April showers bring May flowers and May brings the season of garden tours! Each year I look forward to touring other people’s gardens. I love being inspired by what designers have done to bring a space alive and to make it work for the homeowner’s needs. This year was no different. The first garden tour I attended was the Shipley Secret Gardens tour with alum and friend Marie. Grand estates and seldom seen gardens located in Haverford, Bryn Mawr, and Villanova, Pennsylvania revealed their treasures to us.
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| Landscaping used to provide a screen and soften the hard edges of the pool area |
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| A tiered garden with vertical accents and contrasting colors and textures |
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| The Appleford Estate with a serene pond and island of lush foliage |
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| A white garden – including the chair! |
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| A whimsical garden ornament |
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| A valance of clematis |
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| An inviting path from the pool |
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| Beautiful containers |
I have provided you with a sampling of the amazing venues we saw. Clearly, the first tour was inspiring, but I wanted more. The next weekend I attended the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) members’ tour which took place in Southern Chester County, Pennsylvania and Wilmington, Delaware. Each of the 8 gardens expressed a unique personality and welcomed visitors to enjoy and explore.
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| Wayne Guymon’s 10 acre garden paradise |
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| Wayne’s primary pond flanked with perennials |
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| An iron crow stands guard at a farm house |
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| An intricate garden gate |
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| A river of iris leads your eye to the birdhouse |
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| Repeating rhododendron |
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| A tree stump planter |
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| A miniature garden |
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| A garden fairy |
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| A rare pink lady slipper |
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| An Asian inspired garden |
I certainly hope you have enjoyed this virtual tour. Let me know your thoughts and your favorites. Remember, tis the season, so go outside and enjoy!
Lovely and I am so glad you are back publishing beautiful photo's and prose. Keep up the good work. My favorite is the "A tiered garden with vertical accents and contrasting colors and textures" followed by the River of Iris. And it is equally good to see people promote beautiful, lasting landscapes!
Thanks for your kind words John. It's encouraging to know I have readers and that they are enjoying my posts. Hope to see you here again next month!