The Garden of Dianne B.

A nearly century old classic pink magnolia regularly stops traffic here on Davids Lane, so in an ideal world it will be in fulsome bloom on this Spring Conservancy Open Day. Between climate change and hungry critters, one can't promise anything, but surely there will be many and various fritillary, trillium, lots of blue spring "little" bulbs, and at least a few precious jack-in-the-pulpits from Dianne's extensive collection. This is a layered garden that mixes it all up. At least twenty diverse Japanese maples mingle with symbols and sculptures that pop up among twisted trees, weepers, and odd woodland plants. Dianne labels herself a "garden stylist" as her modus operandi: weaving together texture, accessories, color, patterns, and layered shapes that echo her twentieth-century career in fashion. Her garden provides the zing for her blog, Dirtier, which is the progeny of her '90s gardening book, Dirt (still available at Amazon.com).