Upon the urging of my dear friend, Carolyn, I am introducing the readers of The Blissful Gardeners to our garden in Prouts Neck, Maine. “Prouts”, as it is called by its aficionados, is best known as the site of some of Winslow Homer’s most famous seascapes. It is also a much beloved summer community that has been visited and cherished by five generations of my husband’s family. Our home, which is just down the road from the artist’s studio, was previous owned by an accomplished horticulturist.
From being a laboratory for exotic plant material our garden has evolved over the years into a classic herbaceous border. Mid-June to Labor Day define our time in Maine, and consequently, we look for varieties that are at their showiest in the summer months.
Hardy perennials that can reemerge year after year from a long winter’s rest with vigor and enthusiasm are the backbone of our garden. Like their human Yankee counterparts, these plants get along with the business of living with little fuss or affectation.
Veronicastrum (Culver’s Root)
Astrantia (Masterwort)
With two main borders and two island beds there is space enough to showcase a good selection of species. Drifts of ‘Walker’s Low’ Nepeta, Veronicastrum (Culver’s Root), Leucanthemum ‘Becky’ (Shasta Daisies), Alchemilla mollis (Lady’s Mantle), Astrantia (Masterwort), Stachys, Echinops (Globe Thistle) and Johnson’s Blue and Roxanne Geraniums are interspersed with David Austin ‘Simple to Grow’ roses, Buddleia, Physotegia (False Dragon Head) Plumbago and Phlox. Pinks, purples, blues and white are the dominate palette creating a romantic atmosphere of intersecting pastels.
Echinops (Globe Thistle)
Delphinium
Roxanne Geranium
In addition to the perennials the garden displays a good variety of hydrangeas including Macrophyllum ‘Endless Summer’, ‘Petiolaris’ (climbing hydrangea), Annabelle, Oakleaf, Peegee; Paniculata: ‘Limelight’, ‘Pink Diamond’ and ‘Winkie Pinkie’. With an ideal combination of sandy soil and temperate summer weather these shrubs thrive in all parts of coastal Maine.
Petiolaris (Climbing Hydrangea)
Bees buzz, birds sing, butterflies flap their wings in this small oasis. The Echinops and Nepeta are the bees’ particular favorites and do not always take kindly when their habitat is being pruned. Still it does my heart good to see these busy creatures so at home.
‘Walker’s Low’ Nepeta and one of Helen’s many happy bees
