Roses are perhaps my favorite flower! There are so many varieties, some with glorious fragrances, others with prickly thorns that always seem to get me through my garden gloves. Roses are quite versatile in the garden as they can be used in mixed borders, as a hedge, in a Rose only border as climbers or container plants and of course they make wonderful cut flowers.
Hydrangeas can add drama to the garden whether pink, white, green or red. They make great cut flowers! Early spring is a perfect time to plant Hydrangeas because the ground is still cool so they are less likely to get stressed. Hydrangeas are basically low maintenance shrubs and highlight the summer and fall gardens. Just prune occasionally for shape and they will serve you well.
Naumkeag was the summer retreat for NYC lawyer and diplomat Joseph Hodges Choate and his family. This property is a National Historic Landmark for its designed landscape created by Architect Fletcher Steele. The famous Blue Steps have been photographed thousands of times I'm sure but the property in any season is magnificent. The mansion was designed in 1885 by Stanford White and became the property
