Sunday, February 12, 2012
Garden at Federal Twist - 2011 Overview
Overview of 2011 at the Garden at Federal Twist, starting with the blank canvas after burning and cutting in March, to the height of growth in late June and July, the terrible early snow and ice storm in late September that squashed the garden flat (very unusual), to the colorful, abstract decline into fall and winter. Click on the photo.
??? error 403 Forbidden. But you invited me?
ReplyDeleteDiana, I think we have discovered that recent changes Google has made are causing problems with the photo sharing. Apparently, Picasa, a Google product which I use for photo storage and sharing, has been incorporated into Google+, Google's counterpart for facebook. I believe Google has now joined the "bad guys," and are forcing anyone who wants to view my photos to join Google+. I'm not sure what the solution is to this. I'll try to find one.
ReplyDeleteDiana, I think I have fixed the problem. I'd appreciate it if you would let me know whether you can access the overview photos now.
DeleteYes, works perfectly, and oh what a glorious garden you have. Green texture as a setting for a flower to sparkle like a gem.
DeleteThanks, Diana. Many people don't "get" my garden, so I appreciate knowing you do. Now if only I could get Google to present it as a seamless slide show instead of this clunky interface.
DeleteThank you for welcoming us into your garden, I will be enjoying these pictures for a long time! I've never attempted a spring "burn" before, your results may have finally given me the courage.
ReplyDeleteBe very careful. It's illegal in most areas without notifying the fire department, and you need to be fully prepared. I always try to do mine a bit at a time when snow is still on the ground but the plants are fully dry. The snow automatically quenches the fire. One miscanthus burning can generate amazingly high temperatures.
DeleteJames,
ReplyDeleteI "get it" and I want it. You have a world class garden on your hands. You did a excellent job of walking us through the garden as well as showing us some really nice close-up shots of plants. I would love to see it in person and now I know there isn't a good time--it always looks good. Thanks for putting this together!
Michael,
DeleteThanks for the compliment. Actually, the best time to visit if late June through the end of July, or September to October depending on the weather. I hope you get by this year.
By the way, I didn't include photographs of the ugly parts, and there are some. Still much work to do. But to paraphrase a friend, a garden is never finished until you die. (He actually said a house is never finished until you die. Ha!)
Just gorgeous! I know I will be studying these pictures over the next week. (I love the photo of the 6 red posts and the curvy wall.)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Cindy. A walnut fell over one winter. I had seen a path at Jack Lenor Larsen's garden, Long House Reserve, on Long Island, lined with upright red painted logs. I stole the idea. The red really looks great with green. For me, the circle is a symbol suggestive of ancient ideas, the original people who lived in this place, among other things.
DeleteI have just lost my entire evening. I am spending hours going through each photo here and savoring the details and beauty you captured. Then I go back and orient myself to where I am in your garden, and then I go back again and get lost in the details once more .....
ReplyDeleteWhat a rich experience you have put together. Not just the physical real garden, but the visual record of it is a treasure!
Laurrie,
DeleteI'm glad you enjoy the photos (well over 200!) And I hope you're able to make out the structure of the garden--basically a circle below the house with a few connecting paths.
Absolutely amazing look back on the year, James...just love it! What are those peculiar squared-off seed pods...so interesting! I'd be hard-pressed to say what my favorite shot was...honestly, it's just so fascinating to see the progression throughout the year. If I were to visit, you would probably have to pry me out of the garden ;-)
ReplyDeleteScott,
ReplyDeleteI answered on Google+ (Google is making life awfully comoplicated!!!). They're a native plant called seed box (Ludwigia alternifolia). Little yellow flowers in summer, not much to brag about, but not bad, then brilliant red color in fall, then these seed pods that look like artistically carved boxes. And they self-seed easily. I have a growing community of them in the garden.
James,
ReplyDeleteWhat a treat to be able to see the garden over the entire year's time. It's funny--I remember your original post about the wet-snow-flattened grasses, but I didn't mourn for them as I did when I saw them as part of this retrospective.
Emily
You know, Emily, I didn't mourn--at least I don't think so--though I regretted not having the winter garden I'm used to having through this bleak time of the year. I think having the garden smashed like that just points to how resilient a perennial garden can be. It's a hopeful thing. It's rather miraculous that it comes back each year from what appears to be almost total annihilation to thrive and grow into this rambunctious, artificial prairie paradise.
DeleteAmazing photo set. I was born in the north of New Zealand into a wet climate with immense, almost tropical, growth. Your photo are reminiscent of that. Now of course I live in dry country. (thefieldofgold) It took me a long time to appreciate the beauty of where I live now. And I do. But your photos take me back to the beauty of lush green growth.
ReplyDeleteSeasons. I was in Washington DC a couple of times in September 2011. It was summer to me. But the snow followed shortly after I came home. I accept the severity of the event. But it is something outside my experience.
Thanks for putting all those photos together. Kerry
I hope to visit New Zealand someday but it's so large and varied, and totally outside my experience, it will be very hard to decide how to narrow choices of places to visit. I'd love to see more photos of the wild countryside where you live, if you're so moved.
DeleteIt's so beautiful ! I could watch all day. How many years you had to creat this paradise ?
ReplyDeleteAukse
Aukse,
DeleteIt took one year to clear the land of trees, then about six years to make the garden, though it's certainly not finished. Thank you for visiting. I look at your blog but I can't even guess the meaning of the words.
James your web album reminds me, did you save any Angelica gigas seed. I wish I had the right environ. to grow it.
ReplyDeleteRob, did I say I'd save seed for you and then forget to do it? I hope not and, if so, I apologize. Actually, I broadcast the seed. Nothing much germinates in my heavy wet soil, except for things that choose to do so by randomly landing in the right spot. I have lots of Silphiums and Inulas that come to me, but randomly, as if my magic. My Heronswood source for the Angelica gigas isn't offering it this year, so I'm searching for a replacement plant in hope of getting alternate year generations going.
ReplyDeleteHi James, no, you weren't saving seed for me, many moons ago I think we were talking about saving a bit to broadcast for yourself as A. gigas, although a self seeder, is unreliable.
DeletePS, still love the orange daylilies.
So I did what I said. Random broadcast, see what happens in the spring. A top priority will be to add more orange daylilies this spring, especially the dark oranges among the tall perennials in the grassy areas. Also more of the wild Hemerocallis fulva. I love their transient beacons of color amid the sea of green.
DeleteOh my goodness, this is wonderful. I think Michael is right - this is just like being walked through a garden. You take in the vistas, then peer down to take a closer look at something, then your eye is drawn along a path by a bench or a sculpture. I almost turned to say, so what is that plant there? It's gorgeous, James, thank you so much.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Victoria. I do believe I could cull some of these photos, reduce the number, make some better choices, work on telling a story with less. Doing this post makes me realize how challenging it is to try to present a garden in photos alone (impossible really), so I'm glad to hear you were able to follow the tour around a year in the garden and enjoy it. I may do some more work on this.
ReplyDeleteJames, this is just to let you know that I have awarded you the Versatile Blogger Award
ReplyDelete(http://enclosuretakerefuge.wordpress.com/2012/02/17/having-many-aspects-uses-or-abilities/), although I understand if you do not have time to pass it on. But I did want to share how much I enjoy reading your blog.
Cindy,
DeleteThank you for the compliment and for the award. I don't feel I can live up to the requirements of the reward, however, at least not at this time. Too many things going on in my life right now, the construction project being a main factor. I certainly am pleased you enjoy my "low frequency" blog. - James