gardens Archives - Amy Hirsch

Fall Gardening

This year it was a pleasant surprise to see my gardens showing color longer than usual.

This year it was a pleasant surprise to see my gardens showing color longer than usual. The warmer weather has kept the gardens alive. I am not a fall or winter person, but I love to see the trees turn and with the red, pink and orange hues, the gardens take on a whole other dimension. When planting the garden you have to plan so there will be constant color throughout the season. There are quite a few plants that bloom late in the season, adding color to the gardens into the fall.

Hydrangea Trees are a wonderful addition to your garden if you have space for them. I have a few different varieties, but one that I love is Hydrangea paniculata “Pink Diamond,” which starts out white and turns a deep pink and is so beautiful this time of year. Other late blooming plants are Chelone “Hot Lips,” a dark green leaf with a pink flower; Chelone “Alba,” which has a white flower, and Anemones “September Charm,” which is a wonderful plant with a delicate light pink flower. I also have Asters, a vibrant light blue plant variety called “Woods Light Blue” that is quite gorgeous. Eupatorium Rugosum “Chocolate” is a variety that has white flowers with chocolate leaves and looks great mixed in a bouquet of roses.

Chelone “Hotlips," Pennisetum “Karley Rose," and Anemone — Chelone “Hotlips,” Pennisetum “Karley Rose,” and Anemone

Of course knock out roses and shrub roses will keep going for quite awhile. “Lady Elsie May” is an ever-blooming shrub rose which is great. Dahlias make great cut flowers this time of year. Grasses they are the true beauty of a fall garden, especially when the sun glistens through them and they sway in the breeze. There are so many different varieties to choose from. A few of my favorites are Miscanthus Sinensis “ Morning Light,” Penniseteum Orientle “Karly Rose,” and Panicum V. “Red Switch Grass.” Of course, do not forget the sedums! “Autumn Joy” is my favorite.

As I write this the gardens are fading and in a few weeks it will be time to get the gardens ready for the winter by cutting back the perennials and cleaning up the beds. If you have any delicate trees or fruit trees, you will want to cover them for the winter. It is also the time to think about next year. Fall is a great time to plant any new plants and shrubs, and to transplant any plants that you want to move or divide. It is also the time to plant bulbs for spring flowers and place a thin layer of mulch down. When this work is done, you’ll have all winter to look forward to new blooms in spring!

Garden Follies

Garden follies are fantastic structures.

Garden follies are fantastic structures. They vary from other garden ornaments in that they imitate buildings and aren’t simply sculptures. Traditionally, follies are designed to look like ruins or temples, but they can also be extravagant, fanciful, and improbable. They’re an incredible way to create an otherworldly feel!

mussenden temple ireland — Mussenden Temple, based on Tivoli’s Temple of Vesta, in Co Derry, Ireland. Image via The Guardian.

Many 18th Century European gardens included follies. A true garden folly has no purpose other than to embellish the garden. They weren’t built for storage or shelter, but simply existed as a stylish addition to the extensive manicured grounds owned by the wealthy. In fact, the world folly comes from the French word “folie,” meaning madness or silliness.

The Oriental summerhouse at Veitschöhheim, Bavaria. Designed in 1768 by Ferdinand Tietz.

Garden folly at Chateua Groussay, France. Image via The Classicist Blog.

The Initiation Well at Quinta da Regaleira, Portugal.

Even if you don’t have a traditional European garden, you can take inspiration from these amazing follies when designing your own landscape. Put a modern twist on the garden folly concept by creating unique structures in the garden or along a wooded path. A gazebo or loggia can also be designed with a nod to classic follies.

A modern folly design by The Collins Group, SC.

Bunny Williams designed this temple-inspired pool area.

Side view of the Bunny Williams pool area.

Would you consider adding a garden folly to your landscape?

Container Gardening

With the start of the gardening season, I am looking forward to one of my favorite forms of gardening: container planting.

With the start of the gardening season, I am looking forward to one of my favorite forms of gardening: container planting. I love to plant flowers in containers, and when the seasons change I will plant containers to reflect the time of the year.

Summer is by far my favorite time to plant because there are so many different flower varieties to choose from and all are so vibrant with color. It is an art to be able to create and design with plants, and the type of containers you choose to showcase your plants is almost as important as the flowers themselves.

amy aidinis hirsch greenwich ct design 2 — Examples of container plantings in my garden.

First, you will need to decide if your pots will be placed in a sunny location, a shady spot, or where they’ll receive a mix of sun and shade. The type of plants you use will depend on the amount of sun in each location. There have been times that I have had to replace plants that did not last the season, either due to using incorrect plants, overcrowding, or, of course, the weather.

If you do not have any knowledge of plants, you will have to depend on your local garden shop. I have been fortunate to learn from a knowledgeable person for years who has taught me a great deal about plants and the planting of containers. There has to be symmetrical balance of the plants, and the size of the pot will determine the amount of plants used.

Annuals are plants most widely used for containers. I decide on a color palette and then choose the type of plants I will use. Some of my favorite annuals to use are geraniums, calibrachoas, verbena, angelonia and bacopa.

container garden urn — An urn planted with Verbena, Angelonia, Geraniums,and Bacopa.

Rose Standard Topiary Trees and Bougainvillea Topiary Trees make a great focal point. I will under plant them with an annual such as verbena or bacopa. Another favorite option of mine is putting Dwarf Hydrangeas in containers. They need a shadier area or else they will wilt. After the season is over, you can transplant them in your garden.

amy aidinis hirsch greenwich ct design 6 — Bougainvillea Topiary

I also like to do containers of mixed sedums, or a container of a creeping sedum. They are quite interesting. Boxwood Topiaries make a simple statement and, come winter, the Topiary looks great alone or under planted with greens.

My containers sit amongst my perennials and herbs as well as on ledges and walkways. They are a menagerie of all shapes and sizes. A lot of planning and work is involved in planning a container garden, but there is a satisfaction you get in knowing you have created something that is beautiful to behold all season!

amy aidinis hirsch greenwich ct design 5 — Using a trestle in a container allows climbing plants to spread upward.

I hope you enjoy some of the containers I have done. I am getting ready to start a new season and cannot wait!

Landscape Design Books

The arrival of spring and (hopefully!) warmer temperatures often inspires people to start thinking about gardening and landscaping.

The arrival of spring and (hopefully!) warmer temperatures often inspires people to start thinking about gardening and landscaping. I believe the outside of a home always has to relate to the inside — ideally, the interior designer and landscape architect will speak to each other to ensure the interior and exterior layouts relate to each other. Even though they are the domains of two different artists, the interior and exterior should be respectful to each other. I’m always aware of exterior elements when designing someone’s interior.

Landscape architecture books are a great source of inspiration when planning your exterior, whether you prefer a serene escape or a gathering place for friends and family. I highly recommend these six books as inspiration!

1. The Private Oasis: The Landscape Architecture of Edmund Hollander Design by Phillip Langdon

2. In the Garden by Stacy Bass

3. The Vertical Garden: From Nature to the City by Patrick Blanc

4. Landprints: The Landscape Design of Bernard Trainor by Susan Heeger and Bernard Trainor

5. Private Paradise: Contemporary American Gardens by Charlotte M. Frieze

6. The Landscape Designs of Doyle Herman Design Associates by Kathryn Herman and James Doyle. This one hasn’t been released yet, but it’s on my much-anticipated summer reading list!

Do you have any favorite landscape design books?

Orchid Show at NY Botantical Gardens

With the start of Spring this week, the 11th annual Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Gardens is a must see.

With the start of Spring this week, the 11th annual Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Gardens is a must see. The beauty of the orchids, one more exotic than the next, is a fascinating experience to behold.

new york botanical garden orchid show 2013 2 — A glimpse of what the Orchid Show has to offer.

The show, which runs from March 2 to April 22, 2013, is a spectacular exhibit that displays thousands of orchids in the country’s largest curated show. The Enid A. Haupt Conservatory has been transformed into a lush rainforest where the orchids are displayed in an amazing array of colors, shapes, sizes and textures. Tens of thousands of blooms stand out amid stately palms and exotic tropical leaves.

This year they have incorporated into the show Hurricane Sandy storm damaged trees as a design element and an acknowledgement of how orchids grow in the wild. The New York Botanical Gardens has orchids from all over the world, there are more than 7,000 orchids representing 3,075 different varieties in their collection.

new york botanical garden orchid show 2013 3 — The Orchid Show aims to display these gorgeous flowers as they would grow in the wild.

There also are special programs you can attend, including orchid care demonstrations, talks, and tours, to name a few. Located in the Bronx, New York, it is well worth a trip to experience the Orchid Show. Enjoy more photos of these mysterious flowers!

new york botanical garden orchid show 2013 1 — Darwin’s Star Orchid

This year’s show includes a rare event — the Darwin’s Star Orchid in bloom. The Botanical Garden rarely gets to share this flower with visitors while it is in gorgeous full bloom. Visitors often look for this flower, not only because of its elegant beauty but because of its associate with Charles Darwin. Legend has it, Charles Darwin was sent one of these orchids. When he examined it, Darwin theorized there must be an insect with a long proboscis capable of reaching the nectar at the bottom of this long, narrow flower and, in the process, enabling the orchid to be pollinated. No such insect could be found, however, and many scientists ridiculed Darwin for his unsupported theory. It wasn’t until decades later that a hawk moth fitting Darwin’s exact description was found to be drinking from and pollinating these orchids late at night when their activity had been completely unobserved. Darwin’s Star Orchid turned out to be a perfect example of co-evolution.

new york botanical garden orchid show 2013 4 — Black Buddha cross with Spellbound

new york botanical garden orchid show 2013 5 — The Nun’s Habit

To learn more about the show and its special programs or to plan a visit, go to the New York Botanical Garden website or find them on Facebook.