Serenity in the Garden

fruit and daisy by William Morris in one of his amazing notebooks "All artists love and honor William Morris" --- Frank Lloyd Wright  One of the most influential British designers,  William Morris (1834-1896) was an English writer, artist, craftsman, and designer who is  considered the father of the Arts and Crafts Movement. He  blurred the line between art and craft and eschewed mass-produced items.  His aim was to "bring art back into people's lives" and therefore  sought out craftsmen from whom he could learn dying arts, such as weaving, stained glass, dyeing or printing.   His philosophical approach of  combining use with beauty, profit with pleasure and work with contemplation  is still alive in the 21st century.  Morris enjoyed gardening and he called his home,  Kelmscott  Manor, 'Heaven on earth'.   He wrote this note about gardening at Kelmscott to Mrs Burne-Jones:   "I am just going to...

photo of naumkeag by Rich Pomerantz Richard Pomerantz is a professional photographer. He won a commendation from the Garden Photographer of the Year website in the  'Beautiful Gardens' category. This is what Rich wrote. It helps if you know the iconic shot of the blue stairs at Naumkeag... "Fletcher Steele's 'Blue Stairs' is the centerpiece of the landscape at Naumkeag, a property of the Trustees of Reservations [in Stockbridge, Ma].  Everyone photographs this staircase from the same vantage point - head on.  You can find the tripod hole marks in the ground to make that postcard photo, but I wanted to interpret it in my own way.  Working on a book, 'Great Gardens of the Berkshires ', I decided to create my own interpretation of this truly beautiful and innovative landscape design feature. I visited the site numerous times over a two year period, in all seasons, photographing the stairs from several angles.  I realized autumn would gi...

Once, driving along a road in open farm country, I watched as the January full moon rose over a snowy landscape.... The large white disc shining brightly in a liquid gray sky was spectacular! I now understand why animals howl at the moon - it must be a sympathetic show of appreciation and awe. The grandeur of the full moon made me reflect on moon gates, the traditional Chinese circular entryways that lead into contained gardens and cities. The rounded opening alludes to the full moon and the Chinese adage that says, 'Flowers are more beautiful when the moon is full.' Enid Haupt Gardens - Smithsonian Stepping through a round portal is symbolic of so many things. Like our entrance into this world, an enveloping enclosure calls to us to see what is on the other side. This sort of entry speaks to us of mystery and delight - no soaring Calatrava-like bridge or ornamented portico -  a moon gate beckons quietly, saying 'all is well, come ...

Majorelle Garden The Jardin Majorelle in Marrakech, Morocco took French painter Jacques Majorelle (1886-1962) forty years to create. Behind high earthen walls, s hady walks meander though exotic plants and burbling streams and pools filled with water lilies and lotus flowers.   The air is laden with sugared fragrance and songbirds' chirping fill the air. My Blue Heaven.

photo by Steve Deligan  Waldeinsamkeit is one of those untranslatable German words that means “the feeling of being alone in the woods.” It is a lovely sentiment, meant to convey the sweet solitude of being alone with your thoughts amidst an atmosphere of natural peace.  But how to use it in a sentence? ' Waldeinsamkeit descended upon her as she trudged on, the only sound being the crinkled leaves beneath her footsteps"....  not so great a sentence? Well, I tried. Groves of trees have been planted throughout history to try to simulate or induce a feeling of  waldeinsamkeit. G eoffrey Jellicoe writes about groves in his classic reference, "The Oxford Companion to Gardens" saying, Tree tunnel by Carol Dorion "The Greeks adopted the mystical nature of a sacred grove, but also accepted it on intellectual grounds. The Platonic Academy was conducted among formally planted olives, not merely because they provided shade so essential in th...

'Sea Gold' Sedum rupestre   Sedums seem to be taking over the plant world and for good reason -  these small but tough succulent plants are well suited to the growing conditions of rock gardens, green walls, dry harsh environments and green roofs.    They can survive with very little water (in the first year they will need extra watering during a dry period). And many have small but numerous flowers which are amazingly eye catching. Today low growing sedum varieties are more available than ever thanks to the popularity of green roofs. There are companies that sell  Sedum Mats  which I think are a great way to install a sedum garden. Just unroll the mat and there you go! Sedum mats from green roof I like to use creeping sedum in the rock gardens that I create - the first year they may look like little clumps but they spread within a year to create a solid cover even on rock outcrops...Sedum 'Angelina' is a fave. Sedum 'Angelina' ...

JACK YOUNGERMAN This graceful work takes a flat rectangle and twists it into curving forms; it appears lightweight and to be almost floating.  Youngerman has an abiding interest in non-Western art and his work, to me, conjures up a Japanese feeling.   It speaks of waves,wings and leaves, complementing the natural forms found in a garden. The cast fiberglass piece is clean and fresh against the green feathery pines behind it. Without the pines it would not stand out as it does. The landscape and the art are intertwined. Youngerman was introduced to the arts on the GI Bill in the post-WW 2 School of Paris, which offered instruction by masters such as Constantin Brancusi, Jean Arp and Henri Matisse. These artists and their fluid, organic forms influenced Youngerman greatly.  He is 87 now and still going strong. I took this photo in 2013 at the LongHouse Reserve in Long Island, NY. This place combines great landscapes with great art - a definite 'must ...

Heaven is a Garden

design by Peter Fudge - Silver Frost Pear Arbor The ornamental 'Silver Frost' pear ( Pyrus salicifolia 'Silver Frost'), also known as the willow leaf pear, is grown for its  branches sporting 3- to 4-inch long narrow, silvery leaves that look very much willow leaves. It is a wonderful small tree that makes a bright silver accent in the landscape.  It grows to about 15 feet tall and  in late winter has bud tips tinged with pink. In early spring the buds open to expose white, five-petaled pear blossoms. The tree's small fruits are hard and bitter to eat. It has  little fall color. source: connon nurseries The 'Silver Frost' pear tree can tolerate pollution and  is not picky about soil type or pH.  Likes well drained soil - not wet soil!  'Silver Frost' grows in zones 4 - 7  but likes temperate conditions  - it is not tolerant of long freezes in winter or hot, arid summers. Grows in sun. In late winter, you will need to ...

from  Garden Design - photo by Jason Dewey What plant is popular in Europe and was the 2010 Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Plant of Merit?    The 3' - 4 ft tall  'Firetail' Knotweed or  Persicaria amplexicaulis  ‘Firetail’ photo courtesy of Big Dipper Farm Beloved by James Van Sweden and Piet Oudolf, this non-invasive Himalayan perennial adds a “nice red spark” to the late summer garden (from July through frost). It forms a bushy mound of foliage topped by brightly colored “tails” of tiny crimson flowers. A good plant for moist areas along streams or ponds, it prefers partial sun to full sun conditions. It has no serious disease or insect problems.  Hardiness USDA zones 5 to 9 It looks great in a mass planting and wonderful as a background for asters, mums, short grasses,  and geranium 'Rozanne'. avalon perennials Contrasts well with purple salvia, echinops, helianthus, nepeta or perovskia. Underplant it w...

Isamu Noguchi sculpture - photo by Jan Johnsen ''The whole world is made of stone. It is our fundament. When I tap it, I get an echo of that which we are.'' - Isamu Noguchi

“There's no rush about calling things sacred. I think we should be patient, and give the land a lot of time to tell us or the people of the future. The cry of a Flicker, the funny urgent chatter of a Gray Squirrel, the acorn whack on a barn roof—are signs enough”.    - Gary Snyder