Let's Start This Again
I can't believe it’s been nine years since I abandoned this blog, focusing my attention elsewhere. While journaling about my garden abruptly stopped, gardening at my Hamptons home carried on. My garden has evolved quite a bit. Plants have grown and plants have died (or been devoured). Perennials have been divided and transplanted, areas redesigned, and my love of plants has expanded to food crops in a developing vegetable garden and new very small orchard.
Flourishing garden that replaced a shaded area after a messy locust tree was removed
I think I missed my blog more than anyone as it served as a true garden journal, allowing me to return to my own words and pictures for a historical context of what worked and what didn't. Some of my older blog photos inspire me to return to earlier planting schemes that have devolved or disappeared. I’ve learned when a planting thrives, encourage it. And when a planting struggles, understand why and try to reintroduce in more compatible situations.
My garden has grown more lush and shaded, requiring me to transplant sun-loving plants to brighter areas and planting more shade-loving perennials in their place. And last fall, we did do a major pruning to pull back some of the overgrowth. Hopefully, brighter spaces will provide some new opportunities this year.
It's not just favorite perennials we have mourned. We said goodbye to my garden companions. Clayton in 2013 (memorial:"Ain't No Sunshine") and his cute brother, Charlie, in 2018. During his senior years, Charlie got a new companion, Sparkee, a rescue pup. Sparkee hasn't taken to the garden like Clayton, but he can be found outdoors occasionally following me around (if the weather is pleasant). About a year after Charlie's passing, we rescued a toy schnauzer puppy, Winston. He likes the outdoors somewhat, but with an increasing red-tailed hawk population, I fear leaving this gray squirrel-sized dog outside for long periods.
My new buddies Sparkee and Winston
I started growing vegetables and perennials from seeds. And inspired by some of my favorite English gardeners on TV, I began propagating perennials and shrubs from cuttings. A make-shift indoor growing room provides light and warmth for these endeavors over the long winter. The biggest secret for success is patience. Growing from scratch doesn't provide immediate gratification.
In future posts, I'll share some of my garden's evolution which went unmentioned during these past years. This will help get past readers up to date and provide me with a horticultural history of this place for which I have dedicated so much sweat and tears.
I thought about taking my journaling to a new medium, like Instagram, for quicker and easier posting, but I think this blog format suits my personal needs best. I really never hoped for a large audience, just a place to record some memories and inspiration. Hopefully for those that stumble upon Hamptons Garden, you'll enjoy your time spent here.
P.S. I needed to update and transfer Hamptons Garden to Squarespace’s newest version. Like my garden, some things improved, some things needed to be recreated, some things disappeared (e.g. earlier post comments). It is what it is and this blog will grow from here!