Hello fellow readers,
I had the privilege of visiting the in-process plants for the upcoming 20th Anniversary of the Springfest Garden Show. Meadowbrook Farms of Jenkintown PA is major player in propagating plants for the Philadelphia Flower Show as well. My colleague Marty Carson of Three Seasons’ garden is always one to look forward to. Just as we look forward to the grounding smell of good old dirt, especially following frozen nose hairs of our recent single digits.
The 25-acre estate was formerly the home of J. Liddon Pennock, Jr., well-known for floral and horticultural design. Meadowbrook Farm remains his garden legacy and is a nonprofit affiliate of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS). The gift shop to drool over and garden center with many specimen plants are open year-round. Tours of the gardens and estate house are offered spring through fall.
Nate, The Plant Whisperer
Nate of Meadowbrook Farm is a plant whisperer; a master of figuring out when to start plants and what to do to force them to be show-ready. He knows the ins and outs of the hot house versus cold house; timing blooms to make best of show. Not to mention, his knowledge of the ins and outs of fungus and disease and how to circumvent them.
While clicking away photos, my colleague and her management team were taking inventory of their show plants growth-in-progress. Their garden will be ‘a riot of bright colors’ describes Marty. There’s Achillea millefolium ‘Paprika’, a paprika-red Yarrow. Coreopsis ‘Sienna Sunset’ with burnt rust flowers. Geum ‘Totally Tangerine’ with tangerine flowers bursting above strawberry-like foliage. Plus, a hot orange Echinacea such as ‘Sombrero Flamenco Orange’. Then there’s Salvia nemorosa ‘Eastfriesland’ with deep violet flowering spikes. I couldn’t help but drool over one of the 2015 PHS Gold Medal winners. A Fernleaf Full Moon Maple, Acer japonicum ‘Aconitifolium’. A dwarf selection growing 8 to 10 feet tall and wide with fern-like foliage that emerges green in spring and turns brilliant crimson red come fall.
What a thrill it was to grab a color fix of magnificent plants that are sleeping everywhere else. You can grab a flower fix too! See you at the Springfest Garden Show. Garden dilemmas? askmarystone@gmail.com
Please say hello: I’ll be exhibiting at the upcoming Springfest Garden Show from March 17th through 20th at the Sussex County Fairgrounds located on 37 Plains Rd in Augusta, NJ. And on Friday March 18th at 2PM, join me and my colleague Marty Carson as we present a garden party tale to illustrate Ideal Plant Companions. Look forward to seeing you there!
