Sitting on a Paris bench in May I was enjoying a view of the Eiffel Tower. The beds of the park had been freshly dug exposing the rich dark soil and I knew colorful summer plants would be arriving soon. An elderly woman came walking through the grass pulling her shopping cart. She stopped at the flower bed. In the bright light of day she removed her red trowel and a plastic shopping bag. Bending over she began carefully filling the bag with fresh soil.
Garden of Heart, Art & Flower
“The ongoing relationship of a human being with a certain plot of ground is at its heart a romance, for to garden honestly is to fall in love, in love with the rhythms and miracles of nature, in love with life itself.” Scott Ogden, The Moonlit Garden
Changing the View
September to December
If you ever indulge yourself in the Home and Garden TV fantasy experience of an entire remodel in less than an hour you realize, in more rational moments, life isn’t like that. Living through a major garden redesign is one of those events that remind you what reality really looks and feels like.
Rich’s Workshop
Rich works with metal, wood, tile and glass. He likes to figure things out, he measures so carefully, to the 64th of an inch. Here he is in mid project of some of the work he has done for the garden.
Military Tanks Among the Flowers
In all my wandering through beautiful gardens I never expected to see a row of military tanks landscaped with potted plants. A collection of 11 army tanks ranging from a 1917 WWI vehicle to the Abrahams tank of Desert Storm line up as if ready for inspection. The big guns now silent, sit under the shade of large oak trees. In Catigny Park, 30 miles west of Chicago, there is just such a scene. It startled me. It made me stop, sit down and think about military equipment in a beautiful garden. But then the profit of travel and exploring gardens is learning and here I had much to learn.
Loving Santa Fe
Santa Fe – Fans already know that the climate, creativity, culture, and cuisine are reasons enough to visit this unique city. If you needed another reason to love Santa Fe, you have it now in the newly opened Botanical Garden. This special garden adds another level of enchantment for this high desert region, especially for gardeners!
A Traveling Garden
If you are going to spend a summer in the mountains what sweeter place could there be than “Happy Jack?” Once again my peppermint twist geraniums summered here escaping the killing heat of their winter home. So this week we drove up north to collect them in our new improved “geranium transporter” or Honda Ridgeline pick up w/ a topper shell so they can ride protected back to the valley. It holds nearly 25 pots of flowers with out bending or breaking of stems! Ever so much better than our previous truck!
Trees Drop Stuff!
The season changes and the leaves of summer’s lovely shade begin to fall, prompting a collective groan as gardeners from the east coast to the west reach for the rake. Falling in red, yellow and brown, the leaves float down, crackling underfoot as you walk along. Yet you might count yourself lucky if leaves are all your trees drop.
Down the Garden Path
Walking a path into a new garden is an exciting moment filled with anticipation. Map in hand, you scout the areas and choose the path you will follow. You are ready to enjoy new sights, sounds and smells.. Before you charge ahead after looking down at the map, look further down and notice the path!
Virginia Robinson Mansion & Gardens
It is hard to say anything but wow, fabulous, amazing, stunning, beautiful and say it over and over and over as you tour this garden and take a brief look inside this Beverly Hills Mansion built in 1911. The docent tells you of dinner parties with Mae West, Charlie Chaplin and other famous guests hosted by Virginia Robinson. Virginia Robinson lived nearly to 100 years and her gardens were her constant opportunity to create something beautiful. At one point she was assisted by a staff of 17 gardeners but it was her design eye that created the space. There is the formal Italianate garden with pool and lawn the sight of many grand parties. The great surprise is the tropical palm garden with a mature grove of over 100 Australian King Palms. Here Virginia would slip away to read among the under canopy plantings of gingers and clivias and plumaries in the cool shade. For her love of entertaining she had a rose cutting garden, from which she had flowers for the table, and a Potager garden providing fresh herbs and vegetables for her classically trained chef. This garden is a gem lovingly cared for by volunteers and the LA County Dept. of Parks & Rec.