Patience. . . .

Snow still wraps itself tightly around the perimeter of my yard forming a barrier that thwarts the hopeful bulbs patiently waiting their turn to peek through snowy boundaries and test the cool temperatures of Spring.  The border hold me at bay like a child waiting for a turn at a pinata.

I hear that temperatures will soar by Saturday and I've mentioned to my children that Saturday will be a yard work day.  I think the threat is just real enough that they may be hoping for one last snow storm --nothing too big -just something that will be a bit of a deterrent for a mom who is anxious get started in the yard.

Garden Quotes. . .

Mapping Sanctuary

While at the UNLA Green Conference earlier this January I attended a class taught by San Francisco artist and landscape designer Topher Delany. The class was entitled "Mapping Sanctuary". This title intrigued me and instead of attending a discussion on drought tolerant landscaping I curiously ventured into the discussion of sanctuary. Delaney taught the idea of sanctuary in outdoor spaces, and how these spaces can be found both publicly and privately. We discussed the concept that sanctuary is found where a geographic point intersects with any kind of cultural or spiritual values, creating a place of refuge and reflection. It was a somewhat mystical discussion, but I identified with the main idea. We grow gardens and landscapes to enjoy the beauty and refuge of the private space that they create. Other such places can be found anywhere in a natural environment, where the importance or level of beauty differs from person to person. In order to create {or add to} our own garden spaces its important to identify the aspects of outdoor spaces that add to reflection or refuge.

I always look for opportunities to expand my understanding of sanctuary and influence my design.  While in Spain last week I discovered such a place.  In the small village of Navajas, just outside of Valencia, there is a small spring hidden in the hills.  I was inspired by the sound of moving water, the texture of native grasses, and the warm, red earth tones.

Make your own garden more of a sanctuary by bringing a notebook with you to your favorite outdoor spaces.  Sketch or write down the hardscape and plant materials that are present there.  Pay attention to sounds and smells. Let the outdoor spaces you love inspire you and transform your garden into a place of refuge and reflection

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A Handful Of Blackberries

I am picking blackberries one handful at a time.  Let me explain. 

 Thirteen years ago I spent several months on bed-rest as I awaited the arrival of my last child.  During those long and tedious weeks of gazing out the front window waiting for both spring and the baby to arrive, I became well acquainted with the flowering pear tree and the birds that would light there to partake of the berries left over from winter’s long reign.  I remember the delightful day that the Burpee catalog arrived. If the Burpee catalog had arrived then spring was surely coming and that meant that my hopes of delivering a healthy baby were fast approaching.  The pages became dog-eared as I poured over each entry on the colorful pages.  Finally as my day of deliverance approached I placed an order.   I had been on a pilgrimage to make it through a tough pregnancy and the reward for my endurance was the gift of a thorn less blackberry.  Three in fact.  I placed the order and a couple of days later I cavorted off to the hospital to deliver a bouncing baby boy.

 There is nothing in this world that compares to having a baby.  It is divine. So much so that I will not wax poetic in this post, but will save it for another time.  His arrival eclipsed the memory of a mail order purchase made so hopefully in the days before his birth and so, it was with great regret that I stumbled upon my purchase in the garage WEEKS after its arrival.  Yes weeks!  Someone had brought in the mail while I was at the hospital and had thoughtfully stowed the Burpee package on top of the freezer in the garage.  I didn’t hold much hope as I opened the package and I nearly cried when I saw that two of the plants were clearly dead.  But there was one small green sprig of life on the third plant and I practically ran to the backyard to find a place to plant it. 

I always planned to buy more bushes to add to the one that beat the odds and decided to flourish but somehow it hasn’t made it to the top of the priority list.  Maybe next spring.  For now I delight in the handful that I pick every other morning and it reminds me how lucky I am to have arranged for the safe arrival of a 13 year old who went 6 for 8 at a baseball tournament last weekend and who loves me so much it is tangible. 

What do I do with my handful of berries?  I am stingy!  I wash them and dry them and freeze them individually and when they are frozen I add them to a large freezer bag waiting for the day when the large bag is full and then I make a batch of blackberry jam. If you tune in later this week I would love to share one other great recipe—Blackberry Lemon Bars. 

Note:  As soon as I have harvested the last of my blackberries I will cut the fruiting cane to the ground.  A lot of gardeners will suggest burning these canes to prevent them from becoming diseased.  It is important to use sharp, clean pruners.  Leave the non-fruiting canes (supported) for fruiting next year.    When you cut the old canes down it will send a message to the plant to produce new canes.  These won’t fruit next year, but they will the following year!  Patience—it’s worth it.  

                                   

A Thousand Words . . .

Beauty for the Balcony

Near my apartment is Valencia's Mercado Central. It's a huge farmers market that's open from about ten in the morning until the early afternoon when everything gets packed up and taken down just before siesta. Vendors set up their booths inside a gorgeous old building just across from La Lonja {Valencia's ancient silk merchant market}. Ever since we happened upon the Mercado my husband and I have enjoyed wandering through the market, experiencing all the different sights and smells.

The market is definitely a shock for the senses. There are stacks of farm fresh eggs in white and speckled brown. Huge containers of pickled sardines sit below dried squid strung on large hooks from the ceilings of the stalls. Tall, narrow bottles of locally produced olive oil catch morning sun streaming through the arching entrances, causing the amber liquid to sparkle. Baskets of warm, freshly baked bread, bunches of dried herbs and spices, and crates overflowing with picked-this-morning lemons and oranges crowd the narrow walkways. The other day as we finished picking out a watermelon and some freshly baked baguettes we stumbled upon a garden stall. That's when I saw her...

Bougainvillea has long been one of my favorite plants. I remember the first time I noticed its incredible hot pink color absolutely enveloping an arbor near Disneyland's Rancho del Zocalo restaurant. Ever since then I've been hooked on this climbing vine that's suited for more tolerant climates than my own. So when I caught a glimpse of this one as I walked past with my baguette, I couldn't help myself. I gave my husband my best Marcus pleeease eyes and for just €8 it was mine.

Our apartment happens to have the perfect exposure to support this blooming beauty: full and hot southern sun on our balconies. Bougainvillea is a wonderful container plant because of their love of hot sun and preference of dry soil. Also, container planting of Bougainvillea allows you to winter the plant in a sunny spot indoors {if you live below zone 10}. They're great for smaller spaces because they aren't aggressive growers and provide a ton of color for minimum effort. Go out and grab one for your patio or balcony!

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A Different Kind of Green Living: inspired by Paris

American author Christopher Morley once said "all cities are beautiful, but the beauty is grim". When the beauty of nature is compared with that of a city there is {at least in my opinion} a clear winner. The monotony of colorless living can be exhausting. Yet there are those who would try to bring a bit of green into the long expanses of concrete and canopies of steel and mortar. They battle sidewalks, stop lights, and tightly cramped buildings to bring all things green and growing a little closer than the nearest park or tree lined street. And in the battle to bring life to the concrete jungles of the world they are the first line of defense.

Small garden shops or booths are welcome sights in large cities. Their contents spill out onto sidewalks providing the shocking contrast of color amidst various shades of grey. I found this especially refreshing while in Paris. Near the Notre Dame Cathedral my husband and I stumbled across a small garden market. The sudden burst of color in the city reminded me of seeing the first blossoms after a long and gray winter. The importance of green became even more pronounced as I watched a small Parisian woman struggle to get on the bus with a three foot tall climbing rose, battling thorny tendrils and a five gallon pot on public transportation. It's a different kind of green living, and it's being green in the most basic way. So grab a brand-new houseplant, or find another container to fill with blooming annuals,because you can't have enough green.

He told me he loves dandelions

I was driving with my husband the other day. We had pulled up to a stop light, and i was peering around at the nearby yards and gardens as i usually do, looking for new favorite plants, admiring shrubbery, and re-designing in my mind. I do this a lot and he often joins me in my garden admiring. I was just about to direct his attention to a magnificent arbor, covered in deep purple wisteria when he said to me, "You know Lacey, I really like dandelions."  Now, to a landscape designer this confession is blasphemy. A gazed at him in shock, and asked how on earth this could be true. After all, this was the horrible little weed that plagued beautiful green lawns and beds filled with more worthy blossoms.  He answered, telling me that they were flowers, pretty yellow flowers.  Marcus explained that he had just never considered them a weed.  I tried to shake these comments off, and convince myself that I could still be a landscape designer, even if my husband was a weed lover. Just as long as no one else found out.  But I couldn't forget what he said, and as I walked past the dandelions I noticed the vibrant blossoms and deep green foliage.  But it wasn't until a train ride in the German countryside between Augsburg and Fussen that I too realized the beauty of dandelions.  Rolling hills of yellow as far as the eye could see flew past us as we sped along the tracks.  The color was so massed individual flowers weren't distinguishable, and initially I didn't think they were dandelions at all.  When the train stopped in Fussen, I left the tiny station and wandered over to an old lodge pole fence to find the source of the gorgeous yellow color.  Dandelions. I had to smile as I remembered the conversation that Marcus and I had a few days before leaving for Europe. I guess dandelions are flowers, and not just weeds, after all.

Forget The Wocket in My Pocket--There's a mandavilla in my bathroom

Three years ago I indulged in a frivolous plant.It was in a harmless little one gallon container at the local garden center and as I walked by it nearly sprouted legs and hopped in my already practical plant laden cart. This plant loves a more, shall we say, reasonable climate than the one in which I live. But...it was staring up at me with deep green foliage and a couple of promising fushia blossoms along with a measly little $8.99 price tag and I did the only thing a self-respecting-die-hard gardener would do. I waited until my husbands back was turned and I slipped it in to my cart between two rational and hardy hostas! I planted him (not my husband) in a lovely little pot on the patio next to my pergola and I spent a happy summer training tendrils of vine up and around my patio haven, while all the time it was winding its way into my heart. It was summer love affair that fall was determined to end. As things cooled off I had a decision to make, should I harbor this new love inside over the winter?

The answer was a resounding yes, so in early October I took it to my bathroom which has a fair amount of natural winter light and the most humidity in the house. There it stayed for 6 long months and I have to say that by the time early May rolled around I was tiring of it's presence. Outside it went and it sprang to life and began to wind it's way around my heart again...so much so that once again when cooler weather came I took it back to the bathroom. We have been together three years now and I can tell that the relationship is tenuous this spring. The leaves are a little sad looking, but the winding tendrils of vine are renewing their effort to climb the pergola column, the least I can do is meet it half-way. Out comes the tropical fertilzers as I gently apply what therapy I can. It will may take a full season to revive it's natural beauty but true love is worth it.


USDA Zones: 10-11
Exposure: full sun (at least 5 hours direct light)
Height: twining stems 10-15" long
Bloom time: all summer
Soil media: prefers well drained soil
Water requirements: regular watering, more in extreme heat

For constant blooms, fertilize every week with a bloom enhancing fertilizer like Miracle-Gro's Bloom Booster.


Great varieties:
 Sun parasol- red
Alice du pont- pink
Stars and stripes- pink and white striped

Lilacs And Memories

For the first five years of my life I grew up next door to my grandmother, and then she passed away. She was a happy faced woman who greeted me and my bare feet with a hug that seemed to envelope me into her very being.  I don't actually remember much about her except that she was always so kind to me.  

There was a long row of lilac trees that lined the south side of her front yard, probably eight or so, and in the springtime the air would be so sweetly pungent with their cheery fragrance that you fairly needed a spoon to breath.  This is where I fell in love with lilacs.  I love the bright evenly hued leaves that are shaped like hearts and I love the lively colors of each individual blossom, but most of all I love their sweet smell.  
I remember fondly bounding out the front door of my home and running barefoot up the path, through the ditch to her front porch.  There she would great me with all the love her little body would hold.  Drying her hands on her apron she would take me by the hand as I begged her to "whistle a leaf", and we would walk to the long row of lilacs.  She would pluck off a leaf, fold it in half and somehow make that heart shaped leaf come to life in a lovely little whistle.  I miss her.  I miss the fact that I never really got to know her and have her in my life and in the springtime I miss her most.

I have this little yellow scooter now.  I want a Harley Davidson but it has taken me 28 years of marriage to convince my husband to let me have a small scooter so my hopes are not awfully high for a "hog".  But this morning I went to run a few errands around the neighborhood and the soft lilting fragrance of lilac was in the air.  I immediately thought of her..my grandmother...I thought how much she would love my family and how hard it is to let go of people that you love.  And then I found something interesting--the faster I went the more pungent the lilac fragrance became!  I circled the block over and over drinking in the smell of my young childhood, thinking of a woman who raised the lady I call mother.  Maybe it's because mother's day is just around the corner or maybe it's the scent of vintaged lilacs, but I found myself steering that little yellow scooter with just one hand as I wiped away a tear or two caused by the loveliness of lilacs and the memories of a sweet grandmother and the lady I call Mother.
Grab a spoon, breath deep and plant a memory or two.

Garden needs Weedin'...

Today is the day I have marked to get the vegetable garden ready for planting.  There are a few things I want to get in the ground right away and a few things that I have missed because I wasn't quite ready.
For instance, I wasn't quite on the ball enough to get peas in the ground this year.  I believe that was the week of mid-terms... so that one slipped by. Actually it had more to do with the fact that the dog chewed up the irrigation system than anything.  Now that my husband has tended to that little blessing it's time to get started.
 So today, rain or shine,(and there has been plenty of rain) it's time to do a little prep work.  I am going to start by running out to the nursery to get a load of soil from a local nursery.  They won't tell me all the secret ingredients but I can smell the chicken manure in it and that has to be good right?  We will work that new mix in with the old and get all the weeds that somehow miraculously grew over winter. How do they do that?
Today we will put in onions, lettuce and swiss chard.  I don't even know what to do with swiss chard but it seemed like a friendly plant, so I picked one up at the garden center and took it home.  It will take awhile for it to grow so I have a little time to figure out what to do with it when it matures.  What will you do in your garden prep today?

Really?

There is always that one (or two) last snow storm of the Spring that tries to throw you off your groove.  You are feeling ready to take on the many tasks of Spring and then Wham! Mother Nature throws you a curve ball.

This morning my two boys were up at 5:30 getting ready to go to early morning football.  Most of the time they are kind enough to let me sleep in until my alarm goes of at 6:30, but today I heard the melodious voice of my 16 year old ask, "Mom, how do you put the truck in 4-wheel drive?"  That's how I found out that I would have the day off to do a little indoor spring cleaning instead of outdoor spring cleaning and that is just never quite as fun.  I decided to make the most of my day and head to the local Home Depot where I found a bag of pre-emergent to throw down.  Right now I am trying to prevent the crabgrass from coming on too strong so I chose a pre-emergent from Scott's that will not only help control crabgrass through the growing season but will also  green up the grass.  Be careful when you spread your pre-emergent so as not to broadcast too far into your borders and beds.  You don't want to thwart any tender ground-covers trying to break through.  Now I guess I'll start a pot of soup--what else are you going to do with a snowy day in March?

Until tomorrow then...

'Tis the Season- by Lacey

The beech tree is budding!
Usually the branches remain bare until the late months of April
when it finally bursts into an amazing dark purple.
 (for those who haven't seen a weeping purple beech I'd recommend it)

Its the uncommon warm weather we've experienced, the bright sunny
days that make you say "Is this really March, seriously?''.
Swelling buds, emerging tulips, and developing crab apple blossoms,
all things I love about the garden.

Is there anything better than the smell of warm topsoil and the feeling of
a good trowel in your hands?  To a gardener in spring, probably not.
It makes me anxious for the time when I can take out the tomato cages, pull out the
Adirondack chairs, and hang the garden lanterns.

What are you doing to prepare your garden for spring?