How's your garden clean-up coming along? Here in New York's Hudson Valley, I'm still picking up sticks and leaves, and making repairs as the weather allows. More details in this sip and stroll garden tour:
And what are we sipping today? Why, a deliciously-sweet and tart Lemon Drop Martini.
Cheers!
SWOOSH! We are standing in the boxwood garden now, with a rear-view of the house. The boxwood -- a variety called 'Winter Gem', which I grew mostly from cuttings -- retains its green color no matter the season. And that's a good thing, because the shrubs were buried beneath 2 feet of snow from early January through mid-March.
I'll have the boxwood sheared and shaped later this month. The yews (Taxus 'Hicksii') that surround the garden will be trimmed in a week or two, before they sprout new growth.
And here's the Herb Garden. Shall we tidy up this tiny plot?
I'll hold your martini while you tackle the dead morning glory vines.
Why, thank you!
Ah. What an improvement.
Do you remember the boxwood cuttings I inserted into the herb garden beds last spring? Every stem grew roots, and, as you can see, they survived our hellish winter without a hitch. If you'd like to propagate your own boxwood, be sure to read this easy tutorial.
These cast iron urns announce the entrance to the Serpentine Garden. Shall we climb the gentle path?
Now that the snow has melted, we can see easily see the Vinca minor that covers the Serpentine's second terrace. Beneath the vinca are lots of spring-flowering bulbs.
This Galanthus snow drop emerged last Thursday, when temperatures here soared to 68°F.
On Friday, the snowdrop opened its nodding petals.
I love spring!
At the top of the Serpentine is a row of arborvitae. These screen the swimming pool. Just now, the arbs are filled with goldfinches and other small birds.
And here's the Kitchen Garden. If you look carefully, you'll see that a heavy board has detached itself from the arbor. I'll hold your martini while you make the repair.
I'm impressed! Blessings to you and the power drill you wisely store in your purse.
Between the kitchen and pool gardens is the entrance to the Woodland Garden. Shall we step inside?
Uh-oh. Our path is blocked by a fallen tree. I'll hold your martini while...oh, never mind.
Instead, let's sit on the swing!
Weeeeeeeeee!
That downed tree is really bugging me. Hang on while I fetch a piece of noisy machinery.
I've never met a problem that a chain saw couldn't solve.
The Woodland is slowly returning to life. Beneath some decaying leaves, hellebores are sending out their precious flowers.
Since the trees are still bare, we have a splendid view of the stream that runs behind the Woodland. The stream leads to the Hudson River.
As we exit the Woodland, we encounter the pool garden. John B., our handy-man, will uncover and clean the pool in early May. Meantime, we can visit the pool statuary:
Say hello to this lecherous Satyr...
And this replica of "Autumn"...
And this scantily-clad "Summer."
If we peer over the pool garden's west gate, we can see the boxwood garden below. Please note the light-colored branches on the left.
These are the flowering branches of the Silver-leaved maple, Acer saccharinum. The copper petals and whisker-like stamens are a fun sight for my winter-weary eyes.
Here's the front of the house. In a matter of weeks, the lawn will green up, the trees will leaf out, and winter will become a distant memory.
Let's head inside now, where another drink awaits. And as we sit and sip, I'd love to hear what's happening in your own garden. Has your snow finally melted?
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A Late-Spring Garden Tour
How to Transplant Winter-Sown Seedlings
How to Make Pretzel Rolls
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