GardenDesignOnline

Christmas Gifts 2012 - II

Also, near the top of my list: a gift membership for anyone you know to one of your local gardens -- they all need the money, and what they offer is incomparable.  And, as a gift to the gardens, renew your own membership while you're at it!

From the gift shop at the NY Botanical Garden:

 

click images to enlarge

Pretty cool little window thermometers that can be attached to a variety of copper animal shapes ... choose from the butterfly, hummingbird, frog,bird.

 

 They attach to glass windows with suction cups.

Cosmos Serving Bowl
It's made of recycled aluminum, will not tarnish, and would be a great favorite for anyone who's into perennials.  A generous 13 inches in diameter, 5 inches high.  It cannot be put into the dishwasher.  There's also a smaller cosmos dish for sauces and the like.

No, these are not lapel pins. They, too are made of recycled aluminum -- and the perfect garnish for your salad bowl.  Actually, 13.5" long salad servers for the person who'd love to use them at one of those fancy garden luncheons.

 

  French Table Linens

Placemats, tea towels, napkins, table runners, tablecloth, apron take your pick. The red and green gooseberry motif seems perfect for the holidays, and I, at least, like the botanical theme.

Celia Birtwell Items

Celia Birtwell, the British textile designer, is definitely not my style, but I can imagine there are a lot of women gardeners out there who might covet her floral designs.  Not only this journal is available, but also garden tools, gloves, and many other items.

 

Many other items available in the NYBG Store.  Check them out.

 

 

 

Christmas Gifts 2012 - I

My all-time top garden tool is the garden glide, which I bought last year ... I pull 3-4 bags of mulch on this thing without a single problem ... and I even used it inside the house to move a heavy window air conditioner!  You definitely want one of these for your garden.  Click on the link and watch the video ... you'll never regret having this nifty tool.

 

And ... speaking of tools, don't forget this soil knife from Gardener's Edge. I bought one of these last year, too ... and believe me, you'll never go back to a weeder (I got rid of all of my other ones).  This baby is stainless steel and indestructible, with a bright orange handle so you can see where it is when you put it down somewhere (usually) ... and it even has inch markers on the blade.  It has a slicing edge and a serrated edge, so you can use it to plant, to divide plants, to dig out nasty tap roots and rocks.  It's simply the best "digger" and "weeder" of any kind I've ever used.  Any gardener you buy this for will love you!

 

There are various kinds of these rolling patio planters on the market ... this one from cleanairgardening.com -- One of my neighbors actually had a couple of these that she planted last summer ... rolled around on the deck to get the best sun exposure ... and grew everything from lettuces to eggplant to tomatoes, herbs, and much more.  Some of them come with "trellises" you can add for plants that take to vertical gardening like cucumbers and beans.  If you don't have a large garden area on the ground, planters like these might be the solution. 

Christmas Books 2012 - I

It's been some years since I visited David Culp's garden in Pennsylvania's Brandywine Valley; but I treasure the photos I took that day, along with all the notes on his masterful design.  I was along on a trip sponsored by Hillwood Museum & Gardens in Washington, DC; it was pouring rain; and that did not detract one iota from anything we saw.

Now, Culp explains how he put the garden together in a new book, The Layered Garden: Design Lessons for Year-Round Beauty from Brandywine Cottage (Timber Press, 2012).  You'll learn how to "layer" a hillside with bands of color (what Culp calls a "stylized" woodland); how to design your borders so they "talk to each other" in complementary tones;and how to plant a rose bed for year-round interest.

Culp's vegetable garden was designed as "an exercise in formal geometry" with an eye to color and texture. And his "ruin" garden with old, crumbling stone walls, now shelters tender and drought-tolerant plants.  It's visible from the road and is just a hint of what lies beyond. Stunning photographs by Rob Cardillo accompany the text, and they are lesson in themselves about everything Culp wishes to impart.

There's not an avid gardener or a designer out there who would not appreciate this book.  Mine, I'm sure, will be dog-eared in no time at all.

 

Most gardeners would also like another new title from Timber, The Roots of My Obsession: Thirty Great Gardeners Reveal Why They Garden (Timber Press, 2012), edited by Thomas Cooper. It's informative, it's amusing, it's a great look at why people like to garden. Author Anne Raver likes "the nutty sweet fragrance of black locust blossoms" and the "physicality of gardening," among other things.

As a youth, plant explorer Dan Hinkley was bad at sports and had no talent for musical instruments, but yes, he was fascinated by plants, and lucky, too, for all of us.

Rick Darke's garden is his "time machine," and Doug Tallamy gardens because he loves animals.

You'll find many friends here -- Ken Druse and Penelope Hobhouse, Roger Swain and Stepher Orr, Anna Pavord and Amy Stewart, Tony Avent, and many more.  It's a book about some of the best garden writers out there ... and these 30 brief little essays are simply the essence of the gardening spirit.

Happenings December 2012 & Holiday Shows

Selected Events Around the Country:

Nov 16-Dec 30, Fantasy in Lights, Pine Mountain, GA
Callaway Gardens, 706-663-5153
Nov 17-Jan 5, Garden Lights, Holiday Nights, Atlanta, GA
Atlanta Botanical Garden, 404-876-5859
Nov 17-Jan 6, Merry & Bright, Columbus, OH
Franklin Park conservatory, 614-645-8733
Nov 17-Jan 13, Holiday Train Show, Bronx, NY
NY Botanical Garden, 800-322-6924

Nov 21-Jan 1, Gardenland Express, St. Louis, MO
MIssouri Botanical Garden, 314-577-5100
Nov 22-Jan 1, Season's Greenings, Washington DC
US Botanic Garden, 202-225-8333
Nov 22-Jan 6, A Longwood Christmas, Kennett Square, PA
Longwood Gardens, 610-388-1000
Nov 23-Dec 31, Glow, Cleveland, OH
Cleveland Botanical Garden, 216-721-1600
Nov 23-Dec 31, Holiday Garden Railway, Philadelphia, PA
Morris Arboretum, 215-247-5777
Nov 23-Jan 6, Garden of Lights, Wheaton, MD
Brookside Gardens, 301-962-1400
Nov 23-Jan 6, Wonderland Express, Glencoe, IL
Chicago Botanic Garden, 847-835-5440
Nov 23-Jan 7, Gardenfest of Lights, Richmond, VA
Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, 804-262-9887

Nov 24-Dec 30, River of Lights, Albuquerque, NM
Rio Grande Botanic Garden, 505-768-2000
Nov 30-Dec 30, Las Noches de las Luminarias, Phoenix, AZ
Desert Botanical Garden, 480-941-1225
Dec 8-30, Garden of Lights, Encinitas, CA
San Diego Botanic Garden, 760-436-3036

December 11, Natural Swimming Pools, Bronx, NY
1PM-3PM, Workshop, NY Botanical Garden, 800-322-6924

Gardens to Visit: A New Jersey Gem

 

photo: Linwood Arboretum

I'd never heard of Linwood Arboretum in New Jersey until I read Anne Raver's article about it last week in the New York Times (read it here).

Just a little southeast of Atlantic City, close to the coast (although it suffered only slight damage from Hurricane Sandy), it's one acre filled with unusual plants, many of which you've probably never seen.

 

It was started only about five years ago, and one of its great benefactors is Allen Lacy, the former garden columnist who lives just down the street.  If Allen Lacy was involved, then it's a place you definitely want to visit. And if you don't have any of his classic books, you can still get hold of some of them on Amazon.  Highly recommended.  And dont' hesitate to read the NYT article.

Design: Parking Lot to Garden

 

OLIN Studio

 A brand-new garden in one of DC's poorest areas, Anacostia, opens to the public on Friday, November 16.  Designed by The OLIN Studio, Canal Park was once part of the city's historic Washington City Canal, which connected the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers. It was paved over more than 100 years ago and in recent years was a parking lot for school buses.

Located on the Capitol Riverfront, the three-block site is near the Washington Nationals baseball stadium, the Washington Navy Yard, the US Dept of Transportation, and much new development in the mixed-use community.

Canal Park features a linear rain garden that recalls the old canal and its floating barges.  It includes an interactive fountain, performance areas, sculptures, a cafe with outdoor seating, an ice rink in winter.  The park will host numerous events each year, including farmers' markets, festivals, movies and concerts, art shows and eductional programs.

The park was designed with sustainable features, including native plants, reclaimed or sustainably harvested wood, geothermal heating and cooling, green roofs, low-flush toilets and fixtures, and much more. Steve Benz, OLIN partner & Director of Green Infrastructure, says "Canal Park is a unique place that delivers an artful assembly of social, economic and environmental performance.  As a successful social space, people can enjoy the re-established natural systems previously lost to development while providing an economic stimulus for the surrounding area."

Seems like the park will be extremely popular.  For more on its development, see the video here.

 

 

New Plants 2013 - II

 

photos: Spring Meadow/click to enlarge

New in retail centers this coming spring from Spring Meadow Nursery -- all Proven Winners brand.

 Bobo™ Hydrangea
(Hydrangea paniculata 'ILVOBO')
This a new dwarf hydrangea, 3' tall x 3-4' wide, (are they ever really dwarf??) with upright blooms from early spring until frost.  As the season progresses, the flowers take on a blush color, then a deep pink.  Sun to part sun, zones 3-9.  It can be used in the border or even in a container.  Great plant for small gardens.  

Tuff Stuff™ Hydrangea
(Hydrangea serrata 'MAK20')
I've always favored Hydrangea serratas, and this one was bred particularly for bud and stem hardiness.  It flowers on new and on old wood even in cool temperatures from early summer until frost.  Blooms are pink to blue, depending on soil acidity. Just two to three feet tall and wide, so again, a great plant for small gardens.  Sun to part sun, zones 5-9.

Buddleia 'Lilac Chip'
Another dwarf butterfly bush, just 18-24 inches tall and 2-3' wide.  This is part of the Lo & Behold® series, said to be non-invasive.  Blooms are a soft lavender color and no need to deadhead.  Flowers until frost.  Full sun, zones 5-9.

Show Off® Sugar Baby Forsythia
(Forsythia 'NIMBUS')
Sady, forsythias are just too big for many gardens, but this new one could be the answer for small city spaces.  Just 1.5-2.5 feet high and wide, it needs no pruning and has an impressive display of color in early spring.  A great candidate for a low hedge or in the front of the border. Full sun, zones 4-8.

Sonic Bloom™ Weigela
Weigela florida 'Verweig-6' (red); 'Bokrasopin' (pink); 'Bokrasopea' (pearl)
This weigela is not exactly tiny, at 4-5 feet tall and wide, but it's a bit smaller than the usual variety.  It also comes in three colors -- red, pink (shown here) and pearl.  These are deer resistant and attract hummingbirds when in bloom (not ever long enough).  Good for shrub borders and perhaps a specimen in a small garden in the right place. Full sun, zones 4-8.

Trees that Withstand Wind

There used to be a fence where this hedge of trees now stands, but it blew down in 1991 when Hurricane Bob came roaring through the area.   The fence screens the parking area from our house, and it provided a modicum of screening from the road that runs in the front of the house. 

We didn't want to put up another fence, which we knew might easily be ripped apart by winds again, so the decision, really, was which tree to put in its place.  I wanted something that would get quite tall, with nice foliage, and I immediately ruled out Leyland cypress because they can easily get taken out by wind.

We're not right on the water, and we're up quite a bit from sea level, but the peninsula we live on is surrounded on three sides by water, and Nor'easters can do a lot of damage.  I finally decided upon 'Green Giant' arborvitae, and they've done extremely well.  They came through a winter blizzard several years ago that swirled around for 24 hours, dumping 36 inches of snow.  I watched with apprehension when Sandy's winds gusted between 60-90 mph, taking out power lines, but my green giant hedge, now about 20 feet tall, came through just fine.

If the winds are strong enough and they catch a branch just right, there may be nothing you can do to prevent a tree from coming down in hurricane-like winds.  But there are trees that withstand wind quite well.  Here are some of them:

Ginkgo biloba                              Ginkgo
Taxodium distichum                     Bald Cypress
Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis    Honeylocust
Quercus palustris                         Pin Oak
Zelkova serrata                           Japanese zelkova
Styphnolobium japonicum         Scholar Tree
Lagerstroemia indica                     Crape Myrtle
Nyssa sylvatica                             Black Tupelo
Ilex opaca                                    American Holly
Cercis canadensis                          Redbud

This is by no means a complete list -- or a list that is pertinent to your area.  Check with your local extension service for wind-tolerant species in your zone.  But if you live close to the water or to an area vulnerable to high winds, think about which trees are best suited for your landscape and which ones might survive a storm.

Garden Books Give-away

Over at Timber Press, there's a book promotion running through November 16th, so hurry over and take a look at their Garden Outside the Garden contest.  

You can connect to the site here.  As you know, Timber publishes scads of garden titles, and the winner of the contest will get copies of three new books, plus a tote bag and print by artist Brooke Weeber. 

The books include David Culp's new title, The Layered Garden; The Unexpected Houseplant by horticulturist and author Tovah Martin; Keshiki Bonsai by Kenji Kobayashi; Super-Charged (a portrait of marijuana) by Jim Rendon; and The Roots of My Obsession, edited by Thomas C. Cooper: 30 great gardeners discuss why they garden.

Winter is approaching, so a great deal for all of you who'll be spending the next few months inside.

Gardens: Tiny Gem in Cambridge

 

click on photos to enlarge

There's nothing like a garden tour to get you started on inspiring new ideas in the way of hardscape and plantings, and this tiny garden on a tiny street (no parking allowed) in Cambridge, MA last summer was no exception. You can see in an instant that it's a gardener's garden  -- the weeping atlas cedar, the vine covered entryway, the not-your-everyday variety fence.

Inside ... the wonderland.

A waterfall from the upper level (just below the deck with the cooler) travels underneath a stepping stone path into the koi pond below -- and in the far right upper corner there's a door with a mirror mounted on it -- which enlarges and reflects many plantings when you wander down the path in front of it.

My regret, of course, is that it's so difficult to get decent photos in such small places ... still ... this view is from the upper level overlooking the entire garden ... filled with all kinds of fabulous plants ... and just beyond that wall on the right is...

A tiny deck that's just big enough for a couple of chairs and a small table where the owners can enjoy morning coffee or late afternoon drinks overlooking the green scene.

Plantings in this garden include a yellow-tipped Korean fir (with purple cones); a Korean mountain ash with patterned bark, white spring flowers and red berries in fall; an espaliered witch hazel, clematis and climbing roses and even a semi-espaliered longstalk holly.l

The tropical feeling to this garden complements the modern house -- one of the most masterful tiny gardens I've seen.