She reads gardening magazines, but selects plants by what appeals to her. "I garden by gut," she says. "And if I can squish it in, I do."
Favorite Plants Delphiniums. "I'm very fond of the darker blue. And I like to bring height into the garden." Also calla lilies and bee balm (Monarda).
Tips "Just go for it. Be brave," Susan Conord says. "The worst thing that can happen is your $17 rose can die. And you have to replace it or give up. A garden is something that evolves and changes."
Medium Garden Runner-Up: Peter Judge
Marianna and John Russell, Sparks
Best Large Garden
Marianna Russell strolls through her expansive garden in Sparks and wonders how it ever got so out of control. To be more accurate, there are two gardens - her flower garden and her husband, John's, vegetable garden "with a strict territorial division of labor."
She says their gardens began slowly, more than 31 years ago when they moved into an old Victorian farmhouse in the country. "There has never been an overall plan," she says.
When her younger son left for college 12 years ago, she became more serious about her avocation. "I happened to visit a friend who has a fabulous garden. I said 'OK, this is what I can do.' "
The Russells put in a bluestone path with flower beds on either side and stone walls. Later they added ponds, more flower beds, a potting shed, a greenhouse and a cutting garden. As their expertise and passion grew, they began to grow most of their plants from seeds. Today their garden has a great diversity of perennials: peonies, climbing roses and sweet pea. A huge climbing hydrangea creeps up to the second floor of their house. Two ponds that lie beneath towering trees offer an inviting place to linger.
Marianna Russell says she loves the garden, but, at times, tending to two acres can feel overwhelming. She contemplates cutting back, but she isn't sure how. "How can I take out something I've spent 12 years making?" she asks.
One option would be to give up the greenhouse and growing her plants from seeds, "except I love doing it and watching them grow."
Then again, she thinks maybe she should just turn some of the beds back to grass. "I was telling a friend the other night, I need either a therapist or a bulldozer."
Favorite Plants Peonies, roses, sweet peas and Heuchera (coral bells). "They're great for performance."
