We’re visiting with Lilli Hazard today in southern Indiana.
25.07.2023 - 08:29 / finegardening.com
My name is John Rohde. My garden is located 15 miles north of Baltimore in Towson, Maryland, in Zone 7b. This is the second full year for this pandemic garden. I enjoy mixing annuals and perennials with trees and tropicals in containers. There is a water feature, tubs of lotus, a patio, and a vegetable garden at the rear of my house.
This is the approach to the rear garden. The small tree on the right is a shadblow serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis, Zones 4–8).
The plant in the container is a Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple’ (Zones 5–8) that survives the winter in this location. The tree on the right is a black gum (Nyssa sylvatica ‘Wild Fire’, Zones 3–9) that shades the deck.
These are the steps that lead down to the lower garden. The iris-like plant is a Belamacanda chinensis ‘Freckle Face’ (Zones 5–10) with assorted hostas on the right.
This picture of the steps was taken from the bottom looking up. This is a wonderful location to show off small hostas, ground covers, perennials, and bulbs. The area has good light and is well drained. The Japanese lantern in the distance is lighted. ‘Phenomenal’ lavender (Lavandula‘Phenomenal’, Zones 5–9) is planted in a dish planter on a pillar above the pond.
The pond is constructed with a liner, lights, and a fountain.
This is a view of the patio from the deck above. The small tree to the right is a seedling Japanese maple with many perennials and tropicals in containers. The container tree is a Carolina silverbell (Halesia caroliniana, Zones 4–8). There is a curved retaining wall to the right with ‘Tardiva’ hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Tardiva’, Zones 3–8) on the low side. One of the nine lotus in containers is visible on this patio.
This is a view of the fenced
We’re visiting with Lilli Hazard today in southern Indiana.
Features to Expect in a Japanese Garden
Despite my garden being full to overflowing after the spring rain I have decided to create a new area for a Japanese Garden. When starting a new project I was advised to have a name that may colour the end result. I opted for the grand title of ‘Japan Land’Â This will be a long term project and I won’t rush it as I have on other projects in the past.
This summer has been damp and the plants have grown lush. In some way this has contributed to a dramatic cut in the number of greenfly on my roses and other plants (perhaps they found other feeding grounds or did not mate as prolifically).
Lilacs are members of the Syringia family and are named for the colour. There are deep lilacs verging on violet and light pinkish lilacs even some pretty floriferous white flowering Lilacs.
London Holland Park’s water feature in Kyoto Garden.
Previously I have stuck to traditional names for bits of my garden. Veg plot, rockery, orchard (when I feel posh), rose bed, border, hedge and similar names have delineate what and where I was trying to grow.
Also known as the Japanese rose, Kerria Japonica it is a cottage-garden regular that grows dependably almost anywhere. The flowers are a distinctive single or double yellow flowers in April and May. The arching stems are thin and the leaves serrated.
Holland Park has some Zen like features but fails my Zen test. The classic elements of a successful Zen are stone, sand or gravel, water, plants and space. Then there is a question of balance between yin and yang. Cramped or cluttered gardens inhibit the flow of spirit so space is potentially the key ingredient of a Zen garden.
I will use Shangri-la as an all encompassing name for spiritually based gardens and areas of harmonious natural beauty stealing a name from James Hilton in his novel Lost Horizon.
Everyone is familiar with the potted greenhouse mums offered at many garden centers that end up in the trash after the flowers fade, but are you acquainted with old-fashioned garden mums? These hardy heirloom mums have been shared by gardeners for generations. Blooming in the fall, they are excellent garden perennials that also provide food sources for pollinating insects.
A recent visit to Maplewood Gardens in East Flat Rock, NC where there is an incredible collection of Japanese maples. The Mr. Maple nursery specializes in these beautiful maples.