!!!

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  11. How beautiful! Oh...how I wish I could see it in person.

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  12. A lovely garden, og so many beautiful flowers.

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  13. Stunning! What is that gorgeous lavender colored vine spilling over the arbor in June?

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    1. Hi Sarah, Actually it is not a vine, although I can see why from the picture you might think that it was a vine. This is actually a Beauty Bush, Kolkwitz amabilis, which has long arching branches of soft pink flowers in June. It is a bit sandwiched in a corner and so it looks like it is cascading over the arbor, but really it is growing up behind it and arching down over the arbor.

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  14. Hi Jennifer...as I've said before, this garden is just breathtaking. I just love the paths with the flowers all along them. The owner(s) must work so hard, but I'm sure they just love it. It's so funny, in the post I did yesterday, I talk about "Black Gold". It works wonders!!!

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  15. How beautiful. I love the musk mallow [I'm growing that from seed this year] and the hollyhocks. The clematis is a dream too.xxxxx

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  16. WOW ! What a garden, and I love those arches, and everything. Thanks again from opportunity to see these photos !

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  17. Stunning as usual! :-)

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  18. Now that is a garden I would love to have and definitely visit....the nodding onion has to be planted where you won't mind it dropping seed and taking over....and you can eat the onions when you dig them up...like a scallion only milder. I am still digging it out of my front garden. I seeded it in the back garden...and it is a native allium.

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  19. What a beautiful garden ~ so nice that they open it up for viewing too. I have never noticed my Allium cernuum spreading?? I wish it would! I'm so glad I visited your blog today ~ it's snowing and in the single digits. Feels like winter instead of April which makes your photos even more of a welcome sight. I have Queen of the Prairie in my garden Jennifer and if it comes back as robustly as normal, I'd be happy to send you a start. It's easy to pull up the runners & start them. I don't know the restrictions about shipping across the border tho?? Let me know.
    Thank you for your feedback on my blog too. You are going stronger than ever ~ it looks like you've started two more since I've been here??? Go Jennifer! Maybe that's motivation to keep my one going?!!!

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    1. Hi Kathleen, Thanks for the offer of the Queen of the Prairie starter. That's so kind of you! I remember your pictures of it and they were one of the reasons this plant moved higher on my wish list.
      I hope you don't give up on blogging Kathleen. I always enjoy your posts. Yes, I started two other sub-blogs. A bit of wishful thinking! I can barely manage the one main blog, let alone the other two. You will notice that posts are sadly lacking in number! Hopefully, I will find some spare time soon to give them a decent go. Otherwise, I think I must give up on them for now.

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  20. What a lovely garden - such pretty columbines and your photo of Lathyrus vernus reminds me that I have a little shopping to do (I left one in a previous garden and have been meaning to buy another one ever since). The nodding onions are very easy - I treated some appallingly - I didn't open my post for a couple of weeks and they were in one of the envelopes, then I forgot about them for a couple more weeks and when I found them again, I plonked them unceremoniously in pots fearing the worst and they still grew strongly.

    As a passionate believer in the power of black gold, I am delighted you included that beautiful photo of some in the making!

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  21. I am sighing, what a lovely garden! The arbors, for instance to the frangrant garden what a beauties. The hare in the middle of a carpet of thyme and the compost heaps, the only thing in the garden which looks similar like my compost heap in the garden, haha. And now I am running outside to look if my Lathyrus vernus is showing some growth.

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  22. Such a beautiful garden and so inspiring.

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  23. Another gorgeous garden! It is just lovely :) I love the bell shaped clematis. They are just so dainty and unique and yet colorful too.

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