I’m celebrating an annual tradition here at Parterre as part of Christmas gifting. It started years ago as a thank you to my gardener, a calendar of images that captured those “iconic moments” in the past year’s garden. It has now become a cherished example of how important “experiences” are to life. Exceptional, singular, touching each sends a nod of appreciation to the person who guides Parterre through the seasons.
JANUARY First snowy Christmas in a few years…always a much anticipated occasion! The gardener created the evergreen tuteur “trees” from branch clippings, with their starry accents at the top.
FEBRUARY The newly fledged owl, fresh from its nest, accidentally discovered by my gardener resting in the Chamaecyparis grouping.
MARCH Challenging, to say the least, but gorgeous…clematis ‘Durandii.’ Always a blue ribbon winner at the Newport Flower Show.
APRIL After 25 years, our four matched Hally Jolivette cherries, the first stars of Spring, were on their way out…heroic pruning over 2-3 years has given them “a new lease on life.”
MAY I’ve been photographing our yellow magnolia for years…and this was the first time I was truly able to capture its beauty (lighting is everything) and include it in the calendar!
JULY Conceived by my gardener as a subtle surprise “signature” for the Woodland Garden…starting with this side by side pair of Paisleys, fern on the left, hosta on the right.
AUGUST Celebrating a victory! The Cercis canadensis (Eastern Redbud tree) that was on its last leg from being moved too many times, has fallen in love with its new spot in the Woodland Garden after lots of TLC.
SEPTEMBER A Eureka moment…why not dry the otherwise fluffy cimicifugas, spray them russet red and add this touch to the Fall/Thanksgiving front door vignette?
OCTOBER Creating practical dahlia signage…laminated so the ink doesn’t run, secured by copper wire to the green stakes, and easily read by visitors.
NOVEMBER The pair of mini gingkos that proved to be the perfect accent for the Fall/Thanksgiving front door statement (thank goodness their luscious chartreuse shade lingered and lingered).
DECEMBER A Christmas gift from my gardener as we were prepping for decorating the house… six fresh handmade green wreaths for the salon mantle…(I forgot that I had mentioned this as a “wish”).
What are some iconic moments from your garden last year?
A happy year, indeed ! Thanks for the review.
Beautiful! If I didn’t have so many sewing and quilting projects going right now, I would love to make a quilted wall hanging of that owl. What a great shot! Thanks for sharing these photos. It’s lovely to see them chosen for a particular month.
O, to “pick one”…my “ah-ha” moment was our David Austin peach colored rose cluster, “Galway.” We had just returned from Ireland to home in Virginia…and, THERE IT WAS!! ❤️
franki
Nothing can compare to your monthly “dream” photos!
You garden is beautiful, Bettie, and I love your owl resident. I’m sure he’s very happy to be living there.
LOVELY LADY,
YOUR PHOTOS BRING TO MIND THE FAMOUS, NOW SADLY GONE – NEW YORK CITY’S ‘FOUR SEASONS’ – RESTAURANT.
EACH SEASON ALLOWS US TO REALISE THE BEAUTY TO BE FOUND IN NATURE.
YOUR TALENT – AIDED BY YOUR STAFF, ENABLE THIS GIFT TO BLOSEM.
MANY THANKS,
TOM
Learned many latin names of plants on your cheerful New Year garden calendar.
The idea of the laminated plant names… great idea !
Bonne année 2026 pleine de fleurs .CAT