Wednesday, June 16, 2010

I Went To A Garden Party

I should say I went to a Garden Club Party (the fun group) at a gorgeous property that looks more like an arboretum than a backyard garden.  It is over three acres, and I know we did not see more than half of the woodland garden.  This property is owned by a real plantswoman who is a student of horticulture and has tended this expansive vista for almost forty years.

I dug plants here more than a month ago for a plant sale benefiting our local historical house, and today she opened her home for an end of the year festivity.  We all signed up to make an appetizer or dessert and had our last meeting of the season on the patio taking in the breathtaking views.  It has rained for the last few days, including during the morning and afternoon, but it seemed to have stopped just for our occasion.

Again, this is a property that requires a lot of work, daily work, until the snow falls.  The deer had broken through the protective fence and had a feast on some of the decorative containers, and I'm complaining about rabbits! 

This group is diverse, with different ages, backgrounds, small gardens, large gardens, no gardens anymore, and balcony gardens in the condo they have moved to as they aged.  Real gardeners live on through others efforts!

Wasn't it Ricky Nelson who sang, "I Went To A Garden Party," except he meant Madison Square Garden, not our type of garden!