Take a Walk on the Wild Side: “Fall Into Natives” Garden Habitat Walking Tour

Art of the Garden

Oct 9

We were asked to reprise our contribution as (eager ☺️) participants for this year's Fall Into Natives Garden Tour. Generally speaking, gardeners love to share their artful landscape designs.

Plus, I surely like to advocate for native plants, and the “unexpected” beauty of gardens in seasons that often are overlooked because spring and summer garden tours have been on the calendars from every garden organization for so long. So, it was rather easy for me to agree to open up our gardens to visitors again this year. And all for a good cause: the local Arts Council.

Marilyn Scherfen is the marvel of a woman and a true “garden sprite” who organizes and orchestrates the community’s garden tour ~ now in its second year.

That she educates with elan is not so surprising when you learn she was the town’s librarian for so many years, and is a masterful native plant gardener and advocate.

This year, I hoped to increase the visitors’ experience.

I did that in a few ways.

I got to thinking that unless one is a plant aficionado, it’s a challenge to understand the beautiful metamorphosis that a plant undertakes throughout the seasons.

Plants are living things that change ~ just like us.

Yet, too often when one is on a garden tour we see just that moment in time.

Here, I wanted our guests to fully embrace the magic of how plants change over the course of time.

While not possessing a true magic wand, I tried for the next best thing.

I printed photos for many of the plants when they were in peak bloom; and me and my cracker jack Docent ~ aka my great niece, the irrepressible Zoe Angelina, affixed the photos to decorative stakes, next to the plant as it looks now, in autumn.

Then & Now Plant marker to Asclepia Incarnata ‘Cinderella’

I also produced a Four-Season video of the changing gardens so that while guests arrived and sampled the fresh, agastache tea we made ~ Zoe clipped the leaves for the tea brewing ~ and I added some fresh, simple syrup made with our homegrown kumquats 🍊~ they could see the gardens evolve from winter beauty through spring glory and summer splendor to the present: autumn. Please enjoy the video garden serenade.

Guests thanked us for the showcase and plant comparisons. I daresay it was the revelation I’d hoped to conjure...

Zoe was an effervescent garden tour Docent ~ not only welcoming our guests, but also directing them to go-ahead and taste the edibles, especially the pretty fuschias!

Thank you, Zoe.

Pretty edible fuschia ~in salads & cocktails

Marilyn posted our garden on the Wild About Atlantic Highlands: Gardening for Wildlife Facebook page ~ where you can find and enjoy all 10 gardens on the tour ~ with photos she solicited from each homeowner:

I created a map of our gardens that guests could use for a self-guided tour ~ and a souvenir.

For the most part, Bill and I led the groups through the gardens.

On terrace ~ pointing to Mallow plant (marsh-mallows!) Photo: Zoe

Marilyn posted this “artwork label” narrative for our gardens: (I’ll add some images here for you xox)

Lavin Habitat

HOSTS: Bill and Leeann Lavin

Bill and Leeann Lavin don’t have just a garden; they have a sumptuous collection of ‘garden rooms.’ The diversity of these areas offers variety and structure at the same time. The Lavins see their gardens brimming with sensual beauty—and wildlife—in every season. Seasonal changes in their plants mean that while one plant is coming up, another is beginning to celebrate its dormancy–or going to sleep.

Leeann’s inspirational words match what you see in the Lavins’ garden: “Orchestrating a rhythmic symphony is the aspiration of a good garden design that tells a story.”

“Celebrate the seasons!” she enthuses. For example, utilizing plants that complement the view from the inside out, Leeann placed Magnolia White Star next to their kitchen window so that in early spring they can enjoy the fragrant, white flowers which bloom even before the leaves appear.

Red-twigged dogwoods offer bright red color during winter and stand out against the season’s white snow…. And later in the summer the red is in the ornamental grasses and hydrangea welcomes…

Leeann, author and creator of a garden blog, Garden Glamour by Duchess Designs (and several books), has many favorite native plants, but those appealing to the senses—especially with fragrance and exuberant foliage—play an important role for many of her choices—like Joe Pye Weed with its aromatic vanilla scent. “I also am smitten with Asclepias incarnata 'Cinderella,” enthuses Leeann. “This vanilla-scented Butterfly Weed, with its pink blooms, attracts hummingbirds and butterflies. Besides, Asclepias (Milkweed) is the only food source for Monarch caterpillars. And here in Atlantic Highlands, we are in the Butterfly migration path.”

The pleasant herbal scent of the easy-to-grow Bee Balm (Monarda)—is another fragrant favorite, not only for the Lavins, but also for the pollinators in their gardens. In addition, its great RED color makes it perfect for the ‘red, white, and blue’ gardens for their extended family’s annual AH Fireworks parties–that also celebrate Virginia–Leeann’s mother–whose 100th birthday was July 3rd.

Importantly, all of Leeann’s favorite natives “look great even as they complete blooming and morph into their next seasonal stage. We can all benefit from modifying our garden aesthetic to embrace the decomposition or detritus stage. Your pollinators will thank you, too.”

Visitors to the Lavin's shouldn’t miss the Water Garden/Terracotta Garden, or the Shell Garden. The Water Garden is captivating and enchanting in every season. It’s great use of a small space with diverse, largely evergreen plants.

The lovely Shell Garden, with its good use of space, was designed to replace what was once a larger edible garden and to avoid adding a water-guzzling lawn.

Similarly, the bocce court replaced the lawn and a mini orchard. New this year for the Lavins, who were hosts on the Garden Walk last year, modified a side garden, adding late summer/autumn-blooming plants and new edibles.

They’ve also added some new native species in other areas: Clethra, and two varieties of sunflowers, along with chamomile, herbs and edibles.

Gardens change not only with the seasons, but over time, and as our lifestyles change, Leeann notes.

Leeann reminds us that birds are pollinators, too. “Birds love our laurels and maples for making their nests in, and the other pollinators appreciate the diversity and seasonal change of plants—it’s a varied menu! They love the phlox and sedum in late summer. Sitting on our terrace, we love to watch the butterflies, bees and hummingbirds put on a show as they dine, as much, or more, than the cityscape skyline,” she reflects. It’s the butterflies and hummingbirds that really put a special smile on Leeann’s face, though they “always bring swoon-worthy joy! They are such fleeting ‘royalty’~ so pretty, and I love knowing I'm nourishing these beauty queens of the garden with our plants.”

Weeds manage to appear, even in these gorgeous gardens. Leeann says, “Everyone has weeds!” Her solution? “I pull them out! It's really the only way. We live in a rather hostile environment near the mountain edge. Plus, the birds contribute to weed proliferation, so it's all part of a garden life. I keep up by weeding on a regular basis, working in quadrants. When I get to the last quadrant, I start again. It’s meditative, too.” It’s important to note the Lavins continue many sustainable, earth-friendly practices: they adhere to ‘no chemicals’ and practice a kind of xeriscaping/saving water, rain barrel use, and do seasonal maintenance.

Some words of wisdom from Leeann: “Have a plan! Implement your master plan as time and budget allow.” She points out that plants are living things, so, although there are plants that are low maintenance, there is no such thing as no maintenance.”

“Become ever more of a thoughtful gardener ~ aware that our plants nurture other living things; practice

“right plant/right place”
maintain one's gardens with weeding
On-time, best practices pruning
garden with the seasons”

And here’s the full map that Marilyn and the AH Arts team produced.

It was a glorious weather day and we were extremely honored to host so many enthusiastic and interested garden enthusiasts.

It’s just such a luxury to share the beauty and glamour of the garden…

After the formal “Fall into Natives” garden tour, I had the good fortune to be invited to Marilyn’s artful, serene garden for a personal tour. She and her fine artist husband, Michael ~ a fabulous painter (I can’t get enough of his flamingo watercolors) ~ have created a charming garden that reminded me of a beloved Charleston style.

It was one of those warm, “Indian Summer” days and the pollinators were enjoying the tour of the vibrant gardens and the seasonal plants as much as we were.