You have seen these formal gardens in the front yard of Tom and Darcie Homme during winter and spring. Here’s what they look like in summer. Photo by Connie Oswald Stofko
People ask Tom Homme how he gets pink and blue flowers on the same hydrangea plant. He had heard that if you grow them in acidic soil, the plant would produce blue flowers. He tried aluminum sulfate on one side of his ‘Endless Summer’ hydrangeas and was rewarded with blue flowers on that side. Photo by Connie Oswald Stofko
by Connie Oswald Stofko
You’ve seen it in winter, you’ve seen it in spring and now you get a peek at Tom Homme’s four-season landscape in summer.
If you’d like to visit this Pendleton garden in person, you have one more chance this week. This is the last week of Open Gardens for 2021. Open Gardens take place Thursday and Friday.
Like any other perennial garden, Homme’s garden changes throughout summer as one plant ends flowering and another comes into bloom.
Do you want tips on how to create a lovely garden during the summer? Many of our articles discuss the different aspects of pretty summer gardens. Check out your favorite topics here.
I’ll visit again in autumn to give you more ideas on how to create a four-season garden in your landscape.
See how full the center bed is now with trees and shrubs leafed out. Compare this to the view in winter and spring. Photo by Connie Oswald Stofko
In the winter photo taken from this angle, two tall ‘Fine Line’ buckthorns on either side of the urn were predominant. Unfortunately, they are sick, so Tom Homme cut them back heavily. “If they come back, fine,” he said, but if they don’t, he won’t mind. Homme likes the view with the shorter shrubs. Photo by Connie Oswald Stofko
The garden bed along the house is less formal and more exuberant than the beds closer to the street. Tom Homme leaves the seeds on the purple coneflower for the birds during the winter, which also allows the purple coneflower to reseed itself. Other echinaceas in this bed are ‘Green Jewel’ and ‘Razzmatazz’. Photo by Connie Oswald Stofko
Not as attention grabbing in winter and spring, this bed of lavender is stunning in summer. Yellow sedge, an annual, is in the lovely pot. Photo by Connie Oswald Stofko
There is more to this landscape. Behind the house is a meadow with many native plants, which is a sharp contrast to the formal gardens in front. Photo courtesy Brian Kreutzer
5 Comments on “See four-season garden in summer in WNY”
Great article and beautiful gardens.
Thanks, Tom. We all appreciate you sharing your garden. They is so much we can learn from you!
Tom, Darcie, Gorgeous as usual. Breath taking!! Amazing !! What a green thumb you have.
Great article and beautiful gardens.
Thanks, Tom. We all appreciate you sharing your garden. They is so much we can learn from you!
Tom, Darcie, Gorgeous as usual. Breath taking!! Amazing !! What a green thumb you have.
Thanks Connie, great article as always.
Wonderful article as always! Thanks Connie.