Perennial Pleasures

East Hardwick is waaaaaaay up in northern Vermont. Several years ago Margery found Perennial Pleasures, a nursery for plants that offers informative garden tours, combined with a place to enjoy a "British" tea including cucumber sandwiches, scones, and clotted cream. We know we will come home with plants, but we also enjoy a luncheon in the tea garden. It has become a once-a-year destination.

This past Sunday I was on the road by 8:30 to reach Margery's house by 9 AM. Then we were off to our first stop in Randolph for breakfast where Margery always has eggs Benedict and I have whatever....

Back on the road heading north. As we got closer to East Hardwick Margery was convinced that she knew the way better than her GPS. She ignored it's direction to turn off the main road and kept on going. I didn't mind; the scenery was pleasant. Meanwhile, the GPS wouldn't recalculate. It kept insisting that she turn around.

Eventually Margery pulled over and got out an old-fashioned paper map. I located East Hardwick back where the GPS had wanted her to turn off the main road. Margery was willing to argue with a machine, but not with a printed map, and so she turned us around.We arrived just before the garden tour was to begin... It was perfect timing.

And the predicted rain held off. Around 3 PM we were enjoying our British tea. I came home with 2 kinds of heather, 2 kinds of lavender (to remind me of the lavender that grew by the gite in Blanot), European ginger, lambia, Cinderella phlox, and a euphorbia. I hope the latter will grow to hide the cement base for one rack of solar panels as well as provide a flower I can use in the fall teacher vases.

Pictured at the right is a bed of heather...

Last year we purchased the apple mint that Perennial Pleasures uses in their cucumber sandwiches. Both our plants are doing well. Next year I hope I'll remember to grow cucumbers.

Margery and I are now plotting a trip to grape country near the Finger Lakes in New York State. That will probably take place in a few weeks because this summer's weather is ripening fruit earlier than usual.

One tip I learned on our garden tour was to mimic dear in early summer. Dear nibble the tender budding shoots of phlox which forces the plant to set out another set of flower buds that bloom later than the first set would have. This will help me produce more fall flowers for the vases I take into school.