Piet Oudolf Documentary Trailer!!

Winter and the Beach: Grasses, Reeds and Rushes

Okay, I am still on Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina and dreaming of Piet Oudolf designs. Why else would I want to sculpt a topiary tunnel up the pathway? His combination of boxwood and natural grasses are legendary in Europe. Now he has just finished the High Line garden design in New York City. And, we can all learn from Oudolf: plant native grasses. They are so indelibly conservation savvy. And, look how pretty, too.

I Love Terrariums

I have always loved watching the sprout grow. When I was a little kid, I would plant beans just for the satiation of quick impact, and, today I am still planting these for instant gratification. This photograph is by me and what I have done with Goodwill glass jars and Rye Grass seed in my potting shed. Rye Grass takes about one week to get to this point. Don’t water too much, as the terrariums maintain their own humidity levels without your help. Just give them a little drink when you seed – then put the lid on and place in indirect sunlight (a sunny window sill is perfect). You will notice the beads of water forming around the glass making and the fogging it takes for the plant life to live in these pretty little things.

Fall Equinox and the Garden

Good Morning, Fall. It’s magical how the weather can just tack directions and become an entirely different course seemingly overnight. And, that’s just what happened in my neck of the woods. Nature is the best part about living our existential lives and Nature designs the best gardens. This photograph, by Russell Kaye, for Saveur magazine woos me into that Fall mood. And, Fall is an incredibly busy time in the Garden. There are pumpkins to plant and plots to till and feed and position the collard greens. It is also the time to transplant the roses, order the bulbs, prune some overgrowth, find the rake (or not), build the potting shed and make plans for a small greenhouse somewhere.

This photograph is of Chaddsford Winery in Pennsylvania. Of all the states in the union for a Fall montage, Pennsylvania is one of the best I have experienced. A friend of mine has a farmhouse there and it looks much like this one, too. Except that Marion, my friend, has an apple orchard planted in an allee running where most have a sidewalk to the front door. It just couldn’t be any sweeter. Especially in the Fall when the apples are ripe. I have asked her to photograph her allee for me this Fall so I can post it here for you.

(and, if you have visited my website, then you might see that I had the privilege of working with the Saveur folks and they are super cool.)