You may know that the meadow behind the Mansion is under restoration; this is a time consuming but very worthwhile undertaking using a variety of native plants. Here’s a photo showing progress to date. The wet area behind the Marsh Meadow Deck is full of Marsh Mallows (Althaea officinalis) in bloom, not edible, but a very pretty sight nonetheless! Foliage as well as flowers contribute to the beauty of our gardens, as evidenced by the lovely Balloon Flowers (Platycodon grandiflorus) in the Blue Garden in front of Matilda’s cottage and the purple and green leaves of the Persian Shield (Strobilanthes dyeriana). Persian Shield is native to Myanmar and is an annual in our New Jersey gardens.
Photos of the meadow and Balloon flower courtesy of Heather Emelander. Member Gerry Pappalardo provided the photo of the Marsh Mallows. The Persian Shield photo is from Sandy Brighouse, also a member of the Friends. Thanks to all!
