Tag: Tulips

Fall Planting at Willowdale Estate

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Fall Planting for Spring Tulipomania at Willowdale ~ 1,500 bulbs planted, only 1500 more to go!

The Super Fantastic Willowdale Facilities Team, right to left ~ Dale, James, and Greg

Willowdale Estate ~ A Stunning Special Events Venue

North Shore Wedding Magazine

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Click any photo to view slideshow

For weeks I had planned to photograph the tulips in bloom at Willowdale, but only in the late afternoon sun. Each afternoon I headed out, the sky grew overcast. Last Monday the sun shown gloriously the entire day.

Fortunately I caught the tail end of North Shore Wedding Magazine photographing their Premier Issue in the gardens at Willowdale. North Shore Wedding Magazine is a brand new biannual publication featuring quality North Shore wedding professionals and venues, and is the sister publication to New Hampshire Wedding Magazine.

Sarah Boucher’s (Willowdale’s Planning Manager) lovely table styling for the North Shore Wedding Magazine photo shoot.

Kristina Hathaway with model

I hope this does not sound boastful however am mentioning because I just love it when people understand the design intention of a project. Kristina Hathaway remarked that she loved the feminine quality of the garden’s design juxtaposed against the masculine architecture of the stone mansion—music to my ears! The design challenges at Willowdale are multifold, yet rewarding, and from April 1st to until the first week of November you will find the gardens in bloom!

Tuesday evening, June 12, at 7:00 pm come join me in the gardens at Willowdale Estate. Enjoy refreshments and a tour of the garden, followed by a showing of my film “The Butterfly Garden at Willowdale Estate.”  RSVP to Info@Willowdale Estate.

Click any photo to view slide show

Dandelions and Tulips in your front yard

Posted on by paultmorrison

In your rocking chair on your front porch last week you were bummed about the dandelions in the lawn but enjoying the tulips. I pulled out 523 dandelions and I now have dandelion thumb so I have changed my mind. Dandelions now look pretty and I’ll leave the rest alone.

So now I just enjoy both of them and for two plants that don’t move around much (rumors that dandelions walk across streets and into your lawn are unfounded) they sure open and close a lot.

Tulips seem to open up each day because it warms up. I guess evolution has told them that the pollinators are going to be more active in the afternoon. Then they close back up. Dandelions seem to be smarter. If it gets cold they close. But even if it gets cloudy they seem to close up before the rain beats them up unlike tulips.

So I have to go find a paper and sure enough, the Journal of Experimental Botany has a paper that explains it all and they mention tulips and dandelions a lot. Duration of darkness, osmotic pressure, all that good stuff about how and when a flower opens.

Or you can enjoy your morning coffee this weekend and watch your tulips and dandelions open up again.

This animation is from Tulip Test Gardens which has a lot of good info about your tulips. (Click to animate again.)

Tulip Orama

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

This is a view into the courtyard garden I designed for Willowdale Estate. The tulips are at their peak. I call this mix of colors my ‘Bridal Mix,’ because it provides a symphony of watercolor hues for the April and May weddings. Don’t you think too that the satiny sheen of the tulip petals looks like the silk satin gowns of wedding parties?

Willowdale Estate Topsfield

Click photo to view larger image. More from Willowdale spring coming.

Snoop Mad is Dwarfed By Ginormous Tulips

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

I don’t know where the Mrs got the Tulip bulbs that her and The Bean planted last fall but I swear they are the biggest tulips I’ve ever seen.   These are some Ginormous Tulips.

Snoop Mad is Dwarfed By Ginormous Tulips, originally uploaded by captjoe06.

The Bean and Her Gigunda Tulips

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

The Bean and Her Gigunda Tulips, originally uploaded by captjoe06.

What’s Bloomin In The Yard -Pink Tulips

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

What’s Bloomin In The Yard -Pink Tulips, originally uploaded by captjoe06.