Category Archives: color

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There are places I remember…

There are places I remember…

DSC00057One of them was a charming gem of a garden… located in an urban neighborhood, cleverly designed as a private escape with a stucco wall, softened by vines, providing a warm hug of privacy..

Gentle breezes, blowing table cloths – transporting me to a country hideaway.

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Secret nooks captured  views…

Bevelled opening in wall to frame the view.

The memory is so visceral.

Fall 2008 – My friend Beth and I sat in the Harmon driveway, greeting guests for the Garden Conservancy Open Days Tour – taking tickets, answering questions and simply enjoying the discoveries in this magical setting.  By the day’s end, I sat in every place provided for lingering – to capture a better understanding of the effortless design,  to breathe it all in – beauty and peace – to capture a memory.

Judy Harmon, ASLA (RIP) – a landscape architect,  had lovingly designed and planted this garden.  For Judy, it was her and husband Frank’s private space – integrating interiors with exterior living.   The swaths of plants on a tiny lot – sensitively complementing and enhancing the lines of husband Frank Harmon’s  (an amazing architect, teacher and green advocate) contemporary design for their modern home.

The Modern dwelling, provided an integrated backdrop – contemporary softened by visual living movement – of light and color and water.  Punctuated along paths by simple visual shapes for contemplation.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s designs were shocking at one time, yet with time, revered for his  ideas, scale and functionality.

Over time, his designs are now historic pillars of architecture.

New subdivisions of faux period bungalows today flourish and beckon to a safer time – before cul-de-sac s, and soccer moms, when kids walked to school and played in the streets… times when Moms’ spent more time in their homes that in their SUV’s waiting in lines for school or Chick fil-A orders!

I love contemporary design as well historic design.    There is is place in time for each.

With open minds,  a respect for the new and the old to live together – to balance each other.

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Every fall as Solidago rugosa ‘Fireworks‘ – golden rod – bloom, catching and swaying in the breeze… I think of that glorious day in Judy’s Garden.   Old fashion golden rod  bred for a shorter explosive stature, cleverly punctuated – with the yellow of other flowers and furniture and  repetition of Yucca filamentosa ‘Bright Edge’  – grouped in clusters of fives giving structure and a modern edge.  Greens contrasting the strong Red of the contemporary dwelling… with exciting complementary scheme and the yellow marrying it all together in soft drifts of movement and color.

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It is brilliant, old and new,  yet fresh and fluid as the pressed linens in the breeze.

While asking Frank if it was OK to feature his charming watercolor painting of Elizabeth Lawrence border, (stop back tomorrow), I spoke of my sweet friend Judy, his wife and partner and her garden.

Frank wrote, ” The Garden looks as fresh and vibrant today as it did in 2008.”

He was touched and knew Judy would be smiling her sweet impish smile of approval… to be remembered and to once again be sharing her garden.

 

So grateful to be sharing this place I remember…

Enjoy – living the EntwinedLife

Jayme B

NC Certified Environmental Educator

Garden Conservancy Regional Representative

JC Raulston Arboretum Volunteer

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Growing loss

This time of year, I long for the Cherry trees. White blossoms tinged with hint of pink in March, a sweetly scented confection, attracting all sorts of bees to a drunken pollen orgy. Often their legs so full of pollen, they cling to the branches lazing in the successful harvest as if dead to the world.

April brings a snow flurry of petals, lazily drifting down covering paths & driveway, exquisite organic snowflakes that melt as quickly under the warm spring sun. The leaves now emerging large, soaking up sun and rain, camouflaging shelter for birds.

Next emerge the delightful bulging fruits, in an array of Spring Greens as the begin to plump. The chatter of baby birds fledging… Flying here & there following their parents’ calls.

May oh, sweet May, fruits change from green to pink to deep dark plump red jewels glistening in the sun.

Robins, summer tanagers, bluebirds, cardinals, grosbeaks, jays, mockingbirds, and woodpeckers flock to snatch a fruit, or snack on insects attracted by the bounty.

When my future husband found the 7 acre wooded property back in 1983, there was a clearing in the woods with 3 Cherry trees in bloom. A shaft of light hitting them like a message from God “Thou shall build your home here!” And so he did.

He designed the house & garage around those Cherries.

For years, he & his young daughter picked cherries every Memorial Day weekend. The bucket of the large Green John Deere would be fitted with a seat, with a seat belt, and up, up Katherine would be lifted with a bucket to harvest, giggling with delight.

Other years when I joined the family our vintage red pickup would be backed up to the hill and ladders lashed securely to climb up to into the canopy. Buckets and buckets of cherries would be harvested.

These Cherries were not sweet like Bings sold in groceries stores… These were a tart variety. Freshly baked pies with lattice tops were made, dusted with cinnamon sugar. Pies, or tarts, or cobblers and buckets of cherries in cute blue plastic pails would be delivered to lucky friends and neighbors.

Cherries would be pitted, then frozen for a taste of Spring later in the year or made into creamy Cherry ice cream.

Slowly the trees began their decline. Life expectancy is only 20 to 25 years. One by one the were removed as the remaining tree languished!

I miss those trees at Entwined Gardens. I miss the anticipation, the picking, pitting, baking & sharing. Most of all, I miss Katherine’s excitement of bringing new friends over well into her twenties to share the joys of picking cherries.

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View

The plane circled, making its ascent—my face fused to the glass. The patchwork of colors changed from bright greens and yellows and browns to muted versions of this spectrum—then a tapestry an ombré of browns.

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Approaching Marrakesh the landscape turned into a rich oasis of greens.  In my head swirled the lyrics of Crosby Stills and Nash’s song Marrakesh Express watching the view unfold.

Then just as quickly the beautiful peaks of the High Atlas Mountains were under us;  if the window opened I’m sure I could reach them with outstretched finger tip—snow capped and crusted from extreme winds.

The mountains morphed into crusty plateaus as we approached the barren craters.

Beginning our descent I thought, “Are we landing on the moon?”

Circling again we dropped toward the lunarlike surface.  Squinting now I could make out small ribbons of roads as they revealed themselves—puffs of dust following a vehicle as it bounced and fell over the unpaved  rocky stretches— connecting villages’ rising organically out of the earth. The craters revealed themselves as spaces between the buildings made from local mud and straw.

As the wheels bounced heavily on the tarmac, my face un-suctioned from my window with a faint sucking sound I hoped no one else had heard—leaving a red patch, another bounce and my nose hit the plastic bit on the pull down shade, I was home for the next few months—a world of beige intrigue—Ouarzazate (pronounced: Waa-zaa-zate)—at the edge of the Sahara.  I was ready for an adventure. That bump would not me my last.

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Leading an EntwindeLife on the edge of the Sahara.

 

 

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Allure of Allium—Pleasure of Purple

On this wordless Wednesday enjoy the Allure of Allium—Pleasure of Purple.

As seen yesterday at Sarah B. Duke Gardens…

Durham, North Carolina…—

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Enjoy – living the EntwinedLife

Jayme B

NC Certified Environmental Educator

Garden Conservancy Regional Representative

JC Raulston Arboretum Volunteer

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Open Days Program—Creating Rooms with a View

As gardens evolve through the seasons— it is lovely to experience the transition.

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Peony in the herbaceous border .

Jean & Lawrence Shuping invite you to relax in their three-acre refuge of peace and serenity.

Come and enjoy the pleasures of their garden in Spring! Continue reading →

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Object of Desire: Prunus mume

It was 2000—the beginning of my garden journey—I attended a Master Garden Conference and one of the many speakers, was showing photos of beautiful woodies—trees and shrubs.

Since I had been a Midwestern and Northeastern ‘City Gal” up until then—I was mesmerized by all the diversity of plants one could choose from.   

Three stars, feverish plant notes scribbled in darkness in the margins of the slide list the speaker had prepared —so began a quest for the Object of Desire: Prunus mume ‘Kobai’ —a semi-double, deep red-pink color. Blooms in the Winter Garden.  Jan-March.

One of the interesting things the speaker noted was that Prunus mume or Japanese flowering apricot, was one of the plants that uses vernalization—Latin “of the spring.” 

Prunus mume 'Kobai'

Prunus mume ‘Kobai’
Entwined Gardens viewed from above.

In the southern garden—meaning it holds its ability to flower until after a certain exposure to cold, number of weeks of growth, or other seasonal clues before flowering—who wouldn’t want this smart beautiful small tree in their garden!

My friend Gayle was sitting next to me and we made a pack to scour local North Carolina nurseries for ‘Kobai’.  

Months later, on a repeat visit to a nursery, the object of desire was spotted! Feverish phone calls made and plants put “on hold” until we could arrange transport.

A small tree–growing 15–20 ft–‘Kobai’ normally bursts forth with enticing clove scent and deep magenta blooms, the second week of January.   It gives hope in the garden, when all is snowy in rare years, or brown in most years.  

 It lures me outside to basque in the scent – purifying and uplifting body and soul, just as the Feudal Lords would create and share their gardens with the  warriors, workers, writers or artists–after battles or work–a place to go to relax and cleanse thru sight and scent. 

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The world famous Kairaku-en Garden in Japan, boasts 3,000 specimens including 100 different cultivars of Prunus mume.

For centuries, the Prunus mume has inspired traditional East Asian art and poetry.  The famous Japaneses Kairaku-en Gardens were created with just that purpose in mind.  I can hardly imagine being transported with the overwhelming scent of 3,000 specimens, knowing the power of just one at Entwined Gardens!

‘Kobai’ is so memorable that every summer, since it got a little too big for it’s britches–all leafed out blocking the lake view–we contemplate elimination or heavy pruning–but then the visceral always dissuades the logic and it stays as is.

This year with the strange weather, I thought for sure the buds had been nipped in the single digit icy weather.   I was glad for the snow and ice–well for few days–but missed my favorite object of desire.  

Last week the glorious show began, a good 5 weeks later than anticipated;  I cut a few stems and brought them inside which filled the house with the anticipation of spring.

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I remembered to call my friend Gayle, the talk, and grateful I am that my object of desire lures me out of my comfort zone in front of the fire–to the garden everyday–no matter how cold–to be refreshed and inspired by my smart beautiful tree; knowing that my long ago quest was well worth the effort.

 “Few plants are as closely associated with the JC Raulston Arboretum as the Japanese flowering apricot, Prunus mume.   J. C. Raulston widely promoted this winter flowering tree as a valuable addition to the southern landscape. It flowers from late December to early March depending on selection and brightens the winter garden with white to deep red-pink flowers and a delightfully spicy clove scent that warms even the coldest day.”

JC Raulston Arboretum
Department of Horticultural Science

Note:  the above link to the JC Raulston Arboretum provides a list of the Prunus Mume on display at the Arboretum.

Enjoy – living the  EntwinedLife

Jayme B

NC Certified Environmental Educator

Garden Conservancy Regional Representative

JC Raulston Arboretum Volunteer