Hillside Makeover

To deal with the swampy area, a pond was dug. By standing at the top of the hill, Bruce and Jerry were able to determine where grassy areas should go, and by going up and down the hill to build the pond, it also became obvious where paths should be laid out. The result is a garden terraced by retaining walls and accented by meandering paths. A beautiful pergola is built into the hill.

Bruce, an accountant, is the plant collector; Jerry, a lawyer, likes the physical labor part of gardening. Constantly making revisions to the original plans, they plant in great drifts to maximize impact. They travel with local plant societies to European gardens and always return with new ideas.

Various microclimates exist within the garden. Down below, the wild, sunny garden is packed with interesting small trees, shrubs and perennials. In June, roses clamber over pergolas, and huge drifts of unusual plants spill over the stone walls along the path. In drier areas, Bruce's favorite South American plants thrive. The pond and woodland gardens are cooler and wetter, and at the top of the hill around the house, the climate is Mediterranean.

Some of the many plants in the Wakefield-Grossnickel garden:

The plant: This bulb from the Middle East produces violet-blue umbellate flowers. The blooms come up in late spring and as many as 100 star-shaped florets form a large, loose globe on 12- to 18-inch stems. Blooms in late spring. Hardy in USDA Zones 4 to 9.
How to use it: Mix this interesting bulb with other perennials along a border. Iris and roses bloom at the same time. Excellent for drying.
Cultivation: Plant in a sunny spot with excellent drainage and fertile soil.
Source: Digging Dog Nursery

The plant: This interesting small shrub was introduced by J. H. Baggesen of Kent, England, in 1967. Native to China, Lonicera nitida has tiny leaves on a three-foot-tall plant. 'Baggesen's Gold' has yellow-chartreuse evergreen leaves. Hardy in USDA Zones 6 to 9.
How to use it: Use as a yellow-green foliage plant in a perennial bed. Also excellent for containers and lends itself to pruning for a low hedge. Cut stems are useful in arrangements.
Cultivation: For yellow foliage, grow in full sun; leaves will tend to be more chartreuse in shade. Plant in well-drained soil.
Source: Joy Creek Nursery

The plant: A member of the borage family, echium grows quickly, competing well with weeds. This biennial is native to Europe and is naturalized in fields and waste places of North America. Showy blue flowers appear from June to September. Grows 12 to 30 inches tall. Hardy in USDA Zones 7 to 10.
How to use it: Good for planting in dry, stony soils in open sites.
Cultivation: Likes warmth and full sun.
Source: Thompson & Morgan Seedsmen, Inc.

The plant: Exquisite double, medium-pink flowers with a strong Damask rose fragrance grow on a five-foot-tall rounded bush. This free-flowering rose was introduced by David Austin of England in 1986. Hardy to USDA Zone 5.
How to use it: Excellent in the shrub border or rose garden. Plant where the delicious perfume can be appreciated.
Cultivation: Plant in full sun and a rich, well-drained soil. Feed regularly. Prune in late winter or early spring, but only to remove dead wood or to control the shape or size of the plant.
Source: High Country Roses

The plant: A well-known roadside plant, this perennial can grow to six feet tall. A rosette of leaves with wooly hairs forms on the ground. In late spring, yellow flowers form along a straight stem.
How to use it: Tall mullein makes a striking vertical accent in a cottage garden.
Cultivation: Mullein self-sows freely. Grow in full sun in well-drained soils.
Source: Victory Seed Co.