Thursday, July 9, 2015

"A Sense of Place"

 Our garden is young, as gardens go, just approaching ten years old. Yet, it has already begun to take on a certain ambiance and atmosphere, conveying a “sense of place,” that both comforts and energizes a visitor. Personally, I find it to be a reliable source of nurturance to my creative spirit, as well as my palate.  This is due to several factors, mostly, what we have chosen to grow and where those plantings are placed.
Artichoke

Zucchini blossom

Eggplant

Kale, Lettuces, Greens

Swiss Chard

Bowl of Cherries


Urn of Pansies

Echinacia in the border

Druid on the Bunnies trail

Rose-colored Day lilys

Mango Day Lilys

Peach Day Lilys

Lemon Day Lilys

Grapes

Sun Gold Tomatoes, ripening

Strawberry pot


Fresh-baked Cherry pie

More greens

Grus An Teplitz roses

Scalloped edging stones

Teatime in the garden

Bartlett pears

Sour Cherries on the branch

Macintosh apples

Pipening peaches
Bare in mind, we are speaking of a combination of trees, shrubs, perennials and constantly rotating annuals. In turn, the choice of plants has been determined based on a desire to have the garden reflect harmonious interaction between its human inhabitants and the Natural world, with a particular   emphasis on the edible landscape here in zone seven.  This year, the vegetable gardens selection of edibles ranges from Artichokes to Zucchini, thriving within its boxwood borders. Elsewhere there is an Italian-style “bosco,” or grove of fruit trees, a grape vine, evocative of one I grew up with, and a separate herb garden close to the kitchen door for seasoning our cooking. There is even a lawn suitable for games like badminton or croquet as well as simply sun-bathing. Thus, color, texture, scent and taste collaborate to produce “a little slice of Heaven,” right outside the door!

     The plantings are complimented by a variety of furnishings that in tandem with the plant material help to define and refine the parameters of the garden. As I recall, the earliest of these (acquired at a flea market), is a late 19th century, American cast iron planter with large symmetrical “ears,” that now sits atop a brick plinth at the heart of the vegetable garden, like a bow on a lavish gift, or a punctuation mark.  Each season, some new element seems to find its way into the mix - an urn or a teak bench in the style of Sir Edwin Luytchens, a planter or a set of cast stone lions to guard a path - each of them in its way helping to identify a passage, to draw the eye, to direct (or stop) ones steps. Thoughtfully juxtaposed, these elements augment the “bones” of the garden, remaining constant throughout the seasons, even as the plantings themselves evolve by the hour.  They help to nurture an experience of serenity. The newest addition is a number of scalloped edging stones that we are using to delineate the edge of the long flower border. They look deliberate, intentional, and appropriate, (as opposed to hap-hazard) belying their origins as a neighbors unwanted cast-offs!

( All images and text copyright Everett H. Scott 2015. All rights reserved. No part of this blog may be reproduced, or copied in any form without specific written permission of Everett H. Scott, or his authorised representative.)