gardening is all about change

Tags

Albemarle County, Central Virginia, garden, home, landscape design, letting go, life, lifestyle, nature, Virginia, virginia countryside

and hanging on and letting go…

As I flailed around during May, reeling from Mother Nature’s multiple challenges while wringing my hands as beloved plants took hit after hit, I reminded myself: #1 I have no control over Mother Nature, #2 all things are temporary, #3 a gardener must be resilient.

My love of the earth and passion for most things beautiful and fragrant, began decades ago. Before the age of seven I remember lying under the tall patch of blooming Persian lilacs at our Long Island home, content never to move again.

in 2014 the hummers enjoyed sips from the pineapple sage…

At age eighteen, I left home for college, and was away from lush gardens. I quickly learned that a sunny park across from my dorm could fill my need for green. As a BFA graduate, my first job took me to Portland, Oregon where I was mesmerized by the artful Japanese Gardens and the historic Portland Rose Gardens. I could have stayed there forever.

the narrow gravel path is embraced by tightly shorn boxwood hedges.

Alas, years later, with roaming days behind me, I found myself working on Capitol Hill. Whenever possible during lunch hour, I strolled the magnificent grounds of Congress designed by Frederick Olmstead, and frequently lunched on the edge of the marble fountains outside the Supreme Court. Those were the days.

Heirloom Tiger Lily provides nectar for this Swallowtail

In 2000 I departed the urbane, and put down roots at my first country house. The abode turns out to be a needy box, yet the half-acre provided me with a tabula rasa. No more containers on the postage stamp balcony.

as the pan’s contents bubbled, the color deepened

Once the mistakes of former owners were obliterated, my gardening intuition prevailed, as it does today, sixteen years later. Following numerous consults with garden experts, I quickly surmised that my intuition was the light to follow. Recently, as I glanced at my archived plant tags, I removed 50% of my original purchases. Either the plant tags lied and specimens quickly outgrew their place, or plants failed to thrive without frequent spraying. As a master gardener who is intolerant of needy plants, garden edits are becoming an annual ritual.

March garden edits included a stump grinder. The rug junipers became a garden thug in many areas, yet hand removal was impossible. Thanks to my arborist and his great tools…

Hours in the garden provide solitude amongst the songs of wild birds, handsome toads, and the occasional reptile. When the sun rises above the cypress trees, I step indoors and enjoy views out every window. The passage of time in my gardens is what sustains me. The beauty of thriving plants inspire me. Ten thousand photographs later, I attempt to share moments of bliss.

Toad Prince

Every garden reflects the gardener, and often inspires on well after the person who tends it; or for that brief moment in time, a place comes alive in this time, and perhaps lives on in memory.

exhilarating moments

Planting and working the soil teaches us that there is hope despite adversity, that during the most difficult times, all things are temporary, and as in life, a gardener must learn to accept change, hang on to every fleeting moment when perfection finds its way, and to let go with grace.

a telling proverb

Copyright © 2016 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved

 

May’s DIY project ~ the big dig!

Tags

Albemarle County, back yard birds, Central Virginia, DIY project, garden, home, landscape design, life, nature, sustainable living

Uncanny, how vistas change in a wee season and projects present themselves abruptly.

This month, the wild bird bath waved its copper flag at me from across the turf…hey lady, this shrub is toast and I need a makeover. How about it, NOW!

Ok, I concurred. This winter was very hard on a few residents of my landscape, and this small feature became an eyesore overnight.

my little ugly duckling in full view from the rear terrace ~ winky-wonk copper bird bath…

the original circle was topped with pea gravel and river rock, and the holly was a volunteer, seeded by a fly over wild bird

I can do this! One small shrub cannot be that hard to remove…ha!

after the holly was sawed off, I raked the largest stones into the wheelbarrow and reused the pile in the lower garden

once the deck was clear of most stones, I pondered on the stump…it could not remain, as the bird bath needed centering, or so I thought…

on both knees, I began to chop, chop, chop with my little Swedish hatchet

as moments passed, I realized this “small” root was not. The bin began to fill and numerous trips were made to the shed for additional tools…as I hacked, forked, and picked at tough roots, thoughts of the great pyramids and the tedious excavation of Pompeii trickled through my brain, keeping me on task. I can do this!

This bugger took ages to excavate; close to an hour. I considered calling my digging man, yet this simple DIY lured me to finish in ONE morning!

I pushed on and somewhat leveled the rich soil. Paver sand was in the shed from another project, and I hope the effort makes a difference. The old aggregate step stone has served me well and once leveled, I discovered a 1994 quarter. Not a coveted arrowhead sometimes found in these parts…drat!

1994 quarter-dollar. When I carried it to the shed, it slipped from my gloved hand and is now lost again somewhere in the shed. Guess that coin enjoys being lost…

after a trip to town, twenty pavers completed the circle and mulch top dressed the project. I swear the bird bath is centered…hmm.

This is certainly an improved look, don’t you think? While I contemplate what plant material should go around the bird bath I will heal my wounded self. I admit my body ached from head to toe for two days following this DIY, and I am rapidly succumbing to future assistance from hired labor. No pain, no gain?

You go girl, cooed the garden ornaments…

The following week I added three plants around the stepping-stones…

those tiny plants are Munstead lavender, in honor of Gertrude Jekyll ~ an easy start to a great plant, if they are happy here. Time will tell.

this is the bed in May 2015. Munstead is doing very well, despite the very cold winter.

Check out my other DIY project at https://dianelasauce.wordpress.com/2011/09/08/the-thing-about-renewal/

Copyright © 2014 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved

strolling with Thomas Jefferson ~ his Grounds at the University

Tags

Albemarle County, Charlottesville, fall, fall garden, Fralin Museum, Grounds at the University, landscape design, photography, the University, Thomas Jefferson, University of Virginia, Virginia

Although I have resided near Monticello and UVA on-and-off for more than thirty years, I never took the time to stroll with Mr. Jefferson on his Grounds at the University of Virginia—until yesterday. Even though a slight drizzle was about, the light was simply divine for photography, and my time had come.

Fortunate to find parking near Grounds this holiday weekend, I first visited the Ansel Adams exhibition at the Fralin Museum, then took off towards the majestic landscape and buildings known as “an Academical Village.”

Fall color arrives near Grounds

the University ~ on the UNESCO list

paths to knowledge

The Rotunda is the focal point of the Academical Village and is modeled after the Pantheon in Rome. The Village is comprised of ten faculty pavilions; the Pavilion Gardens; student rooms along both sides of the East and West Ranges; and six Hotels which served as dining halls. These buildings continue to be used as Jefferson intended.

The designer himself ~ Thomas Jefferson ~ “father of the University”

classic details prevail

flanking the lawn

inside the Rotunda, the former library housed a collection of books initially selected by Jefferson himself.

a unique detail ~ a fireplace built mid-way up the staircase

Jefferson’s favorite view of the South Lawn through the portico’s double inside glass doors. He visited here one last time only days before this death.

magnificent restored stair rail system

Cleverly placed bookcases in the Dome Room disappear behind the room’s columns when viewed from the center of the room

The oculus is the Dome Room’s crown.

seating in the center of the Dome Room.

The life-sized statue of Jefferson overlooks the entrance to Grounds

another view of the complex staircase leading to the Dome Room. The restoration took four months to complete.

The East Oval Room, originally a lecture hall, is now the meeting chamber of the governing body, the Board of Visitors.

map engravings from the 1800’s hang in the North Oval Room.

Mantel décor in the North Oval Room.

close up of mantel clock

oval rooms were fitted with oval tables

pine doors are given their inlaid mahogany appearance by a painting process called “graining.” This was a very popular technique used during the 19th century. Inexpensive, local woods could be used, sidestepping the costs of imported versions.

another detail of pine wood “graining.”

just outside the Rotunda’s doors stands one of many couples recently married on Grounds.

two small ovens were discovered during the 1970’s restoration of the Rotunda. This confirms that the Lower East Oval Room was the site of early chemistry classes.

another classroom at recess

Ground floor detail of Rotunda

heated debate topic published on the cover of the Cavalier Daily ~ the paper of the University

one of the Hotels along the Lawn

building details

classic architectural details abound

student rooms along the Lawn. Edgar Allen Poe resided in one.

serenity abounds and details please the eye

notice the structural landing between floors

easily transported back in time, these Grounds convey the past

classic fretwork under overhang

another brick pathway joins the Grounds

serpentine walls undulate often around Grounds

and again

and again

quiet outdoor spaces abound for student enrichment

a well-defined garden found within another walled space

the privies on Grounds. Daresay, I did not open a door.

simple adoration for these walls

hyacinth bean climbs historic walls at the University

gates are another delightful garden feature on Grounds

my eyes never tire of gates

rear view of privies

the real ball and chain ~ simple yet oh so functional

symmetry in action supports perspective

intersecting paths lead thousands to higher knowledge

We must not forget that without the hundreds of laborers, both free and enslaved, neither Monticello nor the University would exist.
To all those unnamed, you are not forgotten.

Copyright © 2013 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved

a water feature added to the cottage landscape at moss mountain

Tags

Arkansas, bonnie plants, Cottage Home Challenge, HGTVGardens, Laguna Ponds, landscape design, Moss Mountain, P Allen Smith, pond installation, rain barrel, water features

How many of you watched P Allen Smith’s Garden Home Challenge on YouTube last summer? High goals were set in order to build a 1600SF cottage at Moss Mountain in 150 days for 150 thousand dollars. Yes, you read right. I was there, glued to every episode, taking notes, asking questions, as I too planned to build a small home with similar requisites. When the series came to an end, woeful me yearned to know the final details. Then came Allen’s invitation to join other garden bloggers at G2B13 May 6-9. My ultimate wish granted, I traveled to Little Rock, and soon was at the cottage threshold with Allen as host!

Allen welcomes G2B13 attendees to the Garden Home Cottage

Front door of the cottage

side pergola leading to lower garden

rain barrel at porch corner

rear deck from lower yard

Laguna constructing cottage water feature

overnight 1500 gallons of water flowed into the pond

Laguna makes installation appear simple

Byron Ford from Bonnie Plants is having fun during the pond installation while Janet Carson looks on

Allen applauds as water flows for the first time

Mallory Colliflower from HGTVGardens holds an aqua plant floatation ring

rear porch view of completed water feature. Allen will design a landscape around and below this site

one year later ~ fully landscaped Laguna pond at the Moss Mountain Farm Cottage. Photo by Teresa Byington

another fully landscaped Laguna pond at Moss Mountain

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpC_x5gqtnw&list=SP156AE490198B14C8 is the link to Allen’s brilliant Cottage Home Challenge. Check it out and see if you too can create an affordable, cozy, green abode. And if you are lucky, a Laguna pond may find its way to your home.

Copyright © 2013 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved

p allen smith’s petit masterpiece

Tags

Arkansas, Arkansas Govenor's Mansion, Arkansas Govenor's Mansion gardens, city space, community, first lady of Arkansas, intimate spaces, landscape design, P Allen Smith, P Allen Smith genius, quiet elegance, silk purse, The Original City Garden Home

Ever heard the expression, make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear?
During P Allen Smith’s G2B13 event this month, attendees were invited to stroll Allen’s original garden home gardens—his city home—a former derelict structure.
Allen purchased this “fixer-upper” for one dollar then relocated to its current location.
There are photos on Allen’s Facebook page showing this sad structure when it was slated for demolition. Indeed, only a person with broad vision could see its potential.
The following images convey the simple, yet quiet elegance created within this city space. Please enjoy.

Enter the original city home gardens of P Allen Smith

Allen explains the history of this renovation

Allen simplifies the complex nature of this home’s phoenix

here begins the lush presentation

intimate spaces or garden rooms

oh the boxwood

raised bed area ~ complex planning within such a small space

quiet vista in this early spring garden

potting shed

it’s all in the details

Allen manages a small greenhouse on this property

garden path guides the visitor

finishing touches

a place to ponder

Enjoy Allen’s design concept in his own words at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1surUk0qRWg

Not far away, another of Allen’s masterpieces awaited on a slightly larger scale—the Arkansas governor’s mansion gardens

State Seal of Arkansas

The first lady of Arkansas welcomes G2B13 garden bloggers and sings praises of Allen’s contribution to the mansion’s grounds

classic pyramidal structures like this obelisk add architectural interest

stately pergola detail

detail of mansion’s rear addition

transition into the gardens

waves of roses and boxwood ~ a classic combination

Allen and the resident German Shepard greet again

impressive vegetable gardens at the mansion

Allen’s signature garden details

impressive composting going on behind the scenes at the Arkansas governor’s mansion

Throughout this city tour, I was continuously reminded how Allen is a problem solver and an artist. Often these two abilities escape the same individual.
Whether the challenge is a modest residential city lot or a grand swath of landscape, Allen’s ability to perceive the entire project’s scope, deal with endless details, while transporting human scale and unending beauty, is inspiring if not downright genius.

Copyright © 2013 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved

doin’ what comes natur’lly ~ one woman’s relationship with her garden

Tags

garden, garden chores, garden paths, home, humor at home, landscape design, lifestyle, popovers, Virginia

Instincts are magical. Intuition is a driving force. Little voices that inspire can be subtle or hit us over the head.
I cherish the kitty head bump instincts and have finally learned to hire muscle when I need to address the larger-than-life projects. As Gershwin wrote, “you can’t get a man with a gun”, yet a few hundred dollars and a three hours of man power can create memorable landscape transformations.

plain Jane garden path entrance and dormant turf

The little voice hit me over the head last week when I strolled the winter garden and gazed down the front path—a path that has been in place since September 11th.
This voice whispered “too narrow” and I replied “OK” and proceeded to tack string outlining the sod to be removed.
Editing lawns is one of my favorite garden chores, as I loathe any tasks associated with it, especially when forced to mow during high humidity and triple digit temperatures. Virginia is not the place to have turf and I have given in to most any weed that thrives there.

other end of narrow path

pathetic attempt by moi to remove dastardly sod

hired muscles at work

wider path

finished path, hurray!

After my hired muscles finished this simple path, I lead them around to the side yard to install/reuse the hideous black plastic edging from the front project. This is my gazillionth attempt to conquer the slope dramatically eroded by recent heavy rains—

Ouch! following heavy rains

ongoing attempt to soothe Mother Nature

OMG!

rock is the solution

two small boxwood and blue princess moved

burning bush transplant nearly broke backs

Following the muscle departure, I raked, watered, and tidied the disturbed areas. Next week I must don my mulchqueen hat and tuck these shrubs in for the their next chapter.

As a reward, this morning I treated myself to a carb/maple syrup/buttery pop-over breakfast before I dressed for my morning stroll.

quick Sunday breakfast

comfort food

What garden accomplishments are you most proud?

Copyright © 2013 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved

 

the thing about renewal

Tags

DIY project, herb bed, Home Depot, home improvment, landscape design, renewal

Tired herb bed June 2011 in central Virginia, zone 7a. This bed began in 2001.

Over a decade ago, this small patch was claimed out of the lawn and provides yummy ingredients for many of my annual pestos, while supplying host food (dill and parsley) for black swallowtail larvae.

Herb bed May 2011. Berms and swales were the first attempt in this herb bed, yet constant surface water from across the turf forced the assorted mulches onto the gravel, making this design a total failure. I originally had parsley, dill, French Tarragon, and chives placed here, just outside the kitchen door.

When I paused at this place early one summer morning, gazing with an objective eye, this workhorse herb bed appeared to scream time for renewal!

At first, I envisioned a bubbly fountain in the center of the bed where perennial chives and French tarragon are primary residents. These two herbal varieties survived a decade of surface water and blazing western sun, yet this year both herbs looked exhausted following their initial spring harvest.

Originally I used berms and swales as a stopgap — successfully for years — yet this year my plants needed intervention. Therefore I began dreaming, drafting, plotting, and Internet research.

I envisioned round shapes within the pie shaped bed to hold the hardy herbs. Over a period of sweltering summer weeks, prices and material availability shaped my decisions. First, I removed the sundial from the center of the bed. Second, a beautiful urn, lost in the lower garden, took center stage as the spilling sedum suggests movement. A real fountain was not in my budget nor did I want the maintenance.

herb bed renewal in progress one hot August

Third, round raised beds were not available, therefore I opted for shaped pavers easily obtained from a local home improvement center. These babies are not for the faint of heart, as each weighs 20# and I needed 48 or 840#!

The patient and helpful guys at the garden center loaded a cart as I hand-picked each paver; since each block would be highly visible, I wanted no chipped blocks. Along with this purchase, I collected bagged topsoil, pea gravel, and heavy-duty landscape cloth. This assortment was transported in three separate trips, so as not to do in moi or my eleven-year-old MPV.

French tarragon bed complete and I like it! Once the ground was level (+OR-), I rolled out the landscape cloth, then placed the pavers. When the pavers were in a happy place, the cloth was cut out of the center of the circle to expose soil. Then amendments began. I transplanted herbs as I went.

Once the pavers were placed and the cloth removed from the inner circle, sod busting came next on the agenda. For this, I used a sturdy pitchfork that dug twelve inches deep — the slender tines eased the heavy clay out of its fist-like grip.

slim tines of the sturdy pitchfork ease clay out of the ground so new topsoil could be added

In order to clean up the outer edges of the main bed, I raked back the wandering gravel and reused the tumbled blue-stone pavers from the first bed then added found river rock to detail the opposite eleven foot side. The pre-existing outer curved rim of the bed is a mini French drain filled with river pebbles.

side view of herb bed in transition…so sad.

The soil was a hodge-podge of tough Virginia clay with years of amendments, yet digging strained every muscle/tendon in my upper body, so I took a few days off to admire my handiwork. Keep in mind this was a one-woman DIY project! Following rest and a few rain showers, I began the task of hauling and placing the pavers. Armed with both a rake, scissors, and one roll of landscape cloth — which helped create a blank canvas — I persevered.

this brand is super!

I liked the first circle, yet added additional pavers to the next two beds to enlarge. Over the course of one week, this bed was heaved and shifted into place, transplanting the herbs as I completed the next circle. Both the landscape cloth and pea gravel gave nice finishing touches, resembling icing on a cake.

project ongoing between rests! Adore that pea gravel! Such a nice finish.

Other than the heavy lifting, this project was highly enjoyable, budget-friendly, and the finished result pleasing to the eye…do you agree? Two years later, the herbs continue to thrive and the paver beds are as tidy as the day they were installed.

completed herb bed renewal August 2011. Pea gravel is nice touch!

The third and final circle (right) will grow annual herbs such as cilantro, dill, and curly parsley. They will look handsome planted in pie-shaped wedges within the circle. Perhaps rosemary will find this new environment habitable and continually remind me that  “Rosemary is for Remembrance”.

Oh how true

the herb bed in June 2015. A real success story. Since then, I removed the outer rock border and stones blend together. 

Here is a personal invitation for you to check out my recipes for chive/artichoke and kale pestos. Simply type the word pesto into the search bar on my blog site.

In closing, I assure you that having a healthy herb bed will provide both you and your family nutritious and simple food choices that are easy and fun to grow, even when space is limited. And if you have help and a F350, this project could be completed over a weekend! Plus, the French tarragon and chives featured here are now fifteen years old — lots of bang for the buck…Bon Appetit!

Copyright © 2011 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved