I am Char Barnes, and I have been gardening at the same southwestern Connecticut house for more than twenty years. During that time it has gone from a neglected plot to a picturesque garden with paths and curved beds loaded with flowers. I have planted trees, shrubs, perennials, and annuals.
Everything on this site is based on my personal experience and opinion, and I have plenty of both.
My home is near Sound Beach Avenue, south of OG train station (the post office is around the corner from me.) It's a quarter acre lot and my front garden faces east. I have been gardening here for over 25 years, and it gives me great joy. I hope you can share a bit of that joy with me.
The front has a U shaped mixed border that runs along the street, up the driveway, and the front of my porch.
From Highview from the northwest
Up the driveway
In front of the porch
Turn to the side path
View from my porch - about 2016
There is a pathway that runs on the south side of my porch to the back garden, which is in a long term growth stage. I am working on creating an belgian fence with apple trees (it's a long process, I started four years ago with whips and I don't expect apples for a few more years.) I don’t know if I have ever seen one in the US, so I relied on photos, web articles, pruning books, experience and luck (both good and bad.)
This used to be the site of a beautiful rhododendron ‘King George’ that died this year. I first saw the variety in bloom in Kew Gardens in the late 1990s. Its huge flowers were a soft pink and they smelled like heaven. I finally found a specialty company that mailed me a rooted cutting in a four inch pot. It grew into a 6’ tall and 8’ wide shrub that produced tons of these flowers, but it started dying a couple of years ago. It didn’t have any symptoms: it just gave up.
I think that I am going turn that area into a cutting garden: it’s perfect for tall flowers that need full sun.
This area is characterized by "bright shade" from the 50' canopy of 100 year old oak trees. The lawn is REALLY AWFUL because I am not a "lawn person" and we recently got two very energetic dogs (seemed like a good idea at the time.)
It is a "work in progress" because I am finalizing my plan and I try to do most of the work myself. It also has some beautiful japanese maples and large pink kalmia ( which will unfortunately be post-bloom.)
Jaoanese maple on a misty May morning last spring.
Kieran enjoying the tree about 2005
Audrey (far right) in front of Kalmia l. ‘Sarah’ in 2017
I am particularly pleased with my potting/compost area behind my garage, which can only be appreciated by other gardeners.
I am hoping that my japanese iris will be in full bloom (I am very proud of them, as most people in my club can tell you) and the stokesia and balloon flowers should be starting as well. I am trying to edge most of the border in nasturtium 'Alaska' (we will know how well it is working by next week!) The stewartia should continue to flower and some of the high summer plants may be peeking out as well.
Iris ensata “sing the blues”
Iris ensata ‘danseur noble’ in the late afternoon
My daughter hates ut when I show people this picture
Two years ago
I have been working on this garden for years and I am pretty pleased with it. I couldn’t garden much last year, so this is a "rebuilding" year. I would really value others insites, advice, and opinions (which I may ignore, but I hate it when people are insincerely complimentary.) I love talking about my garden (ask my family!) and I am happy to share the good, the bad, and the ugly.