Tranquility

By Cathy

Come take a stroll with me through a lovely Japanese garden where we'll find tranquility in the midst of a busy world. Our stroll will be serene, gentle, meditative, and natural. Japanese gardens bring together aspects of nature in harmonious landscaping.

The garden we’re strolling through is a promenade garden which is meant to be seen one landscape at a time. Think about a scroll of painted landscapes. As you slowly unroll the scroll more beauty is revealed. The pathways through the garden lead us from one landscape to another and beckon us to explore around the corner. Along the pathways we cross bridges which symbolize the path to paradise and immortality.

We want to be sure and cross the zigzag bridge which is believed to protect us from evil spirits in the garden. The myth says that evil spirits can only travel in a straight line, so the bridge traps them, allowing us to escape to safety.

Each plant and tree in the garden is chosen for its seasonal colors or religious symbolism. Nothing is left to chance. Trees are carefully trimmed to make them look more ancient, to provide beautiful scenes, and to prevent them from blocking other views of the garden. Shade sections rely on subtle color contrast and bold textural differences to create interest.

A rustic tea houses is hidden in its own little garden. Views of the garden are framed in open windows and doors, making the garden and the tea house become one.

Japanese stone lanterns, according to tradition, were added to tea gardens by the first great tea masters. Now most of them are used purely for decoration.

Notice the rocks and stones placed throughout the garden. They are chosen for their age and color creating a sense of balance and strength. A rough, vertical rock may represent a mountain. Smooth flat rocks represent the earth and are often used as stepping stones. Sand and gravel represent a beach or flowing river. Rocks are arranged in careful compositions with three rocks being the most common. The tallest rock represents heaven, the shortest rock is the earth, and the medium-sized rock is humanity. Throughout the garden rocks are placed seemingly at random locations to suggest spontaneity, but their placement is carefully chosen.

As we go deeper into the garden we hear the sound of moving water. We are led to a beautiful cascade, which represents in miniature form Japan’s famous mountain waterfalls. The cascade faces toward the moon and is designed to capture the moon’s reflection on the water. As we leave the cascade we can follow the water channel to other pools. The sound of moving water adds to the soothing nature of the garden.

The ponds and streams are carefully placed to attract good fortune.The water enters the garden from the east or southeast and flows toward the west. The Japanese believe that water flowing from east to west carries away evil and the owner of the garden will be healthy and have a long life.

I wish I could express in words what I was feeling as I walked through this beautiful garden of tranquility, but I can’t!  J. Carter Brown expressed it very well when he said, “No one will understand a Japanese garden until you’ve walked through one, and you hear the crunch underfoot, and you smell it, and you experience it over time. Now there’s no photograph or any movie that can give you that experience.” His words are so true.

Thank you for joining me as I wandered through the Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden in Springfield Missouri. I hope you were able to feel some of it’s tranquility.

I Overslept But.....

by Deanna

Belonging to the Morton Arboretum Photography Society comes with lots of privileges, one being monthly photo trips to photo worthy places plus the added addition of being with like minded people who love photography as much as I do. The Chicago Botanic Garden was our destination of choice for the month of April and oh boy did we visit at the most opportune time. Everything was in bloom, our neighborhood is overflowing with the goodness that comes with Spring.

“She turned to the sunlight
    And shook her yellow head,
And whispered to her neighbor:
    "Winter is dead.” 
― A.A. Milne, When We Were Very Young

We were due to meet at 8:00 AM at the entrance into the gardens, but Deanna fell back to sleep after the alarm rang at 6:00 AM. The drive is anywhere from an hour plus, so when I left the house at 7:25 AM I knew I was in trouble. No traffic, thank you God, and I sped along (yes, I was going over the speed limit) and pulled into the parking lot at 8:05 AM.  Eventho I made it in record time, my photo group had already began their journey thru the gardens, leaving me behind. OK, do I search to find them, or just enjoy my lone walk, knowing that eventually we would meet? I chose the latter, and sure enough we finally met at the walled English garden. So come along with me as I wander thru the gardens before I meet up with the rest of the group. 

Holy moley, what in the heck were these giant cone shaped plants bursting with blooms rising to over 6 feet tall right outside the wall? Resembles something growing in outer space or perhaps Disney World. 

These beauties are aptly named "tower of jewels" or Echium 'Red Rocket'.  According to Google (my go to for info) they are biennials which mean the seeds are planted one year and the next they bloom. Hopefully they re-seed and continue their beauty year after year. 

They also have the "Blue Steeple" Echium by the entrance which is just as dazzling.

I love the Morton Arboretum, but I LOVE the Chicago Botanic Garden. Flowers, flowers and more flowers everywhere you look.  As I wandered with camera in hand, I was breathless at every corner, every turn there was more and more beauty.

The ever faithful, ever beautiful Bleeding Hearts....

The harder than heck to photograph Hellebores because they always have their heads bending downward as tho they are praying continually. 

“The deep roots never doubt spring will come.” 

― Marty Rubin

Another lovely that I am not real familiar with is this beauty called a 'Yellow Crown Imperial (Fritrillaria Imperaialis). This is another wowzer, standing at 2 to 3 feet tall. 

“I suppose the best kind of spring morning is the best weather God has to offer.” 
― Dodie Smith, I Capture the Castle

Ranunculus in yellows, reds, oranges, and pinks are planted in various gardens and planters...sigh!.

And then there are the Lupines...magnificent in purples and pinks.

“Spring drew on...and a greenness grew over those brown beds, which, freshening daily, suggested the thought that Hope traversed them at night, and left each morning brighter traces of her steps.” 
― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

A trip to the land of beauty would not be complete without at least one image of a crab apple in bloom. Be it crab apple, cherry, or apple the blooms that later turn into fruit are in their eye-popping glory right now.

And for just a little something extra, I've added a black and white. I really don't know what this is, It was a bush of some sort with all these white berry blossoms. I wasn't swooning with its color so made the decision to change it to B&W.  I kinda like it.  You won't find me doing this too much with florals. I am such a color freak that removing it really goes against my grain. 

I hope you enjoyed our walk thru the gardens, I plan on returning very soon to continue to soak up the beauty of Spring.

“Can words describe the fragrance of the very breath of spring?” 
― Neltje Blanchan

How Does Your Garden Grow?

By Cathy

Mary, Mary, quite contrary,

How does your garden grow?

With silver bells and cockle shells,

And pretty maids all in a row.

If you’re like me, you’ve probably been spending some time outdoors doing a little yard work or preparing your garden space for new flowers or vegetables. As I was cleaning up one of my shade gardens I began to wonder about the history of gardens. What did ancient gardens look like? What did they plant? I did some research about gardens and thought I’d share a little with you. I’ve included a few links if you’d like more information about the garden features.

Medieval Gardens (middle ages to 1500) were mostly near manor houses and monasteries. The gardens consisted of raised beds for growing vegetables and herbs. They were enclosed with wattle fences (saplings woven between upright posts) or hedges. Trellis walkways and arbors provided shade and privacy. In the late 13^th century the rich began to grow gardens for pleasure adding trellises for roses and vines, dovecotes (shelter for nesting pigeons), fish ponds, and orchards.

The Tudor Gardens (1485 – 1603) were influenced by Renaissance Italy. The most recognized feature was the intricate patterns of the knot garden, geometric beds edged with low hedges. These gardens were designed to be viewed from above and filled with herbs like lavender and flowers such as carnations, violets, magnolias, and roses. Fountains were also popular and if there was enough space mazes and labyrinths were created as a source of entertainment.

Stuart Gardens (1600 – 1700) were designed to be symmetrical, proportionate, and balanced with long walks and great expanses of water that had dancing fountains, water organs that played music, or pleasure boats. They often contained water jokes where unsuspecting visitors were sprayed with jets of water. In the gardens topiaries were used to create formal shapes out of shrubs. (You should really follow the link and listen to a water organ. It's incredible!)

Georgian Gardens (1714 – 1830) were less formal layouts using box, yew, laurel, privet and holly along with hibiscus, honeysuckle, lilac, passion flower, and Virginia creeper. Flowers included roses, hellebores, irises, lilies, peonies, sage, tulips, and many others. The belief developed that gardens should be enjoyed by all not just the rich. Parks and gardens merged into one with lakes, grottoes, temples, and shrubberies. Circuit walks were created for touring around the park.

In the Victorian Gardens (1937 – 1901) returned to the more formal garden style with cast iron ornamental fencing and gates. Ornaments such as urns, sculptures, sundials, gazing balls, birdbaths, and man-made fish ponds were all commonly used. The obsession of plant collecting took hold and this style of garden could showcases their latest plants. Flowers beds appeared in brighter colors with asters, dianthus, chrysanthemums, ferns, hyacinths, irises, lilies, poppies, petunias, verbenas, and most important of all pansies and violas. Rockeries became the craze as well as wild gardens. Arboretums displayed the collection of trees while glass houses enabled the more tender plants to be cultivated such as orchids.

Early American Gardens during the colonial period were planned according to the owners way of life. In rural areas a fenced-in garden near the house was planted with vegetables and herbs. Flowers were also grown, some for their beauty, but mostly for food, medicine, fragrance, or dyes. There was no garden plan as such, flowers were mixed with vegetables and herbs. They were usually planted in raised beds for good drainage. In contrast, the gardens of merchants and townsmen were more formal, laid out in a symmetrical pattern on each side of a central walkway.

Modern Gardens became more relaxed again and many styles of gardens were created such as the garden room which divided the garden into different themes, the cottage garden that looked less industrial, woodland gardens, prairie planting, and of course the ever popular rose garden.

So, how does your garden grow? Is it wild or formal? Do you grow perennials or annuals? Shrubs or flowers? Beds or containers? Birdbaths or fountains?  However your garden grows I hope you find time to sit quietly each day and enjoy it!

Lovely Little Flowers...A Study in Violets

by Kelly

The splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not rob the little violet of its scent nor the daisy of its simple charm. If every tiny flower wanted to be a rose, spring would lose its loveliness. ~Therese of Lisieux

I've got a yard full of them.

From the back yard popping up in the lawn, to the front yard growing up out of tiny crevices in our sidewalk, I've got violets growing everywhere.

These common blue violets are wildflowers, and this time of year they can be seen flowering throughout the entire eastern portion of the United States.  Although most people call them weeds, I call them darling...enchanting even.

So I decided to geek out a bit and learn a little more about these delightful little flowers. If you're interested, here are a few facts about violets:

1. Violets {Violet Sororia} are the state flower for New Jersey, Rhode Island, Illinois, and Wisconsin.
2. Before being upstaged by roses, violets were considered to be the traditional Valentine's Day flower.  They celebrate celebrate modesty, virtue, faithfulness, humility, and happiness.
3. Violets were Napoleon Bonaparte's signature flower.  He used them to cover his wife Josephine's grave when she died, then later he donned the name 'Corporal Violet' during his exile.
4. Violets have some nutritional value...the petals and stems contain high amounts of vitamin C.
5. Violets have the ability to self-pollinate by means of an underground 'flower' which can then disperse a large number of seeds.

Besides all of these interesting facts, what I particularly love about them is their lovely shade of violet (for which they are named)...a color at the end of the visible spectrum of light (somewhere between blue and purple).  In addition, I find their delicate little flowers to be so graceful in the garden.  Quiet and subtle...a sweet harbinger of spring.

And I also love the idea of wildflowers in general.  Less needy and demanding than garden perennials, violets grow and bloom and live without fanfare.  Doing their work of making seeds to ensure future generations.  Tenacious and persistent, violets endure the longest winters and harshest summers.  They are survivors.

Yes, there is room for every kind of flower in my garden.  And today I wanted to celebrate the humble violet... so grateful for its special charm.

Until next time,

Kelly

A Walk Through My Garden

by Leigh

May is killing me.  Seriously…every.single.day there is some sort of activity or game or meeting or concert, etc…  I guess that's how the end of the school year will always be, but pair that with May being my busiest season at work and well….I end up like this…frazzled.  So when I realized at 2:00 Monday that this was my day to post I immediately panicked!  What in the world could I write about besides being frazzled and then it dawned on me. I should write about what I know best and that's landscaping.  Here's a small glimpse at what's blooming in my Oklahoma zone 7 yard right now.

Let's start with one of my favorite perennials.  This is May Night Salvia which blooms early spring and into summer with these beautiful purple spikes that the bees just love!  Behind it is Saybrook Gold Juniper, my go to evergreen for foliage color, which really makes the purple pop even more.

One of my favorite annuals to plant and photograph….Dahlias.  I never tire of them and they come in so many amazing colors and various ruffled bloom types.

See I told you the bees love Salvia!

I love to plant succulents in containers on my outside table.  They can really take the hot afternoon sun without requiring a lot of water plus they are fun to photograph while I'm enjoying an evening glass of wine. I prefer to hand water everything so I can keep an eye on my plants instead of relying on my sprinkler system.  It's so easy to set it and forget it when it comes to sprinkler systems, but each plant deserves our attention to check in and see how it's doing.

Coreopsis.  Another favorite long blooming perennial.  It seems the hotter it gets the more it blooms and it grows bigger each and every year without me doing a thing.

I enjoy switching out the planting in my containers season to season and playing around with various colors and textures.  This green glazed pot has golden Million Bells which look like miniature petunias without the deadheading.  Also mixed in is Mexican Heather with it's dainty purple blooms, but don't let the size of it's blooms trick you…this is one tough annual!  Also a little Dusty Miller for some cool color and texture.

Mandevillea is another one of my go to annuals for containers.  This tropical blooms in hot pink, light pink and a deep red.  I prefer pinks myself :)  In front of that is an annual that is so new to me that I have completely forgotten it's name!  So if this pretty little white and purple flower looks familiar to anyone please let me know.

Luckily I have some free child labor to help me with all the watering. This year she has really shown an interest in learning about the flowers and helping me to plant.  I see a summer job in her near future!

Thank you for coming along with me for a walk in my backyard.  I hope you enjoyed it!