The Early Summer Garden of Interior Designer Sandi Duclos

Every once in a while I get an invitation to a reader's garden. In all the years I have been blogging, these visits have yet to disappoint! Sadly in the case of Sandi Duclos's garden, I was unable to find a time to capture her peonies and roses in all their June glory. Normally this would mean my visit might be delayed until the following year, but as luck would have it, Sandi's own photographs are so wonderful, it is hard to imagine I could ever do a better job of capturing her lovely garden. 

Usually, the photographs on this blog you see are all my own. In this case, any compliments must be directed to Sandi's considerable skills as a photographer. As to her garden, you are in for a visual treat! With its white picket fence, charming details, colorful perennials and shrubs, it's a traditional cottage garden at its very best.

Sandi's front garden must stop traffic!

1. Flower Carpet rose, Rosa 'Flower Carpet Pink Supreme' 2. Shasta Daisy 3. Clematis 4. Unidentified Pale Pink Rose 5. Echinacea 6. Daylily 'Stella De Oro' 7. Phlox 8. Heuchera 9. Lavender 10. Clematis 'Jackmanii'

When it comes to gardening, Sandi's grandmother was a formative influence. "I can only attribute the love I have for gardening to my grandmother.  She has a beautiful old-fashioned garden that was built more out of necessity than pleasure.  As a child, her garden was a form of beauty I never saw anywhere else," Sandi says.

Of course, the property did not always look like it does today. When Sandi and her family bought their home in Kitchener, Ontario, the front and back yard were largely untouched. "We moved into our house in 2003," Sandi tells me. "The few gardens that did exist were planted with periwinkle." 

Interior design has been the primary focus of Sandi's professional life. In 2009 she opened her own firm, Sandi Loreen Duclos Interiors, and quickly garnered a reputation for her work. If you follow her Instagram account, you'll know her interiors are fresh, tailored and chic. Her skills extend to outdoor spaces and the gardens she has designed have caught the attention of the Kitchener Horticultural Society, the Cambridge Horticultural Society and the Toronto Master Gardeners Association. 

"Being an interior designer helped me to envision an outdoor living space that works perfectly for our family. The same principles of design used to create an interior space can be applied to an outdoor setting as well. Scale, proportion, balance, repetition, form and function are elements key to success in all forms of design," Sandi says.

At the front of the house, there's a wide perennial border paralleling the sidewalk. Three steps take you up to the picket fence and an enclosed garden where hydrangeas are the star. 

This arbour is in one corner of the front garden and leads to the side of the property. It's one of the many charming plant supports and structures you'll see in Sandi's garden.

"All of the interesting structures in our garden are either found vintage items we have come across in our travels or things I have designed and created with my husband.  I come up with the concept and my husband is always able to build what I have in mind, " Sandi says.

"Shortly after moving in, we started construction on the new deck and gardens", Sandi says. "The main goal of the back yard design was to make the best use of the outdoor living area in the nicer weather.  I wanted to both beautify the yard and create a layered canvas that both our family and nature could enjoy."  

"I laid out the backyard with several garden rooms in mind.  One room featured a pergola that houses a hot tub. In a second area, I designed a deck for relaxing on chaise lounges. Finally, in the area in close proximity to the house, I designed an upper deck for eating and entertaining. To house our bbq, we constructed a strategic privacy screen that distracts from the utilitarian properties of the bbq while providing support for vertical plantings", Sandi says.

 English Rose, Rosa 'Graham Thomas'

 English Rose, Rosa 'Graham Thomas' has cupped yellow blooms with a light fragrance. This is a David Austin rose that forms a bushy, upright shrub with smooth green foliage. It blooms in early summer and is an excellent repeat bloomer. Good disease resistance. Full sun. Height: 5 ft, Spread: 4 ft. USDA zones 5-9.

We'll begin our tour of the backyard with this pretty gate.

"Most of the plant material is indicative of old-fashioned flowers.  I love roses, clematis, allium, foxglove, hydrangea, phlox, peonies, dahlia, daisy and daylily", Sandi says. 

As someone who works with design and color for a living, Sandi does not shy away from mixing color, texture and form. 

"Lots of color is always my personal preference. My English cottage-style garden is a riot of color from spring till fall. I love pinks, blues, purples, yellows and whites", Sandi tells me.

Pink peonies and Beared Iris

Read more about growing Peonies here. More information about Bearded Irises here.

Herbaceous Peony, Paeonia 'Cora Stubbs'

Unlike many-petaled varieties, single peonies don't tend to flop in the wind and rain.

Clematis spp. Santa Fe

While flowers are the focus of Sandi's garden, there are many decorative touches as well.

"I am an old soul who loves vintage things," Sandi says. "I incorporate special pieces in my garden whenever possible.  I have a collection of vintage gardening tools that take their places throughout the garden." 

Columbine, Aquilegia vulgaris 'Nora Barlow' has tri-coloured flowers over a low mound of ferny green foliage. Columbine are a short-lived perennial, but they readily self-seed. Leaf miners and sawfly can sometimes disfigure the foliage around the time they bloom. If that happens, cut the plant back hard after flowering and new green foliage will emerge. Attractive to hummingbirds. Full sun or light shade. Height: 60-70 cm (23-27 inches), Spread: 25-30 cm (10-12 inches). USDA zones: 2-9.

Pacific Giant Delphiniums, Delphinium elatum 'Pacific Giant' has tall flower spikes in a variety of colors over a low rounded mound of light green foliage. Plant delphinium in a spot where they are sheltered from strong winds. They like rich, well-drained soil and full sun. These plants are heavy feeders so apply a slow-release liquid fertilizer every 2 to 3 weeks. Remove spent flowers and fertilize to encourage a second flush of blooms in the fall (usually the second round of blooms are smaller and shorter). Do not stake individual flowers spikes as they may snap in a strong wind. Instead, provide overall support for the plant at the base of the flower spikes.

Delphiniums are short-lived and may only last for 2-3 years. If the plant is stressed by heat and drought, the foliage may sometimes develop powdery mildew in mid-summer. Cut the foliage back hard to encourage fresh growth. Height: 120-180 cm (47-70 inches), Spread: 45-60 cm (18-23 inches). USDA zones: 2-9.

Delphiniums and hardy Geranium 'Anne Folkard'.

Cranesbill Geranium 'Anne Folkard' has magenta-pink flowers with a black eye.  The foliage is yellow when it first emerges in spring and becomes chartreuse. This is a vigorous, trailing groundcover noted for a long flowering period. This perennial prefers evenly moist soil but is drought tolerant once established. Height: 30-60 cm (12-23 inches), Spread: 70-90 cm (27-35 inches). USDA zones: 4-9.

Alliums start to bloom just as the last of the tulips are finished.

Roses, peonies and foxgloves– a magical combination!

Purple Alliums (on the left), tall pink foxgloves, pale pink peonies and a rose on the right.

Growing Foxgloves

Traditional foxgloves are a biennial flower that produces a rosette of green leaves the first summer and tall, stately flowers the following spring. Then they set seed and finish out their life cycle. Foxgloves grow naturally on the edge of woodlands, so the conditions they like best are part-shade and rich, well-drained soil. You can find Foxglove plants growing in pots at your local nursery, but the most cost-effective way to grow them is from seed. Start Foxglove seeds from mid-May to as late as mid-July. Foxglove seeds need light to germinate, so don't bury them!  Instead, scatter the seed as evenly as you can over the surface of the soil. Gently rake the seeds in making sure not to cover them. Finally water them with a very, very gentle spray. Be patient. Foxglove seeds will take 20-30 days to germinate. In the second year, your Foxgloves will produce flowers and trust me, they are well worth the wait! One note of caution: foxgloves are poisonous if eaten. 

"I have a love affair with flowers. For me, gardening has always been a source for creating beauty through living things. They aren't just in the garden, my home is full of all things flora too!" Sandi laughs.

"I have always been a lover of blue and white pottery and have amassed a large collection over the years.  In the summer, part of my collection makes its way outdoors to accessorize my exterior garden rooms," Sandi tells me. 

Growing Oriental Poppies, Papaver orientale

When thinking of Oriental Poppies, most people picture bright orange-red flowers, but there are also salmon-pink, orange, white and burgundy-rose blooms. This type of poppy is a perennial. They bloom in late spring and then go dormant through the hottest part of the summer. Once they've bloomed, the foliage can look weary and bedraggled. Cut them back hard and fresh growth will slowly emerge by late summer (Sadly, they will not repeat flower in the fall). These flowers are easy to grow, but they hate being moved. Average soil is fine, but good drainage is essential. Full sun. Height: 2-4 ft, Spread: 2-3 ft USDA: 3-9

Canadian Explorer Rose, Rosa 'William Baffin' is a super hardy climbing rose bred to handle Canadian winters. It is a semi-double, deep pink flower with a yellow eye. The foliage is medium green and is fairly disease resistant. Like all roses, William Baffin prefers evenly moist soil but is somewhat drought tolerant. It tends to bloom just before the Japanese beetles hatch and will repeat bloom if deadheaded. The rose hips that follow are orange-tomato-red. This rose needs to be planted against a fence or on a strong trellis for support. A couple of minor drawbacks: this is a vigorous rose that will need regular pruning and, although beautiful, this is also a very thorny rose. Full sun. Height: 9ft, Spread: 6t. USDA zones: 3-9

The yard slopes up at the back of the property. Rather than seeing a problem, Sandi saw the potential. A rose-covered arbour now leads you up a central path. From there, a series of flagstone steps take you right in amongst the flowers.

"We took full advantage of the up-slope at the back of our garden. It provides the perfect canvas for staggering the heights of plant material.  Adding flagstone steps to this sloping garden makes it feel like you are climbing up into floral heaven", Sandi laughs.

Rosa 'Funny Face'

While much creativity went into the design and plant choices, Sandi's pretty garden rests on the solid foundation of good soil. Years and years of adding organic amendments have transformed what was once clay into the beautifully fertile soil it is today. 

Canadian Explorer Rose, Rosa 'William Baffin'

Clematis 'Jackmanii' and Clematis 'Romona' intertwined on the trellised privacy 

wall that sits to one side of the deck. 

I hope you've enjoyed this early summer tour. In the coming weeks, we'll revisit Sandi's lovely garden in mid-summer/early fall.

A Visit to Duff & Donna's Garden in June

At the back of the house, there is a small plateau of land with a deck and then the 
property rolls down in a gentle incline to a lake. 

My friendship with Donna Evers began years ago when she sent me an invitation to come and photograph her garden. At the time, my blog was still young and relatively unknown, so the offer of a place to stay while I did my photography was novel, to say the least.

That open, friendly Maritime hospitality was impossible to pass up, so I went to visit Donna's garden on my next trip home to see family. Over the years we've kept in touch, mostly by email, but I always make a point of stopping in to say "hi" whenever I return home to Nova Scotia. Last summer my husband and I stopped in on a hot, sunny afternoon in mid-June.

Duff made the yellow chairs. "It is a great place to sit and watch the birds in the 

birdbath," says Donna.

What can I tell you about Donna? She's been married to Duff for 54 years this July. She loves her three kids and dotes on her four granddaughters (whom she misses dearly). Donna's tall, slim and looks younger than someone in her mid-seventies (she may scoff at this last statement, but it's true). She's a masterful gardener who I respect and admire enormously. I'll let Donna tell you a little more about her ties to the local gardening community with her usual injection of humour:

"All the things that come with age, like issues with night driving and nodding off after supper, has limited our participation in our garden clubs. We do still belong to the ARHS/ Atlantic Rhododendron and Horticultural Society and the Nova Scotia Rock Garden Society. Both clubs have tolerated our lack of experience and taught us much over the years. Members of both clubs have become dear friends. Our garden is always open to any and all events these clubs organize."

"Garden tours and friends are always welcome. I love sharing our garden and the rewards are many. Knowledge and plants have been generously shared and long-lasting friendships made with every visit. Garden visits by local clubs have resulted in a few talks on the unique part of our garden that we affectionately call "The Swamp". It was fun and the audience was kind but I don’t think I’ll need an agent," she writes.

Purple and white Campanula

Birdbath with colorful glass fishing buoys.

The low stone wall, that runs most of the width of the property, was no small undertaking.

I must also introduce you to Duff, the other half of this gardening duo. A love of plants and nature is something both Duff and Donna share. The stone walls that terrace the hillside is a great example of his contribution to the garden. Duff also keeps bees and helps with all the heavy labour like hefting and hauling compost and shredding leaves.

"Duff made the benches, the arbours, the obelisks, the birdhouses, the chairs, the fences, the deck, all the stone walls, the troughs and the patio. I have been asked if he can be cloned", Donna once joked.

Cranesbill Geranium pratense 'Double Jewel' has double white flowers and deeply-lobed green leaves. Deer and rabbit resistant. Drought tolerant once established. Moist, well-drained soil is best. Full sun to part-shade. Height: 30-45 cm (12-18 inches), Spread: 60-90 cm (18-24 inches). USDA Zones: 4-9.

Old Man's Beard, Clematis heracleifolia 'New Love' is a self-supporting clematis with a bushy habit. It has fragrant, star-shaped blue flowers and fluffy seed heads (giving the plant its common name). Height: 75-90 cm (29-35 inches), Spread: 45-50 cm (18-20 inches). USDA zones: 3-9.

"There are days my aching bones make me wish I was gardening on a flat plot of land, but on the whole, the positives outweigh the negatives. And we don't have to go to the gym to work out," Donna laughs.

"We handpicked the stone from a local quarry and trucked it home. The walls began with a three- to-four-inch tamped base of crushed gravel. Fitting the stones together was a bit like working a jigsaw puzzle," Donna recounts.

The stone walls with their excellent drainage have provided unique planting sites for Lewisia, Saxifraga and Hens and Chicks", says Donna.

 False Indigo, Baptisia Decadence® Deluxe 'Lemon Meringue' is a vigorous cultivar that has lemon-yellow flowers on a compact, upright mound of blue-green foliage. Height: 76-90 cm (30-36 inches), Spread: 76-90 cm (30-36 inches). USDA zones: 4-9.

 

 The plumes of a pink Astilbe and a Japanese Anemone in the foreground. A pale pink iris, more Astilbe and a Peony in the distance.

Anemone 'September Charm' has single rose-pink flowers on branching stems. It prefers rich, moist soil and will naturalize to form a large patch (Donna no doubt keeps her plant in check, but many would say it spreads aggressively given the right conditions). This is a tall plant that may require some support. Full sun to part-shade. Height: 60-90 cm (23-35 inches), Spread: 60-90 cm (23-35 inches). USDA Zones: 5-9.

Giant Fleece Flower, Persicaria polymorpha is a herbaceous perennial that dies right back to the ground in fall. New growth rockets upward each spring, and by the end of June, it's almost six feet tall. In July it is covered in big white plumes. This plant is pretty adaptable to a range of soils and moisture conditions. Full sun or light shade. Height: 3-6 ft, Spread: 3-5 ft. USDA zones: 4-9.

 

Japanese Iris, Iris ensata 'Variegata' requires neutral to acidic soil and moist soil through its flowering time. This iris is quite happy on the banks of a stream or pond and can even be grown in pots sitting in water. Iris ensata 'Variegata' has green and white striped leaves and purple flowers. Divide every 3 to 4 years. Height: 70-75 cm (27-29 inches), Spread: 45-60 cm (18-23 inches). USDA zones: 4-9.

On the lefthand side of the house, there is a woodland garden with a series of arbours dividing the long space into smaller rooms. In the spring, this area has magnolia trees, primula and rhododendrons in flower. In June, the creamy-white bracts of a Cornus kousa mark the entrance to this shady woodland.

"On the edge nearest the lawn, we planted a border of rhododendrons. In the area between these plantings, there were native hemlock, maples and poor spruce. Again, we weren't planning to garden in this area. Nature took care of the unsightly spruce, we limbed-up the hemlocks and bought more plants. Another garden to fill", Donna sighs.

Chinese Dogwood, Cornus kousa 'China Doll' has creamy-white bracts in June and oval green leaves that turn shades of orange and red in autumn. Small pink fruits that look a bit like strawberries are a feature in the late-summer/fall. This is a slow-growing tree with an attractive branching shape. Height: 15-20 ft, Spread: 10-15 ft. USDA Zones: 5-8.

In another part of the garden, there is a second dogwood tree.

Japanese Dogwood, Cornus kousa 'Wolf Eyes' is a small, deciduous tree with horizontal spreading branches. It has wavy, grey-green leaves with an ivory margin. In the fall, the foliage takes on a reddish-pink color. Creamy-white flower-like bracts are followed by red fruit. With age, the bark develops colorful mottling. Part sun to part shade. Height: 10-20 ft Spread:10-20 ft.  USDA zones:5-8.

Rhododendron 'Pink and Sweet'  has fragrant pink flowers tinged with yellow. The glossy narrow leaves turn red in the fall. This broadleaf evergreen shrub likes highly acidic soil that is well-drained and rich in organic matter.  Height: 3-4 ft, Spread: 3-4 ft. USDA Zones: 5-9.

Photos by Donna Evers

Photo by Donna Evers

Donna posted pictures of these Corydalis recently on her Facebook page. The fern-like foliage and flowers are equally pretty. When I visited in June, this blue Corydalis was blooming:

Corydalis Blue Line® 'Couriblue' has lightly-scented, spurred flowers and matt-green leaves that are deeply lobed. This plant likes moist, well-drained soil with lots of organic matter. It may go semi-dormant in summer. Cut the plant back to encourage new shoots in the fall. Part sun. Height: 30-50 cm (12-20 inches), Spread: 50-80 cm (20-32 inches). USDA Zones: 6-9.

Donna jokes, "The pink colouration starts out so white the kids used to call this the bird splat vine."

Actinidia kolomikta 'Arctic Beauty' is a hardy kiwi vine with fragrant, greenish-white flowers that mature into edible berries (when both a male and female plants are present. Only a female vine will produce fruit. Male vines have the best variegation.). The foliage is green when it opens in the spring and then develops white slashes tipped with pink. Be warned that this is a fast-growing, vigorous vine that can easily swamp other trees and shrubs. A heavy hand may be required to keep it in check. This vine is not considered to be invasive. Actinidia kolomikta is best grown on a sturdy support like a trellis or fence. Prune when dormant in winter and again in spring and summer. When growing fruit, plant in full sun. This vine is somewhat shade tolerant and can also be grown in part-shade. Height: 10-20 ft, Spread: 6-10 ft USDA zones: 3-8.

Donna and Duff never intended to garden along the lakeshore. They removed some of the scruffy spruce and maples to open up a view to the lake and then called it a day.  

This woodland area became the spot that they dumped surplus plant material that resulted from routine division, as well as perennials that had for one reason or another fallen out of favour. When Donna and Duff finally ran out of room in the rest of the garden, they turned their attention to their "dumping ground".

"To date, we have not amended the soil. We have just planted among the roots and the rocks. We have a central path leading to the lake and this year Duff put in steps and two boardwalks so it is easier to walk around and enjoy this wild garden", says Donna.

"We started with three Primula Japonica, gifts from a gardening friend, and now there are three hundred or more- all self-seeded. They fill my heart with joy," Donna tells me.

Candelabra Primrose, Primula japonica is a group of woodland plants with fresh green foliage and a crown of flowers in late spring. They prefer part shade and moist or wet clay soil that is rich in organic matter. Height: 30-60 cm (12-23 inches), Spread: 25-30 cm (10-12 inches). USDA Zones: 5-9

Christmas Fern, Polystichum acrostichoides forms a low clump of dark-green leathery fronds. It also likes moist, rich soil. Part to full shade. Height: 30-60 cm (12-23 inches), Spread: 30-60 cm (12-23 inches). USDA Zones: 3-9.

Peltoboykinia watanabei is native to the woods of Japan and is a clump-forming perennial. It has large, showy, peltate leaves that have a pinkish cast in the spring. In summer it has upright flower spikes of yellowish-green flowers. This plant likes rich evenly moist soil. May self-seed. Part shade to full shade. Height: 30-60 cm (12-30 inches), Spread: 30-60 cm (12-30 inches). USDA Zones: 5-7.

Umbrella Plant or Indian Rhubarb, Darmera peltata has leafless flower stems that emerge in the spring, with clusters of white or soft pink flowers. The large, lobed leaves are cupped and can reach almost 24 inches across. This is a plant native to mountain stream banks and woodlands from southwestern Oregon to northern California. It needs moist, clay soil and some protection from the sun (i.e. shade/part-shade). Darmera peltata prefers cooler climates and does not do well in southern parts of the States. Divide this perennial's rhizomes in the fall. Height: 90-120 cm (35-47 inches), Spread: 90-120 cm (35-47 inches). USDA zones: 3-9. 

Rodgersia in the foreground.

A natural berm formed along the lakefront when receding glacial ice deposited rocks.

Tree roots clinging to the rocks and moss.

Pitcher Plant, Sarracenia (Donna warns me this carnivorous plant needs winter protection). 

Please excuse my poor focus. In among the moss are tiny carnivorous plants (pinkish in color)

that trap and eat flies.

I should have had Donna stand in front of this ginormous plant for scale. It was easily five or more feet tall (the flowers are pictured below).

White Skunk cabbage, Lysichiton camtschatcensis is native to northeastern Russia and Japan where it can be found in damp, boggy areas. Plants spread by rhizomes to naturalize and form large colonies. It likes soil with lots of organic matter. Full sun to part shade. Height: 2-5 ft, Spread: 2-5 ft. USDA zones:5-7

Photographs of Skunk Cabbage flowers which Donna posted recently on Facebook.

The yellow Skunk Cabbage, Symplocarpus foetidus is a North American native. Oddly enough, this unusual looking plant has been brought to the UK where it is now considered to be a noxious weed (More often it works the other way. European plant imports escape North American gardens and become an invader here).

The white Skunk Cabbage, Lysichiton camtschatcensis is from Russia and Japan. In some parts of the States, it has become a problem plant. If you do want to grow this really interesting perennial, do be environmentally conscientious and curtail it to the boundaries of your garden.

Rodgersia Henrici has bold, textured foliage with a bronze cast in spring and plumes of pink to rose-purple flowers in early to mid-summer. The flowers are followed by interesting seed heads. In the fall, the leaves take on red and bronze tones. This large specimen plant likes rich, moist soil. Clumps rarely require division. Part-shade to shade. Height: 90-120 cm (35-47 inches), Spread: 75-90 cm (29-35 inches). USDA Zones: 4-9.

Pink and white Astilbe

Pale pink Astilbe

Many people would be curtailing their garden projects in their seventies, but not Donna. Recently, she wrote excitedly about her project for this spring.

"The plans for a pollinator meadow are going ahead. The city has given us permission and some help in the way of soil, to plant on a piece of ground Duff has been cutting for 25 years. I wake up at night and wonder what I've taken on!...I'll post on Facebook as soon as we get underway."

I have no doubt that this new meadow will be as spectacular as the rest of the garden.