A Country Garden at the End of August

I had a chance to see Jonathan’s garden over the weekend after a day of light but steady rain. I was there a little the “golden hour”, that time an hour or so before the sun sets, when the light is clear and golden, but it was stunning nevertheless. It’s fun to look back at the garden over the past few months and see how much it has flourished. June. July. It is set up for the washed out dinner party.

One of the things I like most about this garden is all of the “rooms” with something at the end of the vista that draws your eye. This old iron bench is the perfect example, and it’s just one of a number scattered through the gardens.

The cutting garden, which is anchored by an iron armillary, is a riot of colours, shapes and scents.

There are plants as varied as globe amaranth, dahlias, zinnias, cockscomb, and even some lowly marigolds.

The garden then opens up into one of several more rooms, this one with white cast iron benches around the perimeter, just waiting for a game of combat croquet on the beautiful and flat lawn. Funnily enough, before this garden was built, I remember a cut-throat game of softball between the staffs at the Baltimore Museum of Art, where I worked, and the Maryland Historical Society where my friend worked.

Looking at one of the center urns, you see another variety of plants, including this wavy datura, or the poisonous jimsonweed. It’s only when you look closely at the plant that you see the incredible seed pods.

The plants in the urn have really flourished, and the sweet-potato vine is spilling over the edges and the coleus around the base carries on the green and deep purple theme.

Moving through the arches of hyacynth beans,

you come to the big cutting and vegetable garden and it is a RIOT of colour!

The tomatoes at the top, and pumpkins at the bottom, are both going crazy,

the espaliered apples are looking like they will provide a good crop,

and somehow, even the figs managed to survive the winter and fruit (which we ate with prosciutto around them).

As we headed back towards the house, we stopped to look at the spent clematis,

and gather the dogs.

By this time, it really was the golden hour and I managed to get a couple of shots of the lawn set up for the washed out dinner.

After dinner, as I was leaving, I remarked that I could smell gardenias blooming, and Jonathan gave me one, which put mine to shame! This had to be at least four inches across! Mine might be two inches.

Thanks to Jonathan for a tour of the garden and for a great Sunday supper of Saturday’s leftovers… and some other dishes!