Northshore Home magazine highlights the best in architectural design, new construction and renovations, interiors, and landscape design.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1142011
58 SUMMER 2018 cultivate nshoremag.com/nshorehome/ Farms (now Tendercrop Farm) in Wenham. The former owner, Marilyn Donati, sold Sears her first dahlias: 'Otto's Thrill' and 'Kelvin Floodlight.' She admits, "I was hooked." Sears's penchant for bold color and an abundance of plant materials befits the cottage garden style. Bathed in southern light, her garden peaks twice, in June and September. The spring show consists of perennials in delicate purples, blues, and yellows: irises, verbena, delphiniums, digitalis, narcissi, peonies, and roses. A 'Donald Wyman' crab apple tree anchors one corner of the yard, while in another, a miniature Japanese maple fans out like a crimson ball gown. This friendly patch of colors and textures has a feel- ing of delightful chaos, but don't be fooled. "My small front garden has a rigid symmetry to it—believe it or not. And it has strong bones: brick paths, cobblestones, and granite edging. It is balanced and geometric. I put a lot of thought into that," says Sears. The Colonial Williamsburg–inspired parterre garden once housed vegetables but is now dominated by let- Clockwise from top An aerial shot of the parterred cottage garden. The bright colored landscape attracts pollinators and appreciative gawkers alike.White garden architecture, such as a tall wren house and chickadee fence post, add neutral contrast to the intense colors of the garden. Delicate pink discs of cosmos float amongst the dahlias and zinnias .