But, to the area's full-time residents it's so much more. We are lucky enough to live only 30 minutes from the Cape and since we have family who live there full time it's like a second home to us. Ellie Mae's Grandmother and Grandfather (Memere and Pepere or how we pronounce it - Meme and Pepe) live in the quaint seaside town of Mashpee. The town is just southwest of the more well-known Hyannis and is also unique as one of the remaining homes of the Wampanoag Nation, the Native American tribe which met the Pilgrims at Plymouth.
Meme has a beautiful woodland garden that she has carved out of a small space behind her townhome. Meme is a seasoned gardener who at one time tended to many large perennial beds and vegetables gardens outside of the historic New England home in which she and Pepe raised their family. After retirement the couple moved to Mashpee. But moving to a townhome with common areas that are mostly shaded, didn't stop her from creating her own version of Eden. Proving that you can take a gardener out of the garden but you can't stop her from gardening!
I have learned much about gardening from Meme over the years and she has inspired me create a little magic in my own world. And when I say magic I do mean magic. For example, she has honeysuckle that blooms gorgeously in a shaded area.
Here is a picture I took of it this weekend. See how the honeysuckle vine is being trained to grown in a topiary shape over chicken wire. This summer it will be filled with flowers and the chicken wire will be covered with lush foliage (click on the photo to enlarge and get a closer look).
Follow me as I take you on a small tour of some more of Meme's Garden during a misty spring day.
Hostas in all shades of green.
A little happy frog sits like a garden gnome near a bright pair of clogs. Just look at the cute little clog stand that Meme made. It's assembled from some scrape pieces of wood and corks - I love that she used corks - such ingenuity!
These little ducks are nestled in the leaves.
More woodland treasures...
A bright burst of color from a hanger... just waiting for hummingbirds to arrive.
I'll show you more in the upcoming months of this treasured little haven as it blooms and bursts forth with life.
What a great place for clogs. (I'm afraid to leave mine outside because spiders might crawl inside;( Wonder if the topiary would work with clematis.
ReplyDeleteMarnie
A very neat and beautiful garden.... I love the white flowers hanging in a row..
ReplyDelete~ bangchik
It's quite a lovely garden indeed. My children also call their grandmother MeMe. A sweet name.
ReplyDeleteI love it! The topiary idea is really neat, I've never seen honeysuckle grown that way.
ReplyDeleteI learned a lot about gardening from my grandparents, in fact that's huge part of why I garden.
I've always wanted to visit the Cape Cod area, it's on my list of places to visit some day. It'll be fun seeing pictures of it here until then.
She's done a wonderful job, it looks like a 'wonderland'! I do love New England...my husband is from Maine, and I met him there at the Univ. of Maine. His family still all live there...I went to H.S. in Cape Elizabeth, ME. One of my best friends lives in N.Andover, MA, and other relatives live near Cape Cod, what a lovely place to live!! I so miss the ocean! Thanks for the beautiful tour;-)
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely garden! She is very obviously dedicated to it.
ReplyDeleteI love everything about it!!!! I do love the shoe rack...very clever. She has an amazing place. Very green & Lush
ReplyDeleteHi Jackie, hooray for Meme! She has quite the garden going there. Her love for the task of caring for plants shows through loud and clear from the photos. So nice that you have her to learn from too. :-)
ReplyDeleteFrances
The solomon's seal are beautiful in the shade under the trees. I love the little white blooms suspended along the stalk. The white bleeding heart is also lovely, and really stands out against the dark background. My Dicentra plants are newly sprouted, so I won't see the blooms for awhile. You have to love the combination of fern fronds and hosta leaves.
ReplyDeleteLooks wonderful. I've never been to the Cape...
ReplyDeleteA wonderful garden, love the topiary idea for vines.
ReplyDeleteYour post reminded me of our visit to Cape Cod several years ago. How beautiful it was! We saw several nice gardens, but of course, it was only the tiny part of them visible from the road.Thank you for showing us more! Beautiful plants and very cool idea how to train a honeysuckle plant!
ReplyDeleteGreat pics thanks, love those hostas.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely sanctuary. I like the map of Cape Cod so I can see where the town is. Cute clog holder and cement ducks.
ReplyDeleteFor beginning gardeners, the key word to describe all gardeners is "hope". Try and if it doesn't grow, try again. You will succeed.
I love that clog stand! Love, love, love it! That goes on my (insanely long) to-do list... That's a lovely garden too. Looks very relaxing.
ReplyDeleteHi Jackie: I used to live in Boston, so your Cape Cod article brought back nice memories. Enjoyed the photos. Your blog is just lovely.
ReplyDeleteWe must be on the same wave length. I just featured Big Sur and Mendocino on my blog. Ha. May and the sea -- a timeless combination -- no matter what coast you're on.
Happy Gardening. Teresa