Today’s photos are from Cindi Jacobs.
“Timing is everything” as the saying goes, and it was our time to release our home in Wayland, Massachusetts, after 24 wonderful years. While the home and gardens were beautiful and we raised our two children here, we decided to downsize and re-evaluate being full-time in New England. It’s been a bit of a whirlwind; however, I’d like to share the Wayland garden for the second and final time with Fine Gardening and folks who understand the labor of love.
Our firepit used to burn wood, but last year we opted to have propane. Old containers of geraniums (Pelargonium hybrids, Zones 10–11 or as annuals) give the garden a pop of color. This is a special place to sit and relax knowing the impending promise of much to come as the perennials begin to grow.
We completed a front yard makeover in 2019. We removed larger round shrubs and huge hydrangeas and used various evergreen shapes against the house to create a more open, cleaner, yet still welcoming vibe.
The large shrubs and plantings by the street remained, and lots more perennials were added every year. We continued the rock edging for several yards along the entire edging (not pictured here) and added another layer of rock for height, as in this photo.
I have many varieties of Hosta, which I LOVE very much. Here you can also see ‘Rozanne’ cranesbill (Geranium ‘Rozanne’, Zones 5–9), purple salvia (Salvia nemorosa, Zones 3–8), and lilies (Lilium hybrid, Asiatic group, Zones 4–9).
Here’s a summer view of the small rock wall. The hot pink spirea (Spirea japonica, Zones 4–8) and feathered coreopsis (Coreopsis verticillata, Zones 3–9) give lots of flow and color from the road and into the driveway. I planted this Japanese maple (Acer palmatum, Zones 5–9) as a baby tree and continued to cut it back every year to keep it small.
We had our wooden fence painted black, and I absolutely LOVED the transformation and how the greenery became even more vibrant. Roses and bearded iris (Iris hybrid, Zones 3–8) are against the fence, as well as balloon flowers (Platycodon grandiflorus, Zones 3–8) that will come up later in the season.
These last two photos are from the pool area. Summer plants fill in, so there are fewer weeds and continued clumps of color. Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida, Zones 5–9), coneflower (Echinacea purpurea, Zones 3–8), and bee balm (Monarda didyma, Zones 4–8) are plentiful.
Spring shows the 3/4 washed rock hardscape. Here you can find Penstemon digitalis (Zones 3–8), lillies (Lilium hybrid, Asiatic group, Zones 4–9), and catmint (Nepeta × faassenii, Zones 3–8), one of my all-time favorite perennials.