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Welcome to Wilder Hill Gardens
photo by Shire Photography
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Welcome to our newsletter and a continuing exchange of information with Wilder Hill Gardens. Interesting changes are happening here, in addition to the excitement and renewal of Spring. We hope this will keep you both
delighted and informed.
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Gardener, scholar, landscape designer, philosopher, artist are ways one might describe Lilian R. Jackman, the owner of Wilder Hill Gardens for the past 25 years. With dirty hands and knees, you are likely to find her among the plants, applying a blend of sound science learned at the University of Connecticut and intuition born of many years in the field and travels abroad. Come and visit the ever-evolving Wilder Hill Gardens for plants, design ideas, and inspiration.
For a complete resume, click here. |
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The View From Wilder Hill
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Shall we all agree that the weather has been a bit odd this winter, and especially this March? A tremendous thunder storm one night left some of the driveways and roads of Conway eroded along the edges, the sand and gravel washing down into streams or even into yards. Gravity is one thing we can count on to be dependable. The temperatures, while famously variable in New England, have been especially dramatic this year. This morning was warm and windy, by evening we can expect the temps to plunge down toward the twenties. Every year it feels like a battle between the fierce winter and the delicate yet ever so persistent spring.
As soon as things dry out just a little I'll be in the yard with my favorite rake to clean off the winter's flotsam laying on top of the grass. A good metal rake and a pair of hand clippers work well to remove any remaining dead leaves from your perennials. I lead with a vigorous raking, only bending or kneeling down to cut the most stubborn spent vegetation with my clippers.
I find the springy kind of metal rake far superior to a bamboo or plastic rake for early spring cleanup. I call this "waking the garden up", a perfect task for this in-between time, surely not winter, but not quite spring. What is most important to the gardener right now is not the air temperature, either day nor night,
but the sogginess of the soil. So until the frost is out of the ground, and the melted snow and rains percolate downward, we must content ourselves with above ground tasks. No digging for a little while yet.
Still, there is plenty to do apart from reading catalogs and ordering seeds and plants. After your early spring rake-up, tackle the pruning. If you have bushes and trees in your yard, most likely they will benefit from a yearly pruning before the leaves emerge. This allows you to access the form and health of the plant without the distraction of foliage. If you can make the naked plant look sensible and attractive, then you've done a good job. It will be gorgeous dressed up in leaves.
Most important is to use a good, sharp pair of bypass pruners (opposed to anvil type which really just mash the stem rather than making a clean cut). Most professional pruners swear by the brand Felco's, not cheap but they'll last a lifetime with reasonable care. Pruning is a learnable skill. Warm up a bit by first cutting out any dead, damaged, or crossing stems. Not so hard really.
Then you'll need to get more specific, and consider the growth and flowering habits of the particular species. Fruiting shrubs and trees require special care to ensure a good harvest. Books and online tutorials abound to teach you how to prune. After some study and some practice you will begin to notice the common rules, and the exceptions too.
A Wilder Hill Gardens pruning tutorial might be a great investment for your landscape. I'll visit your gardens, access the condition of the woody plants, and prune them. The client can prune along with me if they choose, gaining the skills and knowledge to keep their own plants in top condition. Before you walk away from your well-pruned shrubs or trees, consider a top-dressing of compost or composted manure. This is recommended yearly for fruiting shrubs, including blueberries, currants, gooseberries, and elderberries.
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Art Exhibit at McCusker's Market
April 16 - May 31
Limited edition letterpress and linocut prints by Lilian R. Jackman.
Opening reception to be announced.
Annual Mother's Day Sale
Sat. May 7, Sun. May 8
Come celebrate by touring the spring gardens. Each lady receives a gift certificate for a free quart of PYO Blueberries.. Select your favorite annuals, bring your own container, or purchase a new one, and make your own annual planter at our potting bench.
Soil included at no extra charge.
Small Fruit Workshop at Wilder Hill Gardens
Sat. May 14, 10 am - 1 pm
Learn h
ow to grow healthy and productive organic blueberries, currants, gooseberries and elderberries in the home landscape with Lilian R. Jackman
More events click here.
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From the fields of Wilder Hill Gardens
original, organic cut flowers
Available May - October
The goal is to wander into your own yard each month with a pair of hand clippers and bring some seasonal beauty back to adorn your house. This month features Pussy Willow stems rising up from a miniature forest of two different types of False Cypress (Chamaecyparis) cuttings. Absolutely simple with one tricky part. Although you can tuck your material into a vase and it will be perfectly lovely; one of those heavy metal spiky things our mothers called a "frog" in the bottom of your container allows you to position your material precisely. And it will stay right where you put it. Nice once in a while to have your way without a whole
lot of explaining.
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PUSSY WILLOW (SALIX Discolor)
There was a time, say about ten years ago, when I thought willows, in all their various forms, were the next big thing in the nursery trade. Veritable permaculture rock stars, these members of the genus Salix have so much going for them. Most gardeners are familiar with the iconic weeping willow, yards and gravestones alike. But the genus Salix also includes many smaller shrub types, often with colorful stems and catkins.
They are vigorous growers, tolerating and even enjoying wet soil. Long grown for basket-making material in Britain, these varieties have long, unbranched stems in shades of yellow, olive green, and even purple hues. Grown together in a stand, the colorful stems swaying leafless in the early spring morning light, willows can be positively transcendent. Imagine them woven together into a basket or a wattle fence. Read more...
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Pick-Your -Own Organic Fruit at Wilder Hill Gardens
June: Currants and Gooseberries
Mid: July - early October Blueberries
August - October: Asian Pears
Call for availability
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Please feel free to contact us
at any time.
Wilder Hill Gardens
351 Shirkshire Rd.
Conway, MA 01341
Lilian Jackman, owner
413-625-9446
lilianjackman@gmail.com
Open Hours April - October
Saturday & Sunday
8am - 4 pm
Other times by appointment
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