Fred Bland's anything-but-bland garden

Douglas Hunt
by Douglas Hunt
Have I mentioned how much a fan I am of the Garden Conservancy's Open Days program? (Why yes, I have: http://www.hometalk.com/diy/outdoor/garden/when-secret-gardens-open-their-doors-3342053 ) This weekend, thanks to Open Days, I got a chance to visit the coastal Connecticut garden of the chairman of the board of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Mr. Bland's is a true plant collector's garden, with more than 1,400 species of trees, shrubs and perennials packed in an acre, and he had never opened it the public before. Lucky us!
Exuberant borders along the side of the property.
A wonderful spot for a tete-a-tete.
One of my spring favorites, the doublefile viburnum, Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum.
Clematis in an ethereal shade of lavender.
Baptisia "Purple Smoke."
Nectaroscordum, a fall-planted bulb.
Wonderful architectural details abound, tying the property together.
The Wave Hill garden chair, now appearing in gardens everywhere.
A stunning planting of hostas under the amazingly sculptural trunk of an old lilac.
More colorful seating.
Succulents in a low stone planter...
...and on the roof of a birdhouse!
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