There are two gardens in the T Nagar neighborhood in Chennai that my father-in-law helped design and plant. One of them is just west of N. Usman Road, somewhere near Viveks. You can walk a path around the perimeter of the garden. While visiting there, we joined many other people enjoying a colorful, leafy and surprisingly quiet garden respite from the busy city. I need to find our photos and post them.
The Chennai garden is of course a year-round enjoyment in India’s climate. Meanwhile here in Chicago most of my plants are beginning to emerge and I’m eagerly awaiting that moment when they look full and exuberant. When the hummingbirds visit all day, and when there’s a lush mix of greenery, orange, magenta, yellow, purple … a visual delight. Here’s what I’m waiting for in the garden beds behind our sunroom:
Caesar’s Brother Siberian Iris
Cimicifuga Hillside Black Beauty
Spirea with orange leaves:
Soon enough all these plants will be crowding against each other, colors and shapes and textures mixing. And at that time, I’ll share photos of what these all look like in the garden!
We have several other gardens, but this is the newest one that I’m most excited about. It was set up to run along the far edge of our future patio, so someday we can lounge in Adirondack chairs and see how close hummingbirds will get to us!
Also right now among our trees, many are blooming: magenta crabapple, white serviceberry (?), lilac, and many maples — they look so interesting before the leaves emerge. And this is all with a backdrop of the white-blooming trees on properties across the street from us. It’s beautiful. But our weather has been crappy and photos would not look good. I will try to capture and share before the colors all fall to the ground. Right now some magenta crabapple flowers are blanketing the ground around bright golden/lime hakone grass. So pretty.