There are no good photo links to Chatwood or Montrose though there are a number of on-line articles with a picture or two. Montrose is listed with both the Nature Conservancy and the Garden Conservancy. They are both private gardens that allow public tours a few times a year.

In mid May I will have old garden roses and peonies at their prime, or just about finished up, depending on how quickly it warms up this spring. I hope for a late spring, otherwise it could be one of those "twix and between" times in my garden, in which case I guess I'll put lots of flowering pots of pansies, verbena, pinks, etc. around the beds. I have a fair number of good quality sculptures and architectural elements and garden art so it usually is interesting even when not much is in bloom. My property is not large, maybe 1/3 acre, but half to two thirds of it is garden beds, plus I have some spectacular trees. One is a huge and symmetrical Pecan that is the centerpiece of the back yard. I also have a large and stately China Fir and what I think is a Burford Holly with a trunk that is a good 4 feet in diameter with a broad canopy that makes a perfect shady sitting area. Allan was talking about those trees in his post above (Congrats! Allan & Carmen--I have been holed up and didn't post to the wonderful wedding news.)
This has been a rough winter for gardens here in Zone 7 in the NC Piedmont. We have had extended periods of unseasonably warm weather when plants have broken dormancy way too soon, only to get slammed by another cold front. this has happened several times this winter. I always pot up lots of pansies and violas in the fall. They are usually gorgeous from late March until June---I have lost nearly all of them, and will have to start replanting in a week or so. I'll be surprised if my garden is at its best this spring, but....The yarrow (a big bed of Colorado Mix) may be well colored up. I have another bed of yellow yarrow (Goldplate and Coronation Gold) mixed with blue larkspur that may be starting to bloom. The oriental poppies, salvias, coreopsis and bearded iris may also be in bloom. All the spring bulbs and azaleas will be finished. Bleeding hearts, sweet woodruff and peachleafed bellflower may be prime. Columbines should be blooming. Hydrangeas may be starting to color up. Or--it could rain like hell for the week before the tour and it will all look awful.
    The veggie garden is mounded raised beds and is small, about 25' square. Summer crops will just be getting established. I'll need to do some carefully planned succession planting to have spring crops that look prime at that time. This winter I attached hayrack style half-baskets to the fenceposts, and will use cocoa fiber liners in them. They will planted with rosettes of some of the more colorful lettuces and with edible flowers like violas, calendula and nasturtiums. I will hopefully have built a twig arch over the gate into the veggie garden, and Bobert's hyacinth beans will just be starting to climb them.
    I look forward to the work. This has been a tumultuous winter both at home and at work. I really need to get out there and dig in that dirt to regain some balance.
    Do I hold the record for lengthy posts on Mudcat? If not, bet I'm close.

Janie