Tuesday, June 27, 2017

The Eckerdt Garden, a highly anticipated stop on the Salem Study Weekend Tour...

Last weekend marked a year since I toured the gardens of the Salem Hardy Plant Society Study Weekend. After this post I still have over a half dozen gardens to write about. And people wonder why I write 5 times a week...so much material to share!!!

I can't remember exactly why I knew this garden would be fabulous I must have heard about it somewhere?

The description does make the garden sound enticing but my interest was not based on it alone: "Deerly Missed is the 2+acre garden surrounding our 1891 home. The garden is 25-years old and like your own, is ever changing. This past year an infestation of lacebug caused us to remove over 80 rhododendrons; consequently, we are in the throes of hunting for new treasures to fill in the gaps. We have integrated art with plants throughout the garden. Also featured is a large pond and a small seasonal creek. The garden is on flat ground with easily accessible pathways. Most of our plants are labeled. You can view images of our garden at: www.deerlymissed.smugmug.com. The Eckerdt’s garden is frequently included on major garden tours: Deerly Missed is a plant-collector’s paradise."

Anyway, let's have a look around....

Hmm, variegated Aralia...

Much love...

Arisaema of some sort?

I think I may have shared photos of this trellis in a previous post. While I wouldn't copy it exactly I find it extremely inspiring.

I've heard Rhododendrons with indumentum and tomentum are less susceptible to lacebug infestation. Perhaps that's why this beauty was allowed to stick around.

Blechnum chilense, I believe this was the first time I really "saw" this plant. Now I have one in my garden.

Mahonia eurybracteata

I overheard a group of ladies talking about this Clematis before I laid eyes on it. Their conversation included statements like "rare"..."hard to find"..."nobody can keep it alive"..."so striking"...so of course when I rounded the corner and saw what they were talking about I was suitably impressed.

And knew I had to find one and try my luck.

I'm already on my second plant and not willing to give up.

I have to admit in my memory the plant was so much more "substantial"...I was surprised when I started editing these photos just how small it was.

This bit of border wall runs perpendicular to the bits shown in the first two images, such a great old wall.

That's the house visible over the trees.

The walled garden was so much fun to explore.

The poppies were absolutely covered in bees. I stared at them for quite sometime, not realizing someone had walked up near me and was watching me watch the bees. "You're not afraid" she said when I turned to acknowledge her.

I suppose if I were allergic to bee stings I might have been. But thankfully that's not an issue.

The walls around this section of the garden not only utilized brick but also laser cut metal.

All kinds of fabulous!

This couple was wonderful. I started to take a photo of the covered pathway and they hesitated to continue, not wanting to "ruin" my photo. I encouraged them to continue and asked if it was okay to shoot them. "He" hammed it up a bit pretending to discover some plant gem.

I fear most people didn't look up and notice they were being watched.

The path around the "pond" (which really seemed more like a small lake)...

Cornus sanguinea 'Compressa'

Eryngium some something

Poppy seed heads and Peony foliage (?)

Back at the front of the property and the "exit" gate. We saw the "entrance" gate at the top of this long post.

Just a few plant close-ups and then we're done...Quercus dentata 'Pinnatifida'

Daphne x houtteana

And Daphne x burkwoodii 'Briggs Moonlight'... such a wonderful garden!

Weather Diary, June 26: Hi 78, Low 59 / Precip 0

All material © 2009-2017 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

22 comments:

  1. I adore those sections of brick wall with all those cool niches (forget the plants). This does look like a great garden. So, I fear it will be next summer before we see your 2017 Fling photos?

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    1. My goal is to have all the 2017 Fling destinations written about before the 2018 Fling. That seems doable...don't you think?

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  2. Oh my, the sort of garden that we wish we'll be able to visit in the future! Love the individual touches and innovative use of materials to both serve a purpose and serve as garden ornaments too. And the diversity of the planting too!

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    1. Wish I could take you guys there when you visit in September!

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  3. You are a fantastic photographer danger garden. I love your blog and am inspired to do more with my garden. This garden is amazing!

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    1. Thanks manicann, I'm so happy you've found this inspiring.

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  4. Removal of 80 rhododendrons! Wow, so painful. One must see it as an opportunity or it would be too devastating to handle. The silver-fuzz one that survived lights up the shady garden beautifully. I adore the antique brick wall with the whimsical add-ons as well as the iron gates. I'd be hard pressed to pick a favorite.

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    1. Only in a big garden, heavily planted, garden could you remove 80 plants and not be back to ground zero. I find that amazing.

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  5. Beautiful garden, love it. Love the niche filled wall, all the rusted metal art. I think if I ever get any garden art, it will be of the rusty metal variety. The owl was good.

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    1. The owl worked for me because it wasn't "in your face"...it was subtle.

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  6. I think it is Peony ludlowii. Fabulous plant combinations but the hardscaping is more like a public garden than a home. Pretty amazing place.


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    1. It's interesting that you see the hardscape as public garden-like. That thought has me looking at the garden in a slightly different way.

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  7. Love, love, love this garden! Removing 80 of any large plant would be devastating. The art, huge pond, fab plants - this place has it all.

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    1. Wish you could have been there in person, you would have had a great time.

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  8. I would love to see this garden irl! I love the wall with animals, all the cool metal art pieces and so many cool plants! LOL Alison...I still have a blog from Minn. I want to do!

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    1. A Salem Fling? Doubtful, but could be fun.

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  9. What a wonderful garden! We didn't make it to this one due to an emergency of a fellow companion. Sorry to have missed it, I really appreciate your writing and photos here.

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    1. I'm having a hard time remembering you being at the Salem Fling...what's wrong with me!? (glad you enjoyed the post)

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  10. You had me with the wall and all that dreamy metalwork...

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  11. Lovely pic of the Arisaema candidissimum. I can remember about 20 years ago when Plant Delights first offered it for sale; I was sure I would not be able to continue to live without it. The fever has passed, but it's one of the most appealing species of the (somewhat creepy) genus.

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    1. "I was sure I would not be able to continue to live without it"... you made my day with that sentence. All hardcore gardeners have been there at sometime.

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