A Garden That Shines in Spring

At a Glance

Size:100 landed estate

Location : Sergeantsville , New Jersey

Zone:6

Conditions : Full sun ; well - drained , fertile grime

geezerhood of the garden:25 years

When Ruth Ann Mummey and her married man first came to Bellsflower farm in 1995 , the 100 - Akko dimension was mostly bare theatre of operations . “ We named it Bellsflower because we could get wind the church Vanessa Stephen out of doors , ” says Ruth . Now the farm boasts several gardens wall the house , a pasture for the duad ’s favourite Belted Galloway cows , and a belittled wholesale glasshouse that specializes in holly ( Ilexspp . and cvs . , Zones 3–11 ) and other shrub . With few lynchpin to speak of , the property was a challenge for Ruth as she key out and found discrete garden seam . Luckily it had three things going for it : tons of space , plentiful Sunday , and copious , fertile soil .

Ruth ’s preferent area are within sight of the theatre : two bed filled with a intermixture of decorative grasses and ‘ public eye ’ hydrangea ( Hydrangea paniculata‘Limelight ’ , Zones 3–8 ) , which Ruth describes as “ wonderfully mild ” to stare upon from spring to late fall . Another main attraction on the belongings is the wonderful array of spring - bloom plants . Along the more formal front garden , a line of crape myrtles ( Lagerstroemiaspp . and cvs . , Zones 6–10 ) , include the kind ‘ Tonto ’ , ‘ Hopi ’ , and ‘ Pink Velour ’ , offers a gorgeous array of pinkish blooms in spring and resembles the efflorescence of flowering cherry ( Prunusspp . and cvs . , Zones 5–8 ) elsewhere in the landscape painting . Another spring focal point , and a Pastels reign supreme in spring . The foaming canopies of several type of flowering trees — include cherry , crabapples ( Malusspp . and cvs . , Zones 4–8 ) , and dogwoods ( Cornusspp . and cvs . , Zones 4–9)—add explosion of color throughout the property . favorite plant life for Ruth , is moss phlox ( Phlox subulataand cvs . , Zones 3–9 ) , which mature in ample masses around the property .

Ruth ’s advice from her 25 years curating Bellsflower farm ? Practice restraint . She says it ’s leisurely to impulse buy but that it ’s worth it to learn about a works before making the leverage to assure that its needs line up with your own . She says when she began the garden she suppose she want a more loose English - style garden , but as fourth dimension went on she set up that she enjoyed more formal silhouette and order . “ It ’s a lot more unemotional now than when we first started , ” she says .

Christine Alexander is the digital content manager forFine Gardening .

Photos : courtesy of Ruth Ann Mummey

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spring garden

Pastels reign supreme in spring.The frothy canopies of several types of flowering trees—including cherries, crabapples (Malusspp. and cvs., Zones 4–8), and dogwoods (Cornusspp. and cvs., Zones 4–9)—add explosions of color throughout the property.

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