Galanthus Nivalis at Carolyn’s Shade Gardens

Calling all Galanthophiles

(That’s a British word for gardeners obsessed with snowdrops)

Galanthus nivalis at Carolyn’s Shade Gardens

Carolyn Walker of Carolyn’s Shade Gardens writes that ” buying snowdrops ‘in the green’ (as they say in the snowdrop world), rather than as bulbs in the fall, is the best way to insure vigorous healthy plants. You will also be able to enjoy the blooms immediately as most plants will be flowering when you receive them. ” She has teamed up with the famous Swarthmore gardener Charles Cresson to make available some of his exceptional heirloom varieties. Charles teaches the bulb course at Longwood Gardens (among other accomplishments) and has traded with numerous garden friends and snowdrop enthusiasts to amass an amazing collection of snowdrops, some of uniquely local origin.

Carolyn is also offering four additional winter interest plants: a miniature arum, a special crocus, a spectacular hardy cyclamen, and an early-blooming Christmas rose.”

GALANTHUS: Common snowdrops (G. nivalis) appear naturalized throughout Carolyn Walker’s garden. The wonderfully honey-scented, white flowers appear by the thousands from February through March-a signal that winter is ending. By adding unusual varieties, one can extend the snowdrop bloom season from mid-fall through spring. For example, ‘Potter’s Prelude’ blooms in the fall, while G. elwesii, ‘S. Arnott’, and ‘Atkinsii’ bloom in the winter before the common snowdrop. A great companion plant for hellebores, snowdrops grow in full sun to full shade and are usually not picky about soil. Deer resistant and summer dormant. For more photos, use Google images.

To Order: If you would like to order any listed in the above paragraph, please send Carolyn an email to carolynsshadegardens@verizon.net with the plant name, quantity, your name, and telephone number. Supplies are limited (except for G. nivalis) so order early. You will receive an email confirming your order, amount owed, and outlining pick up options for late February or early March. Any snowdrops purchased can be planted in your garden immediately or enjoyed in the pot until they are planted later in the spring.

More photos from Carolyn Walker’s Shade gardens that are for sale will appear in the next column.

Carolyn Walker’s Garden Catalog

Dear Readers, I am letting you read a letter I received from one of my favorite spring plant gardeners who also sells her plants and has a wonderful catalog – with Latin names – so you can order plants you want for your own home. This is Carolyn’s Shade Gardens.

If you live in or are visiting the area, by all means, visit Carolyn Walker’s home and charmingly delightful garden where you will see every plant she sells, happily growing and you can buy the plants you love seeing on her property. Carolyn’s Shade Garden sells quality plants and this GardenLady recommends them. If you meet Carolyn , tell her you read about her sale on TheGardenLady.

Happy New Year to you and your family!

I am sending out my catalog (here it is CATA2010) early this year to serve as a brief respite from the cold weather we have been experiencing. Curl up by the fire or in bed and enjoy this glimpse of warmer weather to come. I must admit, winter is not my favorite time of year. Even now though, I have plants in bloom: the snowdrop ‘Potter’s Prelude’ and the Christmas rose ‘Jacob’, among others. My gardens provide me with a restful sanctuary from the stresses of daily life and, this year, the difficult economic times we still face. I hope you can also seek solace in your gardens. For a small investment in plants, there is a big reward.

Plants can also be a positive step in sustaining the environment. When I read Doug Tallamy’s book Bringing Nature Home, I finally understood why native plants are not only desirable but crucial to the survival of our world. His book has inspired me to do more to promote native plants. When you read the attached catalogue, you will see that all native plants appear in green so you can easily find them. Look also for plants marked New to read about some exciting introductions to my list.

Please come to Carolyn’s Shade Gardens this spring to see what plants you can add to your own refuge from the cares of the world—your garden.

Enjoy the catalogue,

Carolyn.

Oct 3 Open House for Carolyn’s Shade Garden

Carolyns Shade Garden in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
Carolyn's Shade Garden in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania

Carolyn is opening her shade garden to the public on Saturday, October 3, from 10 am to 2 pm, rain or shine (checks and cash only).  The following information about the open house is from Carolyn herself.

Please don’t arrive before 10 am. If you can’t come on Saturday, please feel free to schedule an appointment on Friday, October 2, or during the week after the open house.

Parking and Directions: Directions are attached. If you are coming on Saturday, please take a moment to review the parking instructions included with the attached directions. Complaints from neighbors about the parking situation can be avoided by following these simple guidelines.

Now that summer is over, it’s time to think about transforming your fall garden with late-blooming flowers and beautiful ornamental leaves. Fill in spots left by dormant plants, screen tired hosta, add flowers, include hellebores for winter interest—enjoy your garden year round. Fall is the best time to plant because soil temperatures are elevated into December, but new plantings don’t have to contend with hot weather and drought (that’s why bulbs are shipped to our area in October). The plants that I plant in fall are some of the healthiest specimens in my garden. Make your fall garden as beautiful as your spring display!

This open house will offer blooming, specimen size turtlehead, toad-lily, garden phlox, Japanese anemone, hardy begonia (pink and white), and much more. We will also have unusual ferns (including the much-requested holly fern) and plants grown for leaves as well as flowers such as purple, caramel, and lemon coral bells. There will be a good supply of the plant everyone has been asking for—Geranium ‘Rozanne’ (flowers continuously and copiously from May until frost)—and of the 2008 Hosta of the Year ‘Blue Mouse Ears’.

Hellebores: Hellebores have been in demand the last few falls so I have potted up some beautiful, large ‘Blue, White, and Pink Lady’ hellebores for the sale. My own double white plants, ‘Double Integrity’, are huge and ready to sell, and I will also offer the mixed color ‘Double Queen’. I have potted up some very nice specimens of ‘Honeyhill Joy’, a vigorous Christmas rose-Corsican cross with shiny dark green leaves and white, outward-facing flowers. There will also be a good supply of the early blooming (November) and vigorous Christmas rose cultivar ‘Jacob’.

Reusable Plant Crates, Boxes, and Pots: If you took a plastic crate at a previous open house, don’t forget to reuse it on Saturday. Please continue to bring cardboard boxes–we always need more. I am happy to reuse my pots but only if they are black nursery pots with a 100, 200, or 400 on the bottom. Please check the bottom of the pots before bringing them as unusable pots are creating a trash problem.

Questions: My catalogue is an excellent resource for information about the ornamental characteristics and cultural requirements of the plants I offer. I often find incorrect information on the preprinted plastic plant tags and recommend that you go to my catalogue first. Email me to request a copy. Printed copies will be available at the open house. If your question is not covered in the catalogue, please feel free to consult one of my knowledgeable open house “volunteers” in the yellow hats.

Stop by on Saturday and see my gardens. The manicured look of spring has been replaced with the bold and rangy (weedy) look of fall. You can see my collection of toad-lilies in bloom and my wildly self-sowing hardy begonias, as well as unusual ferns, hardy cyclamen, Japanese anemone, phlox in all its many colors, ornamental grasses, and many other fall beauties. I look forward to seeing you then.

Thanks, Carolyn