I have been absent all summer from blogging, but am back with a post crammed with garden porn to make up for lost time.   In mid-October I was outside Philadelphia speaking at the Perennial Plant Conference hosted by Chanticleer Garden, Longwood Gardens, and Scott Arboretum (Swarthmore College).  Put it on your calendar next year!  The lineup of speakers was second to none- excluding yours truly!   What amazing event!  Make a trip of it and go next year- you will not be disappointed!  The day after the conference the fellow speakers and I had the opportunity to tour “America’s Garden Capital”, which is the greater Philadelphia area.

I have had some amazing opportunities to visit gardens across North America and Europe and true-be-told nothing gets me going like Chanticleer Garden.  There is something about the place….maybe it is the merging of art and horticulture?  Whatever it is, it is horticulture at its highest level.  It has been a few years since I last visited, which was on a hot July day. This time it was different, summer had come to an end and autumn was setting in.  The plants and borders were at their height of maturity but had not yet given up the ghost to the cool temperatures.  We were walked the garden with a few of the gardeners: Dan Benarcik, Lisa Roper, Jonathan Wright, and Bill Thomas (Executive Director & Head Gardener).   As we walked through the garden we were able to talk shop with them- stuff all gardeners love to do…..To hear their insight, their struggle, and see their successes made the garden that much more special to me.  The garden is ever evolving and pushing the envelope of what we know as gardening.  If you haven’t visited- go!  If you have gone- go again!  If you can’t make it- buy their new book from Timber Press… Both beautifully written and shot!  I know I am not the only gardener out there hoping this day would finally come!

The Art of Gardening: Design Inspiration and Innovative Planting Techniques from Chanticleer, By The Chanticleer Gardeners and R. William Thomas, Timber Press 2015

This was an amazing opportunity to talk horticulture with fellow plant geeks and use my camera which has spent way too much time in the closet over the summer.  There is much more to come from this trip soon in up coming posts.  In the mean time enjoy some garden porn!  And thank you Geoff, from Utah, for your words of encouragement!