CAROLYN'S SHADE GARDENS

Early Spring Beauty at Carolyn’s Shade Gardens

Posted in bulbs for shade, evergreen, groundcover, hellebores, landscape design, my garden, native plants, Shade Perennials with tags 'Goldheart' bleeding-heart, Anemone ranunculoides, Anemone x seemanii, Bearsfoot Hellebore, Carolyn's Shade Gardens, Corydalis solida, Corydalis solida 'Beth Evans', Corydalis solida 'George P. Baker', Corydalis solida 'Purple Bird', Corydalis solida 'White Knight', Dicentra cucullaria, Dicentra spectabilis 'Goldheart', double bloodroot, Dutchman's breeches, Epimedium pinnatum ssp. colchicum, Epimedium x warleyense, Erythronium den-canis, European wood anemone, fumewort, Helleborus foetidus, lamium 'Shell Pink', moss phlox, Phlox subulata 'Emerald Blue', Pulmonaria 'Diana Clare', Sanguinaria canadensis 'Multiplex' on April 6, 2017 by Carolyn @ Carolyns Shade Gardens

Hellebores are in their prime. Here is a claret colored hybrid at sunrise. We have a wonderful selection of hellebores for sale right now.

Apparently winter is over, although nothing could surprise me in the weather department this year. Last weekend when Kelly Norris, Director of Horticulture at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden, visited my gardens, the tour consisted of me pointing and saying “if it were really spring, you would be seeing….” Now the garden is bursting, please come back Kelly :-)!

Nursery News: Carolyn’s Shade Gardens is a retail nursery located in Bryn Mawr, PA, specializing in showy, colorful, and unusual plants for shade. The only plants that we ship are snowdrops and miniature hostas. For catalogues and announcements of events, please send your full name, location, and phone number (for back up use only) to carolyn@carolynsshadegardens.com. Click here to get to the home page of our website for catalogues and information about our nursery and to subscribe to our blog.

Bearsfoot hellebore, H. foetidus, stood up particularly well during the extreme heating and cooling and heavy snow that March threw at it. Lots of customers have been asking for these, and we have more in stock.

‘Goldheart’ old-fashioned bleeding-heart seems to appear overnight. It turns into a majestic plant with gold leaves and pink flowers, a combination I have grown to love.

.‘Diana Clare’ pulmonaria’s large blue flowers look spectacular with its emerging silver leaves.

Once you have a couple of varieties of pulmonarias, they start to cross and every one is beautiful.

The lovely, pale yellow flowers of Anemone x seemanii were produced by a cross between A. ranunculoides and A. nemorosa, European wood anemones. Very rare and available at Carolyn’s Shade Gardens for the first time this year!

Our native double bloodroot, Sanguinaria ‘Mulptiplex’, is my all time favorite flower. It seems to prefer the rocky slope in my woodland, and I often see the single form on road embankments. We take special orders for this plant.

Our display gardens have about forty types of epimediums, and their flowers are popping out of the ground. Here, the orange-flowered E. x warleyense. We will be selling this epimedium along with ‘Roseum’, ‘Niveum’, ‘Lilafee’, E. grandiflorum, and the rarer ‘Yubae’ (Rose Queen) and ‘Pierre’s Purple’.

Epimedium pinnatum subsp. colchicum

One of the first plants I ever planted and still a favorite: Dutchman’s breeches, Dicentra cucullaria. Available this spring.

There are lots of dogtooth violets in our woodland and they have even crossed and produced some stunning new forms. This is the European Erythronium dens-canis. Its flowers are gorgeous but sparse. We sell the US native ‘Pagoda’, a vigorous plant with many yellow flowers just starting to open.

Everything is so late this year! Native moss phlox ‘Emerald Blue’ is just starting to open its flowers. Moss phlox makes a great, evergreen groundcover in sun to part shade in dry areas. Ask us to point out our amazing stand of the white-flowered form ‘Nice n’ White’. We also sell purple, crimson, and a new, more compact cultivar called ‘Emerald Pink’ that looks like a miniature boxwood.

‘Shell Pink’ lamium bursts into bloom now but then continues to flower until December. It is the only lamium that produces flowers for three seasons. Its leaves are also semi-evergreen so the ground is never bare. It is not invasive and should not be confused with the yellow-flowered lamiastrum.

Anemone ranunculoides, a parent of A. x seemanii shown earlier, is a bolder color and faster spreader. We also sell ‘Bractiata’, ‘Vestal’, ‘Alba Plena’, and ‘Wyatt’s Pink’ European wood anemones.

Now we get to one of my favorite plants, Corydalis solida, which you will see all over my garden in a rainbow of colors. Its common name is fumewort, but I never hear anyone call it that. The photo above shows the varieties that I sell: ‘George P. Baker’ in the foreground, ‘Purple Bird’ in the center, followed by ‘Beth Evans’, and ‘White Knight’ at the very back.

‘White Knight’ is new this year and is a stunning form, densely packed with pure white flowers.

If you let Corydalis solida self-sow in your garden, you will get some gorgeous un-named forms like the blue above. Unlike other brightly colored corydalis, fumewort comes back reliably every year. It goes dormant after it flowers but reappears bigger and better the next spring.

A mixture in my woodland

If you are local and want to get a jump on the April 15 open house sale, we are around today, tomorrow, and all weekend. Just email for an appointment. Or come Saturday between 10 am and 3 pm when customers are picking up their edgworthias—let me know an approximate time.

Carolyn

Nursery Happenings: You can sign up to receive catalogues and emails about nursery events by sending your full name and phone number to carolynsshadegardens@verizon.net. Subscribing to my blog does not sign you up to receive this information. Please indicate if you will be shopping at the nursery or are mail order only.

Carolyn’s Shade Gardens is a local retail nursery in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, U.S., zone 6b/7a. The only plants that we mail order are snowdrops and miniature hostas and only within the US.

Facebook: Carolyn’s Shade Gardens has a Facebook Page where I post single photos, garden tips, and other information that doesn’t fit into a blog post. You can look at my Facebook page here or click the Like button on my right sidebar here.

Notes: Every word that appears in orange on my blog is a link that you can click for more information. If you want to return to my blog’s homepage to access the sidebar information (catalogues, previous articles, etc.) or to subscribe to my blog, just click here.

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Snowdrops at the Royal Horticultural Society Spring Show

Posted in bulbs for shade, flower show, snowdrops, winter interest with tags Alan Street, Avon Bulbs, Carolyn's Shade Gardens, Galanthus 'Bill Bishop', Galanthus Alan's Treat, Galanthus Diggory, Galanthus Grave Concern, Galanthus Jonathan, Galanthus Midas, Galanthus Phantom, Galanthus Philippe Andre Meyer, Galanthus South Hayes, galanthus trumps, Galanthus Walker Canada, RHS Early Spring Plant Fair, RHS snowdrop, Royal Horticultural Society Plant Show, seeing snowdrops in England, Vincent Square on March 15, 2017 by Carolyn @ Carolyns Shade Gardens

The Royal Horticultural Society February Show at Vincent Square in London.

Our current snowdrop catalogue is on line here.

In February, Michael and I went on a two week snowdrop trip to England. My first two posts on the trip featured cutting edge snowdrops, click here to read it, and our six day stay at Colesbourne Park, click here. After touring the countryside, we journeyed to London to help Alan Street of Avon Bulbs, one of the most respected snowdrop sellers in the world, “moss up” for the RHS Show at Vincent Square. When Alan invited us, we weren’t really sure what mossing up involved, but everyone said that it was quite an honor to be asked to participate. We enjoyed every minute!

Nursery News: Carolyn’s Shade Gardens is a retail nursery located in Bryn Mawr, PA, specializing in showy, colorful, and unusual plants for shade. The only plants that we ship are snowdrops to the US only. For catalogues and announcements of local events, please send your full name, mailing address, and cell number to carolyn@carolynsshadegardens.com and indicate whether you are mail order only. Click here to get to the home page of our website for catalogues and information about our nursery and to subscribe to our blog.

Unfortunately, it was impossible to get one photo of the entire Avon exhibit, but this picture shows about a third of the presentation from one corner.

This is what we started with at about 10 am on Monday morning.

“Mossing up” is how Alan refers to setting up the Avon exhibit for the RHS Show. Starting with the bare boards above, layer upon layer was slowly and carefully added to achieve the finished look of snowdrops displayed in a natural looking, mossy garden. Although the snowdrops and the materials, including name tags, pieces of styrofoam, newspaper, used net bulb bags, potted plants, rustic wood, dried leaves, and the centerpiece of crystal glasses hand-etched with snowdrops, couldn’t have been better organized, it still took all day to create the masterpiece that was the display. Here’s how we did it:

.The process started with the careful placement of the largest elements: the shelf for the crystal, the carex and mondo grass, and the metal buckets wrapped in wreaths of rustic woven vines, using thick styrofoam to elevate them.

Next Alan Street, Avon’s Nursery Manager and the creative genius behind the exhibit, placed each pot of snowdrops.

After the snowdrop pots were placed, Micky Little, Nurseryman at Avon, and my husband Michael, elevated the center of the exhibit by stuffing the spaces between the pots with balls of net bulb bags. Next we all carefully inserted balled up newspaper between the pots along the edges to serve as a base for the moss.

True “mossing up” happened next as Maxine Grice, the Office Administrator at Avon, and all the rest of us surrounded the snowdrops on all four sides of the exhibit with bags and bags of moss very carefully inserted between the pots.

Dried leaves covered the area around the center and then lichen covered sticks were carefully added. Only then did every pot get a label, after which the whole exhibit was reviewed for exposed edges and missing labels. We finished around 4 pm with Michael using a pump sprayer to slowly moisten all the moss.

Another view of the finished exhibit.

When we were done, we had created Alan’s vision of snowdrops naturalized in a woodland setting. It was gorgeous to behold and deservedly won a gold medal from the Royal Horticultural Society. Here are some of the individual snowdrops that I thought were especially beautiful in the exhibit:

I have it in my collection now, but for years ‘South Hayes’ was at the top of my list.

‘Grave Concern’ has now migrated to the top of my must have snowdrops.

A classic snowdrop, ‘Mighty Atom’, with gorgeous rounded petals, my favorite look.

‘Trumps’, a vigorous and eye-catching flower.

‘Phantom’ is aptly named.

A new must-have, ‘Jonathan’, look at those beautiful leaves and large striking flowers.

‘Diggory’ is recognizable anywhere.

‘Alan’s Treat’ selected by Alan Street and a play on his name.

‘Philippe Andre Meyer’ is gorgeous.

Another for the acquisition list, ‘Walker Canada’, so elegant.

Alan sent me this photo yesterday of his newest and probably his most exciting snowdrop selection ‘Midas’, a yellow-marked snowdrop with a green ovary (the little cap) and extremely rare yellow markings on the outers. Keep your eyes open for a record-breaking price!

Next year’s RHS Spring Show is scheduled for February 13 and 14, 2018, and we hope to be there to moss up once again. Thank you so much to Alan, Maxine, and Micky for allowing us to participate in an unforgettable experience.

Carolyn

Note: Every word that appears in orange on my blog is a link that you can click for more information. If you want to return to my blog’s homepage to access the sidebar information (catalogues, previous articles, etc.) or to subscribe to my blog, just click here.

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Drifts of Snowdrops at Colesbourne Park

Posted in bulbs for shade, garden to visit, Garden Tour, snowdrops, winter interest with tags Carolyn's Shade Gardens, Colesbourne, Colesbourne Inn, Colesbourne Park, Galanthus 'Hippolyta', Galanthus Atkinsii, Galanthus Colossus, Galanthus Flore Pleno, Galanthus Galatea, Galanthus Margaret Owen, Galanthus Mrs. Macnamara, Galanthus nivalis, Galanthus Ophelia, Galanthus Rodmarton, Galanthus S. Arnott, Galanthus Titania, Lady Carolyn Elwes, Painswick Rococo Garden, seeing snowdrops in England, Sir Henry Elwes, Welford Park on March 3, 2017 by Carolyn @ Carolyns Shade Gardens

A drift of snowdrops covers the hill above the extraordinarily colored lake at Colesbourne Park. The amazing blue is caused by light reflecting off naturally deposited clay in the water. It is worth visiting just to see it.

Our current snowdrop catalogue is on line here.

Michael and I just returned from a two week snowdrop trip to England. For six days we were the guests of Sir Henry and Lady Carolyn Elwes at Colesbourne Park in the Cotswolds. Colesbourne has been called England’s greatest snowdrop garden, and wandering through the grounds for six days I can see why. First, the 2,500 acre setting is absolutely magnificent, including the lake pictured above, a church dating back to 1067, and a charming village with a delightful pub, the Colesbourne Inn, serving delicious food.

Nursery News: Carolyn’s Shade Gardens is a retail nursery located in Bryn Mawr, PA, specializing in showy, colorful, and unusual plants for shade. The only plants that we ship are snowdrops and miniature hostas. For catalogues and announcements of events, please send your full name, location, and cell number (for back up use only) to carolyn@carolynsshadegardens.com. Click here to get to the home page of our website for catalogues and information about our nursery and to subscribe to our blog.

This lovely, very large snowdrop ‘Margaret Owen’ is a fitting tribute to its namesake, a renowned galanthophile.

The double snowdrop ‘Rodmarton’ originated at the nearby Rodmarton Manor, an arts and crafts house featuring its own wonderful snowdrop collection.

Second, you can see many rare and unusual snowdrops, like ‘Margaret Owen’ and ‘Rodmarton’ above, in large clumps instead of singly or in small groups. Colesbourne Park has over 250 varieties in its collection, and they work hard to develop each into a large stand.

Sir Henry Elwes stands in a field of ‘S. Arnott’ as he entertains a guided tour with tales of Colesbourne and its snowdrops.

Third, if you are lucky enough to go on a tour, you will be taken around by Sir Henry Elwes who grew up at Colesbourne and knows all 2,500 acres intimately. His great-grandfather was Henry John Elwes, the famous Victorian plant explorer who discovered his namesake snowdrop, Galanthus elwesii, in Turkey in 1874. During the tour, Sir Henry will tell you about snowdrops, but he will also regale you with fascinating stories about Colesbourne itself.

A close up of ‘S. Arnott’, called the desert island snowdrop because if galanthophiles could have just one, this would be it!

But for me, the most amazing thing about Colesbourne is the huge drifts of some of the more well known cultivars of snowdrops. As I have said before, I am not interested in having a collection of hundreds of little groups of rare snowdrops. I want plants with interesting leaves and habits as well as flowers, that are vigorous and will multiply into large clumps fairly quickly.

‘Titania’, a Greatorex double snowdrop, which has been intentionally divided and spread out at Colesbourne.

When Sir Henry and Lady Carolyn Elwes took over Colesbourne Park, intervening generations had not tended John Henry Elwes’s collections and many had been sold. However, some snowdrops remained, and Sir Henry and Lady Carolyn developed the current Colesbourne snowdrop display in the last 25 years. Colesbourne showed me what you could do with a snowdrop collection and why snowdrops like ‘S. Arnott’ and the others pictured below are so widely grown. It was a revelation.

‘Titania’ en masse

Here are some more snowdrops that have been systematically divided to form huge stands at Colesbourne:

‘Galatea’, a large and vigorous single snowdrop, called “one of the foundation stones of many collections” by Matt Bishop’s snowdrop book.

‘Galatea’ quickly turns into a good sized patch.

‘Galatea’ drifts

‘Ophelia’ is my favorite of the many Greatorex doubles and also the most widely grown.

‘Ophelia’ as far as the eye can see.

Early-blooming ‘Mrs. Macnamara’, another much admired classic called a “plant of great quality” by the Bishop book.

A stand of ‘Mrs. Macnamara’

‘Hippolyta’, also a Greatorex double

‘Hippolyta’ spread far and wide.

Galanthus plicatus ‘Colossus’, an early vigorous snowdrop with a beautiful habit and elegant leaves.

Stands of ‘Colossus’

I visited some other snowdrop venues that had sweeping drifts but none with the variety found at Colesbourne. Painswick Rococo Garden is the place where the famous snowdrop ‘Atkinsii’ was first selected in the 1860s. There are amazing drifts of ‘Atkinsii’, Galanthus nivalis, and ‘Flore Pleno’ there:

The very tall and stately ‘Atkinsii’ in the back with ‘Flore Pleno’ in the front at Painswick.

A hillside of ‘Atkinsii’ at Painswick.

Welford Park is awe-inspiring for sheer numbers of snowdrops, which grow in sheets through out their woods. All of the plants are Galanthus nivalis:

Galanthus nivalis, the common snowdrop, with winter aconite.

Common snowdrops at Welford Park

galanthus-nivalis-welford-park-2-5-2017-6-40-38-am

It looks like it just snowed in the woods at Welford Park.

Thank you so much to Sir Henry and Lady Carolyn Elwes for opening their world, both snowdrop and otherwise, to two very grateful visitors from across the pond.

Carolyn

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Snowdrops in the Pipeline

Posted in bulbs for shade, New Plants, snowdrops, winter interest with tags Alan Street, Avon Bulbs, Carolyn's Shade Gardens, Galanthus 'Anglesey Orange Tip', Galanthus 'Compu.Ted', Galanthus 'Fiona's Gold', Galanthus 'Joy Cozens', Galanthus 'Long John Silver', Galanthus 'Neckless Wonder', Galanthus Andreas Fault, Galanthus Dragonfly, Galanthus Golden Fleece, Galanthus Grave Concern, Galanthus Midas, Galanthus Miss Prissy, Galanthus Pieces of Eight, John Morley, Matt Bishop, North Green Snowdrops, Veronica Cross on February 19, 2017 by Carolyn @ Carolyns Shade Gardens

‘Pieces of Eight’ is a new snowdrop found by renowned snowdrop hunter Veronica Cross.

Our 2020 Snowdrop Catalogue is on line here, and we are currently taking orders.

Michael and I just returned from two weeks in England visiting famous snowdrop venues and meeting the rock stars of the galanthus world. We found our way to Welford Park, Painswick Rococo Garden, Colesbourne Park, Avon Bulbs, East Lambrook Manor Garden (Margery Fish), Rodmarton Manor, the RHS Spring Show at Vincent Square, North Green Snowdrops, and Gelli Uchaf Garden in Wales.

And, even more fun, we spent time with Sir Henry and Lady Carolyn Elwes at Colesbourne, Alan Street at Avon and the RHS Show (plus Maxine and Mickey), Simon Biddulph at Rodmarton, Phil Cornish in his garden, John Morley at North Green, and Julian and Fiona Wormald in their Welsh garden. Thank you to all our wonderful hosts.

‘Pieces of Eight’ combines a very bold form of the ‘Trym’/’Trumps’ type marking with the fuller, rounder look that I prefer in a snowdrop. I predict a big price on UK eBay if that hasn’t already happened.

1,500 photos later it is hard to know where to start especially since it is time for me to focus on shipping snowdrops. However, I thought it would be easy and fun to highlight some of the amazing snowdrops that are coming down the pipeline or have been very recently introduced. So here is a sneak preview of developments in the snowdrop world.

Matt Bishop named this snowdrop ‘Neckless Wonder’ because it has no pedicel attaching it to the stem—not an endearing name but certainly descriptive. It is fun to be able to look straight into the flowers.

Although ‘Fiona’s Gold’, a G. nivalis cultivar, has been around for a few years, it really stood out for its bright yellow color. Most of the yellow snowdrops we saw looked anemic compared to what I am used to in the states because they need sun to turn gold, and there isn’t any over there. Michael and I expected terrible weather (and dressed for it), and we weren’t disappointed. It was freezing cold, damp, and raining or snowing most of the time we were there.

This charming snowdrop called ‘Compu.Ted’ was in the Avon RHS display. I was so busy helping to set up the exhibit and taking photos that I didn’t have a chance to ask Alan Street about the name. Edit: According to Emma Thick, it is one of John Sales’s snowdrops named after his grandson who works with/likes computers. Thanks, Emma!

‘Miss Prissy’ with her outward facing stance really stood out. I wonder if she is named after the spinster hen in Looney Tunes.

‘Joy Cozens’ is not new but it was the first time I saw an orange tip in person—it really is orange!

I was also thrilled to see this thriving clump of ‘Anglesey Orange Tip’. None of the flowers opened while I was there so I don’t know if they maintain their orange hue.

I thought this un-named snowdrop at North Green was gorgeous.

A lovely G. gracilis cultivar named ‘Andreas Fault’ by Matt Bishop. Is it named for the San Andreas Fault in California or did Andrea do something wrong? Edit: According to Janet Benjafield, it is named for Andy Byfield by Matt Bishop, a teasing name. Thanks, Janet.

Veronica Cross, sticking with the Treasure Island theme, calls this beauty ‘Long John Silver’. Edit: According to Janet Benjafield, Treasure Island refers to a patch in Veronica’s garden that yielded these new snowdrops.

This is Veronica’s ‘Treasure Island’, a star money maker. Unfortunately, it’s closed like many of the snowdrops I saw and photographed. When it is cold, gray, and raining every day, you get desperate and take the photo anyway. I never realized how lucky we American galanthophiles are with all our sun.

Another gorgeous snowdrop—just look at those outers—from Alan Street and named inadvertently ‘Grave Concern’. Quite a somber name for such a beautiful flower, apparently it was found in a graveyard.

My only sighting of the record holder for most expensive snowdrop, ‘Golden Fleece’. A little out of focus as I was on the east coast of England with the wind howling in from the North Sea and snow was falling. I always wonder if the name is a play on words.

‘Golden Fleece’ is going to be given a run for its money by another yellow Trym-form about to hit the market, ‘Midas’. This is actually a ‘Midas’ seedling as the real thing wasn’t open yet.

Veronica Cross gave us ‘Wasp’ and now this beautiful and more substantial insect ‘Dragonfly’.

A swarm of ‘Dragonflys’ at the Avon RHS Show.

Who knows when any of these gorgeous snowdrops will be available in the US, but at least we know what’s coming.

Carolyn

Carolyn’s Shade Gardens is a local retail nursery in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, U.S., zone 6b/7a. The only plants that we mail order are snowdrops and miniature hostas and only within the US.

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Edgeworthia Update

Posted in garden to visit, How to, my garden, Shade Shrubs, winter interest with tags Carolyn's Shade Gardens, edgeworthia, Edgeworthia chrysantha, Edgeworthia papyrifera, paper bush, paperbush on January 28, 2017 by Carolyn @ Carolyns Shade Gardens

This is still the best photo that I have of an edgeworthia in bloom despite dozens of photos taken since my 2012 blog post. Edgeworthias without leaves are very hard to capture in a photograph. Photo taken by Rhoda Maurer and used with the permission of the Scott Arboretum. Scott Arboretum, March 2006

On December 10, 2012, I wrote an article for my blog entitled “A Shrub for all Seasons: Edgeworthia”, click here to read it. This post is my fifth most viewed of all posts since I started my blog in November of 2010. That’s saying a lot as my blog is just about to reach 2 million views! There are also 137 comments and responses on the post from readers all over the US and abroad. Readers are so interested in edgeworthias that I decided it was time to cover the topic again.

And my wholesale supplier just notified me that they will actually have edgeworthias in stock this spring so I can satisfy the demand that is usually created by showing photos of this elegant and unusual shrub. Send an email if you want to reserve one, sorry no mail order.

This edgeworthia in bloom won a blue ribbon in March of 2016 at the Philadelphia Flower Show, the world’s largest indoor flower show. Like the first photo, it shows the lovely rounded habit that can be achieved through judicious pruning and a part sun location.

Four years after my first post, edgeworthias are still very rare, and available cultural information remains sparse. In this post, I will let you know what I have learned in the last four years, but keep in mind that my observations are hardly scientific. I am not going to repeat anything in my previous post so if you are new to this plant, I suggest you read that article first, including the comments, click here.

The beautiful and wonderfully fragrant flowers of edgeworthia. Carolyn’s Shade Gardens, March 2016

First and foremost, I can say with even more assurance than in 2012 that edgeworthias are hardy in southeastern Pennsylvania, US, and surrounding areas. We are in USDA hardiness zone 7 with an average annual minimum temperature of 0 to 10 degrees F (-17.8 to -12.2 C). In January of 2014, the weather for the suburbs of Philadelphia, where Carolyn’s Shade Gardens is located, repeatedly dipped into this range and below. In spring of 2014, all the established edgeworthias that I have been following remained alive and are still thriving. However, most of them did not bloom that spring as the buds were frozen. Some had stem damage but have since recovered robustly. To put this in perspective though, many shrubs with borderline hardiness for our area died that winter.

The buds, tropical looking leaves, and cinnamon red stems of edgeworthia in fall. Carolyn’s Shade Gardens, November 2015

The buds in winter are my favorite phase of edgeworthia although it is lovely 365 days a year. Carolyn’s Shade Gardens, January 2015

The only other new hardiness information I have comes from Andrew Bunting, the former Curator of Plants at the Scott Arboretum and now Assistant Director of the Chicago Botanic Garden. Andrew points out that there are actually two species of edgeworthia, E. chrysantha and E. papyrifera. Although they are sometimes treated as synonymous, Andrew thinks they are distinct species. In his experience, E. papyrifera is much weaker in growth than E. chrysantha. Commenters on my first post agree with Andrew’s assessment. The orange-flowered edgeworthia ‘Akebono’ is apparently a cultivar of E. papyrifera, although some sources disagree. My wholesale supplier doesn’t carry it because it hasn’t proved hardy for them.

This photo shows a very large edgeworthia in bud in the Winter Garden at the Scott Arboretum. The location faces south in an exposed but part shade area. March 2013

The same edgeworthia in September 2014.

What else have I learned? Sources generally describe edgeworthia’s ultimate height and width as much smaller than is actually the case. For example, my favorite source for plant information, Missouri Botanic Garden lists the height and width as 4′ by 6′. Edgeworthias in our area grown in part shade grow to a minimum of 6′ by 6′, and the one at the Scott Arboretum in the photos above is probably 8′ by 8′. If they are grown in a sunnier spot, they are shorter and more compact but still quite large. If you read the reader comments on my first post, which are a great source for information about edgewothias in different locations and climates, many people have been surprised by the size of their edgeworthia and have had to prune it drastically or move it. Luckily, it responds well to their pruning (I have never pruned mine).

My unpruned edgeworthia is much larger than planned and is currently trying to eat my lion’s head Japanese maple. Carolyn’s Shade Gardens, November 18, 2016

Edgeworthia leaves turn yellow in the fall and sporadically through out the year. Carolyn’s Shade Gardens, November 7, 2015

The leaves also droop when the weather turns cold. Carolyn’s Shade Gardens, November 23, 2015

Edgeworthias in sunnier locations go through the fall transformation earlier and have a longer ugly duckling stage before the exquisite buds emerge from the yellow, droopy leaves. Scott Arboretum, November 6, 2016.

It is normal for the old leaves on edgeworthias to turn yellow and fall off through out the season. This has been a cause for concern for many readers, but it is something that can be ignored. In the fall all the leaves droop, turn yellow, and fall off unveiling the beautiful silver buds. The leaves also droop when it is really hot out. I think this is a natural protective measure in response to the temperature and not necessarily a sign that supplemental water is required. Other plants in my garden do this, ligularias come to mind. I have never watered my edgeworthia, even during the extended drought and high temperatures this past summer and fall. It is quite healthy.

A group of three edgeworthias behind the Scott Arboretum offices on the Swarthmore College campus. September 2014

edgeworthia-chrysantha-1-18-2017-2-11-10-am

The same group in January 2017. I feel like the edgeworthias on the Swarthmore campus are old friends as I visit them so often. If you are in this area and want to see edgeworthia specimens in a variety of cultural conditions, you should visit the Scott Arboretum.

Two final cultural pointers: I have concluded that edgeworthias grow best in part sun to part shade in an east-facing location. However, several southern gardeners have written in that they grow it in full sun, and it thrives. No one has mentioned success in full shade. Also, my original edgeworthia was planted quite close to two gigantic black walnuts. Although it has never died completely, it has slowly declined to the point where it is almost nonexistent. This is not scientific evidence of susceptibility to walnut toxicity, but I would recommend avoiding walnuts when siting edgeworthia.

Chanticleer also has a nice specimen in the courtyard near the swimming pool. October 2014

A large specimen in Charles Cresson’s garden. October 2014

Let’s keep this conversation going. If you are growing edgeworthia, please leave a comment describing your experience with it, especially if you are north of the Delaware Valley area.

Carolyn

Carolyn’s Shade Gardens is a local retail nursery in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, U.S., zone 6b/7a. The only plants that we mail order are snowdrops and miniature hostas and only within the US.

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2017 Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show (MANTS)

Posted in flower show, green gardening, How to, my garden, organic gardening, product review, sustainable living with tags Baltimore Maryland, Carolyn's Shade Gardens, fort mchenry, helleborus x molly's white, MANTS, Mid-Atlantic Nursery and Trade Show, molly's white hellebore, organic soils, star-spangled banner on January 15, 2017 by Carolyn @ Carolyns Shade Gardens

A beautifully designed display decorating the MANTS booth of one of my wholesale suppliers.

Last week Michael and I attended the Mid-Atlantic Nursery and Trade Show (MANTS) at the Baltimore Convention Center in Maryland. MANTS is a yearly event in early January with over 960 exhibiting companies covering 300,000 square feet (seven acres) of the convention center and hosting 11,000 attendees. We go to MANTS not only to get ideas about new products and plants for Carolyn’s Shade Gardens, but also to discover potential new suppliers and renew acquaintances with existing suppliers. I thought you might enjoy a quick peak at what goes on at a trade show of this size.

I am very excited about this new hellebore that Carolyn’s Shade Gardens will be selling in 2017. It is called ‘Molly’s White’ and is a sister plant to the best-selling ‘Penny’s Pink’. I already have it in my garden, and it’s doing quite well. My ‘Penny’s Pink’ plants have lots of buds showing right now. to read more about this newer type of hellebore, click here.

There are many beautifully displayed plant exhibits at MANTS like the one above featuring an edgeworthia, camellias, and hellebores. It is difficult with the odd lighting to get a good photo though.

If you start flowers and vegetables from seed, you can’t go wrong with Hart Seed Company, a 100-year-old, family owned and operated business, specializing in untreated and non-GE (genetically engineered) seed. They support independent, local nurseries by refusing to sell to big box and discount stores.

Colonial Road, based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, makes very comfortable, recycled plastic Adirondack chairs that come close to looking like the high maintenance wood version (at least if you buy it in the white shown in the poster instead of the kaleidoscope of colors displayed here). I loved my wooden Adirondack chairs but was constantly replacing rotted slats, and have you ever tried to paint one? Let me know if you are interested in seeing mine or buying any as Carolyn’s Shade Gardens can get them for you.

It is tempting to turn to harmful chemicals when confronted by the possibility of Lyme disease or Zika virus. Thankfully you don’t need to. Here’s Mark Wilson, President of Natural Repellents LLC, holding his ground-breaking product Tick Killz, a natural insecticide made from 100% organic ingredients and safe for children, pets, beneficial insects, and the environment. It controls deer and other ticks, mosquitos, fleas, mites, and aphids, among other insects. If you spray your property, this may be the product for you, 1 oz. makes 5 gallons.

I wouldn’t consider using anything but organic potting soil and mulch to grow vegetables for my family (and even in my perennial gardens). Coast of Maine makes 100% organic products using predominantly lobster and crab shells mixed with seaweed and blueberry bush trimmings. I have used their potting soil for containers at my family’s house in Maine with great results. Their website has a store locator to help you find local nurseries carrying their products, click here, and Whole Foods carries them.

Unlike most nurseries, I mix my own potting soil using compost with ProMix added to lighten it. ProMix has a high proportion of sphagnum/peat moss, which cannot be sustainably harvested. Ground coconut hulls or coir is a sustainable product, and the condensed block above, which yields this wheelbarrow-full when water is added, reduces transportation and storage costs. However, the product is made in Sri Lanka so I am not sure where I come out.

The folks from Jolly Gardener have just introduced a new line of organic soils and mixes. I always want to support companies who decide to take the organic route!

Given the trend towards legalization and what a big business this is becoming, I was surprised there wasn’t more marketing to this specialized segment of the green industry.

Another fun aspect of MANTS is seeing the lengths exhibitors go to attract attendees to their booths. This tree touched the roof of the convention center, and the holly and evergreen next to it are huge too.

Michael standing next to the biggest tree spade I have ever seen.

Amazing boxwoods

Baltimore is a fun city to visit. We had a delicious dinner at Woodberry Kitchen, a farm-to-table restaurant located in a charming re-purposed factory.

We visited Fort McHenry, a late 18th century, star-shaped fort guarding the entrance to Baltimore Harbor. Francis Scott Key composed “The Star-Spangled Banner” in 1814 about the flag flying at Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore against the British in the War of 1812.

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On the grounds of Fort McHenry, you will find this somewhat startling 24 foot statue of the Greek mythological figure Orpheus on a 15 foot tall base and clothed in nothing but a fig leaf. It was commissioned in 1914 to commemorate Francis Scott Key for the hundredth anniversary of the Battle of Baltimore even though “The Star-Spangled Banner” did not become our national anthem until 1931. Click here to read the rather humorous background of the statue.

Carolyn

Carolyn’s Shade Gardens is a local retail nursery in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, U.S., zone 6b/7a. The only plants that we mail order are snowdrops and miniature hostas and only within the US.

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Curating a Plant Collection: Snowdrops or Otherwise

Posted in bulbs for shade, How to, my garden, snowdrops with tags Carolyn's Shade Gardens, collecting snowdrops, fall-blooming snowdrops, galanthus, idenfifying plants, plant collections, snowdrop, snowdrop bulbs, snowdrop catalogue, snowdrop plants, snowdrops, snowdrops for sale U.S. on December 6, 2016 by Carolyn @ Carolyns Shade Gardens

Galanthus reginae-olgae is the earliest snowdrop to bloom in my garden, around the third week of October.

Our current snowdrop catalogue is on line here.

My garden is not a collection of plants, especially those that require any sort of extra maintenance. If you visit Carolyn’s Shade Gardens, you will see that most plantings are quite natural looking with a focus on natives. However, there are a few exceptions, and most of you know by now that I am an unapologetic collector of snowdrops. I also sell snowdrops, click here for the 2019 catalogue, and some of them are quite pricey, so I thought it would be helpful if I explained how I keep track of mine. This system can be used for any plant collection.

Nursery News: Carolyn’s Shade Gardens is a retail nursery located in Bryn Mawr, PA, specializing in showy, colorful, and unusual plants for shade. The only plants that we ship are snowdrops to the US only. For catalogues and announcements of local events, please send your full name, mailing address, and cell number to carolyn@carolynsshadegardens.com and indicate whether you are mail order only. Click here to get to the home page of our website for catalogues and information about our nursery and to subscribe to our blog.

‘Potter’s Prelude’ always flowers by mid-November and, weather permitting, continues into January.

My system involves written records on my computer and physical markings in the garden. There may be a fancy computerized plant database available, but I use a simple table with columns in a Word document. The first column is alphabetical and lists the complete botanical name of the snowdrop, including the species and cultivar names if applicable, e.g., Galanthus nivalis ‘Flore Pleno’. The remaining columns describe the pertinent information about the snowdrop for each location in the garden: date planted, exact location, number of plants, and source.

This is the ‘Brenda Troyle’ planting that corresponds to the first location entry below.

For example, ‘Brenda Troyle’ is listed in column one as Galanthus ‘Brenda Troyle’ as it is a hybrid with no species name like elwesii or nivalis. Column two describes location one: “2012, front walk next to Dbl Rose hellebore, 2 Cresson.” Column three describes location two: “2014, carriage house 2^nd bed on left, moved 1 Cresson.” It is very important that the location description is as detailed as possible so that if all your outdoor markings disappear, you still know where your snowdrop is located.

Another snowdrop blooming right now is Nancy Goodwin’s fall-blooming G. elwesii var. monostictus, which she shared with me in 2013. At the back of the clump is the metal tag and peeking out in front is the plastic stake.

Out in the garden, each snowdrop gets two markers. The first is a 10″ zinc plant marker produced by Bosmere, item H185, in sets of 10. Included is a carbon pencil, but I don’t use that to write on the markers. All labels in my garden are inscribed with an opaque paint marker made by Uchida, Decolor 200-S Black, and available at art supply stores. All other writing materials, including pencils and “permanent markers” wear off. I place the metal plant marker directly behind the snowdrop and record the full name, date acquired, and source.

Bosmere zinc plant markers

opaque paint marker

A paint marker is used to record the name, date acquired and source.

Each snowdrop is also marked with a second tag directly in front of the plant. For this, I use a 6″ Rapiclip plant label made by Luster Leaf in packages of 50. These plastic stakes are long and sturdy but flexible, not brittle. They can be pushed almost all the way into the ground and bend instead of breaking if you step on them. I write the same information on them with a paint marker.

Rapiclip plant labels

‘Foxgrove Magnet’ with its metal marker behind and plastic tag in front.

There are variations on my marking scheme. For example, this bed has random, unnamed, fall-blooming G. elwesii. Each clump has a plastic tag behind it describing its special characteristics, if any.

I am superstitious so if I plant dormant snowdrops in the fall, they get a reused plastic tag and part of a bamboo garden stake until they come up in the spring.

I also use bamboo poles, hammered solidly into the ground, if the snowdrops are planted in an area where a lot of leaves fall and obscure the metal and plastic stakes. The photo below shows what I found under the leaves.

I may not have remembered that this snowdrop grouping was there if it hadn’t been marked with the bamboo stake.

I realize that not everyone is obsessed with snowdrops, but this system can be used for any plant collection that has grown to the point where its size exceeds the mental capacity of the collector :-). I grow about 30 varieties of epimediums and keep a chronological handwritten record plus metal and plastic markers outside. European wood anemones get metal tags and a handwritten list. Mini hostas are marked with plastic tags and recorded haphazardly. The rest of the plants have to rely on invoices and various notations in garden journals. Every winter I consider making a complete database of all the plants at Carolyn’s Shade Gardens but the prospect is daunting.

Carolyn

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Native Fall Color at Longwood Gardens

Posted in Fall, Fall Color, garden to visit, green gardening, native plants, Uncategorized with tags 'Hartlage Wine' sweetshrub, Aesculus parviflora, American yellowwood, bald cypress, bottlebrush buckeye, Calycanthus raulstonii 'Hartlage Wine', Carolyn's Shade Gardens, Cladrastis kentukea, Hydrangea quercifolia, Longwood Gardens, oakleaf hydrangea, Peirce's Woods at Longwood, pond cypress, Taxodium ascendens, Taxodium distichum on November 13, 2016 by Carolyn @ Carolyns Shade Gardens

A view across the lake of the color in Peirce’s Woods, an area of native plants.

We have been having one of the most beautiful falls that I can remember. Every day is bright and sunny, between 50 and 60 degrees F (10 to 15.6 degrees C) except when we have just the right amount of rain. The fall color on trees, shrubs, vines, and perennials is spectacular. I am blessed to live in an area where I can enjoy one of nature’s most majestic shows just by walking outside my door. So I decided to post photos for gardeners in the US and abroad who don’t experience this amazing prelude to winter.

Bald cypress, Taxodium distichum, native to PA.

All but two of these photos were taken during a visit to Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, US, on November 2. Every plant is native to the US and most to Pennsylvania (PA), which is part of the mid-Atlantic. A similar color riot is still going on today, November 12, in my own PA garden.

Pitcher plants, Saracenia, native to PA, even the planters near Peirce’s Woods are filled with natives.

One of my top five shrubs: oakleaf hydrangea, H. quercifolia, and fall color is a big part of that along with gorgeous flowers, tropical-looking leaves, peeling cinnamon bark, and its status as a native albeit slightly south of PA.

Hydrangea quercifolia

The words “jewel-like color” were made for oakleaf hydrangea.

Flowering dogwood, Cornus florida, native to PA, one of the best small trees for fall color not to mention spectacular flowers and fruit as well as a unique and elegant habit. This is a young specimen.

Aesculus parviflora

Bottlebrush buckeye, Aesculus parviflora, a PA native with beautiful flowers in the late spring. Great for creating a grove in dense shade and dry soil.

Fothergilla, F. gardenii, native just south of PA, provides a mix of oranges, reds, and yellows that lasts a long time. In the spring it sports lovely fragrant flowers.

Looking across the lake towards Peirce’s Woods, the red tree to the left of center is a red maple, Acer rubrum, and the smaller peachy tree to the right is sourwood, Oxydendrum arboreum.

Red maple is a shade tree native to PA. It colors early so I was surprised to find it still stealing the show. Here is a view from the other side looking down at the lake.

Sourwood, also known as dead man’s fingers due to the unusual habit of its flowers, is a smaller flowering tree native to PA with many ornamental attributes including unbelievable fall color.

‘Prairie Sentinel’ pond cypress, Taxodium ascendens, has a more upright habit than its cousin the bald cypress and is native just south of PA.

For all-round large shade tree, I would nominate the sugar maple, Acer saccharum, native to PA. Photos don’t do its color justice, and large specimens have a habit that is purely regal. This one is a youngster.

I had to throw in this photo from Carolyn’s Shade Gardens of ‘Hartlage Wine’ allspice, Calycanthus raulstonii. Top five shrubs again with absolutely gorgeous, bright yellow fall color; long-lasting, exquisite, large red flowers; and big, shiny, smooth blue-green leaves. It is a native hybrid.

Also from Carolyn’s Shade Gardens, another favorite tree native to PA, yellowwood, Cladrastis kentukea.

Carolyn

Carolyn’s Shade Gardens is a local retail nursery in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, U.S., zone 6b/7a. The only plants that we mail order are snowdrops and miniature hostas and only within the US.

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Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden: Part 2

Posted in garden to visit, landscape design, Maine with tags Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden, Abby Aldrich Rockfeller, Acadia National Park, Beatrix Farrand, Carolyn's Shade Gardens 2012 calendar, garden to visit Maine, gardens in Maine, Mt. Desert Island Maine, Mt. Desert Maine, Rockfeller Garden, Seal Harbor Maine on November 1, 2016 by Carolyn @ Carolyns Shade Gardens

A glimpse through the moon gate into the English-style borders at the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden.

Last post I promised you a tour of the sunny part of the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden in Seal Harbor on Mt. Desert Island, Maine, USA. My husband and I spent four days this summer visiting Acadia National Park and public and private gardens on Mt. Desert Island.

To see the beautiful photos in my Acadia post, Scenes from Mt. Desert Island and Acadia National Park, click here. For photos of Asticou Azalea Garden and the Thuya Garden, both in Northeast Harbor, click here. My last post toured the Chinese-inspired woodland of the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden: click here to see the photos.

The bottle gate in the previous post, which was Abby Aldrich Rockefeller’s preferred entrance to the flower garden, is just visible in the back of this photo. Visitors pass through it from the woodland side into an oval garden surrounding a reflecting pool with the enormous perennial beds spreading out to the north.

As mentioned previously, the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden is a private garden in Seal Harbor on Mt. Desert Island, Maine. It is owned by David Rockefeller and was originally created between 1926 and 1930 by the well known garden designer Beatrix Farrand and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, David’s mother and the wife of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Reservations are required to visit, and tickets, which go on sale May 31, are very limited.

Our visit to the sunny flower borders is captured in the photos below, enjoy.

After wandering through the woods, the sunny gardens are a startling contrast. Although massive, they are hidden from the shady side by walls and have the feel of a secret garden.

According to landscape historian Patrick Chasse, the flower gardens were originally planned as cutting gardens for the Eyrie (photo above), the Rockefeller’s 100-room mansion, which was later torn down. Plantings were calculated by the number of rooms, their colors, and the number of vases to be filled. The whole area was flowers with minor access paths for servants.

Looking north towards the moon gate. The lawn was added in 1936 when the maintenance of the flowers-only garden became too much even for the Rockefellers.

Map of the gardens from the brochure provided. The lawn area is bordered by a rectangular gravel path. Outside that path is a wide flower border split by a low rectangular granite wall and again enclosed on the outside by gravel paths, which front even wider borders extending out to the walls enclosing the whole garden.

View of the northern end of the gardens. Even with the addition of the lawn, the remaining gardens are huge. They are also gorgeous and impeccably maintained.

View of the southern end of the gardens.

You can see the low granite wall splitting the flower bed between the gravel paths. It is covered with clematis and other blooming vines.

The very wide gardens on the east side in front of the pink Chinese wall.

Some annuals are used but the plants are mostly perennials.

We exited the garden into the serene Maine woods that envelope it, dazzled by the amazing flower borders we saw.

Carolyn

Carolyn’s Shade Gardens is a local retail nursery in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, U.S., zone 6b/7a. The only plants that we mail order are snowdrops and miniature hostas and only within the US.

4 Comments »

Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden Part One

Posted in garden to visit, landscape design, Maine with tags Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden, Acadia National Park, Asian gardens, Beatrix Farrand, Carolyn's Shade Gardens, Chinese gardens, garden to visit Maine, gardens Maine, Mt. Desert Maine, Seal Harbor Maine on October 25, 2016 by Carolyn @ Carolyns Shade Gardens

The gravel path from the parking lot leads to the formal entrance to the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden, but the grandeur of this amazing site in the Maine woods already surrounds you.

In July, my husband Michael and I spent four very full days on Mt. Desert Island, Maine, USA, visiting public and private gardens and Acadia National Park, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary. To see the beautiful photos in my Acadia post, Scenes from Mt. Desert Island and Acadia National Park, click here. For photos of Asticou Azalea Garden and the Thuya Garden, both in Northeast Harbor, click here. Today’s post covers our visit to the woodland of the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden. The next post will cover the perennial gardens.

The formal gardens are enclosed by rose-hued walls topped by gold tiles, building materials reserved for the use of Chinese emperors. Many of the tiles were actually salvaged from the Forbidden City in Beijing.

The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden is a private garden in Seal Harbor on Mt. Desert Island, Maine. It is owned by David Rockefeller and was originally created between 1926 and 1930 by the well known garden designer Beatrix Farrand (for more information on Farrand, click here) and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, David’s mother and the wife of John D. Rockefeller, Jr.

We visited the garden because our Mt. Desert host, friend, and customer, Charlotte F., said it was a must and encouraged us to book reservations as soon as they became available on May 31. The garden is only open one day a week (Thursday this year) in late July, August, and early September and advance reservations are required, and their availability is intentionally very limited. By the time we visited in the third week of July all reservations were sold out.

Looking back at the entrance from inside what Abby Rockefeller called the Chinese Garden. The rams are 14th to 15th century Yi Dynasty, Korea.

We had a lot of plans for our Acadia visit and didn’t research the Rockefeller Garden in advance so were very surprised by what we found—an ancient Chinese-inspired garden filled with statuary dating as far back as the 5th century in the middle of the Maine woods! As explained by Patrick Chasse in a lecture at the New York Botanical Gardens, the Rockefellers visited Asia for three months in 1921. They were entranced by the architecture of the Forbidden City in Beijing and decided to build a garden at their Seal Harbor home incorporating ancient Chinese design elements, including building materials, walls, gates, a north-south axis, and statuary, among others.

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The Spirit Path runs the length of the woodland section of the garden on a north-south axis parallel to the walls surrounding the flower garden. Spirit Paths were a traditional feature of imperial Chinese tombs. The path is lined with pairs of imposing granite statues from 14th and 15th century Korea, which the Rockefellers purchased from a dealer in antiquities in Japan.

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A close up of one of the granite statues along the Spirit Path.

A man made granite pool along the Spirit Path topped by a “snow” lantern, traditionally made from snow and lit from within. This one is granite from 17th to 18th century Korea.

The native woodland plants surrounding the carefully placed antiquities, walls, paths, and rocks are beautiful.

A narrow rill carefully outlined in moss

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This path leads to a 17th century seated monk from the Edo period in Japan and carved from volcanic rock.

The walled flower garden appears like a parallel universe visible through several gates giving access to it from various parts of the woodland.

The moon gate looks into the northern end of the flower garden.

The bottle gate at the southern end of the gardens was the gate through which Abby Aldrich Rockefeller liked to take her guests. We will enter it in the next post!

Carolyn

Carolyn’s Shade Gardens is a local retail nursery in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, U.S., zone 6b/7a. The only plants that we mail order are snowdrops and miniature hostas and only within the US.

12 Comments »

CAROLYN'S SHADE GARDENS

Early Spring Beauty at Carolyn’s Shade Gardens

Snowdrops at the Royal Horticultural Society Spring Show

Drifts of Snowdrops at Colesbourne Park

Snowdrops in the Pipeline

Edgeworthia Update

2017 Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show (MANTS)

Curating a Plant Collection: Snowdrops or Otherwise

Native Fall Color at Longwood Gardens

Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden: Part 2

Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden Part One

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Welcome

Site Stats Since 11/3/10

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Pages

Click image for links to all articles on snowdrops

Search My Website

All photos and text on this blog are copyrighted and may not be used without my express permission

Top Posts & Pages

Recent Posts

Click image to see Carolyn’s photos in The New York Times

Reader Locations (click to enlarge)

Plant Information (click for website)

Reference Books (click for website)

Places to Visit (click for website)