I hate my garden.
I need more height in my garden.
My garden needs to be more fun and loose.
My garden needs more chaos.
I need to take advantage of self-seeding plants.
I need more mature trees.
I need more seating in my garden.
I need more meandering paths.
I need more plants with lingering seedheads.
All of these thoughts raced through my head after I left The Garden at Federal Twist this past Saturday. This was my third visit to this local garden (literally 5 miles away from my own home) in the past year and I’ve enjoyed chatting with its owner, James Golden, a number of times as well.
To read the history of the garden, click here.
This is my ideal garden and the greatest by far, that I’ve ever seen in person. I’m already anxious to make a return visit in the fall. Massing of giant perennials, ornamental grasses, water features, paths leading to private seating areas, sculptures = heaven on earth. If I don’t walk away with ideas and inspiration, I’m a bleeping idiot.
Here are the pics. Where I can, I’ve identified the plants based on James’ feedback and from scouring his website:
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| Filipendula rubra in the background |
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| Iris ensata |
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| Ligularia japonica |
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| Button Bush |
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| Rattlesnake master |
And possibly my favorite pic with the tree framing the entire garden below:
A true gem and inspiration.
I vow to create my own mini version of this garden somewhere in my garden in the near future as a shout-out.
Thank you James.
Fantastic garden but certainly intimidating in any comparison. Thanks for sharing your summer tour. Even though I couldn’t grow 90% of those plants (or more, under our current drought conditions), it inspires dreaming.
Well, for pity sake. I was just starting to like my own little garden and then you had to go and pull this stunt! I AM taking advantage of self-seeding ceanothus, dusty miller (mine is in full bloom) hostas, zinnias, etc.
Okay, the over all effect is not anything like the pics above, but give a girl a break won’t you? I do have three seating areas now. Yeesh – you are relentless….
*gasp* Federal Twist has….daylilies?! the next thing ya know you’ll be wanting hostas
I continue to be inspired and moved by your lovely garden and the genius of your creativity. I’m working with what I have and grateful for your generous inspiration. I also long to have your knowledge, creativity, land and sun. Nevertheless I am learning to work with what I’ve got and making progress.
Sorry, too overwhelming. Though I respect your work I can’t understand such obsession with grasses and herbaceous plants. It’s very nice to see pictures for magazine and blogs but I just found very, very few people that that would like to have a garden like that. Many do it just because it’s sort of “in fashion” and most people find it too burdening and not graceful at all. I hate tidy gardens but these chaotic ones are not for everyone. Just an opinion. Regards!
Lovely photos – thanks for sharing. But don’t hate on your own garden because it isn’t like another garden. All those “i needs” are manageable with time, effort, patience, and vision. Best get on the “I need more mature trees” soonest though, that’s a tough one!!
It’s a gorgeous garden and also looks fairly labor intensive with all of those gorgeous herbacious plants! You can do this once the kids are grown – they’re only young once!