On Thursday, my class took a field trip to Old Westbury Gardens. After a brief introduction, we began a 5 1/2-hour foot journey through the 160-acre estate, breaking only for lunch.
Of those acres, 88 are devoted to formal gardens, tree-lined walks, grand allées (narrow walkways flanked on both sides with double rows of trees or shrubs) and ponds. Old Westbury is considered the finest English garden in the United States, with plantings -- many 100 years old -- that include historic varieties, new hybrids and experimental plants. . .
This week, master gardener Sue King took the reins and led the class through an informative slide show on garden design. While viewing gorgeous photos of her home gardens and other properties, we learned about companion planting, hardscaping, xeriscaping and winter interest. I can only hope to have her vision some day, though I suspect more of it has to do with inherent talent than education. . .
I had a very nice Platycerium elephantotis some years ago which died under mysterious circumstances. It's really the only staghorn fern that holds much interest for me, other than the expensive and difficult Platycerium madagascariense. I think it's the undivided fertile fronds that attract me.
I got a small one in the mail the other day. I'm going to let it stabilize over the winter, and then I plan to mount it on a board and hang it in a hot and sunny place in the greenhouse. . . .
This is a volunteer Grandpa Ott morning glory and some sweet potato vine. I have a planter between the garage doors in which I planted the sweet potato vine and some orange french marigolds. Well, the marigolds didn't do too well and were puny and stick like by mid-July (not enough sun apparently) but the vine was doing very well. So it looked like a wire work trough with giant chartreuse ears. . . .
reBlogged
to flowers
Posted by meresy_g Reblogged by Old Roses to flowers on 2007-09-29, 06:17:03
Not in my garden...Kim, the Blackswamp Girl had a post about things you won't see in her garden, and now I want to play! This first image represents three things you will never see in my garden: Dutch children (kissing or not), a windmill, and a "bed" flower bed! Now, the great thing about gardening in general is that you can do whatever you want, and this gal's flowers are quite lovely all year...I just don't like these particular decorations. Statues of children creep me out, and I prefer farm-type windmills as decorations. As for the "bed"....I'm not sure why it bugs me, much as I like puns and all.
reBlogged
to gardens whimsy
Posted by lisa Reblogged by Old Roses to Gardens, whimsy on 2007-09-29, 06:16:40
In the category of you learn something new every I thought I discovered a new (new to me) plant called Dendrathema. After a little a research I found out that it is a botanical synonym for Chrysanthemum. These were two named cultivars I saw at the Vanderbilt Estate. I decided to try and find out about botanical synonyms and without getting too scientific found that it is a term used when plants have more than one Botanical name. . . .
reBlogged
to chrysanthemum
on Sep 28, 2007, 5:50AM
A few weeks back I visited Michelle Ratcliffe, Urban Sprouts’ co-founder, at her home in Oregon. Michelle is an inspiring crusader in the world of school gardens, farm to school, and family farm life! She showed me around her world in and outside of Portland.
reBlogged
to gardens
Posted by Abby RJ Reblogged by Old Roses to Gardens on 2007-09-29, 06:15:42
They keep calling this Agave americana a Blue Cactus, which is a strange way of referring to it. It's one of the "blue agaves" and it is not a cactus. Hmmmm, I wondering if they've been drinking too much of that blue agave tequila in Missouri.
On Thursday, Sept. 20, Jean Gaddy Wilson hosted a party to bid farewell to Audrey, her 65-year-old, 40-foot-tall, half-ton blue cactus friend. Also known as "Century Plants," blue cactuses bloom only once in their lives, then die. Audrey sent a flower stalk soaring into the sky this spring, bloomed and then expired. But she was sent off in a style befitting her life.
The guy with the chainsaw doesn't seem to have any eye protection on. Those blue cactus plants have a nasty toxic sap (they make tequila out of it!) and maybe shouldn't get in your eyes when you're chopping it down.
It's Friday morning here in Chacala, and it's a very strange day, weatherwise. I just checked the hurricane warning site, but nothing is going on out there. But that's it's hard to believe. It's very, very windy and thick dark clouds are everywhere in the sky. I think it will start raining in aminute. Which rarely during the day in Chacala. . . .
Jaime, I need your helpful advice! My Dutch bulbs just arrived in the mail yesterday and I’m nervous about planting them in these mild temperatures. Is it still too warm to put them in the ground? Will they send shoots up prematurely? This is my first time planting bulbs in the fall and I don’t want to waste or ruin them. Thanks!
You question is well timed, Annie. Ivana Marzipan just gave me some killer tulip bulbs last night. . . .
reBlogged
to bulbs
on Sep 28, 2007, 2:35PM
Posted by Jaime Chismar Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs on 2007-09-29, 06:14:00
As mulching, planting and weeding took more and more of my time, I had less and less time for reading. In the spring, I was lucky enough to get through Michael Pollan’s “The Omnivore’s Dilema,” a must-read for anyone who likes to eat. I breezed through “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” but, it took me all summer to get through Elizabeth Royte’s “Garbage Land: On the Secret Trail of Trash,” — a mere 336 pages about landfills, recycling programs and dreams of zero waste.*. . .
reBlogged
to books
on Sep 28, 2007, 8:45AM
Posted by Jaime Chismar Reblogged by Old Roses to books on 2007-09-29, 06:13:38
It is also a good time to make a compost pile ( or two) if you haven't already... think of all those available leaves, garden refuse, grass clippings, Starbucks coffee grounds (just one more excuse to swing by and get your favorite latte)... oh, did I say that? Must be thinking of something else;) Although it is a good idea. . . .
reBlogged
to soil
Posted by Ilona Reblogged by Old Roses to soil on 2007-09-29, 06:13:14
Magic Beans. The seeds from Pats Runner beans are drying on the plate.they are the most amazing pink colour fresh from the Runner bean plant. Picked and cut open along one side. . . .
reBlogged
to seeds
Posted by snappy Reblogged by Old Roses to seeds on 2007-09-29, 06:12:42
The most rewarding way of enjoying your plants is growing them from seeds. But we understand that not everybody has that much patience and growing plants from seeds is also very labour consuming. . .
reBlogged
to seeds
on Sep 28, 2007, 8:30AM
Posted by soekershof Reblogged by Old Roses to seeds on 2007-09-29, 06:12:21
I went to a lot of trouble to read this book. As you may already know, I participate in an online Paperback Book Swap and depend on it to obtain most of my light reading. A couple months back I posted a request for this book so that I could review it. The book was sent and I waited and waited. Finally it was officially declared lost in the mail and I went back on the list for another copy. It got here Tuesday. It’s lucky I am a fast reader because I wanted to be able to post a review by the end of the month. . .
reBlogged
to books
on Sep 28, 2007, 11:47AM
Posted by Bill Reblogged by Old Roses to books on 2007-09-29, 06:11:38
This a serious omission - Asters. There aren't any in the beds at Mamaroneck. Maybe I needed to be inspired by these images of lush color and substantial shape and mass at this time of year. I particularly liked the shade of purple of the ones pictured above and these white ones looked perfect against the bleached white driftwood and rustic fence. If it looks familiar to you its because I photographed it earlier in the summer when it featured a stand of Rose Campion.
Who’s thinking about spring in the fall? Savvy gardeners are. That’s because fall is the time to plant hardy bulbs that can survive in the ground during the winter so they’re ready to flower in spring.
The trick is to plant spring bulbs before the ground freezes (sadly, we’re almost too late in some parts of the country!). This gives bulbs enough time to establish roots. Choose large, firm bulbs (they’ll produce the most flowers) and weed out those bulbs that are soft, moldy, diseased, or damaged. Until you’re ready to plant, store your bulbs in a shady, ventilated spot so they stay dry. . .
We had three days of constant rain and this morning I found the Rain Lilies in full bloom. The drought this year has not been kind to the Rain Lilies so far this summer this is the second time they bloomed. . . .
reBlogged
to lilies
Posted by rusty in miami Reblogged by Old Roses to lilies on 2007-09-29, 06:09:54
And here I find myself in downtown Oklahoma City for a five day tour of the gardening world in Sooner Country. Red clay, humidity, hail, heat and floods…all here and undaunted…..and so are we.
About 500 garden writers have descended upon this fair city for our annual convention. . . .
reBlogged
to shows
on Sep 27, 2007, 11:06PM
Posted by Mary Ann Reblogged by Old Roses to shows on 2007-09-29, 06:08:06
Q: my mom just got me 3 cactus, but i'm not sure what exactly they are.. can you help identify them ?? i'd greatly appreciate it!!
thanks,
mark
new brunswick, canada
A: Mark,
The round ball cactus is a young Ferocactus, I can't tell the species but it might be Ferocactus herrerae. The other two are some sort of Opuntia or Prickly Pears, but again it is hard to tell the species without seeing the flowers. Opuntia is a huge tribe of cacti that range from Canada all the way down to the tip of South America, yours could be a nopal or a tunilla type.
Autumn arrived on Sunday, and the yard and weather conditions are reflecting the change of seasons. Brown grass, fallen leaves and wilting foliage are beginning to dominate the landscape. I've shifted into fall clean-up mode. But a few of the...
reBlogged
to autumn
Posted by Beth Reblogged by Old Roses to autumn on 2007-09-29, 06:06:01
via Cactus Blog on 1969-12-31, 19:00:00
On Thursday, my class took a field trip to Old Westbury Gardens. After a brief introduction, we began a 5 1/2-hour foot journey through the 160-acre estate, breaking only for lunch.
