Each Little World

Simple effects

On a recent visit to Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison, my eye was captured by a number of displays where the design concept was extremely simple. Perhaps more importantly, they were ideas they would be easy to replicate in any home garden. You know it is a good idea if they are doing it in a public garden.

A redbud underplanted with Epimediums. This must be beautiful in spring when both are in flower ahead of the appearance of their foliage. 

Boxwood balls interplanted with the herb dill.

I love the contrast of the airiness of the dill with the down to earth solidity of the boxwood. Despite the height of the dill, it does not obscure the view of the sculpture at the center of this garden. 

I fell prey to temptation on an early nursery visit, seduced by the dramatic foliage of the Coleus plants. But I never really figured out how or where to put them once I got them home.

This struck me as a perfect solution. You can admire all the various colors and patterns of the Coleus and add or subtract pots as necessary. It's an idea that would work with any number of annual plants. And it brings color and life to a major walkway that does not have available planting space.

Garden Girls

Like most gardeners, I love my own garden the best. Part of that is the fact that I am the designer as well as the one who decides which plant and where and who actually puts it in the ground. It is that familiarly that breeds contentment.

Not long ago I realized I have three gardening friends who all live on my side of town and whose gardens I have visited enough to be quite familiar with as well. I decided we should form an informal group to visit each other's gardens, talk gardens, get in-person advice and share books, information and ideas. But no set meeting schedule, no projects, no fees or obligations.

We've met four times and have seen all the gardens but one. At our last meet-up we all brought books, computers, 3-ring binders and talked about how we keep track of our plantings and how effective each particular system is working for each of us. One person even brought a beautiful piece of stained glass she'd just made that she later installed in her garden. When we're not meeting, we're emailing each other with reminders of events, questions and links to articles, plant lists and Youtube videos.  

I'm sure that this desire to hang out with fellow gardeners in person is a lingering result of our year of living COVIDLY and mostly gardening via Zoom. Though I am a long time member of Olbrich Botanical Gardens and the Wisconsin Hardy Plant Society (and am on their excellent FB page many times a day), nothing has proved as much fun as getting together in living color with this like-minded group. 

Good news for gardeners from Great Dixter

Readers of this blog likely know that many of the elements of our garden design were influenced by Japanese gardens. Thus, for the last twenty years, I've planted many treasures from Asia. But climate change and habitat loss have all gardeners looking at their garden with new eyes.

I'm happy to be able to say that I've composted kitchen and garden debris, mulched with chopped leaves and haven't sprayed or used many chemicals over the years. I have an old Bur Oak tree and a crop of seedlings that I'm nurturing (below), along with every fern native to Wisconsin happily romping around my garden.

But I am not a native plant aficionado nor do I want to give up all the lovely non-natives I've planted over the years. That's why I was thrilled with the information that Fergus Garrett, head gardener at the famed Great Dixter estate in the UK, shared with those of us who signed up for his webinar as part of Olbrich Botanical Gardens spring lecture series, "A Gardener's Call."

The "call" refers to the idea that gardeners need to "recognize and respect all beings’ contributions to healthy garden ecosystems." If we do that, then we will be able to support all life in the garden. I totally agree with that concept which is why I sat up and took notice when Garrett showed us that ornamental horticulture does that very well. 

Photo by Andrew Montgomery/Gardens Illustrated magazine

Garrett decided that Great Dixter needed a comprehensive biodiversity audit that would then provide the knowledge that he felt was critical to managing Dixter in the best way. It wasn't really news, he noted, when the survey showed the meadows, ponds, pastures and woodlands on this old estate were extremely rich. 

Photo by Andrew Montgomery/Gardens Illustrated magazine

The big surprise — and what excited me — was the fact that the survey found the richest part of all was the ornamental garden (above). The survey clearly showed the garden, even with its fancy floral displays, supported an extraordinary amount of wildlife. Though Garrett hadn't specifically gardened with biodiversity at the forefront, it was there as a by-product.

That means I don't have to tear up my garden and start over. I can leave my non-natives in place and add more if I want. The big lesson is having as much diversity as possible. The things I've ordered online, or plan to buy locally, range from grasses to shrubs to bulbs and perennial plants; all of which means I am moving in the right direction for diversity. Add in the fact that almost half of them are native and I no longer have to feel guilty for wanting a garden that showcases non-native plants.

Early May in Wisconsin

Frost warnings for a few days at the end of this week and 70°F by the end of the coming week. The plants and the gardener are exhausted from the temperature swings. But Thursday and Friday, a garden friend and I toured each other's gardens; masked and gloved and keeping socially distant until we got too excited by a plant. A lovely time was had by all!

Did curb-side pickup of my plant sale order at Olbrich Botanical Gardens yesterday. No crowds, no tents, no rows and rows of plants. I did manage to snap a couple of photos through the car window of the gorgeous yellow-flowered Magnolia blooming in the garden of the house next to Olbrich. 

It was the first time I really felt the impact of the "safe at home" rule. There I was at Olbrich, and I was masked and not allowed to get out of my car to visit the gardens, hit the shop, and then stop at the Monona Library and Fraboni's deli on the way home.

My Olbrich cartons of plants are gorgeous to put it mildly; but it was a very bittersweet trip.

Aging garden, aging gardeners

We bought our house because it was situated in the center of the perfect blank canvas for us to turn into a garden. When you start to create a garden in a spot where you intend to stay, all your attention and energy is focused on the future. We've spent 25 years achieving the vision that was once only in our heads. Now we live surrounded by it. 

Both the garden and the gardeners are now more than mature; we're beginning that long slow (we hope) slide into old age. We don't want to leave this wonderful world we've created, but we've gardened long enough to know we can't maintain it the way it currently is designed and planted. That's a scary thought, but one most gardeners have to entertain at some point. We decided we're there now, so we took the plunge. Or maybe just put our feet in the water. 

We hired our favorite local garden designer for a consultation. Jeff was already familiar with our garden and appreciated it; as a professional designer, however, he would look at the garden without sentiment. He'd give us and the garden the "tough love" required to go forward. Jeff didn't really tell us anything that was a total surprise; but we knew we'd endlessly go back and forth if it was left up to the two of us to make these decisions. We're both the eldest child in our families and we each want to be in control.

Jeff, Mark and I all walked through the garden together with me taking plenty of notes. Among Jeff's suggestions:

• Remove some of our trees to open up views to features they hide.
• Have an arborist look at all our trees to determine their health and safety before we remove any. 
• No bare dirt where weeds can root; add ground covers and more mass plantings like the Geraniums and Epidmediums we currently have.
• Add deciduous and evergreen shrubs in mass plantings and put specialty plants on the edges where they can be seen and enjoyed.
• Only have a few areas that require extra work.

See what I mean? I bet you've thought some of those same things about your garden — especially if you been gardening in that location for more than ten years!

So far we've only hired the arborist, but it was definitely the right place to start. We're waiting for her report to take the next steps. In the meantime, I'm trying not to splurge too much on autumn plant purchases. But it's hard not to do so.

Fergus Garrett in town

Fergus Garrett, the head gardener and current inspiration behind the famed Great Dixter in the UK, was in town Wednesday night for a lecture at Olbrich Botanical Gardens. Mark and I and three other gardening friends were all in attendance. I grabbed a cocktail and Mark grabbed his camera and we dashed into the gardens for a brief visit before the lecture began. 

Amazingly our gardening gang all pulled into the parking lot almost next to each other and thus were able to grab seats together. Since the Olbrich Atrium was packed with chairs for this sold-out event, that was quite a feat. 

The Wisconsin Hardy Plant Society sponsors a trip to UK gardens every other year, so many members — including John and John (below) — have visited. These two gentlemen have a noteworthy garden of their own and also do a beautiful presentation about the UK trips to the membership. 

Nancy and David Nedveck own and operate The Flower Factory, the local nursery that is my go-to source for most of the plants in my garden. 

When you are gardening around a house as impressive as Dixter it does add a high level of beauty and drama to everything Fergus Garrett and his staff do. But we can follow his advice in our own gardens no matter their size or location: "Play where you can. Experiment where you can."

Winter classes

It doesn't matter how many years I've been gardening, I always look at the classes, lectures and workshops that are being offered locally at the UW-Madison Arboretum, Olbrich Botanical Gardens, Allen Centennial Gardens and through organizations like the Wisconsin Hardy Plant Society. Some things are for members only while others are open to the public. 

Last year, I signed up for some lectures at Olbrich and I was hoping they would offer a reprise of my favorite — which it turns out they are doing. "Year in Reviews: Olbrich's Horticultural Highlights of 2018" is being offered by Erin Presley, one of their staff horticulturalists. Erin created one of my favorite sculptures in Olbrich's herb garden last summer, so I am very excited to hear her take on the gardening year. What is so much fun about this topic is that it is a "grab bag" with highs, lows, inspiration from here and there. It is one person's response to the garden and the year and I'm really looking forward to it. 

Olbrich is offering three different programs on dealing with increased rainfall and ways to protect your house and garden through planting and design. There are also a number of food-related and cooking classes, including a few by Huma Siddiqui whose cookbook I own. She is a great presenter. I helped her on a number of occasions when she was teaching at Orange Tree Imports where I worked at the time. Some offerings are geared to children and families while others are for knowledgeable and beginning gardeners, so be sure to check out all the options. 

I don't have personal experience with the offerings through Allen Centennial Gardens but the line-up looks great. I've been a member of WHPS for years and their programs for members are always rewarding. The real benefit of becoming a member of any of these groups is that you get to meet lots of other gardeners, share problems and insights. 

Fiber Friday: Olbrich Botanical Gardens

I've said it before and I will say it again: The Growing Gifts shop at Olbrich Botanical Gardens is an unsung treasure trove of treats. Clothing, accessories like hats and scarves and bags, books and greeting cards, home decor objects like trays, vases and candle holders and lots of fun (and educational) items for children. I am often at Olbrich for evening lectures when the shop is closed. This being the holiday season, I made a point of stopping this week to see what they had in store for local shoppers. Almost everything that caught my attention was some kind of textile item.

I brought home this assortment of Alpaca socks (and one pair of cotton) to add to my stash. At $19.00 a pop these might seem like an outrageous extravagance. But I've been saving up to get them as they are the softest, warmest and most delightful socks I've found in years. The only ones to equal them were the hand-knit pairs my sister sent me for a few Christmases. I have cold feet year-round and wear these socks year-round as well, making them a necessity and well-worth the hefty price tag. 

The shop had a pair of these creatures for sale: this resting version and the other standing with its head bent down as though foraging. They are probably between 18 inches to 2 feet to give you a rough estimate of the size. Big enough to add a lot of drama to your holiday display.

They are from India, covered with white-on-white embroidery.

I did not get the prices on items (other than my socks) as the displays were so full that I didn't want to take a chance on upsetting anything by sticking my winter-coated arms in there twisting and turning price tags.

As you might expect, they had loads of felted, furry and feathered ornaments.

I was quite taken with the folk-art feeling of these felted trees. 

Olbrich's gift shop also had these funky 1950's style trees in an assortment of sizes and colors. Perfect for anyone doing color-themed decor or looking for mid-century modern holiday items. 

Matching garlands of felted spheres are available. Note that these are handcrafted by women's cooperatives in Nepal. Thus buying these supports women along with Olbrich.

Remember, members of Olbrich's Friends organization get a discount at the shop, among many other benefits. There are 8 levels of membership. You can find all the details here.

Art in the garden

When I visited Olbrich Botanical Gardens last month, I was completely charmed by this piece of art in the center of their Herb Garden. I checked with the garden to find the name of the artist who created it.

Turns out it was the work of Erin Presley, one of Olbrich's horticulturalists who works in the Herb, Wildflower and Pond gardens and is also a mapping specialist. She told me via email that the tree is a 'King Arthur' crabapple that is showing its age.

She noted that some of the tree's large branches had been dying off intermittently over the past few years. After they lost a large section this past winter, the choice was made to remove the smaller twigs and branches, leaving most of the main branch structure intact.

Erin noted the clay balls had been around the garden for a while and the copper balls were remnants of an art installation at the gardens several years ago.  

She said — and I completely agree — that "they provide a playful foil to the strong architecture of the remaining trunk and branches." At the moment, Olbrich is having their annual exhibit featuring local, national and international artists creating light-based installations throughout the outdoor gardens.

Called "GLEAM, Art in a New Light," this art extravaganza runs until Oct. 27th. Complete details are here, including times and admission information. While those night-time art installations are quite dramatic and eye-catching, don't miss Erin Presley's daytime delight in the Herb Garden.

Next year this area will look completely different because Olbrich will be moving the vegetable plot for the Herb Garden into this space. About this change, Erin says she's "looking forward to growing vining plants on the tree; can’t you just see gourds and pole beans dangling off of there?!" Make a note on your calendar right now to visit Olbrich's Herb Garden next summer to see Erin's whimsical re-do of this old crabapple tree.

Olbrich: Gardening in the paving

A few years ago a friend and I went to a talk on reducing maintenance in the garden. It was given by Jeff Epping who is the director of horticulture at Olbrich Botanical Gardens. That evening Jeff showed images of a garden in England where a lovely paved patio had bricks removed to allow plants to be plunked directly into the dirt rather than in containers. 

It enlivened the space but kept everything in check. Nothing could spread rampantly and it was easy to pull any seedling out between the paving stones. Examples of that very idea can be seen in two locations in the gardens surrounding the Rose Tower here at Olbrich Botanical Gardens. The planting below, adjacent to a long water feature, keeps the paving and geometry from feeling too austere.

This planting takes advantage of the reflected heat and dryness that keeps these plants happy and flowering. Note how the pavers are removed in an asymmetrical pattern. The pale pavers in the background acknowledge garden donors. In a home garden, you could adapt that idea by using patterned paver or tiles to visually break up the space. 

This type of planting pocket need not be restricted to a particular type of plant as these photos show. These openings in the pavings are also an easy way to add tropical or tender plants to the broader garden without resorting to containers.