![]() Although the drought seems to be finally over this month, what can we expect in the coming year as a result? As our cities and towns enacted strict water bans, we gardeners watched helplessly as our new plantings and even established plants yellowed and then browned. This affected many perennials, trees, and shrubs, both in the wild and in our gardens. Most parts of Massachusetts and, in fact, much of the Northeast experienced a summer-long drought. The shape of the tuteur echoes the dwarf Alberta Spruce on the left and provides a focal point for the garden in all seasons. Although the garden has gone through many changes, the concept and some of the plantings have not changed in 24 years. It was replaced by the white tuteur, made for me by my brother-in-law. This kidney-shaped island garden was originally planted around a lone small apple tree that later succumbed to disease. I created my layered perennial garden so that I would have a nice view from my kitchen windows. I wanted to use bright, "hot" colors somewhere on my property, and this location seemed ideal since it was a little further from the house. Garden layers are made up of a variety of plants, some with complementary or contrasting colors, other with interesting shapes and textures." As he writes in his book: "The key to creating a many-layered garden is understanding and taking advantage of the ways plants grow and change through the seasons and over the years, providing different textures, colors, and effects and evoking a variety of feelings. In his excellent book, The Layered Garden, David Culp illustrates this concept with stunning photographs of his gardens at Brandywine Cottage in Bucks County, Penn. ![]() ![]() Burpee also acquired The Cook's Garden 10 years ago, and now offers some of the best gourmet veggies, greens, and herbs from around the world. Successful plant hybridizing by Burpee has led to some of the best vegetable and flower seeds for American growers. Not all European seeds performed well in America’s climate, so in 1888, Burpee bought a farm near Doylestown, Pennsylvania, and transformed it into a world-famous plant development facility. The field book, with corrections and deletions, became that year's Burpee catalogue. He kept a field book of data and observations, and during the voyage home he studied all his notes. By late summer he was in England, where he found the best flower breeders. He found that most of the best vegetable breeders of the time were German, Dutch, and Scandinavian. Atlee Burpee began selling seeds in the 1880s, he toured Europe every year, beginning in the south in early spring and making his way north, obtaining seed stock as he traveled.
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