Thursday, April 30, 2015

In an English Country Garden



         Hi everyone,

                Today, I thought I would share a few photos of
           our garden from previous years as I am still
                   rather impatiently waiting for it to return this year
               after the worst winter we have had in years ~ we
                   officially broke our record for the most snow...ever!




                                 So I was asked to answer a few garden questions
               by a fellow gardener a few days ago.
                       Our garden is about 25 years old and did all
                           the gardening ourselves until a couple of years
                           ago when one of our sons started to help as we
         got busier with tours from Japan.
                      



              We own 10 acres and garden on about 3 acres.
                  On the rest of our property there is a woods with
          a brook running through it and a large pond.




                  In the spring it is a full time job getting it 
       cleaned up and ready for the season.
                By June, we are probably down to
            few hours a day and slightly less for the
               rest of the summer. You really have to love
              gardening to maintain a garden of this size!



                                                   As you might have noticed I love an abundance
                                                   of plants all jammed in together for our romantic
                                                   English Country Garden.
                                                   


           Here on Prince Edward Island we are in zone 5b and there are
        no deer so that is not a problem in the garden....thankfully.
      Some snowy winters voles are a problem chewing on trees,
                shrubs etc. so we put guards on or paint them with scoot and hope
for the best.
                    We grow organically and usually don't have a lot of bugs to deal 
         with so I ignore some holes in leaves etc.  We do have a lot
                 of birds in the garden to eat those bugs. Sadly, there were no bats
                        last year as they were wiped out here by a virus~ miss having them
busy at night eating mosquitoes..             

                                                    The soil is is pretty rich on it's own but we have
                                                    mixed mushroom compost into the beds when we
                                                    made them. This year my husband promises to get
                                                    me a load of farmyard manure.....who would have
                                                    thought you could be happy about that!
                                                      I have been asked in the past where we got all our
                                                     plants and the answer is yardsales,local garden centers,
                                                     seedlings I started,family & friends and some I sent
                                                     away for.
                                                        This year I would like to add more azealeas and rhodo's.
                                                     I would love to add some naturalized plants around our pond,
                                                     but sometimes time gets away from me and it is busy enough
                                                     with what we have and it just possible that I have slowed down
                                                     a little in the past 25 years!

                                            We do have some lupins growing on one side and 
                                                since they grow wild here they should spread nicely.


                                                                We love having arbors and fences in the garden
                                                                and fortunately my husband can build them.

                    I love having the beds packed full so there
is no room for weeds.

                                                            Our garden is about 97% perennials. I
                                                            do like to use some annuals in new beds to
                                                            fill in faster the first year or two. One of
                                                            my favorite annuals for the garden is cosmos.



                                                         I always plant lots of new bulbs in the garden
                                                         to have early season color. I love how daffodils multiply
                                                         each year. Soon, I will dig up some big clumps and
                                                         plant them in urns etc. to bring cheer to the doorstep etc.
                                                         Tulips don't seem to last as good from year to year so I
                                                         always plant some new ones.
                                                         The foliage of the perennials soon cover the foliage of
                                                         the daffodils and tulips when they are past.


                                         I love small enclosed nooks in the garden.
                                        This one is enclosed mainly by roses and
                                   a beautybush. It is at the south of our
          Gardener's Cottage.

                                                      I think the last question was how do I keep
                                                               bugs off the outdoor furniture. Sometimes
                                                               earwigs might be a problem but I just swish
                                                               them off before I sit down and relax.

                                                               Thanks,Andrea for your questions  and I hope
                                                               that this has been helpful to some degree to you and
                                                               other gardeners that were curious as well.
                                                               If you would like more info you can check out
                                                               The Making of our Garden from an old post.


                                                                               Happy gardening!

                                                                                             Carolyn
                                                       

                                                           

                                                           

24 comments:

Debra@CommonGround said...

Heaven on Earth, Carolyn! you and your hubby do such a beautiful job. I was at B&N and saw your magazine feature. It was really lovely!

Deb said...

Your gardens are magnificent, Carolyn. Absolutely heaven.

Brenda Pruitt said...

I think you must have the loveliest home and gardens in all of Blog Land.
Brenda

Rattlebridge Farm said...

Your gardens are breathtaking and inspirational! Each photo is a joy to behold.

Gina @ VictorianWannaBe said...

Oh wow Carolyn, your gardens literally take my breath away with all its beauty. Incredible!
I have always wanted to visit PEI but now that I know there are no deer, I'm thinking I must move there! The deer reek havoc on my gardens here in Missouri. They make me so mad, and the rabbits!
Have a great weekend,
Gina

Kukkaiselämää said...

So beautiful and romantic. I love your garden, but I realize it takes a lot of work to have it that way. It's stunning. Happy weekend, Carolyn.

Bernideen said...

What a great overview of your garden's history. Just spectacular photos- clear as a bell!

Daniela said...

Thank you dear Carolyn for such an inspiring and wonderful post, you truly live in a little piece of Paradise !
Have a lovely weekend ahead, sweet friend
with love
Dany

kristen said...

Carolyn, I so love "visiting" your beautiful garden and home! You have inspired me many times over while creating a haven here at my 'cozy cottage' (aka a very small duplex)

Linda said...

How beautiful! I could spend a day in your gardens.

One Shabby Old House said...

Your gardens make me drool! So beautiful. My hydrangeas are starting to bloom but they are so small in comparison to yours. I probably should add something to the soil. I'm sure they would like for me to ask you what you might do. Poor little things but they do make me happy!

Sandi@ Rose Chintz Cottage said...

Carolyn, your garden is a delight to the eyes! It's very lush. I love all the daffodils. Something about those flowers takes me back to my childhood. I sure enjoyed your photos and hopefully soon, you will enjoy the fruit of your labour again. Beautiful!

Blessings,
Sandi

Jonell w Harrison said...

It's always good to browse your garden photos..whether they are current or re runs from seasons past. They never really feel like repeats to me. I appreciate having my stash of seasonal photos to slip in when there's not much going on. I remind myself that not everyone saw every picture-

Your Gardens are exquisite-

PlainJane said...

Simply Breathtaking! I think you have one of the most beautiful places in the universe. ♥ Would you mind sharing how in the world you put in such a big pond (dreamy). Thanks for sharing your world & Blessings to you and yours.

Mein Gartenglück said...

Herzliche Grüße, liebe Carolyn! Welch Genuss sind die Traum Fotos aus deinem Garten Eden!Ich weiß gar nicht, welches mir am Besten gefällt! Ich bin sprachlos! Einfach nur grandios!Hab ein wunderschönes Wochenende!
Alles Liebe von Susan

María José said...

Congratulations!

Beth said...

Your garden and home are both truly amazing. You have a flair for design. So stunning! Wish I could visit in person! :)

Sonia said...

Just incredible photographs of an amazing garden! I love "visiting" your gardens!

Miss Jean said...

Going to see your beautiful garden is on the top of my bucket list.

Jean Tuthill said...

I love looking at your pictures from years past and I can't wait to see what it will look like in the coming year. Your garden is truly magnificent. I would love to visit someday.

The Tablescaper said...

Carolyn:

I always love reading your posts and enjoyed the overview provided in this one. You and your husband have truly made a garden of Eden.

- Alma, The Tablescaper

Madelief said...

Dear Carolyn,

I enjoyed your FAQ! You know I never realised your garden was that big. Three acres that quite something. I can imagine how happy you and your husband are with the help of your son.

I am happy to hear that it stopped snowing at last. I hope the first daffodils will appear soon!

Have a good week!

Madelief x

Unknown said...

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Annie said...

Thank you, dear Carolyn, for answering my questions. I have devoured this post as I devour your blog. I do my own gardening and it was getting away from me so I hired a young man to help this year. My area is about half of yours and it is a full time work in progress all season. Winter here in the northwest was exceptionally mild, but with the freeze-thaw-freeze-thaw, I lost more roses than I want to think about. After replacing those, and adding a border of lady's mantle, and a new arbor, it will look inviting enough for a tea party!
With a grateful heart, Andrea