A beautiful collage of images by Susan Bourne, in honor of pioneering landscape architect Beatrix Farrand.
born | 19 jun 1872
Outstanding American Gardens: A Celebration
The Garden Conservancy has announced the coming publication of its 25th anniversary book: Outstanding American Gardens: A Celebration — 25 Years of the Garden Conservancy. Outstanding American Gardens.
The Garden Conservancy was founded in 1989. Its mission is to “save and share outstanding American gardens for the education and inspiration of the public.” It sponsors Open Days, offers consulting services to gardens, and works to preserve significant endangered gardens. What a wonderful organization! Can’t wait to buy the book, which features 50 American gardens of all kinds, from across the country: coast-to-coast and in-between.
A Petersham Nurseries Gallery – a feast of roses & perennials and a closer look at the Cutting Garden
Martin Ogden takes some of the most gorgeous photographs of flowers I have seen. (Plus he shares my love for David Austin’s English Roses …). Enjoy his gallery from Petersham Nurseries!
I arrived at Petersham Nurseries 45 minutes earlier than necessary with a view to taking a few pictures – and I am a speedy photographer – so here is a little gallery of plants that are both conveniently for sale or at home in the Cutting Garden (a practical resource for so much of the nurseries’ floristry needs as well as a seed-bed for inspiration). I was not disappointed.
After a day of sunshine and rain, and having watered extensively and spending a few hours titivating the roses in particular, a final ten minutes before I headed home to take just a few more pictures. An indulgent gallery featuring some of the most fragrant roses and a whole kaleidoscope of colourful perennials – much to admire and much to take home if you want…
Saturday Snippets
I’m going to add a posting feature to this blog and call it “Saturday Snippets.” As I began with the idea of rediscovering gardening and my many garden-related books, and named the blog after one of my favorites, “Old Herbaceous” by Reginald Arkell, I thought it would be fun to share weekly snippets of garden literature from my collection.
Here’s my first snippet:
“Gardening was a whole-time job, like the cows or the sheep. Cows had to be milked, whatever happened; and who thought of stopping in bed when the sheep were lambing? In a garden, you had to work with the seasons. There were slack times, when you could take an easy with a pipe behind the tool shed, but when the grass started growing and the weeds were getting on top of you, there was an end to all that nonsense….Hours he’d spent watering….But these young fellows….”
Old Herbaceous, Reginald Arkell.
Earth Goddess
Going back into some older garden photos, I came across this favorite: the “Earth Goddess” mosaiculture installation at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. It was part of the Imaginary Worlds exhibit last year; and ABG was able to keep it. What is mosaiculture? “Each sculpture is a living work of art. Thousands of annuals are planted in colorful, ornate patterns on steel forms covered with netting and soil. A combination of internal irrigation systems and hand watering help the plants to flourish. Each sculpture is meticulously groomed on a weekly schedule to maintain the artistic lines as the plants grow.”
“Earth Goddess” is 25 feet tall and covered with 40,000 annuals. She is integrated into ABG’s Cascades Garden, with some of the water flowing over her outstretched hand. In the winter, during the annual “Garden Lights, Holiday Nights”, she is covered with thousands of shimmering lights. Magic!
Forest of Light
We recently visited the Bruce Munro installation at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Oh my. The most spectacular part of it was the “Forest of Light”, an installation of thousands of optic fiber lights in ABG’s Sforza Woods. It was as if clouds of fireflies had settled among the trees. I can’t wait to go back.
The Sunset Garden by Tamara Bridge | Susan Rushton
Susan Rushton has posted the most beautiful image of Echinacea here:
via The Sunset Garden by Tamara Bridge | Susan Rushton.
I love these new colors among Echinacea, although I usually gravitate to cooler shades in the flower garden. You can see how those cooler pastel shades in the background make these warm tones pop. I can see that, but I can’t replicate the effect, either in my garden or my photos. But I so appreciate those who can!
Hello!
I am recapturing my love of gardening by re-reading some favorite garden books and following several garden blogs. One of my favorite books about gardening is “Old Herbaceous”, by Reginald Arkell. I first read it when I was twelve years old. The story of a shy child who loves plants and flowers, and makes them his vocation throughout a long life, spoke to me then and still speaks to me now.
Old Herbaceous 