A Country Garden at the Cusp of Summer

I went out to visit my friends S&J at their farm, just 15 minutes north of Baltimore, on one of the most glorious days possible, weather-wise. It was sunny, with some fluffy white clouds scudding across the sky, there was a nice breeze and it was in the 70’s. It reminded me so much of summers in England and Wales. From past visits, I knew I was in for a huge treat seeing the gardens early in the summer.

As we walked in from the drive, one of the first things J pointed out were some great old urns filled with a variety of flowers and plants.

A little bit further along, there was another massive urn with a huge yucca plant in it. At this point, I should probably mention that J is an amazing gardener and he and S have an impeccable eye for how the gardens should be laid out.

As we wandered into the main gardens, J pointed out the parterres that will become the cutting garden later in the summer. There were dozens of dahlias grown from tubers that are waiting until some hedge trimming is done to be planted.

J knew I had paid an outrageous amount for peonies last week, so he offered to cut some of theirs for me! They have two rows of white and hot pink ones, which were just at their height.

In addition to growing flowers, S&J also grow a wide variety of vegetables, including tomatoes, squash, beans, chard and lettuces. All are arranged in tidy tows with straw and hay between the rows to keep down on the weeding and to conserve moisture.

There are also copious herbs including these chives which have just gone to flower.

S&J also have fruit trees, which they have espaliered in the traditional European style.

The trees alternate pear and apples, and you can just see the fruits which have formed on this tree.

I was playing around with my camera and captured this panoramic view of the vegetable gardens.

As we headed back towards the house, I captured some more images.

Gorgeous purple clematis

Last year’s gourds on a trellis, waiting for this year’s plants to grow.

Another urn, this time with a banana plant

A cast iron bench tucked in below the stone wall and old hedges

Outside the kitchen of the house is a small shaded patio which brims with plants and flowers!

One of the spectacular pieces is this tree fuchsia. While commonly seen in hanging baskets, these trees make a stunning showpiece in the patio.

Another stunner was the espaliered tree against a plain wall. This is a great technique if you don’t have room for a huge spreading tree.

As I was leaving, J handed me a literal armful of peonies! I laid them on the seat of the car, turned on the a/c and headed for home.

From the time they were cut in the garden, until I put them in an old silver champagne bucket, less than 30 minutes had elapsed. Here they are in front of an old Chinese silk painting, where you can just see a white peony peeking out from the left side. (The white paper is from where I shoot items for my Etsy shop because the light is so good!)

Thanks to J for the tour of the gardens and especially for the gorgeous peonies! The house just smells amazing from their scent.