Although several foxgloves appear here and there in the beds, Bickie has not been successful in having them naturalize and return year after year. One of the beds is planted to turn white with astilbes and oakleaf hydrangeas about this time of year. Another is filled almost entirely with plants that either bloom or turn colors in the fall. As she walks through the garden Bickie is always on the lookout for a weed or errant outcropping of an unwanted flower. I don't want them growing anywhere in my garden.
Foxgloves provide height and majesty to a border.
He laid out all the paths and did a lot of the brick work. He also seems to know exactly what plants need. In the garden's early years, both Bickie and Jones continually divided ferns and perennials, particularly hostas, to get more to fill the beds. In today's mature garden, there is more subtraction and rearranging going on, said Tom Pellett, who designed the garden and continues to consult with Bickie. He will be at the garden from noon until 2 p.m. Saturday to answer questions.