Postcard: Royal Botanic Gardens Kew

To be honest, one of the primary reasons I wanted to go back to London was to visit the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.  In my last visit to England, we saw a documentary on the BBC about how Kew Gardens were instrumental in creating the British Empire.  That cemented my desire to see the place for myself.


 I'm sure it's even more amazing in the warmer months, but there was more than enough to occupy us for 5 hours as it was!  And we didn't even get to see everything.  My husband said: "It's so easy to find things here.  And the walks are really pleasant."  I'm guessing that those 2 things were not, in fact, accidents and are indeed just good design.  Kew is certainly worth a trip, in our opinion!


The greenhouses are really beautiful buildings.  Overall, the plants inside didn't personally knock my socks off, but then again I'm living in the 21st century where air travel makes it easy for me to visit exotic locales and I grew up in a tropical climate.  I can imagine, though, how amazed Victorians would be at their contents.  All the exotic palms from all over the empire!  Chocolate trees!  Coffee trees!


 
In addition, the Order Beds (at least the ones with stuff above ground) were fascinating.  Each bed contains plants from the same family & then those beds are grouped by order.  The similarities and differences between plant "cousins" was really interesting.  I hope to go back to explore this a bit more at some point.

My favorite bit might have been the Davies Alpine House and the rock garden near it.  Perhaps because they both contained so many unusual flowering plants (who isn't a sucker for flowers?).  I love how they were all grouped too!

This is definitely a place we'll go back and visit in the future.  We didn't see everything and we'd like to come back in a different season to see how the gardens change.  Next time I'll remember my sketch book and we'll take their little trolley to save a bit of walking.

Postcard: St. James's Park

As alluded to in my previous post, I'm recently back from a London "mini-break."  While someday I'd love to visit England during the summer, late March isn't a terrible time to go.  Sure the deciduous trees are still mostly bare (although a few--like magnolias--are blooming) and most perennials are still asleep, the daffodils where in full splendor as were other bulbs.

On last visit, we strolled around Regent's Park quite a bit.  On this visit, we found ourselves particularly exhausted after a long walk from our hotel near the Marble Arch Tube Station to the area near Buckingham Palace.  We followed a random road which lead us to St. James's Park.

Obviously popular with locals, the park was quite the haven and a perfect place to spend a half an hour resting our feet.

There are, I'm sure, many extraordinary things about St. James's Park.  It's bordered by 3 palaces, after all!  However, what I found most extraordinary was the daffodil plantings.  They were, of course, in drifts as is the usual practice.  What was striking was that little pockets and harbors were created that could fit 1, 2 or 3 people...no more.  Nothing is quite as lovely as being surrounded by cheery daffodils on an overcast day!  In the photo, you can see 2 heads just above the sea of yellow enjoying it.

The brilliance is in the scale. Pockets too small for one person to lay down would look ridiculous in such an expansive drift as would really large gaps.  But a little harbor where 3 friends can be almost surrounded by sunshine and share a picnic or a little pocket where one person can read a book?  Cozy.

Herb Garden Defeats Lawn

Awhile ago I attended a lecture by the guy that wrote Edible Estates.  He gave a short lesson in landscape design history and this I found interesting: The Great American Lawn really comes from the Great English Estate.  Originally, if you had a sprawling lawn, then it was a show of wealth because clearly you were so rich you didn't need your land to be productive *and* clearly you employed someone to keep it trimmed.

 Now, strictly speaking I am not anti-lawn if they are maintained in a responsible way (e.g., not ODing on fertilizer, not heavily watered during drought, etc.). But, for my little barely tenth-of-an-acre lot, every square inch needs to have a purpose.  That purpose could be growing food, providing a nice place to sit, growing flowers that brighten my day or fostering wildlife.  When a portion of our front yard failed to do any of the above & actually refused to grow grass, something had to be done.  Thus, we turned one-third of our front yard into an herb garden and shade garden.

I foolishly forgot to take photos of the before, but just imagine a mowed mess of weeds.  The soil is heavy clay there and insanely compacted even before the construction we had done this spring.  To say growing grass there was an uphill battle is an understatement.  And, really, I didn't see the need to fight that uphill battle when the front half of the yard gets an amazing amount of sunlight...a rare commodity at my house.

Basically, I got a bunch of newspapers off Freecycle (free) and a truck load of mulch from my county ($50).  Just lay down a thick layer of newsprint and cover with a generous amount (at least 3 in) of mulch and Voila!  Instant lawn-be-gone.  For the herb garden, I got some pavers ($1.77 each) and some compost (about $8) and garden soil (another $8 or so).  To be honest, I may try to squeeze in another circle somewhere.  The beauty of this whole set up is that it's completely, and easily, changable.

Right now (which isn't shown in these pictures...) I have planted my sage in the center of the largest circle.  I'm probably going to plant garlic around half of it (if I get around to doing that this year...) and borage for the other half.  In the medium circle there is my woody herbs: Rosemary, thyme (2 kinds), marjoram and oregano.  And, finally, in the smallest circle that gets the most shade there is mint buried in containers.

I'm also going to add a lot of shade plants between the fence and the path to the side yard as well as a few between the fence and the herb circles...probably in spring or so.  I'm looking forward to spending the winter scheming about this!!!

WaPo's Garden Calendar

Live in the greater DC area? Ever wonder what tasks you should be doing each month to keep your garden and yard lookin' good?

Enter the Washington Post's Gardening Calendar.

For August, the tasks at hand are:

• Order spring bulbs
  I've looked longingly at the bulbs available at Dutch Gardens. Especially the double daffodils...
  
• Conduct lawn soil test
  This is a "husband task" as the lawn is his baby.
• Cut back perennials/freshen garden
  Hmph. Maybe I'll do that next weekend. Most of my perennials are still looking OK. Plus, by then, I think I'll be able to remove some spent tomato plants.
• Pull up clumps of crabgrass
  Done! Kinda. The husband started to do this, but then got stung by a bee. Sooo...

The calendar has tasks for every month so check back often. Also handy? They tell you what is flowering.

Postcard from US National Cathedral

I hadn't been to the National Cathedral. Until now, that is! It seems like a very, very old building, but it's not. The stained glass I found quite unusual as some of it is almost Picasso-esque One window in particular was out of place looking...it was of planets and stars!

While the cathedral itself is lovely and has great views of the city, I was far more enchanted by the gardens. I was unaware that there were any gardens there, but they are very nice. The sort of place you'd like to bring a little snack and a good book and spend a few hours of a nice afternoon. They are a traditionally monastery style.

Here are some more photos (click to make bigger):

Here's my favorite part, though. Something that I might add to my garden: A collection of thymes! Look how lovely the textures and color mix. Love it!

Arlington Homes & Gardens, Part 3

I think that I've metioned before how much I love cottage-y gardens. I'm planning to cottage-ify the very front of our lawn that slopes towards the sidewalk. For the third installment of Arlington Homes & Gardens I present this lovely jumble of color & texture.

Why do I like it? It's controlled chaos. Densely planting also usually means less weeding. And, it's colorful. If you could see the inside of my house, you'd know I wasn't afraid of a bold use of color!

What I was most concerned about my upcoming project (not going to start until fall when the rains will return. I'm all about the free water!), was not being able to plant lavender. Sure, I've got some lavender in the herb garden, but that's on the side yard. And who WOULDN'T love to be greeted by the smell of lavender as they approach their front door? (Answer: Nobody.) Since lavender loves well-draining soil & I've got "I don't ever want to drain" clay soil, planting on a slope with a teeny bit of soil amendment should work out perfectly! The water can't stagnate and I don't have to do serious amendment.

But how would lavender look with coneflowers I wanted to plant and the liriope that already exists? Being the novice landscaper & a highly visual person, I couldn't quite imagine it. Until, that is, I passed this house!

As it turns out, the coneflower & lavender look fabulous together (see below). While I'm not a huge fan of daylilies, they have a similar color & texture to the liriope, so I think that will also look nice.

Arlington Homes & Gardens, Part 2

The second in the series!! Not only is this house totally rad (love the front porch), but I totally dig the trees flanking the front walk. I'm convinced these trees must be original to the house. They are like no trees that I have ever seen before!

Arlington Homes & Gardens, Part 1

This is the first edition of what I hope to be a monthly post: Arlington Homes & Gardens.

I am a big fan of walking. I find walking around Arlington neighborhoods a great way for exercise, catching up with friends and finding good landscaping ideas for my own home. This way I can see what plants work in my climate as well as ones that look good with the Arlington brick-style homes. It's a great way to learn from others. And I've noticed that Arlingtonians are awesome at taking the same circa 1930-40s home and really making it unique, despite it being the exact same layout as the rest of the block. There are so many different variations on the theme of the yards!

This house, which I think is more of a "meadow" theme, has my favorite garden so far. Fa-vor-ite. Note the green roof (close ups below)! Also, the front yard is 100% garden. No lawn. Love it.



I also love the upside down tomato planters hanging from the roof of the porch. Both decorative & functional!


Now, one thing to keep in mind with this kind of garden is that it doesn't just happen overnight. It takes a few years for plants to establish and fill in the gaps. Of course, you could spend a *fortune* on plants & not have any gaps. This would certainly provide an instant garden. However, after a few years you'd have to dig up plants to give everything a little room to grow.

Remember, there's a difference between "natural" and "overgrown"!

I'm in a fight.

With a bunny.

That's right folks, I'm dukin' it out with the cutest little brown bunny of all time. I hate to do it, but I don't really see a viable way around it.

At first the little bugger was eating the grass. I have zero problemo with that. Less for me to mow! And s/he is Oh-So-Cute when it darts up & down the garden path as if it's doing laps. It gives me a little smile when I think about *how* adorable that is.


So, "What's the problem?" you might be asking yourself.


I'll tell you what the problem is! The creature is eating my toad lilies! My favorite plant in my yard! If s/he would have just stuck to the ugly bushes or hostas, I would not be mad at it. I thought the slugs were getting to the toad lilies as they were coming up. Nope: Baby Bunnies. I totally caught it this morning, red f'ing handed. And, of course, it just hopped a few feet away under our rhododendron & looks up at me all innocent-like. As if to say: "Who, me?"


Why do bunnies have to be so cute?


Anyways, I can't stand for the decimation of my favorite plant, no matter how cute the eater is. Thus, I will be bringing out the bloodmeal, cayenne pepper spray, and, if I can coax Mr. Radish to pee in a cup, urine (desperate times call for desperate measures!). If this doesn't work, I will move to that spray stuff that bunnies & deer don't like.

What do you do to keep the bunnies away from your favorite plants? Unfortunately a fence is not an option in this case.

Most Awesome Plant Finder Site of All-Time

Most of the plants I lust after are full-sun. Which would be fine if even a (non-veggie garden) corner of my yard had something even *close* to 6 hours of sun per day. But, I don't.

sigh.

Instead, I'm constantly on the search of part-sun/shade plants that look cool. It's even better if they *sorta* look like sun plants I love. It's hard, though. Many site, you're lucky if you can sort by zone and *maybe* sun tolerance. Then you're left to your own to wade through the shrubs, annuals, perennials, and biennials yourself. The sites that do allow you to search by plant type, zone and light requirements are often nurseries so the selection is limited to what they carry (and for part-sun/shade plants...it can get really limited).

Enter National Garden Association's Plant Finder. Whoa. You can even search by color of flower! Color of foliage! Special features! Bloom time! My search of zone 7, part-sun, perennials yielded FOUR pages of results.

It's like a dream come true...

Postcard from England: Hidcote Gardens

Last week the husband & I vacationed in the stunningly beautiful Cotswold District of England. Let me tell you, when the English say "Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty," they ain't messing around. Seriously. This was the most naturally beautiful place I've ever been (The Alhambra is the most beautiful man-made place I've ever been).

I admit it, I got a little teary-eyed when we were driving away. If only I could find a job there....

*sigh*

Most of the houses in the Cotswolds seem to have the most charming gardens. Their yards, which aren't MUCH bigger than my 1/10 acre lot often include a small green house. Meaning, the English are serious about gardening, which I kinda knew, but then watched Bridget Jones' Diary & thought maybe that was a thing of the past.

One of my favorite places we visted was Hidcote Gardens, a National Trust Site. It was the home of Lawrence Johnston, a famous horticulturist. Hidcote is often described as one of England's great "Arts and Crafts" gardens. The garden itself is divided into "rooms" with each room having it's own theme (there's the Red Border, White, Upper Stream, etc.). I think we spent an hour and a half there and honestly, I could just pull up a tent & set up camp & live there forever. And, it should be noted, I don't really like camping. It's THAT beautiful.

Here are some photos that in no way accurately depict the loveliness that is Hidcote Manor Gardens (click on the photo to see it larger):

Project: Ivy Propagation & Garden Trellis

I have a love-hate relationship with ivy. I love it because it's the only thing I can keep alive all year in the hanging baskets in my uninsulated, not terribly sunny enclosed porch. I hate it because, when it's left to its own devices, it takes over. And by "taking over," I mean, pulling down our fence. I'll get back to that in a second.

However, I also want something tall & green for the front of our (part shade) yard. The shrubs/trees I've found for that area run $150+ and usually require full sun. In other words, sub-ideal situation all the way around.

But then I had a Big Idea! What about a trellis tripod put in a decorative pot with ivy covering it? The ivy would be contained in a pot (I'd make sure of that!), would stay green all year round, tolerate the light level AND it'd be mega cheap. However, I don't understand why anyone would pay for ivy. I mean, it's a glorified weed! Propagation, therefore, was my only option.

(pssssttt...This is the trellis tripod I found at Luckett's Store.
I love that place! They have more of these if you want to do this project too. Or you could make your own out of cedar or other wood that would be durable outdoors. Imagine it in a decorative pot to be discovered...The whole thing will be about 5.5 ft tall once it's in a pot.)

And, as luck would have it, ivy is ridiculously easy to propagate. So, before our fence came down (the one the ivy was pulling down), I snipped a few 6" pieces of the ivy. Stripped the leaves off of half the stem & place it in water.

I change out the water every few days. Actually, the ivy doesn't look half bad in a vase! Below is a look at the roots that have grown after one week (the second picture is a close up of the ones growing near the leaf). Once the roots are about an inch long, I'll plant them in the pot & start training them up the trellis.