Garden Photos: Late April, early May, 2019
As I was sorting through my spring garden photos in the second week of July, I was shocked at how these images re-awakened memories of ancient history. Was it just two months ago that the garden was so dramatically different? Not only are all these flowers gone--in most instances there is no longer any "above ground" evidence the plants ever existed. The viburnum shrub and the flowering crab trees are still there. The barren strawberries now function as a green ground cover, and the hellebores are gamely hanging on. But the tulips and daffodils and wind flowers and hyacinths and snowflakes and fritillaria and crocus have all disappeared. We can only hope they will choose to reappear next spring. ~Bob Garden Photos: First Two Weeks in April 2019
As one might expect, these photos feature emerging foliage and early blooming bulbs--such as yellow daffodils. Also included are photos of hellebore blooms in the SE corner of the garden and the recent installation of new metal art pieces, including several new plant supports. March 2019 Garden Photos
Many of these photos, taken on March 18, reveal a garden that may initially look winter-dull, but one can still find many moments of beauty in this liminal landscape, crossing the border from winter into spring. Some of those moments derive from the plants' endurance--for example, resilient seed heads produced in the fall that still look ready for duty six months later. But it is also a time when the spring bulbs have become activated, producing intense packages of fresh, vibrant color. Of particular note in 2019 were the small but dramatic Iris reticulata, the unquestioned stars of the garden when the spring equinox arrived. February 2019 Garden Photos
Photographs taken in the Alumni House Garden on the morning of February 18--plus one evening shot after the lights were turned on. As in January, the photos emphasize the collaboration of snow with the garden's structures (benches, walls, sculpture, etc) and some of the garden's more resilient vegetation (yews, ornamental grasses, coneflowers, stonecrop, crab apple trees, etc). January 2019 Garden Photos
January was a month of contrasts. The first two weeks were a continuation of October. We were raking leaves, running the chipper/shredder, rebuilding the compost piles, digging up and moving perennials. And then winter arrived. Despite some record low temperatures, we had a good snow cover, and most of the perennials should be well-protected. This slide show attempts to capture the snow-covered garden on a cloudy morning, the last week of January. |