FRONT GARDEN
The Front Garden is an English style garden with charming curving pathways and 3 beds filled to the brim with blooms. The color palette is cool toned throughout the year featuring silver, blue, and purple with touches of white. Read on for the maintenance program, plant names, and plant map.
Plant Map
March
August
May
October
What Blooms When
It’s no simple feat to have a garden in a constant state of bloom. The Front Garden features 4 main flushes of blooms throughout the year. Here’s a list of the flowering plants that make up each one of these seasonal shows. The full plant catalogue is featured below.
LATE WINTER / EARLY SPRING
Hellebore, Primrose, Crocus, Daffodil, Snow Drops, Cyclamen, Euphorbia, Edgeworthia
LATE SPRING
Hellebore, Primrose, Daffodil, Snow Drops, Cyclamen, Euphorbia, Tulip, Hyacinth, Spanish Bluebells, Brunnera, Columbine, Rhodedendron, Azalea, Allium, Spanish Lavender, Lamb’s Ear, native Bitter Cherry Tree, Hawthorne Tree, Lilac
EARLY SUMMER
Spanish Lavender, English Lavender, Foxglove, Larkspur, native Daisies, Ragged Robin, Roses, Bellflower, Coral Bells, Lady’s Mantel
LATE SUMMER / EARLY FALL
Hydrangea, Butterfly Bush, Dahlias, Gladiolas
Maintenance Program
January
Clean and sharpen all garden tools
Give the greenhouse or potting shed a good tidy
Pot up ‘mother’ dahlias indoors to take cuttings from later
Access the garden for interest and structure. Note locations where interest or structure are needed so they can be planted accordingly in the Fall.
February
Monthly Weeding
Prune Roses
Plant out primroses, crocus, cyclamens from the nursery if desired
Sew annual cool flower seeds indoors if desired
(Saponaria, bachelor buttons, orlaya, buplerum)
Take dahlia and geranium cuttings
March
Monthly Weeding
Compost and Mulch all beds
Tend to cool flower seeds indoors
Tend to dahlia and geranium cuttings
Sew summer annual seeds indoors if desired
April
Monthly Weeding
Water annual containers and baskets as needed
Plant out cool flower seedlings after hardening off
After Last frost:
Plant annual containers & hanging baskets with Geraniums
Plant out dahlia tubers
Plant new summer blooming bulbs if desired
(lilies, iris, gladiolas)
Order Fall planted bulbs from a reputable retailer
May
Monthly Weeding
Water annual containers and baskets as needed
Cut back Early Spring blooming plants
(hyacinth, daffodils, tulips)
Plant out dahlia cuttings
Plant our summer annual seedlings after hardening off
Feed acid loving plants with an organic acidic fertilizer
(Dr. Earth Acid Lovers 3-4-3)
June
Monthly Weeding
Water annual containers and baskets more frequently
Fertilize annual containers with an organic liquid fertilizer
(Moor Bloom 0-10-10)
As temperatures rise, water the entire garden deeply 1-2x a week keeping a close eye on any trees or shrubs planted within 1 year
July
Monthly Weeding
Water annual containers and baskets frequently
Continue to water the entire garden deeply 1-2x a week
Cut back Late Spring & Early Summer blooming plants,
particularly those you do not want to seed freely in the garden
(columbine, foxglove, lamb’s ear)
Pinch Dahlias and summer annual seedlings for branching and more prolific flowering
Direct sew sunflowers for Early Fall blooms if desired
October
Monthly Weeding
Before First Frost:
Cut back Late Summer & Early Fall blooming plants
(or leave them for the birds and insects to use as Winter habitat)
Plant bulbs that bloom in Spring
(crocus, hyacinth, daffodils, tulips)
Bring in Geranium ‘mothers’ for over wintering
Store hoses and tools for Winter
Winterize hose spigots
After First Frost:
Dig Dahlias, divide, and store tubers for Winter
August
Monthly Weeding
Water annual containers and baskets frequently
Continue to water the entire garden deeply 1-2x a week
Direct sew sunflowers for Late Fall blooms if desired
November
Review garden notes from throughout the year
Plan the next year’s garden
Order Summer blooming bulbs from a reputable retailer
(dahlias, lilies, iris, gladiolas)
Order annual seeds for Spring and Summer
September
Monthly Weeding
Water annual containers and baskets less as temperatures cool
Cease watering the entire garden
Plant trees and shrubs
Divide herbaceous perennials
(hostas, coneflowers, rudbekias)
December
rest, as the garden does
EVERGREEN TREES AND SHRUBS
Plant Catalogue
DECIDUOUS TREES AND SHRUBS
Butterfly Bush ‘Asian Moon’ (Buddleia)
Dogwood ‘Summer Fun’ (Cornus kousa)
Edgeworthia
Hibiscus ‘French Cabaret’ Purple
Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’
Hydrangea arborescens “Annabelle”
Lilac ‘Krasavista Moskvy’
BULBS AND TUBERS
Allium ‘Globemaster’
Daffodil
Dahlia
Gladiola
Hyacinth
Tulip
HERBACIOUS PERRENNIALS
Bellflower (Campanula persicifolia)
Calla Lily ‘Picasso’
Columbine ‘Blue Barlow’
Hellebore HGC ‘Ice N’Roses Bianco’
Hellebore HGC ‘Ice N’ Roses Merlot’
Hellebore HGC ‘Leona’
Hosta ‘Fragrant Bouquet’
Hosta ‘Remember Me’
Ragged Robin (double bloom)
ANNUALS
Cosmos
Feverfew
Larkspur
Zinnia
EVERGREEN FLOWERING PLANTS
Dusty Miller ‘New Look’
Lamb’s Ear
Rose Campion
EVERGREEN GROUND COVER
Golden Oregano (Origanum vulgare 'Aureum')
Creeping Phlox
HERBACIOUS GROUND COVER
Lady’s Mantel (Alchemilla mollis)
Serbian Bellflower (Campanula poscharskyana)
Blue Spruce ‘Baby Blue Eyes’
Blue Cedar
Alaskan Cedar ‘Green Arrow’
Boxwood (Buxus ‘Green Gem’)
Camelia ‘Winter’s Snowman’
Euphorbia ‘Silver Swan’
Lavender ‘Grosso’
Lavender ‘Silver Anouk"‘
Rhododendron ‘Impeditum’
Rhododendron ‘Rampo’
Rhododendron
BIENNIALS
Foxglove
Canterbury Bells (Campanula medium)