February arrived with winds and freezing temperatures. A low temperature in my garden of 23 degrees! Out of state relatives also arrived fleeing even more severe weather of ice storms and below zero temperatures in Indiana. Even as the weather seemed unseasonably cold to us locals the sunshine and mid day temperatures here found my brother and sister-in-law wanting to be outside. In particular they wanted to visit the DBG to get a chance to see desert plants. As a first time visitor to the garden nearly everything was new, including the idea that palo verde trees had naturally green trunks and that a garden would try to protect tender plants with yards and yards of frost cloth.
Category: Southwest, US
Our view of nature
A Sense of Place
When our neighborhood was new a family relocating from Virginia moved in next door and quickly put in lawn for their entire landscape. Another family relocated from MN and installed a pool and planted pine trees all around it. Longtime desert gardeners cringe at these home garden stories. Today a strong campaign for regionally appropriate plants fills the garden news. Advocates raise a chorus of voices that sing, “If we live in a desert it is only common sense that we live with desert plants.” Einstein said, “common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age 18.” Our common experience of “place” isn’t so common.
Desert Walk
The sun came out and the temperatures were in the 60’s. We explored the 5.5 acres of the xeriscape demonstration garden at the corner of McDonald & Hayden road in Scottsdale. The value of a demonstration garden to create a greater understanding of the sense of place is so important. Years ago when our neighborhood was new a family relocating from Virginia moved into the neighborhood. With the new home landscaping had to be planned and established. Shocked at the desert heat and needles on the cactus the family planted all grass on their property. Another family moved in from Minnesota and planted three pine trees along side their swimming pool.Adjusting one’s awareness of the geography of a totally different region is a series of discoveries. Demonstration gardens provide an opportunity to experience a place living in the climate, soil and plant life.
It also provides a lovely healing walk out of doors in a beautiful place. Bird songs, water splashing, dogs taking their owners for a walk all part of the features of a garden full of life.
The Biltmore, NC & The Biltmore, AZ
Fantasy Gardens
The July heat storms in and drives me inside. Putting away my gardening gloves it is time to engage in some fantasy gardening. I imagine a garden where the plants stay in optimum health; the blooms unfold in predictable order of color and quality assured by a perfect feeding schedule and ideal watering. Such a garden is always orderly, where any storm damage is minimized and cleared promptly by industrious garden gnomes. Yes, a fantasy I realize and yet since children may escape the day-to-day world by visiting a magic kingdom why can’t a gardener escape to a magic garden?
Night in a garden
Writings
As a kid I was afraid of the dark. Many a summer night when I forgot to put away my bicycle or toy wagon I was told to “Go outside and put away my things!” A dark night and only a small porch light to show me way, I stood trembling at the back door, holding my breath. I would dash out, do the task and dash back in my heart racing. Now night time outside in the garden is a favorite time for me.
A Seat in the Garden
Writings
Gardeners love mornings, especially Arizona gardeners. Early morning is an inviting time to be among the blooms, buds and shrubs, enjoying the changes each day brings to our own little gardens. Morning is the time for me to take a cup of coffee to my favorite seat in the garden. I have a little bench that I return to again and again. Seated here, I can watch the sunrise and the sky change colors between the branches of the 30 year-old olive tree in the east corner of my back yard.