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Although this could very well be a picture of me finding a new treasure at a favorite nursery, it's actually an illustration by David Catrow for a children's book called Plantzilla.

Friday, December 8, 2017

A Little Summer Warmth - The Garden of John A. Wott

Back in July, Alison and I had the pleasure of touring the garden of John Wott and chatting with the current gardener there,  the talented and wonderful Preston Pew.  Author, garden designer, nursery owner, and genuinely nice person, Sean Hogan was also on hand to answer questions. The midday sun was not helpful in capturing images of this delightful and lush garden and I apologize in advance for the image quality. 


"The original garden, established in 1994, contained many plants selected by Dan Hinkley, Heronswood. The decks and trellis were designed by Robert Jones."

Notice the groovy emerging leaves of Amorphophallus konjac.

"The intent was to showcase rare and unusual plants, supplemented by perennials.  

After twenty years, the garden was overgrown, and in early 2015, most plants were removed, along with the hot tub and some structures.  The soil was completely renovated, and a completely new palette of plants, again largely selected by D. Hinkley was established."



Dianthus caryophyllus 'Chomley Farran.' According to Annie's Annuals website, "This is the only remnant available in the U.S. of the type of Carnation or Dianthus so beloved by plant breeders of the 1700s and 1800’s. Sadly, there used to be over 200 of these striped varieties called “Bizarres” now lost to cultivation."  This color combination is glorious; the dangling habit of the blooms is less endearing.












"Some of the original plants were retained.  Under the supervision of gardener Preston Pew, color is provided through seasonal movable pots along with many seasonal succulents.

Can you feel the warmth?  Oh how I miss summer!


"Several hundred plants showcase themselves during the year, with something always in bloom."

Thank you, Dr. Wott, for sharing your beautiful garden with all of us!

11 comments:

  1. Yay! How wonderful to finally see this beautiful garden that I've heard about from Preston. I had no idea there were so many spikes though!

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  2. There is something wonderful about seeing a July garden in the second week December: even the sun seem tolerable that way. I adore the grouping in the hypertufa container.
    The scent of Dianthus is a favorite of mine. The only ones hardy in my garden are the very short, tuft like bluish cushions: their small flowers carry a knock out fragrance.

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  3. That was a fun day, and I was just thinking about this garden yesterday. I need to go back over my backlog of photos and do some posting. I do love the flowers of Chomley Farran but its growth habit not so much. I yanked my two plants out this fall and tossed them into the yard waste bin.

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  4. Our skies are blue this week, but without the warmth I sense in these photos. Thanks for that.

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  5. I have always dreamed about being able to rip out everything, get some good soil and start over. Gee, this is a dreamy garden. So many tropicalisk plants. Love the sunshine, especially today when it only
    got up to 29F. Brrrr

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  6. Oh, to have Dan Hinkley consult on plant selection!

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  7. I cannot imagine an entire garden renovation, though I probably should start thinking about it myself. What a lot of work that would be, though. I've never seen those dianthus before and the cactus are amazing, too.

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  8. Can't even imagine ripping it out and starting over, with advice fron Dan Hinkley no less! Wow.

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  9. Yes, I want to be back in July. I want to be back in THIS garden in July! Wow, starting over from scratch--that's unbelievable!

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  10. What a treat on a cold, snowy day. I particularly love all the succulents.

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  11. How wonderful to finally see this beautiful garden.

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Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! I love to hear your thoughts.