Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Garden Tour #2 - How Impressive!

This is #2 in our Smith County Master Gardeners Tour series.  We've already looked at the Kendig garden, a garden full of pathways around beds located on a cattle ranch.  Today, something completely different.  In fact, I really enjoyed the tour because each garden was so distinctive and different than the others.

Our next stop on the tour was the Holey garden, a very formal garden.  A very extensive garden.  This garden has been in their family since 1965 and - wow! - I think you'll be impressed.  Enjoy!

When you first approach, you know it's going to be something special.  The first thing you see is a fountain surrounded by roses and salvias, all situated on a private lake.

A beautiful pond continues to reflect the formal feel of this garden.  This adjoined the porch area.  Someone next to me pointed out the tadpoles in the pond.

Lakeside, under towering trees, is a smoking pit and table under a roofed gazebo.  The top of this table revolved around like a lazy susan, necessary since the table seats 18!

On the other side of the gazebo was a seating area with a swing looking toward the lake, surrounded by a white garden.  Here's a glimpse.  Wouldn't you just love to sit there curled up with a good book?

Further up, these sweet statues entice you into a formal area divided into four quadrants.  There were four statues, each representing one of the four seasons.  This was at the back of the house.

Each quadrant was lined with hollies, then boxwoods, filled with annuals and liriope.  This surrounded a three-tier fountain, and each entryway was topped with a crown of wisteria.  At the bottom of the fountain were goldfish! 

A bridge beckons you onward.  Even the creek was planted!  Who thinks of planting a creek?

A concrete statue of a boy with a jumping frog was placed in the water, visible only from the bridge.  A delightful surprise!

I had heard they had a rose garden, so I was most interested in seeing this garden.  It was the farthest garden area from the house, and completely fenced in.  See the brick columns?  There was an impressive scrolled iron gate that you walked through to get into the rose garden and to the greenhouse.

I could have stayed outside the rose garden forever, but I was too curious to linger.  And I could smell the sweet scent of roses from here!

The scent here was amazing.  There were matching beds on either side, with more rose beds along the fence line.  The pathways were gravel.  Hybrid teas, shrubs, and clematis in the inner beds, with old roses and Austins along the fence line.

The greenhouse was gorgeous.  Inside, it was filled with tropical plants, vines, and two matching chandeliers!

On our way out, another formal area beckons you to sit and enjoy.  A bench is on the left hand side. The knot garden is filled with herbs.  Fig trees line this garden area.  This bed joins the formal bed with the fountain.  Do you see the crown of wisteria (not in bloom) on the arched entryway?

A very lovely garden.  One that I could stay in for hours.  Although very formal, its feel was very relaxing.  What was most surprising was that this garden is not complete.  There were several new beds being added!  

I hope you enjoyed the tour!  

And if you missed it, you can see the Kendig garden (#1 on our garden tour) by clicking HERE.

19 comments:

  1. I can see the formal layout and also feel the relaxing atmosphere, what a great accomplishment.

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  2. This is another beautiful garden tour you have taken us along on. What an extensive and beautifully maintained garden, love all the little details.

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  3. Abso,utely beautiful! You had me at the very first phhoto - that lovely fountain with the roses and salvias ... just beautiful! Thank you for sharing!

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  4. What a great garden. Looks like an estate you would see back East.

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  5. I think I need to win some money so I can hire gardeners to work with me to create a garden like this..what do you think? I think it's a good plan :)

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  6. Darla - yes, it was a beautiful garden. I think the very mature trees helped with the relaxing atmosphere.

    Karen - The owners, I believe, are in the wholesale garden business, so yes, beautifully maintained by people that are knowledgeable.

    Gardening Blog - Me, too! I knew I was going to be in for a special treat when I saw the fountain - and then the lake!

    Tufa Girl - Well, I need to visit the East, then, because I thoroughly enjoyed seeing this property.

    Donna - Win some money - yes. Please win enough for both of us!

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  7. Ok, I am NOT a person who covets things, but that GREENHOUSE, oh my...I would love to have one.

    Plant your cannas in a big pot or half barrel...you'll be happy you did.

    All garden joys,

    Sharon Lovejoy Writes from Sunflower House and a Little Green Island

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  8. Sharon - thanks for the canna save! And yes, the greenhouse was to die for!

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  9. That was an amazing garden. A lot of work has gone into that one. It all seemed to fit together.

    A number of years ago I went on a garden tour with my parents and was very impressed with some of them and not so impressed with others.

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  10. Thank you for the tour! I wish I had a private lake too...

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  11. Another beautiful tour. Those pathways are immaculate! I wonder if they have to be raked all the time.

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  12. Marcia - This garden was quite cohesive, and impressive in just the vast amount of area that it covered. I did notice that a lot of the plantings were actually quite low maintenance. Since gardens convey the gardener's personality, it's amazing how different they all can be.

    Masha - Yes, me, too. This one must have been spring-fed, because it was full, and most of the lakes around here are quite low.

    Marguerite - I hadn't thought of it until you mentioned it. I wouldn't want that job!

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  13. Wow, this is indeed a grand garden! I am happy to see that some people still indulge in the luxury to maintain an estate like garden of this scale. I truly enjoyed the tour. Thanks, Holley!
    Christina

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  14. The roses and greenhouse look amazing, so picture perfect! Such inspiration to work towards...

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  15. Christina - In this day, it is not often we see large gardens such as this, at least not here, and it was quite a surprise and delight to see. I loved this garden, but don't think I would want to be in charge of maintaining it!

    Kelli - It really did have some great ideas - like planting the creek! Who would have thought of that? I love seeing large gardens like this, then trying to figure out if I can incorporate it (in a smaller scale) in my garden.

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  16. I love the layout of the garden with water features to accentuates the beauty of the plants and blooms. Beautiful rose garden, wish I could smell the roses!

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  17. p3chandan - The scent of the roses was intoxicating. Loved the water features, too. Although formal, all the water features somehow seemed more natural next to the lake.

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  18. Wow! Loved the tour! The boxwood and liriope photo was great to see because I am trying something similar. Oh, and the table that sits 18 - awesome!

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  19. Kelsey - I hope your bed turns out to be beautiful. I think boxwood and liriope are perfect together. Very classic - but actually quite easy to maintain.

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