Lorene Forkner, one of the organizers of the fabulous Seattle Fling, invited us to her own garden which is not large, but filled with enough plants and art of interest to keep me inspired for the next decade. I cannot help it. It is the roses that catch my eye first. This rose cluster was so heavy it would have been on the ground in my garden, but Lorene whipped up a support. My question is - did…
Spring and summer, planting and growing seasons, are busy times for the gardener especially when you add in Tour Season. For me Tour Season was especially exciting (and exhausting) this year because our garden was on the Franklin Land Trust Farm and Garden Tour, and then the following week I was attending the Hawley Artisan and Garden Tour, and the Greenfield Garden Club Tour, both on the same day – while many people were able to add on…
One of the stellar events of the Garden Blogger's Seattle Fling was the workshop with David Perry, photographer extraordinaire. We only had an hour of instruction, but I went right out to use the P setting on my little Canon Power Shot A590. I call it my Point and Hope because it is so difficult to use in the sun - but it was raining at the Bloedel Reserve and I was ready to actually move the dial…
Compared to Heath, Seattle has a mild climate, and yet gardeners there share some of our problems. Generally, it does not get hot in Seattle. Gardeners go to great lengths pampering their tomatoes in an attempt to achieve juicy ripeness. Shelagh Tucker has a small greenhouse in her sloping back garden, but she also grows her tomatoes in a raised bed sort of hot house to provide the heat tomatoes require. Behind her, in another raised bed are…
I have not done with posts about my great trip to Seattle to tour amazing gardens with 70+ garden writers and bloggers, but I am so happy to be home and to see the glories of lily season. Our Daylily Bank is now in full bloom and it got a lot of attention when the Heath Gourmet Club was here on Saturday night to enjoy a delicieux dinner a la Francais. The Black Beauty lilies have been blooming…
I've said farewell to all the gardens of the Seattle area including the beautiful Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island. And I've said farewell to Tacoma with its amazing Chihuly Bridge. I've stored up memories of my visit with my dear friend Kathryn Galbraith, children's author extraordinare and her lovely garden. I've bid farewell to all the garden bloggers like Kylee of Our Little Acre and my dear friend Kathryn. Now I'm at the very busy Seatac airport where…
As we 74 garden bloggers have toured Seattle we have visited private gardens, public gardens, and semi-public gardens to admire and learn about plants and Seattle's history. Here is a mock orange at the Dunn Gardens. All kinds of lavender everywhere. Bicyclists on their own path. Fabulous fruits at the Farmer's Market. Cherries, peaches, all kinds of berries - vegetables, too. Magnificent trees, towering. Potted plants everywhere, in the gardens and on the street. Fountains in the Mall…
There was a Giveaway over at Garden Rant and I won some Tropicannas from Tessalaar Plants! I'm not exactly sure what, but I think this new Tropicanna Gold is coming my way. Cannas are dramatic plants so I am very excited. I don't think they will be in bloom in time for the Franklin Land Trust Farm and Garden Tour on June 25 and 26, but it will be a great treat for mid-summer. They will not overwinter…
With the snow so deep, the temperatures so low, and the winds so brisk I had to take a day to revisit summer in Buffalo and some of the beautiful gardens we toured. I have a similar arrangement of lilies and beebalm in my garden. It will be such a joy to see those shoots in the spring. These daylilies enjoyed a deep drink one night in Buffalo. My Daylily Bank should look pretty good this year, and…
I left home Tuesday afternoon, racing the storm, because I was planning on having lots of educational fun in Cambridge while I was staying there visiting with my son. I had scheduled a visit on Wednesday to see the Glass Flowers at Harvard's Museum of Natural History and then a meeting with other garden writers on Thursday. The storm stopped, but so did a lot of traffic in town. The Museum was closed! The Museum was closed but…