Susan Boyle’s remarkable singing in April of “I Dreamed A Dream” – both electrifying and deeply touching to me – was also a call to action to all dreamers, myself included.
As I planted seeds, and dreamed of gardens to be – it was hope and a promise: the wild wind of beauty unfurling like a new leaf, shining in all its young glory.
I dreamed of the harvest and harvests to come – of tasting our first Violetta figs, of sweet red corn, red brussel sprouts, tons of basil…of the tarragon and lemon verbena for Terry’s special baked salmon, and of more marigolds than you see in “Monsoon Wedding.”
African marigolds (tagetes erecta), 30 inches tall, with gorgeous, almost everlasting saffron-colored blossoms, have won my heart.
Mountain marigold (tagetes lemmonii) and Mexican tarragon (tagetes lucida) are perennial and culinary.
The Moun-tain marigold, with its pungent citrus aroma, we use for cream and cheese sauces – especially good with lamb meatballs and pasta. It grows to 5 feet, with pretty, deep golden-yellow flowers. Mexican tarragon (18 inches) is as you would expect, but leaning towards anise in flavor.
Ano-ther new plant in our herb garden is Medit-erran-ean thyme (thymus capitata) – a hardy evergreen shrub that grows to 24 inches.
Intensely aromatic, it is the premier thyme for honey in Greece. I remember picking tiny sprigs of it in Crete for our evening meals on the way down from the market in Foufoura.
I think it should also go in the main garden, as it makes a fragrant edge with its pretty clouds of violet blossoms.The snow and rain and heat seemed to have worked a special magic this year.
In June the black locust grove burst into the best bloom ever. We looked up into 100 feet of sweet orange and jasmin-scented blooms. Honey and mason bees circled every layer from top to bottom, their droning made it even more voluptuous.
We still are enjoying golden jasmin (jasmin offic. Fiona’s sunrise), oriental lilies, trumpet flowers (brugmansia) and gardenias on the porch where we lived in the evenings during the long heat wave.
Gardenia “Frost Proof” – the new Holy Grail of gardenias – is hardy to zone 7, has a beautiful full-bodied double flower, with the intoxicating fragrance you would expect.
Finally, the dream throughout this year are the Hardy Grevilleas. These plants are evergreen, with beautiful red- and orange-toned (mostly) flowers, gracing the plants often throughout the year, and are a hummingbird’s delight. Sunlovers, which blend with many plants – from hebes to hardy olives – also have an affinity with pines and rosemary.
August is the time to take cuttings of grevilleas, as well as some other favorites, such as cistus and bay laurel). We are not by any means done yet…the dream of this year, and years to come, goes on.
Terri Stanley gardens and designs landscapes.
