Boston Flora

Tag: Monadnock

  • Saturday, June 16, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Monadnock Area Open Day

    The Garden Conservancy’s Open Day program moves to the Monadnock Area of New Hampshire on Saturday, June 16 from 10 – 4. Admission to each garden is $7 for members and nonmembers without tickets purchased in advance.

    The Robertson Garden is located at 162 Gerry Road in Dublin, New Hampshire. The inspiration to create the garden came during a visit to southeastern England in 1986. The geometric design of the perennial bed was drawn on an American Airline’s napkin during the return flight. Upon entering the property, visitors are met with some 12,000 daffodils during the month of May. The garden itself is bounded by fruit trees, a vegetable garden, a pergola, and a large barn. A fairly productive bluebird trail ambles through peripheral meadows. Among the specimen trees on our property are horse chestnuts, seven sons (Heptacodium miconioides), a variegated Japanese red pine (‘Dragon’s Eye’), and a Tennessee yellowwood tree. Recent additions are several Japanese maple species and Slovenian beehives. Although a difficult struggle, it is very rewarding to induce some color from the granite that serves as “top soil”.

    The Thoron Gardens are in Jaffrey, New Hampshire, and the exact address, as well as the address of the Eleanor Briggs’ Garden in Hancock, New Hampshire described below, will be divulged at additional gardens open on this date, or by calling 1-888-842-2442 on weekdays, 9 – 5. The property includes a 230-year-old cottage/farmhouse, renovated and surrounded by gardens, a view of Mount Monadnock, an eleven-acre wetland with beavers, an old/new orchard, mowed fields, and stone walls. Help was given from garden designers Gordon Hayward and Kristian Fenderson, who put up with owner’s strong ideas and vision, 2006 to present, intermittently. Additional features include sixteen different gardens covering two acres: wetland, woodland, a formal/informal vegetable/cutting garden above a forty-foot perennial bed, roadside and driveway perennial borders, two formal boxwood gardens, a grove of river birch, eighty-five garden pots, climbing roses on the fence and trellis of the house, perennial curved lawn gardens, tall perennials adjacent to barn, a brick walkway, plus four small gardens and a kitchen garden adjacent to house.

    At the Eleanor Briggs Garden, plantings surround the Town of Hancock’s first house, built in 1776 by the town clerk, Jonathan Bennett. Since it is a farmhouse, the plantings are informal and blend into surrounding fields and woods. On each side of the “front” door are raised beds reminiscent of Colonial gardens. The real front door (never used) is flanked by plantings of old roses and Nepeta. Behind the 1970 kitchen wing is a forty-eight-foot-long koi pond designed by landscape architect Diane McGuire and planted with lotuses, irises, and water lilies. McGuire also laid out the perennial bed and woodland border. The AIA-award-winning screened porch was designed by Dan Scully. Sculptures in the terraced vegetable garden are by Noel Grenier, and a pair of 200-year-old granite Korean rams graze on the back lawn. I followed McGuire’s brilliant layout of the parallel borders but deepened the perennial bed to make a bit more room to “paint” with annuals and perennials. The woodland border is planted with witch hazel, azaleas, snakeroot, and Rodgersia. Walking beyond the borders, one comes to a new bog garden surrounded by marsh marigolds, skunk cabbage, and sedges. A trail of cardinal flowers brightens the wetland beyond.

    Also in Hancock, at 191 Depot Road, are the May Place Gardens of Bill and Eileen Elliott (pictured). Two compulsive plant collectors have been making gardens on a wooded hillside clearing for thirty-seven years. They continue to do all of the planning, landscaping, planting, and maintenance themselves. Gardening offers ample challenges and satisfaction as the garden continues to expand, change, die back, thrive, disappoint, and exhilarate. Within the green wall of mature woodland is a two-acre clearing, which contains a mix of trees, shrubs, perennials, biennials, annuals, herbs, and vegetables. The garden features mixed borders, an ornamental vegetable garden, and a formal peony/clematis garden. A path leads to the shade gardens by the house.

    Finally, there is the garden of Michael and Betsy Gordon, at 14 High Street in Peterborough. This small garden in the village was designed by a plantsman to be an extension of the house. The house and garden are situated on a hill, and the garden is terraced on three levels. The upper level was intended to be enjoyed from the street. The middle level is laid out formally, using yew hedges and a century-old granite wall foundation to create a garden room. The lowest level, an informal woodland garden, has shade-loving plants from North America and Asia. The garden was planted with a mixture of unusual trees, shrubs, perennials, grasses, annuals, and bulbs. Plants were selected primarily for interesting form, foliage, and texture. The garden is chronicled in the blog, http://thegardenerseye.blogspot.com.

    Image result for May Place Gardens Hancock, NH

  • Saturday, July 11, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm – Mount Kearsarge Plant Hike

    Mount Kearsarge, a monadnock in central west New Hampshire, is approximately 890 meters tall and offers impressive views due to its isolation from other peaks. This day in the field, Saturday, July 11 from 10 – 3, examines the mountain’s natural history with a focus on plant life. Arthur Haines, research botanist, New England Wild Flower Society and author of Flora Novae Angliae, leads this excursion and discusses topics including ecology, edible plants, birding, and geology. Bring a bag lunch, water, a hand lens, and binoculars. Wear proper footwear and clothing. Meet at site to be announced in Warner, New Hampshire. The Fells and NEWFS Members $47, nonmembers $58. Advance registration required. To register, call 603-763-4789 x3. Co-sponsored by the New England Wild Flower Society and The Fells Historic Estate & Gardens.  Photo of bog laurel from 10000birds.com.

     

  • Saturday, September 8, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm – Quabbin to Monadnock: The Athol Link

    On Saturday, September 8, beginning at 9 am, Dan Bolton leads this moderate six-mile hike through an Athol gem, part of the new Quabbin to Monadnock trail system now under development. Meet at the Bearsden parking area, at the end of Bearsden Rd., Athol, with some cars to be left there. Car pool to South Royalston and hike south through the Thousand Acre Brook area and the Bearsden. See great views of the Millers River and Thousand Acre Falls. Bring water and lunch, and dress for the weather, including good footwear. Info: Dan Bolton, 978-895-3979. Part of Athol Bird & Nature Club’s celebration of Athol 2012.

  • Sunday, August 7, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Monadnock Region Open Day

    The Garden Conservancy Open Day Program continues Sunday, August 7 in the Monadnock Region of New Hampshire. Stop in at Sally and Bruce Larsen’s Garden at 30 Harkness Road in Jaffrey. Sally and Bruce planted the various garden spaces at their village home following a 2006 renovation that required extensive regrading and stonework. Sally’s main interest in designing the terrace gardens was to create a subtle juxtaposition of contrasting form, color, and texture. Bruce designed the barn (built in 2007), necessitating even more stonework and gardens. The “barn” gardens were designed for continuous showy bloom to be looked down upon from the upper terrace and sun porch. All the bedding gardens incorporate small trees, shrubs, perennials, and annuals and are connected by grass, stone, and brick walkways. They are on several levels with interconnecting stairs and terracing, creating the effect of garden rooms. Both Gordon Hayward and Maude Odgers contributed to the design and planting of the gardens.

    From there move on to a Garden Club of the Back Bay member’s home, Sunnycrest, pictured below, at 24 Parsons Lane. This property, dubbed Sunnycrest by the original owner and builder in 1907, sat on the top of a hill surrounded by open meadows. Twenty years ago, the current owners began planting a series of garden spaces created by stone walls and curving pathways. The garden has crept into the tree line on the west, moved into the south meadow with swaths of ornamental grasses separating two large vegetable gardens, and appeared around the foundation of the house with beds of perennials, shrubs, groundcovers, and many unusual trees. Interesting garden features include a shingled tree sculpture, a wood-fired oven, and small frog pond fountain.

    Cornish Place is located at 29 Cornish Road in Peterborough. The owners purchased this property thirteen years ago after falling in love with the 1763 cape surrounded by big maples, wandering myrtle, and lichen-covered stone walls. They set about creating a long, curving perennial border along the stone wall facing west with a view of the rolling hills beyond as a backdrop. Over the years, the character of the border has evolved from traditional perennials to a mixture of perennials, shrubs, bulbs, ornamental annuals, and specialty trees. Tried-and-true heirloom plantings with newer and more unusual plants have been used to create an eclectic, yet harmonized, landscape. They’ve added numerous shade gardens and a kitchen patio that serves as an ideal location for containers of unusual annuals and succulents. The property also includes an organic vegetable garden, pumpkin and berry patches, plus bees, and chickens.

    On to the Gardens of Maude and John Odgers, 130 Four Winds Farm Road, also in Peterborough. Thirty years ago John and Maude cleared this land and began building their home. The gardens quickly emerged, drawing inspiration from English border gardens and Maude’s work as an artist who is intrigued by texture, color, and design. John built wooden arbors, granite steps, a unique bluestone patio, and pond. A soft palette and flowing shapes were used to create tranquility. There are many places for quiet reflection: a flowing bluestone patio, an indoor garden room, a retreat in the woods, or sitting by the small pond complete with frog song.

    The Peterborough Town Gardens, including Depot Park, Putnam Park, and Teixeria Park, are also open on this date from dawn to dusk. Maps and directions to all town gardens will be available at the entrance to Depot Park, Depot Square, School Street, Peterborough. Admission to the Open Days Gardens will be available at each address. For complete directions, visit www.gardenconservancy.org.

    Sunnycrest, Jaffrey, NH.