A Walk in the Garden

Even though there is a lot of work that needs to happen in the gardens to get them up to snuff for the tours this summer, there is something about having gardens that I find very relaxing.  Just going for a walk in the morning is a great way to get my day off to a good start - and I find that the calm I get in the gardens lasts me through a long day at the office.

So today I went for a walk in the gardens to see what is in bloom right now.

This is Heuchera 'Havana' planted under the yew in Clare Gardens under the sugar maple tree.  It's only 2 years old.

This mock orange is one of two in the gardens.  This one is under the sugar maple, the other is in the brambles where the rabbit lives.  We let the rabbit live there with the understanding that he will only eat a bit of the vegetables and should he choose to take a wife and have many little rabbit mouths to feed, he will go next door and live there - and not expect us to feed his entire family.  So far, he is a bachelor, so we're okay with the current living arrangement.

This Lamium maculatum (spotted dead nettle) has lovely lavender flowers.  It grows in front of the carriage house with some hardy geraniums.

Scotch Broom or Cytisus scoparius 'Stanford' is my favorite one in front of the carriage house.  It's wispy fronds turn a light green in spring and then the flowers pop out all over.  It's always such a surprise to see the burst of rusts and yellows.

Seriously, how can you not love these little flowers?  So charming - so fleeting.

Here's Weigela florida 'Variegata Nana'.  This is her first year in bloom - she's 5 years old now.  I was surprised at the amount of blossoms on her - and a little surprised at the spread.  I think I'm going to have to move those daylilies...

And here was a bonus from the gentle winter we had.  Coreopsis - all colors and sizes came back on the south drive.

The white with rose centers...

Rose with red centers...

And red with burgundy centers.

Such a nice surprise - and a really nice way to start the day.  Even if it was so very early in the morning that even the birds were still asleep when I went out to go for a walk.

I couldn't help myself, though.  It's the sunshine - it makes me go out extra early and just enjoy the day. Even if it is only for a few minutes before I have to catch the train to the city - it's a few minutes well spent.