Paul’s Plant Picks: Gardens of Change

… through the seasons and throughout the day

We often read about how well designed gardens should offer many points of year-round interest. Since starting my biweekly Paul’s Picks, I have done my best to highlight a variety plants in the TBG gardens with intriguing or long-lasting blooms, eye catching foliage and or dramatic forms and shapes.  Today, however, my focus is on something different. In recent years, one of the features that has really captured my interest and attention is the power of light and shadows in a garden setting.  Depending on both the season and the time of day, sunlight passing through or above plants and other garden features can be the source of very dramatic highlights, even if it’s fleeting. This often creates a special moment in the garden that’s ours alone.

Above is the view from within the Floral Hall courtyard. At about 7:45 a.m. on this particular winter morning., the rising sun created a magical moment for me that I was thrilled to capture and share with you all.  The glowing rays of the morning sun provided very warm back lighting for both the Horsetail (Equisetum hyemnale) within the floral hall courtyard and the cordoned crabapples (Malus ‘Donald Wyman’) planted on the opposite side of the opaque glass panels in the entry garden.  The faint silhouette from the exfoliating bark of the Paperbark maple (Acer griseum)  adds further texture.

If you want to catch a magic moment of your own, please remember that the TBG gardens are open for your viewing pleasure daily from dawn to dusk.

Join me at Get the Jump on Spring, Saturday February 23 for a Winter Garden tour at 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.  (outdoors, weather permitting). Spread the word, it’s free!

For more seasonal highlights of the TBG gardens be sure to check Sandra Pella’s What’s in Bloom Blog.