A Secret Garden: The Backyard Fairy Garden

In this, the final post in the series on Carole's garden, we will take a tour of the 

garden at the back of the house. 

There is no obvious fencing here. On the contrary, the forest surrounding backyard slips almost seamlessly into a cultivated space.

Gravel paths, like spokes on a wheel, lead you inside Carole's garden 

and to the raised pond that is at its heart.

 

One of the unique and distinctive features are the decorative frames which mark off the perimeters of the garden. Carole tells me that the frames were:

"... developed from a reprinted book offered by Lee Valley Tools called 'Beautifying the Home Grounds' that was originally published in 1926. We designed it together and my husband built it. I wanted something to define the edges of the garden and to add some winter structure as well. We started with the higher, larger section at the back as the focal point of the garden. As we came forward, we made the sections smaller with less segments."

Yarrow, Achillea 'Coronation Gold'



The decorative frames also serve as supports for climbers like this Clematis.

Clustered Bellflower, Campanula glomerata (Sorry, Carole wasn't sure of the particular cultivar, but says that this type of Campanula is well-behaved and is not an aggressive spreader.)

Dwarf Purple Bellflower, Campanula

Pink Yarrow, possibly Achillea 'Wonderful Wampee' which is part of the same Tutti Frutti series of Achillea as 'Pomegranate', which you can also see in if you scroll down just a bit further. 'Wonderful Wampee' has soft pink flowers and is a nice, compact plant. Full sun and somewhat poor soil with good drainage. Height: 45-70 cm (18-27 inches) 45-60 cm (18-23 inches). Hardy USDA Zones: 4-9.

Penstemon 'Dark Towers': Height: 60-90 cm, Spread: 45-60 cm. Full sun. Normal, sandy or clay soil are fine. Average to dry conditions. Zones: USDA 3-9

Feather Reed Grass, Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster': is often overused in commercial settings, but is still a wonderful ornamental grass. Soft, feathery green plumes appear mid-summer and mature into wheat-like spikes.  Trim to the ground in early spring. Height:120-150 cm (45-60 inches), Spread: 60-70 cm ( 23-27 inches). USDA Zones: 3-9.

I asked Carole if there was any significance to the fairies in this part of her garden. She replied that there is "...no real signifigance, other than I like them."

Rose Campion, Lychnis coronaria: is a short lived perennial that re-seeds. The plant has a low mound of soft silver-grey foliage and magenta or white flowers. Full sun and average soil. Height 60-90 cm when in flower. Spread: 40-50 cm. The flowers have no fragrance, but butterflies like them.   Drought tolerant. Zones 3-9. 

Yarrow, Achillea 'Pomegranate': was bred to be a compact, bushy Yarrow. Full sun and somewhat poor soil with good drainage. Remove faded flowers to promote a second flush of blooms. Height: 45-70 cm (18-27 inches) 45-60 cm (18-23 inches). Hardy USDA Zones: 2-9.

Veronica 'Eveline': Height: 45-50 cm, Spread: 30-40 cm. Will tolerate part shade, but blooms much better in full sun. Normal, sandy or clay soil are fine. Moist soil is preferred, but it will tolerate average conditions. Deadhead to encourage repeat flowering. Zones: USDA 4-9

In the foreground on the right:

Euphorbia polychroma 'First Blush': has foliage that is green and white with pink variegation. Full sun and moist, well drained soil. Yellow flowers in spring. Height: 30-45 cm (12-18 inches), Spread: 45-60 cm (18-24 inches). Hardy: USDA Zones 4-9.

Monarda 'Petite Delight': I have this Monarda in my own garden, and despite its tendency to develop powdery mildew mid-summer, it is a really nice plant. Most Monarda are tall, whereas this one is short and compact. (Use this Monarda at the front of a flower border.) The flowers are a pretty shade of mauve. Unlike many taller varieties, which start to become a bit bedraggled as the flowers mature, the flowers on 'Petite Delight' always look attractive. 

Full sun with a bit of light shade in afternoon is ideal. 'Petite Delight' grows in a variety of soil types and likes average to moist conditions. When flowers fade and the foliage gets spotty, cut the plant back to promote fresh growth. Height: 25-30 cm (20-12 inches) Spread: 30-45 cm (12-18 inches). Hardy USDA Zones: 3-9

Yellow Verbascum with red Monarda and yellow Heliopsis daisies in the background.

Catmint, Nepeta x faassenii 'Six Hills Giant': Prefers sun and somewhat dry conditions with good drainage. Height: 90-120 cm (36-48 in), Spread: 60-90 cm (24-36 in) Cut the plant back 2/3 in July to promote fresh growth and more fowers. Hardy USDA zones 3-8.

I hope, with my photographs, I have managed to covey what a pleasure it was to 

spend a bright, summer afternoon in Carole's garden. 

Have a wonderful weekend!