The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A budding talent for creative planting
Sweeping along the main drive to her Bedford, New York, home, Martha’s vibrant border garden blooms continuously through spring and summer. She shares the inspiration behind it and how the design has evolved, thanks to some creative planning — and planting.
I saw my first proper perennial borders decades ago, in England. My thenhusband had just published the garden book “Visions of Paradise,” and I was anxious to see the iconic landscapes in its pages firsthand. The incredible examples at Sissinghurst, Upton House and Hidcote took my breath away. Their long, deep beds were packed with plants of varying sizes, colors and shapes. They were often designed in front of high walls, along allées of trees or against the foundations of huge, ancient buildings. I was smitten, and knew I wanted to plant my own version one day.
Years later, I thought of those borders when I was constructing the 300-footlong pergola along the driveway at my home in Bedford. I dug 6-foot-wide beds on both sides of it, and left a grassy path underneath to encourage strolling from one end to the other. Then I started planning. The first step was easy: choosing the colors. I had always wanted a garden rich in mauve, lavender, violet, purple and blue, and I picked flowers in those shades. I planted clematis at each granite post in the pergola, then filled the beds with hundreds of alliums of all sizes, as well as nepeta, or catnip (which ended up being a mistake, because it spread like an invasive weed and eventually had to be moved). I also added spring-blooming bulbs, including crocuses, camass and grape hyacinths, along with some comfrey.
The plants did very well, but I realized I wanted more color, so I sprinkled in a few kinds of orange poppies. Then I had another realization: The border looked beautiful for a month, but stopped blooming in mid-June, which left it without flowers for two months of the summer. I decided to plant hundreds of orange tiger lilies, which we dug up from other areas, and now they explode into fat rows of tall, sturdy stems just as everything else begins to fade.
I continue to find ways to improve the garden. I recently edged it with 250 small boxwood shrubs, which delineate the beds and emphasize the blooms in summer. For a closer look, visit my blog (themarthablog.com) and Instagram (@marthastewart48) throughout the season, and see how a garden can be a work of art — or at least a labor of love.
Your pressing questions answered
Q: What can I do to calm my dog during a thunderstorm? — Suzie Pilon, Weston, Florida
A: The pressure shifts, static buildup in his fur and deep rumbles can send Fido spiraling. “Notice where your dog tries to retreat, and be sure he has full access to that spot,” says Rover.com certified trainer Nicole Ellis. Then join him, and provide happy distractions: Introduce a new toy or treat, offer extra petting or playing and turn on music to counter outside noise. A snug canine-anxiety vest, called a ThunderShirt, can help, too, through soothing compression ($40, amazon. com).
Q: How can I keep small animals out of my garden? — Ross Renault, Waco, Texas
A: To get rid of vegetable-ravaging critters, start by attracting their predators, says Lauri Kranz, author of “A Garden Can Be Anywhere” (Abrams, 2019): “Owls, for example, eat mice, so having them near means fewer rodents over time.” Nonprofits like the Hungry Owl Project can help you install nesting boxes.
Here are three more smart tactics from Kranz:
1. Protect the goods: Drape bird netting over plants, propping it up on strategically placed trellises or bamboo poles.
2. Turn them off: Plant garlic and tough, pungent herbs like oregano at your garden’s edges.
3. Block their way: Build a fence, burying its wire-mesh base several inches deep and bending it outward to create an apron, which deters digging.