Don't get me wrong: anyone walking past the Demarie garden will be impressed. But horticultural muggles won't have a clue what a tour de force Ernie (and Grace's) creation is.
But only experienced gardens can grok the full force of this multifarious, outrageous masterpiece! I know I have learned more from Ernie than any gardener living today, and my garden is bristling with his gifts.
Crinums are common passalong plants in the South: in the Demarie garden they self sow and vary from pure white to deep pink.
Ernie does not eschew commom plants: never have I seen
Silene armeria growing so vigorously and large in every shade from deep pink to pure white. And who doesn't love
Dianthus barbatus? I'm so un-muggly I forgot the common name!
Our greatest common bond is Africa (we both went to South Africa the first time in 1994 a few weeks apart. The Demarie garden is chockablock full of Africans.
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Iris giganticaerulea
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You'll catch a better view of this gem in the next frame.
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| Iris giganticaerulea |
The largest flowered native iris which I was surprised to see growing so well in ordinary loam (i.e., not in a bog). needless to say, I begged a piece!
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I can't help myself--I'll keep going back to these views!
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Hypoxis cf. hemerocallidea
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As you would expect, Ernie would grow lots of these classic South African herbs...
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More views...
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Erythrina zeyheri
I amvery jealous that Ernie grows the famous "plowbreaker": it wasn't in bloom yet
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Chlorogalum sp. ex California
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Acanthus sennii (couldn't believe this is hardy!)
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| Silphium sp. |
Not sure what species this was--but beautiful foliage!
One of pink/purple South African groundsels: I believe he got one or more of them from me and I've gone an lost them! He even has a blue one that's hardy.
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| Rhodohypoxis baurii |
He's growing this outdoors....grrrr.
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| Ernie Demarie |
Ernie simply glows with enthusiasm and generosity. He is a national treasure.
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Gerbera jamesonii
Let's not discuss this plant...at least not until I get it going...
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| Gerbera jamesonii |
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Gerbera cvs.
He's even growing the fancy hybrids outside. As perennials!
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| Diascia cvs. |
And of course there are twin spurs...
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| Kniphofia hirsuta |
Ernie grows many red hot pokers, but only a few were blooming: this one in several spots.
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| Opuntia cv. ex Beaver Creek |
Same plant photographed a few hours later when the sun came out more. This is why we garden friend: the garden is never the same from moment to moment: especially THIS one!
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Helichrysum sp.
I have an irrational love of all everlastings.
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| Ernie and Kniphofia thompsonii |
Here he is next to one of the other Kniphofias in bloom: not sure I could grow this one.
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| Dianthus sp. |
I have a vague recollection of the name and story of this--I expect Ernie will fill us in (I expect copious notes from him after he reads this blog post). I believe it's east Asian. I know it's a winner.
Here's the same Dianthus hob-nobbing with a yellow daphne from China I believe Ernie brought back.
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| Clematis cf viorna |
We share a love of our native clematis.
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| Alstroemeria aurea |
The alstroemeria display was just starting...
Some people collect garden gnomes...I take pictures of garden frogs.
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Cheilanthes cf. fendleri
I was delighted to see our local dryland fern thriving for Ernie...
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| Artemisia cf. pedemontana |
He's lost the name of this little sagewort in the frigida complex: there are a lot of look-alikes here...
As you can see, there are all manner of containers and corners in this garden!
A fascinating rose...
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| Jan, Grace and Ernie at dinner |
Despite VERY short notice of our visit, we had a wonderful dinner prepared for us, and we stayed over in the mansion!
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| Osteospermum jucundum |
I once grew tons of these and had them set copious seed and hybridize with colors from white to deep purple. Ernie still does.
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| Delosperma spp. |
I keep being told Delosperma doesn't grow well in the east. Apparently it does for Ernie...
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| Haplocarpha cf. scaposa |
One of my favorite South African composites Ernie grows all over the place...
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| Kniphofia hirsuta...again! |
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| Amorphophallus ongsakulii |
Look at that smile!
A shot later in the day...
This prickl pear is a lolapalooza!
More shots!
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| Kniphofia thompsonii |
Another shot of this gem...
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Clematis texensis
The real texensis.
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There were giant Crinum everywhere...
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| Zingiber mioga |
I finish with these patches of hardy ginger: He dug pieces of the taller Far Reaches form (far left) ajd the shorter one he's grown longer (right hand side) which I potted up and both are sending up new shoots--will I too one day have a commercial sized planting of ginger thanks to Ernie? Perhaps...perhaps...
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Wow!!! Love the view of the neighbors perfect lawn just over the fence compared to the riotis glory of the Demaris garden.
ReplyDeleteTouring beautiful gardens without leaving my couch. Thank you so much for sharing such stunning gardens.
ReplyDeleteYou have a more than wonderful life, my friend ... to be able to visit the homes and gardens of heroes, the estates of the gods, the horticultural heavens and heralded mountain havens of our 'hesteemed' hobby. Booker from across the pond pretending to be anonymous. LOL.
ReplyDeleteLove the diverse mix of flowering plants in the meadowy area. A far more interesting garden when everything is allowed to do it's thing to mix and mingle. Gorgeous! Bet there were insects galore enjoying the buffet. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteJust saw this, reminding me that I need to visit Ernie’s garden! What a wealth of interesting plants. I agree with a past sentiment, the meadow is a delight!
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