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Fall in Love with Fall

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Fall in love with Fall. This is easy to do if you plant late blooming Perennials.

Fall is usually when most gardeners are busy pulling spent annuals or cutting back plants that have outgrown their space in the garden. I want to encourage gardeners to stop, pause, or even procrastinate while in the garden. In our minds, there is so much to do. My question is, why? Why does Fall make some people fall out of love with their gardens?

Research has shown that leaving something for overwintering beneficial insects is a terrific idea. As a gardener, simply stopping and observing allows one to really see what’s happening in the garden. All is not ‘dead’, and the garden is not done. In fact, as the garden begins to rest, plant roots snuggle in to grow quietly uninterrupted.

I almost gave up on seeing these dahlias bloom. Pausing allowed me to enjoy them along with the bees.

When we pause, it allows us to reconfigure our green spaces. Perhaps add a new bed or extend an existing bed. Limb up a tree, allowing a more diverse bed to evolve from additional light. Maybe decide on placing a summer blooming shrub or a shrub with winter color that can be enjoyed from a window. Pausing, simply put, allows us to look at the garden as a complete sentence. A sentence waiting for colorful edits of plant material or even hardscaping.

Procrastination often gets a bad rap. Consider this scenario. You totally clean up the garden on a fall weekend. Bags are lined up at the curb, football is on, and the task is finished, right? WRONG. Consider leaving that crossing branch until mid-winter before pruning. Maybe stack a few twigs towards the back of the garden, providing protection for wildlife throughout the winter. Don’t do everything all at once. Take your time. Experiencing the fall garden can become a great excuse to just breathe in some crisp air and reimagine your garden.

Watching the bees dancing on my Dad’s mum always makes me smile. Mums were his pride and joy, especially when they were in full bloom and buzzing with bees.

Witnessing Camellia buds swelling, evergreens shedding their fruit, and listening to leaves dancing in the street… are all signs of this wonderful season.

In my mind, procrastination has its virtue in all seasons, especially in the fall. It’s easy for me to fall in love with fall. How about you?

Simply taking time to fall in love with fall…

Teri, Cottage in the Court

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How to Grow a Garden

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How to Grow a Garden by Ellen Mary ( quercusbooks.co.uk) is a great book to encourage anyone to garden.

It always helps to have a how to manual. For many gardeners, finding a book which offers basic information on how to garden is important. For many new gardeners, how to grow a garden is a daunting proposition. Mary Ellen has carefully written a book that eases the stress of beginning a garden.

Written as a beginners guide to creating a thriving outdoor space, this book is not just for beginners. It encompasses the basics which many gardeners might not remember. This book is a great fresher course, as well as an opportunity to learn something new. Page 37, Why We Garden helps us answer the reason we need this information in an easy to read format.

As the garden community continues to grow, the topic of time and space often enters our minds. How to Grow a Garden touches on these topics like a sprinkling of seasoning- not too intense, but just right. Who knew there are ways to garden if you have ten minutes or an hour? Mary Ellen describes the basics of a container that will continually provide interest throughout the seasons. The thriller, filler, spiller recipe is always a winning combination. Mary provides the reader with a list of basic plants to begin creating an amazing container planting.

Gardening takes time. There are tasks which could take an hour per week and even up to half a day per week. Mary shares examples of timeframes when time is an issue. She even reminds the small space gardener of rule number 1 -Don’t try to squeeze too much in. The information Mary Ellen provides is just enough to keep the gardener thinking about how they want to garden.

In my opinion, the main course of Mary Ellen’s book is Chapter 5 – Keeping Plants Alive. From tips on watering, feeding and weeding, Mary Ellen gently covers the basics of keeping the garden alive. She even touches on pest control – which by summer, is on the minds of many gardeners. Mary addresses the basic questions that will cross many gardeners’ minds.

Mary Ellen serves the reader compost for dessert. How to make it, and use it has been simplified on the pages of this book. It is always great to have a recipe for the proper ingredients to use when beginning composting. She provides a list of the basic items needed for compost to happen organically. The Gardening Year at a Glance provides the gardener something to look for throughout the garden season. It is useful to have a list of what to expect to bloom throughout the season. The author invites the reader to become more knowledgeable about gardening by suggesting additional books and websites.

How to Grow a garden is a great gift for gardeners of all levels. Mary Ellen shares from her experiences and theories, how the reader can have a successful gardening experience. She shares this knowledge and experiences with clarity and enthusiasm.

Thank you Mary Ellen for a book that provides a fulfilling feast for any gardener.

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Love and Loss in the Garden

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Love and loss in the garden is inevitable. Many times it is just like losing a dear friend.

Just like life, at some point we suffer from the loss of something we love. In the garden, we learn this from the unexpected loss of a plant, shrub, or even a cherished tree. As the garden evolves, there are some things which we must accept and release.

The cottage came with a majestic red oak tree. It was a presence that anchored the front yard, provided nutrients for wildlife and offered a buffer from the sun for my partial shade garden. My dear friend has been removed. You have no idea of how hard it is to write that sentence. The tree gave me a sense of security and semi-privacy. It brought me joy, as I collected the leaves each fall to decorate my table. Love meant caring for the tree. I called in arborists to look at the branches, the roots and more. Maintaining the health of my dear friend was important.

The leaves hung on into January each year. This provided a blanket for the plants and beneficial insects in my garden. The joy I found as I gently moved leaves away from the crown of plants, only to see a bug or a worm hurrying to go deeper to escape the chill of winter. Just to be sure, I would find myself adding a few more leaves, just to be sure these overwintering guests were safe and sound.

Keeping the Peace

So glad I said my goodbyes before I left town. It is hard to see my dear friend like this.

Everyone does not appreciate leaves or large aging tree. Some view leaves as a nuisance or more more thing to do in the fall. If a twig fell, some neighbors would suggest I cut my tree down. Yet every spring it would flush out in leaf. The canopy offered a bit of shade in the heat of the day. My red oak knew my garden needed refuge from the strong sun. Mother nature is a good mother. Mother nature has a way of taking care of her trees. She teaches them to self-clean…and they obey.

To keep the peace, I had branches trimmed that overhung my property line. This disfigured the tree. Many tree care professionals advised against this. In my efforts to be a good neighbor, the tree began to show signs of distress. One day, my beautiful friend had enough. Upon returning home, a large chunk was on my walkway. The time had come – unexpectedly for me to say good-bye. Making the call to find someone who could take care of the process was not easy. Today I look at the five foot, eight inch stump. Working around it is not a possibility. This breaks my heart.

My Dad would say, “Teres, joy comes in the morning.” I was not home on purpose to see the removal of my friend. I did not want to face this loss in person, waiting for the morning was going to be difficult. As Dad promised, I took a good look one day at the crack of dawn to accept the reality of my new full sun garden.

Adapting to Change

Love and loss occurs in life. Adapting and accepting often takes awhile.

Change is inevitable in life, just as in the garden. The hydrangeas, rescued from my parents garden will require a new home. The perennials, Phlox sublata, Epimedium, Hellebore, native ferns, and Astible will require a sheltered area. Reimagining the space will evolve over time and in tune with the seasons. The calming effect each plant had in this space as it led to the side shade garden is no more.

Love and loss in the garden is inevitable. Reimagining the possibilities of a full sun border has slowly dried my tears. A row of narrow evergreen shrubbery will serve as a buffer. It will add privacy and a living hug for the plants included in the transformation. Integrating native plants with the perennials in a full sun setting, is something t consider. A pollinator garden that will feed any of nature’s willing workers from birds, to bees, and moths. Dreaming of including a cut flower garden with dahlia’s, sunflowers and cosmos is beginning to make me smile.

The Lesson

Life teaches us that things change. It does not matter if we want them to or not. It is time for me to release my friend, make the call for the stump and move on. I want to save the remains from the stump and incorporate them in my garden . Along the pathways, in my hügelkultur space, anywhere I can. It is my way of keeping my friend around a little longer and returning her to the earth, my way.

Sitting here looking at my garden in a new light.

Teri, Cottage in the Court

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Grateful for the Garden

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Grateful for the garden is an understatement as I consider the gift the garden shares. Visiting Northview allowed me a few moments to reflect.

Being grateful is an emotion that is often overlooked. As gardeners, we are elated when that particular bud opens into bloom. Satisfaction is found when we eat that first homegrown tomato from the garden. The sweet heat from a Shishito pepper surprises our tastebuds and reminds us that the next one could be hotter or not. No matter the circumstance, being grateful should be a part of our daily existence.

I recently read a book, Harper Counts Her Blessings. This book made me reflect on how we can move throughout our day without reflecting on exactly what we are thankful for. This is a great book for parents and grandparents to have on hand when offering up a simple lesson about being grateful.

Jenny Rose Carey is a fellow garden writer. I was introduced to her first book, Glorious Shade, at a Garden Writers event a few years ago. We share a love of a few things like the color pink, as well as shade gardens. After reading this book, I knew a visit was imminent. We discussed a visit and then the period of unexpected pausing hit. When GardenComm International‘s Region 2 announced an in-person meeting, Northview was a featured garden, I knew this garden was calling me.

THANKFUL FOR THE HISTORY

For the past 25 years, Jenny and Gus have reimagined Northview into not just their home, but a popular place for garden aficionados around the world to visit. Thanks to Wilmer Atkinson for keeping such good records to document the journey of Northview. Mr. Atkinson was the founder and editor of the Farm Journal. When he acquired the land, it was just over 150 acres. There are trees on the property that provide glorious shade and date back to the days when Mr. Atkinson planted and beautified the grounds.

As with many perennials, over time the land Mr. Atkinson called home was parceled off and sold. Today, Northview is just under five acres and includes a divinely beautiful carriage house. As I sat in the carriage house, I imagined how thankful Jenny Rose Carey must be. The carriage house is well-lit, surrounded by walls of great garden books, a fireplace, and a kitchenette…all in the midst of the garden. I am grateful to have enjoyed a few moments in the room where Jenny writes.

A GRATEFUL GATHERING

Northview is not just another beautiful garden. It is a working garden, a teaching garden, as well a the perfect environment for experimentation. Using minimal watering techniques, and using the right plant in the right places, Jenny has curated whimsical places throughout the garden to pause.

Pausing to see what plants Jenny has included embracing the local wildlife and seasonal plantings which fall victim to the same wildlife as they need nutrition. These living examples are all a part of the lesson plan found at Northview. Armed with a delightful Head Gardener, Hanna von Schlegell, and Joe Giampa, a local artist and carpenter, Jenny has all the help

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Memories and Magic at Cottage in the Court

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Memories of pink and blue hydrangeas found in Grandma’s living room were expected each year. However never a pink peony. This year a pink peony provides memories of Grandma.

Memories of my Grandma with a song on her heart have been with me all week. There are memories everywhere in my garden. Each spring, as the earth gives way to plants coming to life, I think back to my childhood. This is the week that I would rather have been outside in the garden. Lying motionless, head to the ground, quietly waiting for a worm to cross my path. Pursing my lips, gently attempting to blow it over, the worms became quite started. Wriggling quickly for cover, this game would have gone on for hours. Instead, Mom would call me indoors to rehearse my lines for the Easter program at Church.

We could walk to Grandma’s house on Capitol Hill after Church. With the smaller yards along the way, enjoying the diversity found in each garden was exciting. I wanted to linger at each and every yard we passed. My Grandpa insisted I keep up, so I did. However, the memories of the colors and textures lingered on my mind. Grandpa knew my parents would be waiting at the house. My parents were very protective of us and we were barely out of their reach.   

Easter Sunday there was usually a colorful Hydrangea in the windowsill at the house on 7th Street where they lived. Memories of the purples, pinks, and muted tones of these small shrubs, added a bright spot to the dimly lit living room. It was something I looked forward to every year. I often wondered what she did with them afterwards. Now I will never know.

This week, I marveled at my garden. As I walked past the Camellia’s with their bright red blooms, I heard a familiar voice. She sang in the church choir and rehearsing prior to an event was important. The song, “He Lives”, an old spiritual was a part of every Easter Sunday Service. I imagined Grandma was walking beside me, as I created my daily memory of the garden in the morning. As we strolled, arms locked together, her voice was quite clear and very real.

Memories of Daddy’s white special occasion suit brought a smile to my lips when I saw this peony in my garden.

At a moment when I had no time to spare, the magic found in my garden stopped me in my tracks. On another evening this week, I was caught off guard by a flash of color. My Dad had a white suit that he traditionally wore on Easter Sunday when he had to preach. The fabric was textured, not pin-cord or seersucker, but almost ridge-like. The ruffled, ridged petals of a peony made me freeze.

It was at that moment I heard the booming but mellow voice of my Dad, breaking into song, his song. “Blessed Assurance” was a song that Dad sang or hummed when he was feeling downright blessed. This white, bigger than life, crinkled petal peony – which should not be blooming right now – came to life before my eyes. It was as if the deeply colored center was a microphone and Dad’s voice filled the air around me. I was emotionally full. Grandma never saw my garden. Dad had the pleasure of seeing it and walking through it quite a few times….even now, in spirit. The memories, beautiful memories fill my soul.

I believe in my ancestral connections. The memories my Dad shared with me about North Carolina and gardening with his grandparents are etched in my mind. In my heart, I believe my ancestors are lifting me up and providing strength as I continue my garden writing journey. The awareness I have of their presence is so real.  

As new plants begin to unfurl, I am certain that more memories of my ancestors will offer more unexpected garden magic throughout the year.

Do you have memories of your ancestors when in the garden? There is magic in every garden…but you must be present to feel it, accept it, and allow it to bring you joy.

I am going to be sitting here waiting for the next memorable moment of magic with my kinfolk in my garden.

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