Front Walk and Foundation Planting Video - Jan Johnsen

Here is my second very short video! Laura McKillop, my associate, is the videographer.. baby steps into the wild and wooly world of video....

Sept 7 - a Big Day for Charity : Water

My charity in this blog is: Charity : Water


There are a billion people living without clean water. Four Septembers ago, Scott Harrison and his friends had a crazy idea.

 
They asked their friends to give up their birthdays and ask for donations instead of gifts. They used all the  money raised to build water projects. Every year, it got bigger.

Thay have now helped over a million people get clean water.

Look here:



charity: water 2010 September Campaign: Clean Water for the Bayaka from charity: water on Vimeo.


And today, Sept. 7 is the day they drill a well live for all to see...go to their website today and see for yourself:

Charity : Water

September is here. from charity: water on Vimeo.

Garden Trends for 2010 - The 'Feel Good' Garden

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The top three global gardening trends for 2010 (out of 10)  are the kitchen garden, the organic garden, and the Feel Good garden.   I like the Feel Good Garden.

This information comes to us from the second annual Global Garden Report from Husqvarna and Gardena.  It is based on 1.4 million (!) blog posts from 13 countries.

jchants photostream - Lake Forest Secret garden tour

They write:

"From 2010, individualism in the garden is on the rise, replacing conformity. Gone is the obsession with keeping up with the neighbors’ ... it’s now about expressing yourself using your outdoor space, encouraged by on-line friends."

 from garden diva website

That's me - your on-line friend! And I encourage you to keep expressing yourself in your 'feel good' (FG) garden. Here is what the Global Garden Report said specifically about FG gardens:

"The Feel Good Garden

As we continue to live stressful lives, there is an ever increasing need for a safe haven at home. Globally more of us are turning to our gardens for the peace and tranquility that nature is perfectly suited to deliver.

Suriname woman in her garden

For 2010 we will be looking to our garden spaces to unwind after work, relax and ‘recharge the batteries’ and most importantly reconnect with nature which traditionally has a calming influence of our lives.

Jan Johnsen - a feel good garden for a dear client - Christmas ferns on right, inexpensive gate from local garden center

I couldn't have said it better myself....that is what my blog is essentially all about - creating garden spaces that help us unwind and 'recharge the batteries".  And it also seeks to answer another 2010 garden trend that has been identified in a different analysis - 'info lust'.

People want knowledge - plant info, on line how-to videos, classes, lists and special events...anything to satisfy our insatiable need to learn...and I am here to teach all about Feel Good Gardens...

coleus, double impatiens and more

so you've got to ask yourself - what makes me feel good?

Lush vs. Controlled? overflowing vs. spare? Boxwood vs. Rhody? Palm vs. Plumeria? Colors vs. Texture...or all of the above...

Jan Johnsen Landscape

So we are reverting back  to my halcyon 'hippie' adolescence (albeit in the garden now) : if it feels good, garden it.....

swedish? Tibetan? californian? a feel good garden for sure...

Grand Sweeps of Color in a Noteworthy Garden

Those of us who love color (me! me!) can’t resist the urge to include all the hues on the color wheel in their garden.

wow - look at that picnic table! at Stone Meadow Kennel...love it.

This certainly adds a dramatic punch to a scene but it can also result in a visual cacophony of contrast.  (although not always)

courtesy : Timber Press

Longwood Gardens, in Kennett Square, Pa addressed this dilemma in their 600 foot long ‘Flower Garden Walk’. Along this broad brick walk is a mix of annual and perennial flowers, spring bulbs, woody shrubs and ornamental grasses showcasing one individual color then another.  As you stroll, you experience the full impact of each color of the rainbow, one at a time. 

:

courtesy: historicfloralgardens.blogspot

At the start is a grand sweep of lavender, purple and blue

which melds into soft pinks and reds then changes to oranges and warm yellows,

Ultimately ending in white.

Some of the plants in this garden :

butterfly-bush  Golden oriental arborvitae panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata 'Unique'), purple smoke-bush (Cotinus coggygria 'Velvet Cloak'), plus thousands of ever-changing bulbs, annuals, biennials and perennials from April through October.

This fun approach can be used in any garden – a long curving flower bed can begin with white wax begonias extending through pink ones and ending with red begonias.

For a great 'color in your garden' book look at this one and be sure ot check out another great review by Allen Becker- garden Guru on this page:

Pink Supreme Roses and Stachys 'Hummelo'

Japanese Varigated Iris and Stachys 'Hummelo'

I must admit I develop plant infatuations..and just as in my life, the quiet hard-to-get-to-know types fascinate me....

this time it is Stachys officinalis 'Hummelo'

Iris pallida varigata, flower carpet roses, gomphrena 'Buddy Purple'

It is a Stachys cultivar (its cousin is the famous 'Lamb's ears') and it is a low growing, clumping perennial groundcover, growing no more than 20" high. It has the most wonderful glossy dark green scalloped leaves growing in a tight rosette pattern. It looks as if someone took those scalloping shears to their edges. 

Hummelo - my pet name for this plant -  is easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soils in full sun or part shade. It spreads by creeping stems (stolons) that root as they go along the ground. The leaves are evergreen in warm winter climates. 

Courtesy Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder

They say that Hummelo is grown primarily for its vivid flowers which can provide a spectacular display, particularly when massed but I still have not seen a flower and I planted a bunch of them this spring in a dear client's landscape....perhaps it needs time for flowers.

But nonetheless, I am infatuated with the new kid on the block. Hummelo is a lovely addition to a rose / rock garden as shown here. I also used it as edging along a walk and it looks amazing!

I added the Flower Carpet Rose 'Pink Supreme' about 6 weeks ago and it has become the star of the show in this lovely rock outcrop garden:

But first I added a lot of compost and soil....its all about the soil....

Namaste Publishing features a blog post of mine

One of my favorite publishing houses, Namaste Publishing, is featuring a blog post of mine on their website today!   Please click on their name here and check it out.

Namaste is both an interactive website and a grand publishing house. They assist people in their journey in search of personal and global transformation and they have certainly been successful in that regard since they are the publishers of Oprah's fave rave, Eckhart Tolle's The Power of Now.

When I am not in the garden I am probably reading one of their books because, as I noted in my profile, I am into all things metaphysical...

For years I played down that aspect of my character but no more - now I just blend my two passions together...

gardening and metaphysics,

kind of like 'echinacea enlightenment' or 'rudbeckia ruminations' or 'miscanthus mysteries',

and my blog post,"The Best Place to Seek God," refers to these twin pursuits.

I am honored that they contacted me and asked me to contribute to their website. I hope you go check them out, you will not be disappointed.

Click here: Namaste Publishing.

 

Pruning in the Late Summer Flower Garden - Prune Away!

Flower gardens in late summer in my part of the world can be likened to a slightly overripe peach: they are a little too juicy and softer than you would prefer.

They are, as Shakepeare's wrote, "too much of a good thing"....

Pink Chaos coleus, Double Impatiens (orchid) and euphorbia Diamond Frost

What, then, to do with that overflowing petunia, the overgrown mock orange, that out of control spirea?

Bring them back from sweet excess by judicious pruning. 'Judicious' is the operative word here,  but above all, PRUNE AWAY!

Clematis, Blue Salvia stalks and Vinca

At this time of year, do not be afraid to prune back, shape and rejuvenate. Of course, late pruning of spring flowering shrubs such as lilacs will mean sacrificing some of next year's flowers but if you are like me, the unkempt appearance now far outweighs the flower display 6 months hence.

Blue Angelonia, Cambridge Blue Angelonia, New Guinea pink Impatiens, blue star juniper
Of course, pruning purists would be aghast that I say to prune the forsythia now (you will be forsaking their spring flowers) but sometimes you just have to get things under control!

Anyway, I am pruning back and deadheading many flowering annuals, perennials and deciduous shrubs right now. Here are some tips:

Pruning Tip #1 - Get yourself a good quality pair of pruning shears. I love Felco #2 OR #6. This cast aluminum hand pruner is my pride and joy and I have lost just one set (which upset me no end).....

they are expensive so ask for one for the holidays - a great gift!

Pruning Tip #2 - Know the difference between Pruning and Deadheading...Pruning is cutting and deadheading is the removal of spent blooms to encourage another flush of flowers within the same season. Do them both right now. Roses are very appreciative of deadheading.

Tip #3 - Timing
Most plants go into hibernation in the winter and stop growing.  For deciduous trees (those that lose their leaves), their dormant period is usually the best time to prune.
However for many perennials and shrubs you can prune at various points during the year depending upon which they are. Most plants respond well to any type of gentle pruning and will be hurt only when extreme pruning has taken place.

One of my flower borders with arbor gate  (for a a client)- just pruned back as you can see from the front edge....

Obviously, adverse weather conditions - whether it be hot or cold - is not a good time to prune but watering and an app. of compost tea or similar can be a quick pick me up.... late summer / early autumn is a good time to prune and cut back and deadhead...

A great book that tells you all about flower and plant combinations for your flower borders is shown below - and make sure to check our Allen Becker - the Garden Guru's review of it on Amazon as well:

'Garden Implement Music ' - Terra Cotta Pots, et al

In my garden I have a pile of empty terra cotta pots of all sizes sitting in a pile by the side of my house.

Do I throw them out? try to give them away? Paint them up? (nope, no time in my life for that)

Wait - here's an idea - use them to make music!

These photos are from the Central Texas Gardeners Blog (CTGB - check out this great blog)

Terra cotta pots of varying sizes hang upside down from a sturdy board. You hit them with a drumstick which has one end wrapped in yarn. Each pot makes a different sound. (This reminds me of the time my mother, studying at Cooper Union as an art student, created a homemade 'musical intrument' in our living room. Part of it consisted of cans hanging upside down and I would, as a child, bang away on them for hours.....I think terra cotta makes a better sound.)

This is the drumstick (Courtesy CTGB)

In addition, you can use the grass clippers (open close, open close) to add another percussive sound:

Of course you can add the sound of water, the dog can keep time and maybe some garden critters will add harmony. As Linda Lehmusvirta writes in her wonderful blog,

"the fountain adds its own percussion. The toads chime in with lyrics".

(photo from Central Texas Gardeners Blog)

 When you put this all together you get a lovely 'garden implement' composition.

Here is a short clip of  the Mundi Ensemble (with Mundi’s cellist, Carolyn Hagler in her colorful Austin garden). Find out more about this in the Central Texas Gardeners Blog.

'Living in the Breath' by Richard Nedervelt

While I was on vacation in Hawaii I wandered into a wonderful art gallery in Honolulu....

Richard worked there and during my visit he shared a poem with me that was inspired by Hawaii. He had just written it in his notebook and he read it out loud ...

I would like to share it with all of you.

Richard also features it on his new blog, Living in the Breath.

Living in the breath,

standing in the waters,

the Divine presence is all around us.

It is like a cool strong breeze flowing around, beside, and through me.

When I am balanced within,

even the strongest storm cannot move me from where I stand,

for I am purified by my thoughts,

forgiven by myself,

and loved by the Beloved.

I stand on the land as if resting in the hand of the Creator,

and do nothing to the land I would not do to the Beloved.

Here in this moment,

 I am like night and day sharing the Heavens.

In sharing my space,

my breath rises and falls,

like a deep breathe uttering,

 "ALOHA"

 

Richard Nedervelt 08/17/2010

Living in the Breath

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Trees of Peace - and Music

"...Years ago I heard somebody say that all our political and diplomatic conferences ought to be moved out of smoke-filled rooms and held underneath trees... I wonder if under those circumstances the conclusions reached might not be quite different from what they are at present..."

( page 159 of “The Lost Myth,” by Clyde S. Kilby. Arts in Society, Vol. 6, 1969.)  For a brief biography of Clyde S. Kilby, click here.  This information is from a wonderful blog, the Saunterer.

from justfocus in New zealand

Imagine if the United Nations met under trees? I imagine their discussions might be a little more fruitful....Trees are a wonderful mediating influence in our lives and are there to help...

If a child misbehaves, instead of sending them into a corner have them go outside and sit at the base of a tree...or better yet - in its limbs! Tell him or her to talk to the tree and listen to its guidance...the children would know exactly what you mean (up until about age 9). No tree out there? ah! now is to the time to plant one!

Great Elm of Pennsylvania

In 1682, along the banks of the Delaware River, under the shade of a great elm tree, William Penn made a Treaty of Friendship with the Native Americans which led to the founding of Pennsylvania.
William Penn's Treaty with the Indians became a universal symbol of religious and civil liberties. Voltaire made reference to the event in 1764 and artists thoughout Europe recreated the scene first painted by Benjamin West in 1771. Edward Hicks (Peaceable Kingdom) created numerous depictions of the treaty meeting to promote social change.

The "Great Elm" as it was known, remained as a living monument to this event until it fell during a violent storm in 1810. You can still visit Penn Treaty Park.  http://www.penntreatypark.org/.

Treaty Oak (Quercus virginiana),

Treaty Oak in 1970's from Mr G's photos in Picasa

Native Americans of the Austin region preferred to make important decisions under a grove of live oak trees - the so-called Council Oaks. Tejas, Apache and Comanche tribes revered these trees. It was here that Stephen F. Austin closed the first boundary line pact with the Indians.
The Austin "treaty oak" is the last survivor of these council oaks and is almost 600 years old.

 In 1927 the American Forestry Association proclaimed the Treaty Oak to be "The most perfect specimen of a North American tree" but today it is a shadow of its former self.  In 1989 a vandal poured a large amount of herbicide on the ancient oak. The tree went into shock but Ross Perot financed the rescue of this landmark tree  - three and a half feet of contaminated topsoil around the tree were removed and replaced, tall shading screens were erected and spring water was misted onto the leaves every half hour. The Treaty Oak survived but lost many limbs.

They made many products from the fallen branches of the treaty oak - the most popular item for sale seems to be the 'treaty oak gavel' - for use by the judiciary - how fitting!  Check it out here: Treaty Oak products

In the name of peace and trees and music there is no better project right now than the

The African Blackwood Conservation Project was established in 1996 by James Harris, a woodworker from Texas, USA, and Sebastian Chuwa, a botanist from Tanzania. The aim of this group is to help replenish this valuable tree in Tanzania. Most people have not seen blackwood but almost everyone has heard it, for it is the premier wood of choice for fine concert-quality woodwind instruments such as clarinets, oboes and flutes, as well as being used in the manufacture of bagpipes.

Serengeti Plains in Tanzania

Blackwood is also the finest material available today for producing ornamental turning. In its African homeland, it is used to make intricate and highly detailed carvings  (makonde)and plays a vital role in the ecology of the East African savannah.

Planting a mpingo seedling ( takes 60 years!)

The African blackwood or mpingo tree (botanical name: Dalbergia melanoxylon) is being depleted at an unsustainable rate. It is extinct in Kenya already.

Mpingo Alley in nursery

I stayed briefly in Ngorongoro Crater (with the Masai) in Tanzania and I know how wonderful the Tanzanian people are. This is the best tree project for peace I can think of.....