Spiny balls and other exotics!

High 80 F
Low  59 F

This past week I had the pleasure of visiting Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boyleston, MA.  I have posted about this public garden in the past and it is run by the Worcester County Horticultural Society which is the third oldest such society in America.  Unlike the Massachusetts Horticultural Society which has  apparently been mismanaged for years, Tower Hill is a jewel and still under development with plans which are phased in and implemented with precision.   The horticultural staff always has something new showing in their gardens and on Wordless Wednesday I showed this plant, Swan Flower or Spiny Balls, Gomphocarpus physocarpus. Dawn from Tower Hill did identify it for me but I don't think she knew that I took the picture while I was at Tower Hill on Wednesday of last week.  I thank her for the identification.  This plant is about four feet tall and really quite interesting.  As you can see from this next picture, spiny balls is an apt name. The honey bees were all over it. I will look for seeds for next year 's garden.  The veggie garden at Tower Hill is always outstanding and this year's them seems to be music.  The fanciful harp  and the copper G clef are just two of the whimsical items which make this garden edible and interesting.  The beds are a feast for the eyes.   I had not seen this pepper before and it is a beautiful yellow with purple streaks. The container area is also color coded.   I think it helps to have a greenhouse to get the garden started. Sometimes the simplest of plantings make a memorable impression as does this container planted with the succulent and placed on the water fountain. The borders are lush and full as the summer starts to unravel and thread its' way toward the shorter, cooler days of fall.   The sun is much lower in the sky as evidenced by the dramatic shadows and backlighting of annuals and  grasses.  There are thoughtful, interesting plantings in all directions at Tower Hill. It is an exceptional place.