Category: Uncategorized
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Enable Beauty
Muscari, dwarf iris, and dianthus budded foliage Found myself in waking consciousness muttering the words” enable beauty” one morning this week. The dream fragments that I woke with escape me now but do remember the words–a mantra of sorts. The mantra of one who gardens and designs landscapes professionally, I’m continually challenged to create gardens that delight, restore,and…
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The Theraputic Hour and a Memorable Visit to Central Park
Just in from gardening–I finally found time to do a little weeding, pruning dead stuff, and what ever. Just this last week I could actually distinguish live branches on the rose bushes and clematis. The heat wave dried up most of the early blooming daffodils and knocked out the dwarf tulips. So I found myself deadheading those. …
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Fairy Hang-out? Emerging Rodgersias (now named Astilboides tabularis) or Rodger’s Flowers
Emerging Rodgersia Its the round leaf variety that I grow and cherish in my garden–it will have very large round leaves as the photo taken last summer shows. I love it tucked into a shady damp corner of my garden. The flowers are enchanting aren’t they? I’d…
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Maples and Pulmonarias, Acers and Lungworts
The swamp maples red glow brighten our New England woodlands now–its Acer rubrum’s spring color reminiscent of autumn. But its the Acer japonicum ‘Folicifolium’ bud’s that hold my attention just now. Long a favorite tree I planted one in my garden last fall. I’d never seen it at this time of year and while I anticipate…
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Daily Tread, or better named, Daily Treat
Some days the trek through the garden is quick –a passing glance checking in everybody. (The garden and its plants feel like a community of friends so the reference to “everybody” seems accurate.) Something unexpected stops me in my tracks–often with an exclamation of joy! This morning’s discovery that yesterday’s 70 degree heat brought the dwarf…
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Peepers are New England ‘Singing’ Frogs
Barely awake, or was I barely asleep, I heard beep, beep. Or was it peep, peep. A cold morning earlier this week–waking more I realized that it was the first frog announcing its presence that morning. Their cheerful chorus greets me morning and night. I’ve gathered some information from the http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/amphibians/spring-peeper.html “Type: Amphibian Diet: Carnivore…
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First Blush
Daphne cneorum Its happening. Its been a long wait. Photos taken on April 4, 2008 in my front, back, and side garden.
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UCSC Student Garden, Alan Chadwick, the Organic Farm Movement and Me!
tour-chadwick-garden-may-07 Alan Chadwick with Students–That’s Me Hidden Behind the Two Girls Dawn’s light and shadow found me hunting for the place I remembered — one of wonder and inspiration—UCSC’s Student Garden. As an apprentice there I received a different kind of education, a corollary experience to my enrolled courses. Both educational experiences merged helping me…
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Birdsong, Fascination, and Breathing
Birdsong entered my life today. Last week or so I found myself noticing it a bit here or there through closed windows. But today the warm weather invited me to open the slider while I worked. I appreciated the fresh air immediately, but it was the combination of birdsong and wind chimes softly responding to the breeze…
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Hamamelis Keeps Its Promise…kinda
Days after the snowstorm, the witch hazel in my garden bloomed. Sparsely. I was a bit disappointed. My expectations set too high, I realized a contrasting evergreen planted behind it would set off its few flowers better. Its second spring growing here I had hoped it would be covered thickly with brilliant yellow flowers. Last year it…