Thursday, February 18, 2010

to everything, there is a season


At work yesterday, I was elated when I caught a glimpse of the first signs of spring…daffodils coming up! It’s easy to think after 3 weeks of snow on the ground that we will forever be stuck in winter. But with those spikes of perennial daffodil foliage, we are reminded once again that even winter comes to an end. And with that end comes the promise of spring blooms!

This particular outcropping of white and pale yellow daffodils lies under a small grouping of reddish-pink blooming redbud trees, with the mulch path to the greenhouse running right through them. It’s an incredible combination of spring blooms.

Monday, February 15, 2010

in the beginning


During and after college I lived in 5 different apartments. Apartment living is great, except when you love and collect plants. For years, I schlepped far too many pots from one apartment to the next, always hoping for more sunlight and porch space than I was afforded. It didn’t help that I minored in horticulture and was able to amass quite a collection of free plants through my friends and classes, as any former roommate of mine will tell you. So, when I started looking for a house, gardening space was high on my priority list; if for no other reason than to finally get some of these long-suffering plants into the ground!

When I moved into my house in August of ‘07, 2 ½ years ago, all of the planting beds were full of annuals and a few dying conifers. Each planting bed had a thin layer of black hardwood mulch on top of black ‘landscape’ fabric. These are two of my most hated landscape materials. [Hardwood mulch leaches nitrogen from the soil and is not the most aesthetically pleasing. ‘Landscape’ fabric is a weed barrier which in turn becomes a barrier for light, air, water, and nutrients.] So the first order of business was to remove the fabric and top dress with fine-textured pine mulch (a.k.a. soil conditioner).

In the process, I removed all manner of weeds and various trash I found under the ‘landscape’ fabric. At this point in my horticultural knowledge, peonies were unknown to me. As I came across these bizarre looking bulbs, I threw them away! (This was particularly painful once I realized how expensive peonies are) Luckily a small grouping of them evaded me, and the next spring I was blown away by their beauty and fragrance. They’re not in the most ideal location in my garden from an aesthetic perspective, but so far I’ve been too apprehensive to move them. The peonies, a dwarf nandina hedge, a few perennials, and a pair of dwarf Alberta spruce are all that remains of the landscape I inherited.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

introduction

I’m surprised as anyone that I have started this blog. But after watching Julia & Julia, I realized that a blog could function not only as a motivational tool, but also hold me accountable to goals I’ve set. What I need motivation for is gardening, in my own garden.

I am a landscape architect by profession, currently working full-time on a 90-acre estate. And while I do have opportunities at work to get my hands dirty; I have little time, energy, or money to do much gardening at my own house. When people learn what my profession is, they immediately say one of two things, either ‘I’ve always wanted to do that’ or ‘I bet your house is beautifully landscaped’. So I feel pressure for my house and garden to reflect my passion for horticulture and design.

Sadly, last year I barely tended anything. I may have weeded and top-dressed with mulch once. The good news is it will be easy to improve upon last year; the bad news is there’s a lot to do. Mainly, I will focus on weeding, redefining, and maintaining existing plant beds. New gardening challenges will include: hollyhocks, vegetables, herbs, and mastering the art of composting.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

hollyhocks




During a trip to LA in the summer of 2008, I visited the Hollyhock House. What makes this visit so special to me is the souvenir I brought home: Hollyhock seeds from the Hollyhock house! This iconic piece of architecture sits perched atop Olive Hill in Hollywood. From this site, so aptly chosen for its views of the Los Angeles basin, you can see the Hollywood sign and the Griffith Observatory.

Frank Lloyd Wright designed the Hollyhock house for oil tycoon heiress, Aline Barnsdall. Hollyhocks were her favorite flower and Wright used stylized representations of them on architectural details and furnishings throughout the home. Completed in 1921, during Wright’s self-described ‘California Romanza’ period, Hollyhock House represents Wright’s first project in Los Angeles. The 36 acre parcel was originally envisioned as a theatrical community. However, because of artistic and budgetary differences between Barnsdall and Wright, only three structures were ever realized.

Today, only the main house and a secondary structure remain on 11 acres. The unkempt, sparse interiors and lackluster gardens left me wondering what had happened to the glorious house and grounds I had seen in countless architectural books. The only saving grace for me, were the Hollyhocks. The architectural stalks and backlit blooms of this incredible flower stood as a living witness to FLW’s inspiration. Amazingly, I found not only beautiful flowers, but also near bursting seed pods. I stuffed as many into my camera case and pockets as I could without looking too ‘obvious’. Never in my life had I wanted to grow Hollyhocks, but now I wanted to cultivate a multitude of them.

That was a year and a half ago. So what of my hollyhocks? Well, they were germinated over the winter of ‘08/‘09 in a greenhouse. I planted several of the beefier specimens in the skinny planting bed between my driveway and neighbor’s fence this past summer, here’s hoping they survived our record breaking cold winter. And the remaining seedlings currently reside in a greenhouse. 100 seeds became 18 seedlings, which have whittled away to 6. Since Hollyhocks are herbaceous biennials or short-lived perennials, I don’t have much time. If I could get just a few to bloom this year and hopefully go to seed, I would be beyond thrilled. Here’s to FLW’s brilliant marriage of architecture and horticulture.


For more information on the Hollyhock House, please visit their website.