I recently traveled to Long Island to give a presentation and got a chance to tour Longhouse Gardens in the town of East Hampton, New York. This garden and sculpture collection started as the private residence of Jack Lenor Larsen, and has transitioned into a beautiful public garden.
A huge sculpture by Buckminster Fuller frames views of the surrounding garden in honeycomb. These white tassels hanging from trees by the house glowed in the late January sun and reminded me of one of the golden rules of garden design: Go all the way! One tassel in a tree looks silly. Scores of them, as here, looks intentional and beautiful. The path through the Red Garden is wider at the top, and narrows at the end, and the red posts get a little bit shorter as they go down the path. The result is a false sense of perspective that makes this view look much longer than it actually is. Not a bad idea to steal for a home garden! A sculpture inspired by the Brooklyn Bridge, with the sun setting through the mass of bamboo at is back. This garden believes in reusing waste. Soil from excavating a pond was used to create dramatic dunes and hills, and here pruning from the many stands of bamboo on the property are used to create a lovely pagoda under towering trees.
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Joseph, your posting are, as usual, beautiful. But are you not receiving any posting from this group of Fine Gardeners GPOD followers? We are so used to seeing each others postings, which isn't happening this winter. Fellow GPODers, obviously we are falling down on supporting the blog that Fine Gardening has given us. Isn't it time we let Joseph know that this group of awesome gardeners has as much to offer to this website as he does. That said, Joseph, we do love your submissions of gardens that are not in our local areas; do not stop doing that. BUT, please let us know if our fellow gardener's submissions are not making it thru to you for posting on this wonderful garden blog. If you are receiving posting from our peers, please post them - we don't care if they are less than spectacular - we like each other. Thank you, Fine Gardening, for making it possible for all of us to enjoy each other's gardening experiences.
Hi Sonya - My thoughts on GPOD are the same as those you have expressed here. I haven't sent counter seasonal photos to Joseph because the 5 pics. limit for posting on the blog is hopelessly restrictive. You cannot do justice to a garden etc. with only 5 pics. So I'm proceeding with my direct submission method of late i.e. until my GPOD friends (i.e. the market) tell me that enough is enough.
Joseph - please explain to us why the policy has changed to only 5 published photographs and the narrative of contributors is edited/missing? Cheers from Oz
I am also in support of Sonya and Frank. For years, 5-10 photos were posted. Many times, I submit photos around a theme, and I have a hard enough time limiting it to 10 pictures, but 5 cannot do a theme justice. I am disappointed by the recent change in the last couple of months.
I still love this blog, and the many friends I have made. I enjoy seeing professional gardens, but I also love seeing home gardens as much, if not more. What people can do with smaller landscapes and more limited resources is amazing, and I have learned so much.
Joseph, if you have not been getting enough submissions, let us know.
Hey, I sent some in last week, so at least I'm doing my part. Ha! Above it says 5-10 photos per submission. Has someone limited it to 5?
I have photos of the gardens I've designed for others, but not sure if those are considered fair game to send in or not.
Jay, I hope you DO send in photos of gardens that you have designed for others, I would LOVE to see them and am sure others would as well.
I too, believe that up to 10 photos would be most welcome and be more representative of the garden shown.
Absolutely send in pictures of the gardens you design. You are very talented and I always enjoy seeing your garden pictures. I sent in 9 'before and after' pictures 2 or 3 weeks ago of my landscape renovation.
Mr. Sifford!!
I would like to echo the thoughts and encouragement of Sonya and Ms. Dunbar which were expressed below.
I LOVE Taunton Publications, of which this digital version is a division or department, of course. The focus of this publishing house has been and continues to be dissemination and illustration of solutions to situations many of us encounter in our own neck of the woods.
I don't cook with finesse nor with near enough spices, the only weaving I do is my ponytail into a hair thingy every morning, and my building "skills" terrify my wife and insurance agent, I DO scratch in the dirt a LOT. (My nod to the sister periodicals of Fine Gardening.) But, my point is that while most of us mortals have the questions of "How should I do THIS?" here and now, there are many others who have accomplished somethings similar in many other parts of the globe. Taunton illustrates these solutions beautifully and tactfully. We (mostly) have only one place and time to do some of these enterprises of creativity. (Altho tweaking goes on for decades, no?!!)
You, Jeff in Tennessee, and the few other designers/installers who receive and participate in this blog have a gift. And, if your talents were of mediocre or sub-standard qualities, y'all would be flipping burgers, or rebuilding carburetors, or performing brain surgery, or something else to keep a roof over your heads.
In staying with Taunton's mission of providing practical, elegant, creative and even whimsical examples and solutions, you and the other gifted ones have the opportunities to address, solve and ultimately express ways to overcome cookie-cutter blandness for several and many diverse situations. Y'all also have the tasks for performing for tastes and preferences most of us do not have to answer to, and blending your artist's eye with the client's mandatory "Pink Plastic Flamingos." (Most of us only have to deal with municipal codes, or homeowner associations.)
Perhaps you are concerned with your entries being too "commercial" in nature to this otherwise grass-roots crowd, pun intended! If so, that speaks loudly of your civility. However, I would counter that concern by repeating my thoughts directly above and emphasize that y'all have the experience of problem solving, multiple times, and we'll wager that you've learned a thing or two along the way. In THIS publisher's house, isn't that the reason for all of us gathering here in the first place? (Well, that and the Eye Candy and banter!!)
I would suggest that if'n you submit weekly, then perhaps you should call the Advertising desk and ask of their rates! But, speaking for many, I would love to see your creativity on other projects and specifically for other folks. Your private garden is loved my many, here, and you've given us a tease of what you are capable of! And, IF by chance your submitted project portfolios win you another chance to put more jingle in your purse, so much the better. No reason to wait to become the next Thomas Church, Frederick Law-Olmsted, Gertrude Jeckyl, or Burle Marx. (It could happen!!) Much better, say I, to be a LIVING starving and contributing artist. And, we here will be the richer for it!!
Think about it?
Sonya,
There has been a few slow weeks of submissions -- not surprising, given lots of us have been looking at not-very-exciting winter gardens of late, but they're picking up again, so stay tuned!
My goal is also to show lots and lots of different kinds of gardens, public and private, big and small, whimsical and traditional. Not every garden is to everyone's taste, but that's part of the fun.
Joseph, thank you so much for responding to my posting. I did not mean to create a maelstrom. Just worried that we were not keeping up our side of the blog. I do love all the public gardens that you and other GPODers submit [and I plan to submit in February when I visit the Atlanta Botanical
Gardens Orchid Daze in addition to the ones of my garden that I thought I had submitted a couple of weeks ago (did you get them?)] that I know I will never have the opportunity to see, but ..., I do so love seeing my fellow gardeners work as I think everyone who blogs on this site does. Please don't stop sharing your offerings when we let you down with our own posting. And you are right, not every garden is to everyone's taste, but this group supports everyone who posts, regardless of what the posting is (Did you notice that?). That is why I love this group as I think everyone who follows this post does.
The gift of gardening for me is to be able to blend ideas from the many gardens I see, then take the bits and pieces of all that make an impression on my heart into my own garden design. The more I see, the more I learn.
(The hardest part is being able to find the plants I MUST HAVE!)
Please keep showing these public and private gardens to GPOD, Joseph.
I have another garden left in me when we finally settle down from our current adventure!
Hello fellow GPOD'ers - Today I am posting some photos of Aussie white/ivory coloured flowers, including some natural environments where the plants are endemic (to try and add a bit of extra colour to the pics.) I hope these are of interest - please let me know if the landscape scenes are of value? Cheers from a warm Oz
Pic (1) Flannel flower (2) Grass trees with flowering spear-like spikes (3) Wedding bush (4) Rock orchid (5) Painted fingers orchid (6) White Correa (7) Grevillea 'Ivory Whip' (8) Common fringe myrtle and (9) Aussie lace flower (Trachymene oleracea subsp. oleracea) growing in tough conditions in Northwestern Western Australia, where there are rich mineral deposits - they prevented Aussie land from experiencing the full impact of the GFC in 2007/8 (exported to China).
Totally impressive both flora and photos again Franks! Really enjoy them and thanks for making Monday great again. Here is some white Canadian road side beautifies and tree trunks as response to your white post Frank.
1. Betula papyrifera Zone 2 at Gwillim Lake Provincial Park, BC
2. On a Canadian road side HW 37A - At Bear Glacier Provincial Park in Steward, BC which is a blue glacier and is very rare.
3. Anaphalis margaritacea Pearly Everlasting (Lorraine Robson gave us the ID again. Thanks Lorraine) at Bear Glacier Provincial Park in Steward, BC. It was at exact spot that I took this photo and I took the photos across the river
Wonderful pics. Lilian - thanks for getting with the program once again! Yellow tomorrow. That blue glacier is out of this world - truely amazing site! Thanks a lot for sharing. Cheers my friend
Franks: here is a white wild mushroom (at Stone Corral Trail Monkman Provincial Park, Tumbler Ridge.) to go with the Aussie Smoke bush (oddly beautiful again!) So what's on tomorrow? Orange? Just kidding.
Nice shots, Lilian! With the alternate lanceolate leaves and the white bracts around the central yellow disc flowers, the third photo looks like it might be Anaphalis margaritacea. Have a look at the drawing on E-Flora BC and let me know if you think that's it. It's pretty common in BC and I think it grows all over North America. The common name is Pearly Everlasting (because it is white like pearls and the bracts last a long time).
You are so right, Lorraine. Lillian, you maybe should find a copy of
'Plants of Coastal British Columbia including WA, OR and Alaska' by Pojar and Mackinnon - THE bible of PNW flora. Over the 24 years I have been a master gardener I have just about worn mine out.
Awesome as always, Frank. The flannel flower looks like a daisy, but I had to look it up because of its name. Actually not a daisy, but in the same family as the carrot. The stem, branches and leaves are covered in downy hair, thus the "flannel".
The 2 orchids are beautiful. I saw that the rock orchid is one tough plant, despite the notion that orchids are fussy.
Thanks again for sharing your wonderful pictures from Oz.
I will be attending the orchid show at Longwood Gardens in a week or so. I am now re-energized and getting ready to start gardening again (unfortunately, I can't do much but dream for the next 2 months). Waiting for the hellebores!
Thanks for your comments and encouragement, Kev. I have learnt a lot about plants in North America from GPOD, and importantly about the culture of folks in USA and Canada, and elsewhere. I really value that experience, and I'm delighted that you and others are using Dr Google and learning about our Aussie plants etc. It is all about continuous learning (no matter what age) and internationalisation of gardening and gardeners' thoughts - and it shows the value of GPOD - anyhow that is my view. Cheers mate
Here is my contribution to the white pictures. Not a flower, but snow on Hydrangea quercifolia 'Little Honey'. I love the peeling bark lit by the warm glow of the low lying sun.
Thanks for sharing, Kev. Yes the sunlight on the peeling bark creates a nice effect. And thanks also for getting with the program - yellow/gold tomorrow! Cheers
Kevin, that is one of my favorite hydrangeas (I like all the quercifolias). The snow indeed looks like flowers, or to a Georgia farm girl, like cotton bolls.
Frank. Exquisite and artistic photography. For those of us who dont recognize all of these, can you please name them? I am most interested in the red buds that open to the pure white flowers.
Lovely white flowers. The fifth one, is that an orchid. So pretty and so dainty looking. The tall skinny spikes are they on the grasses or are they coming from some other plant? Australian plants are so cool. In keeping with the white flower theme, here is one of my three new evergreen Cornus eliptica 'Elsbry' (aka Empress of China Dogwood) that I planted in late February blooming in June.
Ignore my questions, Frank. Had only had a couple of sips of coffee when I started looking at your pics. I was in such a hurry to enjoy them all that I failed to read. Now its time to go Googling all of them for additional info.
Hey Sonya - before you Google. I'm sorry, I made a mistake (which I have now fixed) - It is a Painted fingers orchid. It has a fine stem and is only about 4-5 inches high.
Wow, your Empress of China Dogwood certainly put on a display. Thanks for joining the program. Yellow is the theme tomorrow - unless there is a post from a GPOD gardener. Cheers from the Wiz of Oz.
I have never had them fail to provide an awesome late spring, early summer display. First Empress was only 3 feet tall when she bloomed. That said, this is the first winter where I have worried about this small tree; leaves are no longer green but a sad looking maroon color. Fingers crossed that they all bounce back to amaze me again this year.
Margaret, they start blooming even when quiet small. My first one blooming was on a three foot tall tree within a couple of months of planting it. Don't know if it is hardy in your planting zone, but well worth checking it out.
Isn't it amazing? Second time I have planted these small trees/tall shrubs in my garden. Can't imagine not having at least one. Check it out to see if you can grow it in your gardening zone.
Yes, they do grow very well here (Zone 7), Sonya. Our native dogwood is Cornus nutallii. It is white, but I also really like the pink Cornus kousa 'Satomi' growing in VanDusen Botanical Garden in Vancouver, BC.
Ugh! The system is telling me I "must be logged in to upload an image", but I AM logged in. Sigh. I'll try again.
I will research these varieties. Being in zone 7/8 in Georgia, I'm learning my gardening world is not the same as Canada and the Pacific Northwest. Beautiful parts if our world. I do so envy the many plants you can grow.
Sonya, you are so right about the climate of our zones not being the same even though the cold hardiness rating is the same. You probably get much hotter summers with higher humidity and we probably get a LOT more rain in the fall, winter, and spring. Part of the fun of gardening (OK, maybe it's a challenge) is finding those plants which are happy in our climate or finding little tweaks we can make to the planting spot (like improving drainage or adding extra compost) that will help our plants thrive. Probably everyone on this site wants to grow something that isn't well suited to where we garden; it's true for me!
The 'Satomi' is really pretty. My researching of it indicates the color may not be as showy in the South and that Beni fujii would be a better selection for our warmth. Oh my, another to find a place for.
Are you adding to your own knowledge base, Frank, with this sharing exercise with us? or are the names and info on these gorgeous plants as deeply engrained in you as the alphabet? It always amazes me how flowers that have deep color in the bud stage can open up and be pure white...as in the second to last photo. The white theme has not been disappointing
You are spot on as usual, Michaele - Yes I am finding out more about these plants through this process. Nice intuition - very insightful. Cheers, Frank
Hey Rhonda - remember the movie 'Crocodile Dundee' and the 'That's not a knife scene'? Well, that's not a bird on the orchid (Pic. 5) - this is one (i.e. Flying duck orchid). Time for bed now! Cheers my friend
Loved'Crocodile Dundee'! All of your flower pics are spectacular, but I especially like the #5 orchid - great use of color. And yes, that is a duck! and an orchid. Thanks so much for all your submissions - they add so much to my day. As does this group in general.
Hi Shirley - Yes Paul Hogan in Crocodile Dundee pretty much typifies the Aussie sense of humour - glad you liked the film and Pic. #5, and pleased that you enjoy the Aussie pic. series. Just for you, here is Milkmaids. Cheers, Frank
Frank, your photos are just grand. And WOW. That first one is especially a stunner. What a background- kinda takes your breath away! Thanks for sharing!
Ahhhhh, Mate!
All wonderful, but that image of the Xanthorroeas in the Gums is ethereal and spiritual!! To see these in person would be entering a sacred temple in time/space.
For those not familiar, (and please correct me if'n I'm in error, Frank,) there's nothing for scale in that photo of the Grass Trees, but each one of those white flower spikes is somewhere between 1-2 metres (3-6 ft) in height or more!! from the bottom of the lowest white flowers! The architecture of the foliage is amazing in it's own right; especially with age when they obtain a trunk! I love running my fingers through the leaves!
There's something about bush fire being involved with germination, as I kinda recall. While the leaves are sacrificed during the periodic conflagrations, the trunks are durable and "fire-proof,' and quickly re-sprout new leaves once the danger quenched. I've read that walking or riding through (equines, please) a forest of these after a blaze is "other worldly and supernatural.
I also learned that to import these from down under to American landscapes (think: So. California) folks now have to obtain metal id tags which prove the young ones were legally dug or produced and shipped. Kinda like our native Saguaro cacti from the Sonoran Desert. Greedy overharvesting, as well as bulldozers "making progress" have threatened the wilde populations, severely. They are painfully sloooooooooowwww growing and persnickety. So those in Frank's photos are of an elder tribe!! I shall express reverence!
Anyway, to see SO many and for them to be in glorious bloom: Truly, Heaven on Earth!
Stumbled upon this website if'n there is any curiosity out there...oh, wait...I forgot which crowd I was talkin' to!!!
Frank, I trust you don't mind me raining upon your parade? Not tryin' to steal the show, Mate. Just emphasizing and appreciating what you've brought to the table!!
Hey Jesse - Great work, olde son. You have nailed it, and of course I don't mind. I love it when you guys tell the Aussie story (Kev. did it in relation to Flannel flowers). First time I have heard the word 'persnickety'. Yes they are very finicky. Bush fires also stimulate the seeds to germinate. They are very susceptible to root rot (in wet soils) caused by the fungus, Phytophthora cinnamomi. Thanks for your valuable input. Cheers mate
Hello, Frank! Thanks for the lovely white and ivory flowers. I love them all. And, in response I wanted to post a picture I took this morning, of a bud that isn't quite ivory, but for late January in zone 6, I'm going to push the margins:
This is one of my 'volunteer' hellebores - as pined for by Kevin!
I'll post another foto when it opens, unless somebody else beats me to it! But, be sure you are sitting down - those heart palpitations can cause syncope!
Lovely images, Frank! I especially like that white flannel flower against the blue sky and water, but I can't choose a favourite among the close-up shots. Maybe it's the photo #5 of the Painted fringe orchid; that flush of lilac along the edges is so pretty!
To carry on your theme of white today, here's a photo of Snowberry (Symphoricarpos) that I snapped yesterday on a walk. It's not a great shot as the wind was howling, but it's a plant I remember happily from childhood. The white berries make a most satisfying "pop" when you step on them (though today I leave them for the critters to eat).
Hmmm . . .it's telling me I must be logged in to post a picture, but I can see my name and photo, so I should be logged in. I may have to try again.
Hey Lorraine - Thanks for your comments and the pic. of your native Snowberry. Interesting how the fruit is poisonous to humans and yet a lot of animals eat the berries. Nice that you have also joined the program. Cheers, Frank
Love Joseph's post as well especially the bamboo roof. Totally artistic and red tree post is totally impressive. I totally agree with others that 10 photos are better than 5 but I love to see all, public or private gardens. Thanks for sharing!
I've been intrigued by this garden ever since I saw it in Architectural Digest a few years ago. Hopefully, one day I will have the chance to see it in person.
I am happy to see ALL the postings even though I don't comment on all of them. I would never have known of this garden as I am not a regular visitor to the Hamptons! Sure the photo well runs low in winter and I can't imagine trying to stretch things out to have a post everyday on top of actually having a life
Thanks Joseph. We are all addicts, and we love looking at anything resembling a garden this time of year! I echo all of the other sentiments below...just can’t wait for spring ( sung to the tune from The Lion King- just can’t wait to be King!)
I like that rule of gardening, Joseph. Go all the way indeed. The red posts illustrate that as well. Just a few would look odd. I'll have to add Longhouse to my list to visit.
Quite frankly, Sonya (and friends); I thoroughly enjoy Joseph's fresh look at what is interesting. And while you have all sent in some pretty and interesting pictures, I like having really new ideas. And there is nothing wrong with giving other people a chance to have their pictures shown. So, atta boy, Joseph, keep up the great work!
Joseph!!
Great vignettes!! Anytime and EVERYTIME traditional art and Gardens marry, 'tis a happy, harmonious, and sometimes magical union!
And, YES, several ideas/concepts we can modify and use in our own personal sanctuaries! I appreciate the tips and pointers you've included with the photos!
Not sure which is my fave...the lesson of the Tassels, or the simple painted hardscape elements of the Red Garden. May I have two faves, today? Both address the question on my mind this season: "How do I make my Winter views more interensting?"
And, isn't Fuller's dome fun??? There's another one close to here at the Crystal Bridges Art Museum just outside of Bentonville, Arkansas! In a "home-scaled" version, I keep looking for a used child's geodesic jungle gym on Craig's List to install here!...Mabey I'll paint it some wilde colour...or, colours, plural? Well, gotta find one, first!
And, lastly, are those Taxodiums or Metasequoias around the Pagoda? Not sure of the northern range of either, but I was surprised and delighted to see those magnificent boles!!
These are great to see. I really like the idea in the red garden with the path being wider and going narrower to make it seem longer as you walk. I think i will try that here. The sculpture is great! Thanks for sharing!
No, no no! These things don't belong in a garden. In fact, they are the antithesis of what a garden is supposed to be about. Better in a bad music video or at a ride in Coney Island.
I love to visit public gardens when visiting an area new to me, but am not always able to sleuth them out, so I appreciate being alerted to these great places. I always learn or see something to consider for my garden. And even though I love to look at pictures of pretty blooms, I really prefer seeing how they look in a garden setting. Kind of like the difference between going to an "Open Gardens" tour as opposed to going to a flower show...But I always like more photos, rather than just a few.
Will be visiting Maryland again soon, and Northern California- any recommendations from the community? I live near Seattle, and there are still so many more gardens to visit around me!
man, i am so thrilled to see the caliber of these sculptures. i have been, and still am, immersed in the work of andy goldsworthy this winter. in addition to fucused watching of the dvd, Rivers and Tides,many times over, i have requested all my public library network's many goldsworthy books. he is fantastic at explaining his goals and giving you an in-depth opportunity to understand so many aspects of his art. i have been an admirer for decades but finally feel i have a much more informed understanding. At any rate, when i saw 'sculptures' in today's topic, i was hesitant that it might be he cutesy stuff i see so many places. but these works were significant. i would love to see more.thx so much.
I have already commented once on this issue, but it was late in the day (as is this one), so wanted to say again: I have thoroughly enjoyed each of the entries that Joseph has made from his own tours. I hope he will continue those. I also hope that those will not supplant the many excellent entries made by the members of this blog. I agree that hearing about the pictures 'in our own words' is my preference also, though I understand that I might need a bit of editing. It would be good to hear from Joseph if there has been a deliberate change in the nature of this blog, and what his plans are for future posts. We also need a clarification on whether we will ever again see 10 photos, or whether there is some reason that our entries are getting edited down to 5. Transparency would be a good approach.
Fellow GPODers, I did not mean to create a maelstrom today. You are all so awesome that I worried that we were not seeing pictures of your offerings. Please forgive me for overstepping my bounds.
GPOD has been a gift to so many gardeners for a very long time, both for old-timers and new-comers alike. From almost the beginning it has been part of my morning routine and I look forward to the daily submissions and the chats with friends, many of whom I've never met, but true friends I cherish.
Sonya, you wrote from your passion, our passion to converse with fellow gardeners and to view what we personally consider beautiful/unique/unusual. I don't see that you created a maelstrom. You opened this conversation where we are all allowed our thoughts which is what gardeners tend to do with delightful abandon!
Gardeners tend to be a pretty passionate group in case you haven't noticed! We all are looking for a vision of beauty as we individually see it. beauty comes in so many forms.
Sonya, you merely facilitated the discussion. Thanks much to all who contributed. I think we all appreciate Joseph's efforts, as well as our comrades' contributions. It is a GREAT blog, even if I, personally, am not inclined toward art, but much prefer more 'organic' gardens. To each his/her own. Thanks so much to Fine Gardening and Joseph for this blog. Love it!
Shirley, so kind of you to understand where I was coming from. I did not join this marvelous blog until last year, but I have so thoroughly enjoyed every posting that I have been privileged to see and every exchange I have had with the gardeners who grow on this site. Not all offerings have been, initially, to my taste, but they are all very interesting and continue to broaden my 'God forbid, narrow prospective'. Thanks to all of you who share a passion for gardening for being part of this group. We definitely need to support Joseph by sending him more pictures of our gardens than he can possibly handle!
Thank you for your interesting photos of garden sculptures, Joseph. I really like the tassels in the trees and whole-heartedly endorse the "go all the way" principle. My love of garden design comes a close second to my love of plants, so I enjoyed the photo of the red posts and the comments about creating a false sense of perspective. I've seen people prune hedges gradually shorter and shorter to create the same effect.
Thanks, too, to everyone who has expressed their passion for our GPOD community. I am happy to be a plant geek (OK, my darling husband calls me a "garden freak-a-zoid"; he says it's an endearment) and I'm really happy to be part of this kind group who support each other in our efforts, whether the garden or the plant is to our taste or not. It's so much fun to talk plants with you that it doesn't matter to me if the initial photos of the day are of private or public gardens. I wish lots more of you would attach your photos (just click on that little picture icon below the comments box) and join in!
Comments
Joseph, your posting are, as usual, beautiful. But are you not receiving any posting from this group of Fine Gardeners GPOD followers? We are so used to seeing each others postings, which isn't happening this winter. Fellow GPODers, obviously we are falling down on supporting the blog that Fine Gardening has given us. Isn't it time we let Joseph know that this group of awesome gardeners has as much to offer to this website as he does. That said, Joseph, we do love your submissions of gardens that are not in our local areas; do not stop doing that. BUT, please let us know if our fellow gardener's submissions are not making it thru to you for posting on this wonderful garden blog. If you are receiving posting from our peers, please post them - we don't care if they are less than spectacular - we like each other. Thank you, Fine Gardening, for making it possible for all of us to enjoy each other's gardening experiences.
Hi Sonya - My thoughts on GPOD are the same as those you have expressed here. I haven't sent counter seasonal photos to Joseph because the 5 pics. limit for posting on the blog is hopelessly restrictive. You cannot do justice to a garden etc. with only 5 pics. So I'm proceeding with my direct submission method of late i.e. until my GPOD friends (i.e. the market) tell me that enough is enough.
Joseph - please explain to us why the policy has changed to only 5 published photographs and the narrative of contributors is edited/missing? Cheers from Oz
I am also in support of Sonya and Frank. For years, 5-10 photos were posted. Many times, I submit photos around a theme, and I have a hard enough time limiting it to 10 pictures, but 5 cannot do a theme justice. I am disappointed by the recent change in the last couple of months.
I still love this blog, and the many friends I have made. I enjoy seeing professional gardens, but I also love seeing home gardens as much, if not more. What people can do with smaller landscapes and more limited resources is amazing, and I have learned so much.
Joseph, if you have not been getting enough submissions, let us know.
Hey, I sent some in last week, so at least I'm doing my part. Ha! Above it says 5-10 photos per submission. Has someone limited it to 5?
I have photos of the gardens I've designed for others, but not sure if those are considered fair game to send in or not.
Jay, I hope you DO send in photos of gardens that you have designed for others, I would LOVE to see them and am sure others would as well.
I too, believe that up to 10 photos would be most welcome and be more representative of the garden shown.
Absolutely send in pictures of the gardens you design. You are very talented and I always enjoy seeing your garden pictures. I sent in 9 'before and after' pictures 2 or 3 weeks ago of my landscape renovation.
Mr. Sifford!!
I would like to echo the thoughts and encouragement of Sonya and Ms. Dunbar which were expressed below.
I LOVE Taunton Publications, of which this digital version is a division or department, of course. The focus of this publishing house has been and continues to be dissemination and illustration of solutions to situations many of us encounter in our own neck of the woods.
I don't cook with finesse nor with near enough spices, the only weaving I do is my ponytail into a hair thingy every morning, and my building "skills" terrify my wife and insurance agent, I DO scratch in the dirt a LOT. (My nod to the sister periodicals of Fine Gardening.) But, my point is that while most of us mortals have the questions of "How should I do THIS?" here and now, there are many others who have accomplished somethings similar in many other parts of the globe. Taunton illustrates these solutions beautifully and tactfully. We (mostly) have only one place and time to do some of these enterprises of creativity. (Altho tweaking goes on for decades, no?!!)
You, Jeff in Tennessee, and the few other designers/installers who receive and participate in this blog have a gift. And, if your talents were of mediocre or sub-standard qualities, y'all would be flipping burgers, or rebuilding carburetors, or performing brain surgery, or something else to keep a roof over your heads.
In staying with Taunton's mission of providing practical, elegant, creative and even whimsical examples and solutions, you and the other gifted ones have the opportunities to address, solve and ultimately express ways to overcome cookie-cutter blandness for several and many diverse situations. Y'all also have the tasks for performing for tastes and preferences most of us do not have to answer to, and blending your artist's eye with the client's mandatory "Pink Plastic Flamingos." (Most of us only have to deal with municipal codes, or homeowner associations.)
Perhaps you are concerned with your entries being too "commercial" in nature to this otherwise grass-roots crowd, pun intended! If so, that speaks loudly of your civility. However, I would counter that concern by repeating my thoughts directly above and emphasize that y'all have the experience of problem solving, multiple times, and we'll wager that you've learned a thing or two along the way. In THIS publisher's house, isn't that the reason for all of us gathering here in the first place? (Well, that and the Eye Candy and banter!!)
I would suggest that if'n you submit weekly, then perhaps you should call the Advertising desk and ask of their rates! But, speaking for many, I would love to see your creativity on other projects and specifically for other folks. Your private garden is loved my many, here, and you've given us a tease of what you are capable of! And, IF by chance your submitted project portfolios win you another chance to put more jingle in your purse, so much the better. No reason to wait to become the next Thomas Church, Frederick Law-Olmsted, Gertrude Jeckyl, or Burle Marx. (It could happen!!) Much better, say I, to be a LIVING starving and contributing artist. And, we here will be the richer for it!!
Think about it?
Amen, Jesse
Mr. Jesse... Sir, you do have a way with words that are both thought provoking and smile inducing. Keep 'em coming!
Yes, please, Jay! I'd like to see them and hear about your design choices and what kind of effect you were after.
Sonya,
There has been a few slow weeks of submissions -- not surprising, given lots of us have been looking at not-very-exciting winter gardens of late, but they're picking up again, so stay tuned!
My goal is also to show lots and lots of different kinds of gardens, public and private, big and small, whimsical and traditional. Not every garden is to everyone's taste, but that's part of the fun.
Joseph, thank you so much for responding to my posting. I did not mean to create a maelstrom. Just worried that we were not keeping up our side of the blog. I do love all the public gardens that you and other GPODers submit [and I plan to submit in February when I visit the Atlanta Botanical
Gardens Orchid Daze in addition to the ones of my garden that I thought I had submitted a couple of weeks ago (did you get them?)] that I know I will never have the opportunity to see, but ..., I do so love seeing my fellow gardeners work as I think everyone who blogs on this site does. Please don't stop sharing your offerings when we let you down with our own posting. And you are right, not every garden is to everyone's taste, but this group supports everyone who posts, regardless of what the posting is (Did you notice that?). That is why I love this group as I think everyone who follows this post does.
The gift of gardening for me is to be able to blend ideas from the many gardens I see, then take the bits and pieces of all that make an impression on my heart into my own garden design. The more I see, the more I learn.
(The hardest part is being able to find the plants I MUST HAVE!)
Please keep showing these public and private gardens to GPOD, Joseph.
I have another garden left in me when we finally settle down from our current adventure!
Hello fellow GPOD'ers - Today I am posting some photos of Aussie white/ivory coloured flowers, including some natural environments where the plants are endemic (to try and add a bit of extra colour to the pics.) I hope these are of interest - please let me know if the landscape scenes are of value? Cheers from a warm Oz
Pic (1) Flannel flower (2) Grass trees with flowering spear-like spikes (3) Wedding bush (4) Rock orchid (5) Painted fingers orchid (6) White Correa (7) Grevillea 'Ivory Whip' (8) Common fringe myrtle and (9) Aussie lace flower (Trachymene oleracea subsp. oleracea) growing in tough conditions in Northwestern Western Australia, where there are rich mineral deposits - they prevented Aussie land from experiencing the full impact of the GFC in 2007/8 (exported to China).
Totally impressive both flora and photos again Franks! Really enjoy them and thanks for making Monday great again. Here is some white Canadian road side beautifies and tree trunks as response to your white post Frank.
1. Betula papyrifera Zone 2 at Gwillim Lake Provincial Park, BC
2. On a Canadian road side HW 37A - At Bear Glacier Provincial Park in Steward, BC which is a blue glacier and is very rare.
3. Anaphalis margaritacea Pearly Everlasting (Lorraine Robson gave us the ID again. Thanks Lorraine) at Bear Glacier Provincial Park in Steward, BC. It was at exact spot that I took this photo and I took the photos across the river
Wonderful pics. Lilian - thanks for getting with the program once again! Yellow tomorrow. That blue glacier is out of this world - truely amazing site! Thanks a lot for sharing. Cheers my friend
Great pictures, Lilian. Love the glacier.
Hey Lilian - just found this pic. of the Aussie Smoke bush i.e. to make up the 10th pic. Cheers, Frank
Franks: here is a white wild mushroom (at Stone Corral Trail Monkman Provincial Park, Tumbler Ridge.) to go with the Aussie Smoke bush (oddly beautiful again!) So what's on tomorrow? Orange? Just kidding.
Yellow/gold, Lilian. Mushroom looks like the early stage of the cultivated, Agaricus bisporus.
White barked trees are so pretty.
Nice shots, Lilian! With the alternate lanceolate leaves and the white bracts around the central yellow disc flowers, the third photo looks like it might be Anaphalis margaritacea. Have a look at the drawing on E-Flora BC and let me know if you think that's it. It's pretty common in BC and I think it grows all over North America. The common name is Pearly Everlasting (because it is white like pearls and the bracts last a long time).
You are so right, Lorraine. Lillian, you maybe should find a copy of
'Plants of Coastal British Columbia including WA, OR and Alaska' by Pojar and Mackinnon - THE bible of PNW flora. Over the 24 years I have been a master gardener I have just about worn mine out.
Awesome as always, Frank. The flannel flower looks like a daisy, but I had to look it up because of its name. Actually not a daisy, but in the same family as the carrot. The stem, branches and leaves are covered in downy hair, thus the "flannel".
The 2 orchids are beautiful. I saw that the rock orchid is one tough plant, despite the notion that orchids are fussy.
Thanks again for sharing your wonderful pictures from Oz.
I will be attending the orchid show at Longwood Gardens in a week or so. I am now re-energized and getting ready to start gardening again (unfortunately, I can't do much but dream for the next 2 months). Waiting for the hellebores!
Thanks for your comments and encouragement, Kev. I have learnt a lot about plants in North America from GPOD, and importantly about the culture of folks in USA and Canada, and elsewhere. I really value that experience, and I'm delighted that you and others are using Dr Google and learning about our Aussie plants etc. It is all about continuous learning (no matter what age) and internationalisation of gardening and gardeners' thoughts - and it shows the value of GPOD - anyhow that is my view. Cheers mate
Kevin - we've got hellebores! Check my response to Frank for a picture snapped this morning by our garage! Spring is coming!
And they are waiting under the snow for you, Kevin!
Here is my contribution to the white pictures. Not a flower, but snow on Hydrangea quercifolia 'Little Honey'. I love the peeling bark lit by the warm glow of the low lying sun.
Thanks for sharing, Kev. Yes the sunlight on the peeling bark creates a nice effect. And thanks also for getting with the program - yellow/gold tomorrow! Cheers
Kevin, that is one of my favorite hydrangeas (I like all the quercifolias). The snow indeed looks like flowers, or to a Georgia farm girl, like cotton bolls.
Sonya, it reminds me of cotton also. Thanks Kevin!
These are just gorgeous and so exotic, Frank! I enjoy seeing so many new-to-me flowers and flora!
Frank. Exquisite and artistic photography. For those of us who dont recognize all of these, can you please name them? I am most interested in the red buds that open to the pure white flowers.
Lovely white flowers. The fifth one, is that an orchid. So pretty and so dainty looking. The tall skinny spikes are they on the grasses or are they coming from some other plant? Australian plants are so cool. In keeping with the white flower theme, here is one of my three new evergreen Cornus eliptica 'Elsbry' (aka Empress of China Dogwood) that I planted in late February blooming in June.
Ignore my questions, Frank. Had only had a couple of sips of coffee when I started looking at your pics. I was in such a hurry to enjoy them all that I failed to read. Now its time to go Googling all of them for additional info.
Hey Sonya - before you Google. I'm sorry, I made a mistake (which I have now fixed) - It is a Painted fingers orchid. It has a fine stem and is only about 4-5 inches high.
Wow, your Empress of China Dogwood certainly put on a display. Thanks for joining the program. Yellow is the theme tomorrow - unless there is a post from a GPOD gardener. Cheers from the Wiz of Oz.
That is quite a bloom show your Cornus eliptica 'Elsbry' treated you to its first year flowering season in your garden. You had to be thrilled.
I have never had them fail to provide an awesome late spring, early summer display. First Empress was only 3 feet tall when she bloomed. That said, this is the first winter where I have worried about this small tree; leaves are no longer green but a sad looking maroon color. Fingers crossed that they all bounce back to amaze me again this year.
Gosh, are you saying that they keep their leaves all through the winter? That's pretty special.
Yes, they are evergreen. Drops maybe 1/4 of its leaves in winter but never loses them all and usually stays green. But it has been cold here.
Wow, that is fabulous... especially during the first year of planting!
Margaret, they start blooming even when quiet small. My first one blooming was on a three foot tall tree within a couple of months of planting it. Don't know if it is hardy in your planting zone, but well worth checking it out.
Really beautiful Sonya!
Thank you! They are such pretty small trees I can't imagine not having at lest one in my garden.
Head to toe blooms -- that's glorious, Sonya!
Isn't it amazing? Second time I have planted these small trees/tall shrubs in my garden. Can't imagine not having at least one. Check it out to see if you can grow it in your gardening zone.
Yes, they do grow very well here (Zone 7), Sonya. Our native dogwood is Cornus nutallii. It is white, but I also really like the pink Cornus kousa 'Satomi' growing in VanDusen Botanical Garden in Vancouver, BC.
Ugh! The system is telling me I "must be logged in to upload an image", but I AM logged in. Sigh. I'll try again.
'Satomi' doesn't look as pink in this photo as it does in real life.
I will research these varieties. Being in zone 7/8 in Georgia, I'm learning my gardening world is not the same as Canada and the Pacific Northwest. Beautiful parts if our world. I do so envy the many plants you can grow.
Sonya, you are so right about the climate of our zones not being the same even though the cold hardiness rating is the same. You probably get much hotter summers with higher humidity and we probably get a LOT more rain in the fall, winter, and spring. Part of the fun of gardening (OK, maybe it's a challenge) is finding those plants which are happy in our climate or finding little tweaks we can make to the planting spot (like improving drainage or adding extra compost) that will help our plants thrive. Probably everyone on this site wants to grow something that isn't well suited to where we garden; it's true for me!
The 'Satomi' is really pretty. My researching of it indicates the color may not be as showy in the South and that Beni fujii would be a better selection for our warmth. Oh my, another to find a place for.
Oops...just reread your post more thoroughly. So sorry for asking for plant names already there!
No problem, Wendi - the common fringe myrtle (Calytrix tetragona) is very widespread down here and used frequently in gardens. Cheers, Frank
Are you adding to your own knowledge base, Frank, with this sharing exercise with us? or are the names and info on these gorgeous plants as deeply engrained in you as the alphabet? It always amazes me how flowers that have deep color in the bud stage can open up and be pure white...as in the second to last photo. The white theme has not been disappointing
You are spot on as usual, Michaele - Yes I am finding out more about these plants through this process. Nice intuition - very insightful. Cheers, Frank
The 5th photo reminds me of a colorful bird sitting on a flower. Beautiful photos Frankie!
Hey Rhonda - remember the movie 'Crocodile Dundee' and the 'That's not a knife scene'? Well, that's not a bird on the orchid (Pic. 5) - this is one (i.e. Flying duck orchid). Time for bed now! Cheers my friend
It sure is!
Loved'Crocodile Dundee'! All of your flower pics are spectacular, but I especially like the #5 orchid - great use of color. And yes, that is a duck! and an orchid. Thanks so much for all your submissions - they add so much to my day. As does this group in general.
Hi Shirley - Yes Paul Hogan in Crocodile Dundee pretty much typifies the Aussie sense of humour - glad you liked the film and Pic. #5, and pleased that you enjoy the Aussie pic. series. Just for you, here is Milkmaids. Cheers, Frank
Thank you, Frank. It's beautiful, like all the others.
Frank, your photos are just grand. And WOW. That first one is especially a stunner. What a background- kinda takes your breath away! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Margaret - yes I also like the white against the blue. Cheers, Frank
Inspiring Frank. It's nice to see both plant potraits and their environs.
Thanks for the feed-back, Tim.
The 'grass trees' knocked my socks off this morning. Thanks Frank!
Thank Sheila - our great GPOD contributor, Jesse, has nailed it (see his comments). Great minds think alike hey! Cheers, Wiz
Unbelievably beautiful! Thank you from the rain & frozen ground. :-)
Hey Edith - thanks for your note, and good luck with your weather. Cheers, Frank
Gorgeous!!! Thanks for sharing these - a real day brightener.
Hi Beth - glad the pics. helped with your day. Cheers, Frank
Love your photos Frank! Please do not stop posting them!
Good on you Vel - appreciate your comment. Cheers, Frank
Ahhhhh, Mate!
All wonderful, but that image of the Xanthorroeas in the Gums is ethereal and spiritual!! To see these in person would be entering a sacred temple in time/space.
For those not familiar, (and please correct me if'n I'm in error, Frank,) there's nothing for scale in that photo of the Grass Trees, but each one of those white flower spikes is somewhere between 1-2 metres (3-6 ft) in height or more!! from the bottom of the lowest white flowers! The architecture of the foliage is amazing in it's own right; especially with age when they obtain a trunk! I love running my fingers through the leaves!
There's something about bush fire being involved with germination, as I kinda recall. While the leaves are sacrificed during the periodic conflagrations, the trunks are durable and "fire-proof,' and quickly re-sprout new leaves once the danger quenched. I've read that walking or riding through (equines, please) a forest of these after a blaze is "other worldly and supernatural.
I also learned that to import these from down under to American landscapes (think: So. California) folks now have to obtain metal id tags which prove the young ones were legally dug or produced and shipped. Kinda like our native Saguaro cacti from the Sonoran Desert. Greedy overharvesting, as well as bulldozers "making progress" have threatened the wilde populations, severely. They are painfully sloooooooooowwww growing and persnickety. So those in Frank's photos are of an elder tribe!! I shall express reverence!
Anyway, to see SO many and for them to be in glorious bloom: Truly, Heaven on Earth!
Stumbled upon this website if'n there is any curiosity out there...oh, wait...I forgot which crowd I was talkin' to!!!
https://www.bushheritage.org.au/species/grass-trees
Frank, I trust you don't mind me raining upon your parade? Not tryin' to steal the show, Mate. Just emphasizing and appreciating what you've brought to the table!!
Hey Jesse - Great work, olde son. You have nailed it, and of course I don't mind. I love it when you guys tell the Aussie story (Kev. did it in relation to Flannel flowers). First time I have heard the word 'persnickety'. Yes they are very finicky. Bush fires also stimulate the seeds to germinate. They are very susceptible to root rot (in wet soils) caused by the fungus, Phytophthora cinnamomi. Thanks for your valuable input. Cheers mate
So much beauty. Thank you Frank.
Thanks Linda - glad you liked the white palette series of pics. Cheers from Down Under.
Hello, Frank! Thanks for the lovely white and ivory flowers. I love them all. And, in response I wanted to post a picture I took this morning, of a bud that isn't quite ivory, but for late January in zone 6, I'm going to push the margins:
This is one of my 'volunteer' hellebores - as pined for by Kevin!
Hey Cheryl - Yep looks like the start of action on the home front. Not long to wait now. Cheers from Oz
Hmm, such a nice fat positively yummy looking bud...a flower can't be far behind.
Hellebores always announce spring before any other plants. Can't wait for you to send up a picture when the bud opens up.
Thanks for the great photos, Frank. Once again, you’ve shown us some amazing Aussie plants.
Thanks, Cheryl. My heart pounds and I get so excited when I see the hellebores starting to bloom. Gets me through the rest of winter.
I'll post another foto when it opens, unless somebody else beats me to it! But, be sure you are sitting down - those heart palpitations can cause syncope!
Lovely images, Frank! I especially like that white flannel flower against the blue sky and water, but I can't choose a favourite among the close-up shots. Maybe it's the photo #5 of the Painted fringe orchid; that flush of lilac along the edges is so pretty!
To carry on your theme of white today, here's a photo of Snowberry (Symphoricarpos) that I snapped yesterday on a walk. It's not a great shot as the wind was howling, but it's a plant I remember happily from childhood. The white berries make a most satisfying "pop" when you step on them (though today I leave them for the critters to eat).
Hmmm . . .it's telling me I must be logged in to post a picture, but I can see my name and photo, so I should be logged in. I may have to try again.
OK, here it is.
Hey Lorraine - Thanks for your comments and the pic. of your native Snowberry. Interesting how the fruit is poisonous to humans and yet a lot of animals eat the berries. Nice that you have also joined the program. Cheers, Frank
Love Snowberry and did not know it pop. Thanks for sharing!
Love Joseph's post as well especially the bamboo roof. Totally artistic and red tree post is totally impressive. I totally agree with others that 10 photos are better than 5 but I love to see all, public or private gardens. Thanks for sharing!
I've been intrigued by this garden ever since I saw it in Architectural Digest a few years ago. Hopefully, one day I will have the chance to see it in person.
I am happy to see ALL the postings even though I don't comment on all of them. I would never have known of this garden as I am not a regular visitor to the Hamptons! Sure the photo well runs low in winter and I can't imagine trying to stretch things out to have a post everyday on top of actually having a life
Thanks Joseph. We are all addicts, and we love looking at anything resembling a garden this time of year! I echo all of the other sentiments below...just can’t wait for spring ( sung to the tune from The Lion King- just can’t wait to be King!)
I like that rule of gardening, Joseph. Go all the way indeed. The red posts illustrate that as well. Just a few would look odd. I'll have to add Longhouse to my list to visit.
Thanks for sharing your visit to this lovely garden. It is one-of-a-kind and very beautiful.
Quite frankly, Sonya (and friends); I thoroughly enjoy Joseph's fresh look at what is interesting. And while you have all sent in some pretty and interesting pictures, I like having really new ideas. And there is nothing wrong with giving other people a chance to have their pictures shown. So, atta boy, Joseph, keep up the great work!
I completely agree, Joan. Inspiration comes in many different forms.
Interesting pictures, but I prefer plants. I enjoy everyone's submissions. Keep sending!
Joseph!!
Great vignettes!! Anytime and EVERYTIME traditional art and Gardens marry, 'tis a happy, harmonious, and sometimes magical union!
And, YES, several ideas/concepts we can modify and use in our own personal sanctuaries! I appreciate the tips and pointers you've included with the photos!
Not sure which is my fave...the lesson of the Tassels, or the simple painted hardscape elements of the Red Garden. May I have two faves, today? Both address the question on my mind this season: "How do I make my Winter views more interensting?"
And, isn't Fuller's dome fun??? There's another one close to here at the Crystal Bridges Art Museum just outside of Bentonville, Arkansas! In a "home-scaled" version, I keep looking for a used child's geodesic jungle gym on Craig's List to install here!...Mabey I'll paint it some wilde colour...or, colours, plural? Well, gotta find one, first!
And, lastly, are those Taxodiums or Metasequoias around the Pagoda? Not sure of the northern range of either, but I was surprised and delighted to see those magnificent boles!!
These are great to see. I really like the idea in the red garden with the path being wider and going narrower to make it seem longer as you walk. I think i will try that here. The sculpture is great! Thanks for sharing!
No, no no! These things don't belong in a garden. In fact, they are the antithesis of what a garden is supposed to be about. Better in a bad music video or at a ride in Coney Island.
I love to visit public gardens when visiting an area new to me, but am not always able to sleuth them out, so I appreciate being alerted to these great places. I always learn or see something to consider for my garden. And even though I love to look at pictures of pretty blooms, I really prefer seeing how they look in a garden setting. Kind of like the difference between going to an "Open Gardens" tour as opposed to going to a flower show...But I always like more photos, rather than just a few.
Will be visiting Maryland again soon, and Northern California- any recommendations from the community? I live near Seattle, and there are still so many more gardens to visit around me!
Pat: if you will be close to DC, consider visiting Dumbarton Oaks in Georgetown if it's open as well as the National Aboretum.
Thanks for the info. We did get to the Nat'l Arboretum last time, but will make a note of Dumbarton Oaks for next time.
man, i am so thrilled to see the caliber of these sculptures. i have been, and still am, immersed in the work of andy goldsworthy this winter. in addition to fucused watching of the dvd, Rivers and Tides,many times over, i have requested all my public library network's many goldsworthy books. he is fantastic at explaining his goals and giving you an in-depth opportunity to understand so many aspects of his art. i have been an admirer for decades but finally feel i have a much more informed understanding. At any rate, when i saw 'sculptures' in today's topic, i was hesitant that it might be he cutesy stuff i see so many places. but these works were significant. i would love to see more.thx so much.
I have already commented once on this issue, but it was late in the day (as is this one), so wanted to say again: I have thoroughly enjoyed each of the entries that Joseph has made from his own tours. I hope he will continue those. I also hope that those will not supplant the many excellent entries made by the members of this blog. I agree that hearing about the pictures 'in our own words' is my preference also, though I understand that I might need a bit of editing. It would be good to hear from Joseph if there has been a deliberate change in the nature of this blog, and what his plans are for future posts. We also need a clarification on whether we will ever again see 10 photos, or whether there is some reason that our entries are getting edited down to 5. Transparency would be a good approach.
Joseph -if you are out there, please respond to Cheryl's post.
Fellow GPODers, I did not mean to create a maelstrom today. You are all so awesome that I worried that we were not seeing pictures of your offerings. Please forgive me for overstepping my bounds.
GPOD has been a gift to so many gardeners for a very long time, both for old-timers and new-comers alike. From almost the beginning it has been part of my morning routine and I look forward to the daily submissions and the chats with friends, many of whom I've never met, but true friends I cherish.
Sonya, you wrote from your passion, our passion to converse with fellow gardeners and to view what we personally consider beautiful/unique/unusual. I don't see that you created a maelstrom. You opened this conversation where we are all allowed our thoughts which is what gardeners tend to do with delightful abandon!
You are so kind. Unfortunately I have never been known for keeping my thoughts or my passions to myself.
Gardeners tend to be a pretty passionate group in case you haven't noticed! We all are looking for a vision of beauty as we individually see it. beauty comes in so many forms.
Sonya, you merely facilitated the discussion. Thanks much to all who contributed. I think we all appreciate Joseph's efforts, as well as our comrades' contributions. It is a GREAT blog, even if I, personally, am not inclined toward art, but much prefer more 'organic' gardens. To each his/her own. Thanks so much to Fine Gardening and Joseph for this blog. Love it!
Shirley, so kind of you to understand where I was coming from. I did not join this marvelous blog until last year, but I have so thoroughly enjoyed every posting that I have been privileged to see and every exchange I have had with the gardeners who grow on this site. Not all offerings have been, initially, to my taste, but they are all very interesting and continue to broaden my 'God forbid, narrow prospective'. Thanks to all of you who share a passion for gardening for being part of this group. We definitely need to support Joseph by sending him more pictures of our gardens than he can possibly handle!
Thank you for your interesting photos of garden sculptures, Joseph. I really like the tassels in the trees and whole-heartedly endorse the "go all the way" principle. My love of garden design comes a close second to my love of plants, so I enjoyed the photo of the red posts and the comments about creating a false sense of perspective. I've seen people prune hedges gradually shorter and shorter to create the same effect.
Thanks, too, to everyone who has expressed their passion for our GPOD community. I am happy to be a plant geek (OK, my darling husband calls me a "garden freak-a-zoid"; he says it's an endearment) and I'm really happy to be part of this kind group who support each other in our efforts, whether the garden or the plant is to our taste or not. It's so much fun to talk plants with you that it doesn't matter to me if the initial photos of the day are of private or public gardens. I wish lots more of you would attach your photos (just click on that little picture icon below the comments box) and join in!
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