Cape Cod Hydrangea Society Garden Tour - July 12

Garden #1  
Susan Marlatt and Christine Waters have been gardening on their West Falmouth property since 1998. The front bank of this lovely home is filled with hydrangeas, perennials and a large Aruncus dioicus, commonly known as goat’s beard.  On the south side of the home an arbor leads to a winding path through a perennial garden, bordered with large pink granite boulders. The back yard is a natural landscape of hydrangeas, azaleas, magnolias, and red maples where birdhouses abound.  This area is also the site of a large metal wind sculpture by renowned kinetic artist Lyman Whitaker.  Local ukulele players will be performing on the front porch Saturday morning, July 8^th.  Parking is available around the cul-de-sac; please do not park directly in front of the home. Open: Saturday, July 8 & Wednesday, July 12

Garden #2
Archways, espaliers and a unique style of evergreen pruning are the bones of this garden while beds and plantings undergo dramatic changes every year. Visitors are welcomed by a display of hardy dwarf evergreens planted in homemade hypertufa pots. Unusual and tropical plants accent the gardens throughout the property. In the shady corner of the property the stumpery has been expanded with the addition of a moss garden and ferns. The greenhouse garden beds have recently been transformed. Practical gardening ideas, surprises and inspiration can be discovered everywhere as visitors explore the meandering garden paths. This garden has been featured in Falmouth Living, Cape Cod Home and Fine Gardening magazines. Open: Saturday, July 8 & Wednesday, July 12

Garden #3 Turn two plant-lovers (one a marine geologist and the other a garden communicator) loose on 2.5 acres and this is what happens in 15 years. See several perennial gardens, a large vegetable garden, and many annuals in containers. Discover new varieties of hydrangeas and see for yourself which established plants faired the best after last winter’s deep freeze. Learn about flowers for cutting and native plants. Cool off in the shade of the large grape arbor and peek into the solar heated seed-starting shed. Take photos of plant combinations that please you and inhale the perfume of fragrant plants in the fragrance and bird garden. This long, thin property slopes down to Lawrence Pond, and features unusual trees, flowering shrubs, and a lawn that hasn’t been fertilized in 10 years. C.L. will be happy to tell you about any of the plants you see, be they the weed-smothering groundcovers, tasty vegetables, or colorful flowers. Open: Wednesday, July 12

The proceeds from this garden tour will benefit the Cape Cod Hydrangea Society. Admission: $5 per garden. Rain or Shine. Pay cash at the door.