I became impatient listening to the tour guide explain 700 years of Spanish history. Already I calmly sat through a long bus ride from the port of Cadiz to Seville to get to the Royal Palace Gardens of Alcazar. I wanted only to see the garden. So. . . . I slipped away from our tour group.
Category: Garden Articles
Spring Garden Road & Summer Street
What else could one expect to find at the corner of Spring Garden Road and Summer Street but a jewel of a garden? In Halifax, Nova Scotia you will find a rare Victorian Garden. This fanciful and elaborate style of garden is not often found in our modern age, but this path to the past is a grand experience.
Flowering Branches
Perhaps the very instant spring begins is that brief sunny moment when bare branches burst from bud to flower. Dormant limbs feeling the stir of seasonal change bud and swell with the news that winter is waning. Seemingly overnight the bleak branch canopy suddenly commands our attention as we notice the burst of flowers filling a tree. Flowers before leaves, before fruit and seed pods simply fascinate a gardener, who willingly rakes and sweeps the debris that follows the spectacular show of flowering trees.
Forecast: Cold and Beautiful
When the temperature is freezing not many people set out to visit gardens. I, however, did just that, taking a trip to Tucson to visit Tohono Chul Park, and Garden. The frost covers were out, the air was bracing and the blue sky filled with wisps of clouds. These were repeat visits so I know the gardens are beautiful in fine weather so I expected a change of scene due to the threat of freezing temperatures.
Fruit & Vegetable Resolutions
Eyeful, Plateful, Basketful!
Oh the ritual of new year’s resolutions challenging us to be our better self has come around again. The predictable but valid ones reappear; save money, spread kindness, and eat better are high on the list. As gardeners, at least one of our resolutions is likely to include something related to fruits and vegetables. We not only resolve to eat more fruits and vegetables but to grow our own bountiful harvest! There are many wonderful reasons deeply rooted in our souls which drive us to succeed, yet how disappointing when our seeds of optimism dry up. However, I have a fruit and vegetable resolution that is truly attainable. Resolve to get an eyeful of the beauty fruits and vegetables provide all year long.
Gazing Balls
Bright & Shiny
This time of year Christmas trees decorated with lights and ornaments are showing up all around the town. If you decorate a tree with traditional glass ornaments in red, gold, or silver you will see the beauty surrounding you reflected in their shiny surface. Stories of glass ball ornaments trace back to the 1800’s in Germany, though the origin of glass balls has been documented back to the 1300’s. Venetian glass blowers began creating colorful spheres as gazing balls to reflect the light and the view of gardens. The fragile and colorful balls were a sign of wealth and status used to accessorize the gardens of kings. King Ludwig II, King of Bavaria during the 1800’s, adorned his palace, Herrenchiemsee, his replica of Versailles, with these gazing balls. Could there be a connection?
The River Cafe, Brooklyn, NY
Hurricane Sandy has done such harm. Many lives were lost, homes destroyed, business devastated and natural beauty permanently altered. Living in the West it is hard to grasp just how much damage this area of our country has received. I was in New York last fall and as I read today’s news I recognize areas where I visited. An article in the NYTimes (11/11/2012) described the damage done to “The River Cafe” in Brooklyn. This 35 year old restaurant is an icon of elegant, formal dinning. This is where one went for very special dinner occasions, such as marriage proposals, significant birthdays and anniversary celebrations. According to the Times article one evening not long ago 7 couples were each celebrating their 25th anniversary in the dining room.
Hospital Gardens
If you are at the hospital there is probably a crisis going on in your life and your mind is in a whirl (arriving babies quite the exception.) Once there as you navigate the many halls and pods of rooms you may rush by a garden. Healing gardens and meditation gardens are part of many hospitals. Banner Desert Hospital in Mesa, AZ has gardens. I recently spent three days rushing through the halls here and found the Harmony Garden, Bistro Garden, Children’s and Train garden.
Philbrook Art Museum & Gardens, Tulsa, OK
“Oh what a beautiful morning!”
My primary exposure to Oklahoma was in the movie theatre many years ago, “where the wind comes sweepin’ down the plain.” So when driving through the state recently and finding an ornate Italian Villa with 23 acres of formal gardens, I realized I needed to learn more about this place where there is “Plen’y of air and plen’y of room, Plen’y of heart and plen’y of hope.” (lyrics of Oklahoma, Rodgers & Hammerstein)
Foster Botanical Garden, Oahu, HI
Exceptional, Exceptional trees. There are so many things to discover in Hawaii and this small garden is big in delight. There are 24 officially designated “Exceptional Trees” in this space. Large, unique, spectacular and astonishing trees are here. In the large category, there are Tamarind, Boabab and Quipo trees. The Quipo is sleek and tall growing like a silver streak train to the sky. The unique, includes the blue marble tree and the cannonball tree. A cannonball tree is truly loaded with heavy, round, brown balls that grow from beautiful orange flowers.