Denmans Garden - England

June 3, 2024

After being disappointed by the closure of Arundel Castle on Mondays, not what their website stated, but oh well.  We got to this delightful four acre garden with a good design history.

RHS Wisley Garden

June 1, 2024

Our first stop on our 2024 Road Trip around England and Wales.  Our last visit to this garden was in 2012 and lots has changed in twelve years.  

Model Train City for the Holidays

 Every year around Thanksgiving we start to unpack and build the model city located this year in the dining room.  So far we only have a basic layout but here are some from past years. 

A good three tiered layout with three nested loops. 

Gravetye Manor - Luncheon

June 2, 2024

Our next garden on this road trip around England is Gravetye Manor for drinks on the lawn, garden tour, luncheon, and finally coffee on the terrace.  We are not staying in the house this time.  A sunny and warm day to enjoy this masterpiece.   Garden is only open for guests staying overnight in the house or reserved a table for lunch and afternoon tea I recall.  The best way to experience this garden.

Book - Mien Ruys - The Mother of Modernist Gardens

 By Julia Crowford

    A good introduction to this gardener, designer, sometimes landscape architect.   Known for her simple shapes and clean lines, she utilized modern materials to create garden spaces for people to mingle with Nature.  

This make me think back to my visit to her home garden in Dedemsvaart in 2016 ==>>

Streets of San Francisco

 

Book - A Field Guide to California Lichens

I found this book at the Huntington Gardens gift shop.  I wanted to learn more about Lichen and which ones I see in my gardens and environs.

This made me start to take photos up close of those in my gardens.  This first I need to ID is on an old rose cane in Eureka Valley.

The Huntington - Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens

The Huntington, near Pasadena in Southern California, San Marino to be exact, is a library, art museum and botanical gardens.  The Botanical Gardens is 130 areas with 16 themed gardens.  

Book - The Ruth Stout No-Work Garden Book

Since returning from England in 2023, I decided to stop reading the news every morning with my coffee and started reading my gardening books as my morning ritual.  I have not read most of my gardening books from cover to cover.  But since I changed my habit, I have finished over a dozen or more.   So I am starting a new series about my book collection.

First up a book I have had since my City College Horticultural days.  It is a simple premise that doesn't require a full book to understand although there are good ideas throughout, mostly for vegetable gardening.   Mulch your soil with hay and over a course of three years, you will see a dramatic improvement in your soil.  I am one that believes that I am really tending to the soil and the plants are on a separate level.  

October in San Francisco - Sutro Tower

 Fall in San Francisco is a good time to visit.   Skies are clear and sunset occur.