The McGrath Garden and Open House

Joe and I have lived in our house and gardened here for 17 years now and I find a curious thing happening. We are repeating some of the activities we pursued when we first moved in – clearing and removing overgrown shrubs, trees and other plants. You could say that we have been “editing” the garden the last few years. This time though, we are removing things that have planted that have outgrown their space or were just a bad idea in the first place.

The most dramatic of these “bad ideas” was the row of forsythias I planted this side of the front fence soon after we moved in. They were lovely for a few weeks, then not at all attractive the rest of the year. Plus they kept spreading and took over the entire space. Once I decided the forsythias had to go, I found that they didn’t want to leave. I finally had to use a hatchet to get out the huge roots. But they have come out and have been replaced with lilacs, a viburnum, a kerria, and three hydrangeas in the shadier part of the border. There is now space for more perennials as well. I did keep a few forsythias in the corners of the yard where they don’t get as much sun and are airier looking as a consequence.

There is also the case of the circle rose garden filled with floribunda roses. Since I don’t spray my roses or pamper them, they have gradually died out and the rose garden has become a perennial garden with a couple of roses here and there. Right now, Savannah’s garden is being refurbished – this time with Savannah, who is now 11, helping with the design, choosing the plants, laying the pavers, and doing the planting. . Other gardens, such as the two woodland gardens and the shaded holly garden have matured gracefully and have only needed occasional tweaking.

Some changes were prompted by my changing tastes in both plants and design over the last 17 years. Where I once planted a large sweeping curve of impatiens, I now have azaleas, astilbe, and spring flowering bulbs. I have also developed a love of Japanese maples, hinoki cypress, and other dwarf conifers and have planted them in the gardens closest to the house where we can see them up close. Other favorites such as flowering shrubs and small trees have been planted in the gardens further from the house where we can enjoy them from a distance. And the old standbys – daylilies, hostas, and clematis are spread throughout the yard.

Even after 17 years, we still have new gardens that we are building – the old above ground swimming pool has been removed and the space has now become a formal boxwood edged garden with paths leading to a fountain in the center. And this past winter, the far back corner was cleared of briars, poison ivy, and grape vines and is now a garden with a blueberry walk, a bench, a deer, new plantings, and a secret path. As we evolve, the garden has evolved. It is still a fascinating and gratifying activity. We hope you enjoy our garden as much as we do.

Robin and Joe McGrath