How to Design a Garden | P. Allen Smith Classics

You know this is one of my favorite times of year for this particular part of the garden. It's one of those long arbors that connect the rondelle with the big fig down to the other parts of the garden. And what's so fabulous about it this time of year, it almost feels like a room or hallway because these Renaissance spirea have gotten so tall it's really beginning to give a sense of enclosure, which I think is very good. It's one of the important design principles when looking at a garden from the garden home standpoint. And of course, this time of year, we have these outrageously beautiful tall bearded irises. Just look at them. They're just magnificent, each one of them. What I've tried to do here in this garden is try to use really cool colors. Purples and blues and whites and soft pinks, because it blends with the color palette that we have down here on this end of the terrace. Now, these tall bearded irises are grown from rhizomes, and you can plant the rhizomes in the spring whenever they're available. And if you want to transplant them, this is an often asked question, when do I transplant them? I think it's best to do it in August when things are dry. These plants actually like dry, rocky, not too rich soil. In fact, behind here, if you had been here with me, oh, let's say two weeks ago, the early flag iris, which are not as highly developed as these, were in full bloom along each side. And these I have transplanted over time from here at the farm and divided them up, and they were some of the original iris that we found here. So you can see they grow with very little care. A terribly old-fashioned plant. But so gorgeous and the companion plants for them this time of year include catnip and all sorts of roses as well as so many beautiful perennials and annuals that could bloom at their feet. You really should give them a try. Okay, now if you've watched this show before, you know how much I love roses. I've chosen to adorn several different garden entrances with them. For instance, in my city garden, I've used Rose New Dawn to accent this arbor, which leads you into a circular lawn. We call it the Rondell Garden. And I think it makes a great first impression for visitors when they come when it's in full bloom. Now, over to the fountain garden. I've grown an elegant old climber called Frau Karl Druski. I just love those big, white, floppy petals. They definitely make a dramatic statement. Now, the garden home itself is not without enhanced entrances either. Earlier in the show, I mentioned the hallway-like arbors that I created out of metal. You see, there are rondelles that serve as well-defined entries to these arbors. They're almost like garden rooms. I've chosen to define these rondelles, or rooms, with a rose called Sarah Van Fleet. And if the sheer beauty of them in full bloom doesn't capture your imagination, certainly the aroma of the blooms will. Another gardener with a passion for roses is my friend, Adeline Christie. She's the president of the Southampton Rose Society, and while on a recent visit to New When I went to New York, she gave me a tour of this amazing garden. Adeline, I cannot believe how gorgeous the garden looks. I mean, we're here at peak rose-blooming time. Tell me a little bit about the Southampton Rose Society. Well, the Southampton Rose Society was founded in 1976. It was the first New York State chapter of the American Rose Society. Initially, it was just a group of East End gardeners that had a passion for roses that decided, well... You know, they want to learn how to grow more beautiful roses and how to exhibit them. When did the society say, hey, why don't we create a rose garden? Mid to late 1990s, but it didn't come to fruition until 2003. The main holdup was The library was being built on the grounds. They didn't want to make any decision on installing a garden until those plans were resolved. The size of this rose garden is really quite manageable. It's not that large. That's right, it's not that large, 60 feet square. And we have a great crew that takes care of it. They come in at least twice a week and keep it in tip-top shape. It's just amazing how many gorgeous roses and places to sit and enjoy the roses you all have managed to accommodate in this area. You'll see people sitting here having their lunch. They'll have a book reading or they'll have a luncheon. Weddings take place here. The Southampton Rose Society is It's starting to get more involved in other beautification projects in the village. We really want to spread the word that the rose is a plant that's easy to grow, especially now that they're coming out with more disease-resistant varieties. And we're trying to educate people on how essential our national flower is to beautify our public spaces. There are so many new varieties of roses that have been bred specifically for their disease resistance. What do you see, really, as the future of Rose Garden? Do you see more of these disease-resistant varieties being used? Well, yes, I do. As you can see in this bed, Starry Night, She's a self-cleaning rose, and she really requires very little spraying. I think that's what we're all looking for. Well, clearly you have a passion for roses. Personally, when did you get excited or turned on to roses? In 1990. That's when I joined the Rose Society. Okay, and you caught the fever then. I caught the fever then, and it's just been blooming ever since.