Welcome to my garden and sketch pad!
As a gardener, my goal is to create enticing communities of plants that enhance my client's properties, while seamlessly connecting to the larger ecosystem around them. That means nurturing healthy soil, and choosing plants- often natives- which are most likely to thrive with a minimum of water and without the use of harmful chemicals. The garden becomes as much an extension of nature as an extension of the architecture of the buildings it surrounds. Decades of experience in a wide range of gardens- both private and public -has given me a deep enthusiasm for and understanding of gardens and their roles in our modern lives.
As an artist, I like to draw things in nature that charm me in one way or another. I draw things I want to remember. Increasingly, I seek to tell a story with my drawings. Take a look!
Gardens are by definition a human creation requiring at least a modicum of planning and maintenance- or they quickly cease to be gardens at all. Many find beauty in the apparent mastery over Nature with sharp edges, clipped hedges, manicured lawns, and so forth- but for me, the beauty of gardens is in the natural surprises. The oak seedling I did not plant, the self-seeded parsley patch, or the discovery of a bumblebee or robin’s nest. And on and on. The best gardens are the ones that perform the job that their humans need them to, while in breezy conversation with nature… borders blurred, and where animals come and stay for a while because there’s a reason to. These gardens typically have a wide array of species, are layered from high to low to accommodate feathered friends, have flowers blooming the length of the growing season in support of hummingbirds and insect life, and plenty of native species. They have a purpose beyond immediate human concerns and gratification- unless of course that gratification is rooted in ecosystem support- both above and below ground, Bringing all these themes together into an attractive and manageable whole is what I strive to do as a garden designer and gardener. it’s a neverending challenge and that is the joy of it.
What is the "right plant" anyway? It is one that wants to grow where you want to plant it, but not so much that it will take over- unless that is what you want, in which case, that's perfect. Finding the right plants requires an understanding of the conditions in your garden- things like exposure, drainage, soil pH, the surrounding plants, and so on. It also requires an understanding of your expectations of the plant. How long are you willing to wait?
Ferocactus pilosus. Seen at the Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek, CA.
“Feed (and Shelter) Your Friends” is how this title really ought to read. Most of the joy in gardening for me has become observing the company that comes to visit. In my gardens, this usually takes the form of insects and birds visiting the flowers, nibbling leaves or hiding in the grass, and if I’m extra blessed- making nests. That’s a real compliment. Many things are planted with them in mind. Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the past quarter century, you have heard that insects and birds are in trouble. If you don’t believe the news- believe your windshield after a mid-summer’s night drive. It should be splattered with dead insects. But, likely it’s not- and that is just sad. Ecosystems are a symphony and insects are the strings- without the strings, well, you get the idea. Anyway, back to gardening… as friends of mine, I feel compelled to provide them with good food and quiet, undisturbed places to do their thing. This means pretending you are a bird or an insect for a moment and asking yourself what your ideal garden looks like. Chemicals? No, thank you. Dead leave and grasses? Yes, please. Can a garden without chemicals and with dead leaves be beautiful? Most certainly.
In my garden, the volunteer sunflowers from the seeds the chipmunks missed the previous fall, always grow the best. I leave quite a few for the bees and the birds, in particular, the goldfinches. I like the random way the sunflowers come up.
Anise hyssop is on the menu almost all summer for my neighborhood bees. The fresh leaves and blossoms make a delicious bright green tea for people. Watch out, though. This plant reseeds handily, so expect a little weeding come spring.
This monarch was seen at The Lurie Garden in Chicago. Common milkweed found its own way into the planting scheme, but it was left for good reason. Overwintering populations of monarchs in Mexico are at alarming low levels. (Source: MonarchWatch.org)
A pumpkin vine grew out of my compost pile this year and it had heavily perfumed blossoms. In the morning I would often find a couple bees that had spent the night inside.
The geraniums were not much competition for the surrounding Calamintha nepeta, but this bee visited both blossoms before moving on.
Wild asters are not very showy, and have a tendency to re-seed too vigorously, but in my garden they are an important late season pollen source.
Ornamental oregano blooms late in the season.
So much of my garden has become about bees, butterflies and all the other pollinators and insects who pass through daily throughout the growing season... the different species, what they are attracted to, how many there are. It turns out that the bees and I like a lot of the same things, so it's a good fit.
Lorem
Why "go native"? Because native plants generally want to grow where you live, and the local ecosystem needs them to support local fauna. Native species of trees, for example, co-evolved with insect species that local birds need to survive. Oaks support upwards of 500 species of caterpillars, whereas a Callery pear will host only around 20. When it takes thousands of caterpillars to raise just one brood of chickadees (baby chickadees don't eat birdseed), the oak starts to look more interesting, doesn't it? Read more about this in a recent New York Times article.
Trees are the backbone of the garden. They set the mood. They determine the movement and location of shade. They create the canopy and the middle layers of the garden. They can be a source of food for us and should be a source of food for the native fauna in your neighborhood. The first thing I look at in a garden are the trees. What percentage are native? Are they in good health? Do they have adequate space to reach their potential? Are they safe for the nearby structures and people? Do they look right from a design vantage point? Are the root zones protected? Are they mulched properly? And so on.
Male and female zucchini blossoms opened together one morning.
I like to get out as much as possible to see what visual treats are in store for me. Nature preserves are my favorite haunts, and the Lurie Garden in Chicago, where I have the pleasure of being a docent.
Before the hard freezes, if you manage to get outdoors early you may be treated to dew covered spider webs.
Another early morning treasure.
Look closely and you will see a grasshopper, too.
A bee emerges from a bottle gentian at the Lurie Garden in Chicago.
