Although it feels like the Gamaches have always been part of the fabric of Three Pines, Armand and Reine-Marie don’t officially move to the village until the tenth book in the series, The Long Way Home. Their brick house sits on the edge of the Village Green, and their garden, located in the back of the house, becomes a place of peace and reflection for the Gamaches, along with a gathering place where they spend time with their family and friends.
“Reine-Marie stopped, stooped, and picked a weed out of their front garden. She showed it to Myrna, who clapped. It had become their running joke, from their early days in the village, when Reine-Marie and Armand had “weeded” the spring garden, only to discover they’d left the weeds and taken out most of the perennials.” – Glass Houses
Perhaps not natural green thumbs, the Gamaches still grow a variety of flowers, weeds, and trees in their garden, including:
Lavender: An Old World flower that dates back, at the very least, to Greek and Roman times. “Lavender Haze” was a term coined in the 1950s to describe a certain state of love. Taylor Swift heard the phrase while watching an episode of Mad Men, which inspired her to pen the eponymous song.
Weeds: A generally undesirable plant that dates back to the invention of agriculture. A.A. Milne famously quipped in Winnie-the-Pooh, “Weeds are plants too, once you get to know them.”
Apple Trees: Also known as Malus domestica, were originally cultivated in Asia and subsequently brought to America by colonists. William Blaxton, the first European settler to occupy what is today known as Boston, grew the first apples and named them “Yellow Sweeting”.
Do you have any tips for managing weeds in your garden?
19 replies on “The Gardens of Three Pines: The Gamache Garden”
The Gamache garden certainly has elements similar to mine. Apples, lavender, a place to gather with friends or just have some quiet time alone. My garden is at the front of my house and includes both flowers and veggies in lots of pots and raised beds (to thwart the gophers). The Gravenstein apple trees have been just down the hill for decades, so we are just caretakers of them. Weeds are just a part of the whole. Sometimes the nasturtium and morning glories become invasive like weeds, but are such beautiful colors, which saves them from being pulled out. Garden are things of beauty and a job forever, but gardeners like it that way.
Although I live in a townhouse with a pocket handkerchief of a back yard, I have converted every inch of it into a garden, with an angel wing swirling fountain in the middle. It is my ‘cathedral close’ where I read and pray most summer mornings, with coffee in hand. Birdsong provides a cheery choir. There are weeds – pretty ones – which I allowed to grow, but now they have so covered the ground that I’ll have to hire a professional to dig them out. A life lesson perhaps? I love the fact that the Gamaches inherited a garden at Three Pines and that they love its stillness and beauty as I do mine.
I’ve been gardening since I had my first flower bed at the age of 10. My only sure remedy for weeds is to pull them as soon as you see them; I’m constantly weeding and watering, changing my pot plants around the patio, etc. Thank you for giving us a look at Jane’s Garden and the Gamache Garden.
Love my garden and don’t worry much about the weeds. And it’s true, the deer don’t seem to care about
eating them. They do love the hostas though, and day lilies and hydrangeas and impatiens, on and on.
Some creature is now even eating my parsley. But it’s a delight to wander around the garden and just breathe
it all in, especially after a freshening rain.
I have lots of “weeds” that I allow to grow and blossom because they are pretty and they attract pollinators. I like Queen Anne’s Lace , Yarrow, Daisies and Black-eyed Susans. The QA Lace is so calming as it moves with breezes.
We moved to an over 55 condo community after 40 years in our Montclair home. I miss my large garden especially in the mornings when I would wander through the garden in my nightgown with a mug of coffee. Now, I have a very small plot for planting which is ravaged by deer no matter what deer resistant flowers I plant. Of course, deer wouldn’t touch weeds!
I live in a “Senior Community”, in Virginia, east of Richmond on Chesapeake Bay. But I am lucky enough to have a garden plot! Grew lots of veggies and herbs this year. I enjoy the Three Pines books so much that I have read all of them at least three times. Please write faster!!
Ahhh my gardens of flowers are a sanctuary where can go and reflect. I love weeding and keeping them beautiful. I like the feel of the dirt on my hands. now if only my knee can keep up, oh well I can do do all this sitting.
I do so love reading about the gardens in Three Pines! I love gardening! My flowerbeds have lots of perennials and a few annual bloomer, and yes of course, WEEDS! I pull them. I also have a lady that helps me occasionally and she has a special tool to tear up and twist out the roots. My Zinnias are crazy! They grow and spread like crazy.
Johnny Appleseed was famous for spreading the seeds of apples from Massachusetts to all through the Midwest of America.
There is nothing more satisfying than pulling that last weed out of your garden ….and this satisfaction goes on a loop pretty much every day as new ones pop up and you pull out. Kind of like a game of Whack a Mole! My dear friend who lives on the south shore of Montreal and introduced me to Louise Penny’s books, has a beautiful garden. She likes to say, “A weed is simply a plant in the wrong place.” I can’t recall who she credited for that saying. Mulch is a good way to keep them at bay:)
Love the gardens We sold our home and moved into a condo I miss our beautiful gardens but I have pot planters on my veranda and love them
Thank for sharing the garden information Cheers
I am thrilled to know ai have the exact same plants as the Gamache Garden….lavender, apple trees and WEEDS!!
Looking forward to reading Gamache Garden ,
I so enjoy this new feature. Wish I could sit and reflect in the Gamache’s garden. Any thoughts of a “permanent ” compilation? Thanks for the heartfelt joy these gardens and books bring. Cheers!
Love this! Just wish I could get out and work in the yard. But my back and knees just won’t let me!
I too have back problems. A few years ago I thought I would remove some over aggressive swamp irises the result was tennis elbow which still gives me pain!! I also hate the heat, so I have a service weed every month. It turned out cheaper than the doctor, PT and meds for the tennis elbow.
After two difficult winters in Mexico, NY – that’s the area just east of Lake Ontario – I’m grateful that any of my trees and plants have emerged, even if a bit raggedy for the wear…I’ve used a strong vinegar mixed with a tbs of salt and a few drops of dish soap to quell the weeds from being too aggressive- very effective deterrent without being horrible to other plants – but I remember laughing aloud at Myrna’s amusement when Armand and ReineMarie pulled perennials instead of weeds. I love these gardens and hope to return one day to Knowlton. These books bring such joy!
Jane
ISince retiring, I’m finally making little progress against the weeds! Like the Gamaches, my garden is my sanctuary and nurturing it is my joy and prayer.