Glacial remains!

High 82 F
Low 56.6 F

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It is easy to take for granted the obvious.  In New England one of those staples that I sometimes take for granted is the abundance of stones and rocks which litter the woods and the fields and can, at first glance, make gardening difficult.  Not so at my friend Lois's garden.  She has made the most of a difficult situation.  Her house sits on a quiet drive off a busy but rural main road. She is surrounded by woods with neighboring houses just visible.   Every time I visit her  garden there is something new happening and something new in bloom.  The plantings in front of the traditional house are innovative and interesting.   As you walk around the  house, through the arbor, you are greeted first by an interesting and definitely offensive odor.   The bed on the left has three voodoo lilies, Amorphophallus, species unknown, blooming.  They set the tongues to wagging with their spath and spadix formation. The beds along the house have various shade tolerant perennials and as you round the house you are perched on the side of a hill looking down into a garden which, as you can see, is just delightful.  In the spring, between the rocks, there are vernal pools of water which can be a challenge but Lois has met that challenge.  She has an great assortment of plants in this garden with many hosta, daylilies, iris, primula japonica, petasites,and this huge ornamental rhubarb, to name just a few.  You can wend your way among the paths and just enjoy the variety and texture of the plants here in this garden.   Rounding the house on the other side you

find an         entrance to a 'secret garden' as seen here.  It is occupied by elves and fairies and the magic is further enhanced with little, unobtrusive, dancing mirrors and prisms hanging from the branches. They catch the light and it takes several moments for the eye to translate what it is seeing.  The sun will play off them and send shimmers of light across the mossy lawn.  It is truly a haven and the work of an inspired artist.    I always look forward to my visits to Lois's garden!