Wedding in an English Garden Part II: A Beautiful Garden Comes Together

Lisa Newell’s extensive knowledge of all the flowers and foliage available in those colors was amazing. We visualized implementing these colors into both the English Garden and around the house to develop a cohesive look, but in a variety of flowers to make sure the gardens would be visually interesting. Her skilled assistant, Alessandra Summa thought that fuchsia Bougainvillea would add height and a bit of dramatic color to the back quadrants of the English Garden area.

We planned to extend all of these colors around the house and pool area where we would creative gardens with various sculptures for visual interest. Potted plants are another one of Lisa’s specialties, so we decided that extending color and variety everywhere would give the appearance of established gardens. From the top of the stone walls of the driveway, to the front door and back deck we planned for 24 potted plants and window boxes.

The English Garden would be the focal point for the wedding and I wanted it to be a sheer delight as the backdrop for the wedding ceremony. I acquired a lyrical birdbath with a nymph supporting the water basin for the front left quadrant area and a cherub in a cradle for the front right for symmetry. Lisa later surrounded both with beds of soft silver thyme.

Lisa and Alessandra gathered what we needed from many different nurseries throughout Connecticut, and I scoured New York nurseries for special plants. The end goal was to make the entire yard look established yet natural, as if it had been growing for years. We framed parts of the garden corners with boxwood and soft blue fescue and added lavender, roses, petunias, million bells, angelonia and ageratum just to name a few. Lisa and Alessandra began to plant and cultivate with great zeal in early May.

Even though I had envisaged a stunning garden, the blooms and flourishes that resulted were beyond my wildest dreams. By September, the gardens had come together in a vision of sheer beauty that was far above my greatest aspirations. It was a joy to behold, as if I was living in a botanical garden. A profusion of blooms and forthcoming buds surrounded the house.

The English Garden was a Fairy Tale setting with an abundance of florae. Pink and white mandevilla with giant blossoms grew up the white arbor and every different flower in the garden had been properly orchestrated to bloom just for the wedding on September 2. As the heavens had been involved since the onset, we were provided with perfect cool and sunny weather.

The garden was ready for the bride and groom. As people sat and gathered for their entrance, the garden actually brought tears to the eyes of some guests. Lisa, a green goddess in her own right, must have been guided by the goddess of the harvest, Demeter, for Lisa had envisaged the right flowers in just the right places.

As the bride and groom stood before the garden and exchanged their vows, the butterflies arrived on cue to enjoy the garden as well. The guests were delighted to witness the wedding ceremony of this wonderful couple in the most beautiful setting. I am so please that we could provide some heaven on earth for my son and his bride and all of our guests. May these newlyweds enjoy the most wonderful life!

Enjoy more photos of my English garden and new landscaping around the house, and feel free to share if you’ve encountered similar!

- Barbara Esatto, The Chocolate Goddess