Category Archives: essay
letter from sagehen creek field station
(Shirley Watts’ series of symposia entitled Natural Discourse, bringing scientists and artists into botanical gardens to make site-specific work, has taken on an even fiercer urgency seven years after its inception in 2012, as scientists and artists grapple with the … Continue reading
Posted in artists, climate, essay, MB Maher, photography, science
4 Comments
plants and rocks; the basics
If your idea of a good life means being surrounded by plants, chances are you love having a few rocks around too, even if only in a haphazard, barely intentional way. Perhaps small rock mementos from travels naturally seem to … Continue reading
Posted in agaves, woody lilies, climate, creatures, design, essay, MB Maher, succulents
5 Comments
High Line jeremiad
Some interesting Sunday reading to be found in another nuanced, contrarian view of the High Line Park in New York City. I know, not another post on the High Line! I can’t help it, I’m utterly fascinated by this subject. … Continue reading
gardenbrain
I will be forever indebted to *Eric Liu and Nick Hannauer for coining the word “Gardenbrain” in their op-ed in the 7/10/12 edition of The New York Times “The Machine and the Garden.” I’ve always had one. Turns out our … Continue reading
fertilizer and its discontents
My dainty coronilla reminds me of Cytisus battandieri a little bit, which is another member of the vast legume family. All legumes have the ability to convert and “fix” atmospheric nitrogen, making it available to plants as a natural fertilizer. … Continue reading
“Gardens: An Essay” by Robert Pogue Harrison
Strange how, even in the most unlikely places, thoughts can still turn to gardens. Jury duty last week had me confined for a good part of Friday in a large, drab room full of strangers, all of us potential jurors … Continue reading
Posted in artists, essay, journal
Tagged gardens, Gardens: An Essay, Harold Bloom, Mark of Cura, paradise, Robert Pogue Harrison
6 Comments
Arguing With A Bad-Tempered Gardener
What an odd concept, to separate enjoyment of gardens from the process of garden-making. A garden magazine article a couple months ago introduced me to this astonishing notion, when it profiled the owner of a complex garden who spoke intelligently … Continue reading
Posted in design, essay
Tagged Andrea Cochrane, Anne Wareham, Charles Hawes, Veddw, Women in the Dirt
13 Comments
Geared Up
Apart from tools, very little gear is required to garden. It can be done in your bathrobe, coffee cup in one hand, spade in the other. No special shoes are required. Hats and style of clothing mostly depend on how … Continue reading
Unnamed Future Garden Project
Yesterday started out great. I won a pair of boots from Plant Talk. I’m purposely avoiding my typical over-reliance on hyperbole because there are simply no words to adequately describe this event. Thrilling? Way beyond thrilling. In this case, thrilling … Continue reading