Hudson River Valley Launch

Dryland Mesa at Denver Botanic Gardens

I know, I know: Denver isn't in the Hudson River Valley...but this is what we left behind on May 11: our Gardens (and DBG) were in peak bloom...but the chance to experience May on the East Coast was too big a lure. I was invited to speak to the Connecticut Horticultural Society on May 15. but there are so many great private and public gardens (and let's not talk about nurseries) we took a whole week. 

Our first evening was at Ernie and Grace Demarie's incredible garden I've blogged about before. Ernie posts so many wonderful pictures on Facebook, I will only show a few shots--he has a vast garden with thousands of accessons--no one blog post can do him justice

I was thrilled to see husky plants of Camassia scilloides, the much overlooked congener of the many Western camas, only this one you never see in catalogs. I have seen it in the wild--Ernie's plants were much nicer.
I want this one BAAAD

But my Delphinium tricorne is bigger than his--although does size matter?

Next we visited Alex (Alexandra) Kenner's fantastic garden nearby: here is the rock wall next to which we parked--

Alex's peonies were the harbingers of a spectacular display nearby she sent us to (foreshadowing...)

An extraordinary patch of Polygonatum odoratum 'Byakko' growing in the full sun: this mature garden was full of spectacular rarities

One of the many Lewisias she grows superbly. Alas! L. tweedyi was finished blooming.

I don't know what to be more jealous of--the enormous rocks Alex was blessed with or the many mature Japanes maples and other choice trees and shrubs.

I struggle with 'King of Hearts'--but this one looked very happy.

I cannot show in pictures the amazing trapestries of choice plants knitting the boulders together: succulents, tiny bulbs, annuals and perennials. All growing together so well!..........

I am going to find Erinus alpinus and put it in crevice just like this!

Alex suggested we go check out the tree peonies at the Rockefeller nature preserve in Briarcliff Manor,  practically adjacent to her neighborhood. I'm glad we listened to her.

Gifts from Japan after 9-11--there were dozens (perhaps hundreds) of mature tree peonies grown well, and almost all in peak bloom for us!

We couldn't find labels (I hope they kept track of the names) but even without their names they were enchanting to view.

I love it how one discovers unknown treasures when you travel...

Jan doesn't like these dark ones...but I do

And so we ended our first full day en route to New England (and back). Six more days ahead...will he make it?