The year’s end always invites reflection on what worked and didn’t work, what I liked and didn’t like-what I might want to do differently next year. There’s time for that, over the winter. But other things come more immediately to mind, at year’s end. As I rarely see a plant or a garden that I don’t like, what sticks out in my mind are those great garden moments. I have had years when my March crocus are so blasted by below freezing temperatures they barely bloom. This year, they were glorious-and glorious for quite a while. The night temperatures were perfect; every day for 2 weeks they were an event well worth the price of the ticket.
My hellebores were similarly spectacular this year. The evenly cool temperatures they liked. I was even so inspired to send away for more from Knott Hill Farms. The sweet woodriff coming on is a good companion for them. I have both of these planted in full sun, not far from the road. They not only perform better in this location than my shadier places, they take fewer years to make dreamboat sized clumps.
Spring flowers are like no others. Their fresh color I will not see again until the following spring. The oakleaf lettuce in this box-just as fresh and juicy looking as any spring flower. This is my idea of planting vegetables, by the way. This season was very cool for Michigan; the spring plantings flourished until fairly late in July. I do plant ornamental cabbage in the spring, though it will bolt at the first sign of hot weather. I got lucky this year. This is partly why I favor mixed plantings-you never know what nature might have in store. My roses this year-nothing to talk about.
The blooming of the Venus dogwoods however was spectacular. They were in full bloom, loaded with these giant 7 inch diameter flowers, for over a month. I could not recommend this tree too highly. It is happy in full sun, and very hardy. It grows fast, but stays small. It is the first tree I have planted in my yard in a good many years. If I had the space, I would plant great drifts of them, and let the grass grow rough underneath them.
The morning of July 19 dawned cool and sunny, perfect weather for the garden tour we sponsored to benefit the Greening of Detroit. We had 325 people attend the tour, and 125 for bites and cocktails afterwards at the shop. In addition to all that fun, we raised a good amount for the Greening. It was a perfect garden day.
My favorite time at the farmer’s market begins with sunflower season. Everything is big about them-big size, big color, big heart-big delicious seeds, so loved by the goldfinches. Sunflowers-the name says it all. The summer harvest is well underway.
My summer annuals provide much pleasure to me. I like the planning, the planting, the caring for, the looking at, the deadheading, the watering-I like every aspect of this part of my garden. I do not have the luxury of lots of time to spend in my garden; I work a lot elsewhere. This part I have the time, energy and heart for, every day. Other parts of my landscape have their moments, but the annual flowers provide every day good moments.
I always have one container that’s all green-I particularly enjoy matching and contrasting shapes, textures and volumes of green. Green-who could live without it?
Nicotiana mutabilis is probably my favorite annual flower. Once staked, it flowers its heart out way long into the fall. They are known to send out giant new spikes-in October. Those fluttering flowers-white, pink and rose on the same plant-are a meadow unto themselves- perfect for a small space. This pot is my favorite of 2009.
Like my striped crocus this spring, my white Japanese anemone “Honorine Jobert” had a stellar year. Standing every bit of five feet tall, they were loaded with flowers for weeks. This is a very carefree perennial for me. I do nothing to them, except look, and on occasion, water. I weed the offshoots out of the Carefree roses in the spring-that’s about it. Why they were so robust and heavy flowering this year-I could not say. I can say this was one of my favorite things in my garden this year.
We do not have that many foggy days in Michigan; perhaps this is why I enjoy them so much. This late September morning had just a hint of fall about it. All the vibrant summer color begins to fade. It’s a favorite of mine-living where the seasons change. All in all, it was a very good garden season, 2009.
There are many species of anemone, but few are quite as lovely as anemone x hybrida “Honorine Jobert. An old garden hybrid discovered in a garden in Verdun France in 1858, it is a star of the fall perennial garden. A good many white flowers are touchy prima donnas that when they are not sulking, perform listlessly. But this anemone shines; it is vigorous, and easy to grow. Though many would say they are best in part shade, I grow mine in full sun on a south wall. 
All of the varieties and hybrids of Japanese anemones (which originated in China, by the way) make a great addition to the perennial border. The foliage is dense and low all summer, giving way to impossibly tall flower spikes. The buds dot the stems, and give way to simple 6 to 8 petalled flowers of breathtaking beauty.
The fringed halo of brilliant yellow stamens encircles the lime green stigma-ooh la la. I have only had trouble growing anemones where the soil drains poorly. As I believe that at least 80 per cent of winter hardiness hinges on good drainage, I plant bog plants in poorly drained areas, and work hard to improve the soil in my perennial gardens. These anemones have been here about nine years. I do have to thin them out in the spring, they are that vigorous.
I do have clients who are hands on; Dr. Luria is one of those. I designed his landscape, and gardens, and I have planted a few of the bigger evergreens for him-but by and large, he has done this work himself. I can relate to that gardener that really does like the dirt. The perennial garden sits on top of a low elliptical wall, which strongly borders the space while the garden is dormant. 
lI tried very hard to dissuade him from having a perennial garden in his front yard, but working against me was how the house sits on the property. This neighborhood has large common areas that all the homeowners share. Thus most of his property, and almost all of his sun is in the front yard. I need not have worried. This garden is better than well looked after. It is the jewel of the neighborhood.
In the back yard, The woodland common property is faced down with a mix of shade perennials. This greatly helps to expand the visual space of the rear yard. I suspect he takes care of the woodlot as well. A round terrace/deck is notable for its beautiful iron railings. What I dislike about decks the most is what I see underneath them; I rarely see a surface treatment I find attractive. The undersides of decks also tend to accumulate tools, hoses, toys and the like. This deck has the illusion of being solid to the ground; the vertical wood planks add so much color and texture to this small garden. The stairs hug the deck radius, and spill out onto a second terrace, finished simply in gravel contained by black aluminum edger strip. The blue furniture looks great.
I so enjoy the gardens my clients make for themselves. Never would it occur to me to plant a cactus garden in an iron birdbath. Does this not look swell? I like everything about this small spot in his garden-the color, the textures-and most of all, the presence and personality of the head gardener.
Dr. Luria has been making things grow his whole life, and it shows. The plants are robustly happy and lush; how they look says everything about how much time he spends here. Though I am sure there are days he wonders what he took on here, the state of the garden gives no hint of that. Well grown plants are so much a part of what makes a garden beautiful.
He also does a beautiful job of adding annuals to his perennial mix. Any day you go by, something interesting is going on. In any given year, the annuals he fancies can change the complexion of the entire garden. It looks new and fresh every year. He may consult with me about this or that, but he makes the decisions.
