Category: News

There is much in bloom here at Willowwood this week: in the Rosarie, several varieties of clematis, roses, white baptisia, luminously yellow evening primroses, and oakleaf hydrangea. In the Cottage Garden: hardy geraniums, white foxgloves, spotted deadnettle, lady’s mantle, poppies and cornflowers.
However, despite the abundance of blooms, June is really a month to celebrate the color green. Everywhere, leaves have filled out and transitioned from early-season coloring (often lighter yellow-green or reddish) to mature hues. Deep, satisfying tones of green surround us, and seem to quench a thirst that has built up during the drabber months of the year.
Plants whose interest is primarily from their foliage, like hostas, tiarellas and ferns, are looking spectacular now. Their leaves and fronds are fully grown, yet bright and fresh, still largely unblemished by the inevitable wear and tear that comes with living.
Taking a walk through Willowood’s woodland trails this time of year is a great way to get an intense dose of green that is both energizing and calming. The trails through the Bee Meadow are also lovely now, and will give you an excellent view of the curiously fluffy, popcorn-like catalpa flowers in bloom alongside the path.

May has been a spectacular month at Willowwood, and there is so much in bloom here now that a short report will hardly do it justice: you will simply have to come and see the gardens for yourself!

Later-flowering lilacs are still in bloom, and a stroll through the Lilac Collection will reward you with restful shades of pink, purple and blue, as well as drifts of scent. Now that summer temperatures seem to have arrived, continue through the Orchard and back down the Woodwalk for a shaded walk and cooling views of the brook. Rhododendrons are in bloom along the Woodwalk, as are herbaceous woodland plants like Solomon’s seal and candelabra primulas.

Pan’s Garden is also looking lovely at the moment, and can be reached easily from the Woodwalk. The white clematis ‘Guernsey Cream’ is in its element there now, and there are some lovely white irises and Jacob’s ladder in bloom as well.

In the Cottage Garden, the tapestry of perennials is getting taller practically by the minute and there is plenty in bloom, including irises and several varieties of clematis. Annuals of all stripes have also recently been planted out in the Cottage Garden, the Rosarie, and elsewhere; come have a look at them while they are small and watch them grow and fill out in the gardens over the course of the summer.

Willowwood and its adjacent sister property Bamboo Brook are open daily 8 am to dusk. No pets allowed.

The weather may have turned a bit cooler lately, but that hasn’t deterred the plants here at Willowwood, where spring is really at its peak. Redbuds and dogwoods are blooming; look for them near the entrance gate and along the woodland edge, visible across the meadows as you drive in. Crabapples have joined the chorus, and some of the later cherries and magnolias are still holding on to their flowers. Another stellar woody plant at its best now is Burkwood Viburnum, Viburnum x burkwoodii, which can be found growing near the Tubbs House. This viburnum has lovely clusters of small white flowers with a delicious, spicy fragrance.

LILACS are just beginning to bloom: take a stroll through the Lilac Collection to spot some early bloomers like Syringa vulgaris ‘Nadezhda’, Syringa x hyacinthiflora ‘Esther Staley’ and Syringa x hyacinthiflora ‘Lamartine’. Plenty of others are in bud and will be opening over the next few weeks, just in time for the Willowwood Foundation’s annual Lilac Party, Sunday May 15.

And several of the azaleas donated by Mrs. Lois Poinier are now blooming – go up the drive past the Tubbs House and past the Stone House up the walkway and they are off the path to the right.

Tulips continue to bloom in the beds in the Cottage Garden, Roserie, Pan’s Garden and elsewhere. The Rockery and Chive Walk are filled with all sorts of botanical treasures this time of year. Newly in bloom there are wood poppies, Stylophorum diphyllum, bleeding hearts, Dicentra sp., Trillium grandiflorum, Lathyrus vernus, and pasqueflower, Pulsatilla sp. Many of these herbaceous spring bloomers are spectacular, but don’t hold on to their flowers for long, so be sure to plan a trip to see them soon!