2017 Garden Walks
Frost in Autumn: Two November Mornings 2017
Ruins of Zinnias
When I think back on my travel experiences of the past 50 years, I’m intrigued that my memories so often revolve around architectural ruins. While I cherish the moments walking through intact monuments–such as Westminster Abbey or Salisbury Cathedral--my most vivid memories come from days hiking along fragments of Hadrian’s Wall or visiting monasteries destroyed by Henry VIII in the 1500s: Fountains Abbey in North Yorkshire, Furness Abbey in Cumbria, or Hailes Abbey near Winchcombe (which Margie and I came upon while on a six-day hike through the rolling hills of the Cotswolds). I have never studied the aesthetics of ruins, but surely their appeal is evidence of a fatalistic thread in one’s thinking, a recognition that all civilizations experience decline, a reminder of the fragility and impermanence of one’s own life. What better way to be reminded of personal mutability than to spend a beautiful October morning sitting on a stone in Hailes Abbey, trying to imagine what the Cistercians’ world had been like before the arrival of Thomas Cromwell, Henry’s Master Secretary.
Beginning in the 18th century, the Brits’ enthrallment with ruins was evident in their gardens, which were often ornamented with artificial ruins, classified as “follies.” Many large landscape gardens included the construction of faux ruins, inspired by Claude Lorrain’s paintings of wild scenes full of classical temples in decay. Perhaps the greatest example of their love affair with this vision of an Arcadian past is Stourhead Gardens, started in the 1740s. Circling around the central lake are temples to Apollo and Flora, a rock bridge, a pantheon, a grotto, and a thatched cottage (where Margie and I, on a beautiful afternoon two years ago, spent an hour waiting for a summer shower to move through the area).
As for Coe’s Alumni House Garden, we have neither the space nor the inclination nor the funds to replicate Stourhead’s follies, but our Anglo-American garden is always full of botanical ruins. Even during the garden’s peak season of blooms in June and July, every bed in the garden has the dying foliage of spring flowers, including hundreds of daffodils, tulips, crocus, hyacinths, and anemones. In most instances, a gardener’s preference is to find ways to hide this fading foliage or to convince visitors to turn their eyes to the fresh and visually vibrant. But there are exceptions, particularly in the fall, when the primary attractions of the garden are the plants’ end-of-year, post-photosynthesis remnants. My personal favorites are the desiccated zinnia seedheads, demonstrating an impressive, unapologetic fortitude. This slideshow is composed of six zinnia photos taken in the middle of November, not long after the garden’s first hard freeze. I love the blunt integrity of the zinnias, their resilience to hot and dry weather, their determination to persist in difficult soil conditions, their unique and rugged beauty manifested in those final days before they are committed to the compost bin.
When I think back on my travel experiences of the past 50 years, I’m intrigued that my memories so often revolve around architectural ruins. While I cherish the moments walking through intact monuments–such as Westminster Abbey or Salisbury Cathedral--my most vivid memories come from days hiking along fragments of Hadrian’s Wall or visiting monasteries destroyed by Henry VIII in the 1500s: Fountains Abbey in North Yorkshire, Furness Abbey in Cumbria, or Hailes Abbey near Winchcombe (which Margie and I came upon while on a six-day hike through the rolling hills of the Cotswolds). I have never studied the aesthetics of ruins, but surely their appeal is evidence of a fatalistic thread in one’s thinking, a recognition that all civilizations experience decline, a reminder of the fragility and impermanence of one’s own life. What better way to be reminded of personal mutability than to spend a beautiful October morning sitting on a stone in Hailes Abbey, trying to imagine what the Cistercians’ world had been like before the arrival of Thomas Cromwell, Henry’s Master Secretary.
Beginning in the 18th century, the Brits’ enthrallment with ruins was evident in their gardens, which were often ornamented with artificial ruins, classified as “follies.” Many large landscape gardens included the construction of faux ruins, inspired by Claude Lorrain’s paintings of wild scenes full of classical temples in decay. Perhaps the greatest example of their love affair with this vision of an Arcadian past is Stourhead Gardens, started in the 1740s. Circling around the central lake are temples to Apollo and Flora, a rock bridge, a pantheon, a grotto, and a thatched cottage (where Margie and I, on a beautiful afternoon two years ago, spent an hour waiting for a summer shower to move through the area).
As for Coe’s Alumni House Garden, we have neither the space nor the inclination nor the funds to replicate Stourhead’s follies, but our Anglo-American garden is always full of botanical ruins. Even during the garden’s peak season of blooms in June and July, every bed in the garden has the dying foliage of spring flowers, including hundreds of daffodils, tulips, crocus, hyacinths, and anemones. In most instances, a gardener’s preference is to find ways to hide this fading foliage or to convince visitors to turn their eyes to the fresh and visually vibrant. But there are exceptions, particularly in the fall, when the primary attractions of the garden are the plants’ end-of-year, post-photosynthesis remnants. My personal favorites are the desiccated zinnia seedheads, demonstrating an impressive, unapologetic fortitude. This slideshow is composed of six zinnia photos taken in the middle of November, not long after the garden’s first hard freeze. I love the blunt integrity of the zinnias, their resilience to hot and dry weather, their determination to persist in difficult soil conditions, their unique and rugged beauty manifested in those final days before they are committed to the compost bin.
Late October Flowers 2017
These photos were taken in the mornings of October 27-29. Although a majority of plants had finished blooming for the year, these morning trips around the garden revealed many instances when one could still find flowers with at least one or two blooms in full display. The garden's color palette may have been dominated by the browns and their cousins, but there was a surprising diversity of blossoms immodestly flaunting their best form a few days before the first freeze. ~Bob
These photos were taken in the mornings of October 27-29. Although a majority of plants had finished blooming for the year, these morning trips around the garden revealed many instances when one could still find flowers with at least one or two blooms in full display. The garden's color palette may have been dominated by the browns and their cousins, but there was a surprising diversity of blossoms immodestly flaunting their best form a few days before the first freeze. ~Bob
Summer Visitors: Dragonflies, Butterflies, Goldfinch, and a Moth
These are all midsummer photos--July and early August. The goldfinch frequently feed on the purple coneflower, but they are skitterish, so I shot this goldfinch with my zoom lens but no tripod--thus the blurry photos. The dragonflies are less wary of the camera. As for the Hemaris Thisbe moth, I only saw him one day, moving quickly among a group of buddleia blooms. He never rested, his wings a blur, even when I cranked up the shutter speed. ~Bob
These are all midsummer photos--July and early August. The goldfinch frequently feed on the purple coneflower, but they are skitterish, so I shot this goldfinch with my zoom lens but no tripod--thus the blurry photos. The dragonflies are less wary of the camera. As for the Hemaris Thisbe moth, I only saw him one day, moving quickly among a group of buddleia blooms. He never rested, his wings a blur, even when I cranked up the shutter speed. ~Bob
Insects in the Summer Garden
This slideshow focuses on some of the summer's smaller visitors, including more photos featuring the Japanese Beetle invasion. Later this week another slideshow will focus on the dragonflies, butterflies, and a lone Hemaris Thysbe moth.
This slideshow focuses on some of the summer's smaller visitors, including more photos featuring the Japanese Beetle invasion. Later this week another slideshow will focus on the dragonflies, butterflies, and a lone Hemaris Thysbe moth.
July 2017 Garden Photos
The photos in this slideshow are divided into two groups: one set of photos concentrating on July's flowers (excluding the daylilies, which will be featured in an upcoming slideshow) and the second set on some of the garden's most frequently encountered insects.
The photos in this slideshow are divided into two groups: one set of photos concentrating on July's flowers (excluding the daylilies, which will be featured in an upcoming slideshow) and the second set on some of the garden's most frequently encountered insects.
Several Walks in June 2017
These photos (without captions) are gathered from photos taken in the last two weeks of spring.
These photos (without captions) are gathered from photos taken in the last two weeks of spring.
Two May Mornings after Rain Showers
These photographs record two garden walks in the middle of May, each walk following a rain shower the previous evening.
These photographs record two garden walks in the middle of May, each walk following a rain shower the previous evening.
Mornings in May, 2017
These 40 photos were taken on several mornings the first two weeks in May, 2017. Although most of the photos concentrate on flowers in bloom (or about to bloom), the photos also highlight prominent foliage plants and include several landscape shots, providing a more complete portrait of the garden after the spring bulbs (daffodils, tulips, crocus, anemones, etc) have completed their bloom cycle.
These 40 photos were taken on several mornings the first two weeks in May, 2017. Although most of the photos concentrate on flowers in bloom (or about to bloom), the photos also highlight prominent foliage plants and include several landscape shots, providing a more complete portrait of the garden after the spring bulbs (daffodils, tulips, crocus, anemones, etc) have completed their bloom cycle.
In the Garden after an April Shower
A morning walk after an early morning shower revealed several plants that had retained beads of water on their leaves. Here's a short slideshow featuring several of those plants--plus shots of several creeping phlox and a lonely hellebore in full bloom.
A morning walk after an early morning shower revealed several plants that had retained beads of water on their leaves. Here's a short slideshow featuring several of those plants--plus shots of several creeping phlox and a lonely hellebore in full bloom.
Garden Walk in London's Victoria and Albert Museum (March 2017)
Earlier this month, during a week spent in London, my wife was visiting the Royal College of Music, and I decided to spend the afternoon at the nearby V&A Museum. As usual in my V&A visits, I entered the museum without a plan or a map, content simply to wander around and see what I stumbled upon. Early in this day's journey, however, I was particularly struck by the exquisite floral designs in a display of 16th-century ceramic bowls from Turkey. I thought it might be fun to turn my V&A visit into a "garden walk" and record the various flowers I encountered. This slideshow reproduces a small sample of over 200 flowers and gardens I observed on that March afternoon. Although my Canon PowerShot photographs are of poor quality, I hope these images might nevertheless convey how much I enjoyed this memorable and pleasurable garden walk. ~Bob
Earlier this month, during a week spent in London, my wife was visiting the Royal College of Music, and I decided to spend the afternoon at the nearby V&A Museum. As usual in my V&A visits, I entered the museum without a plan or a map, content simply to wander around and see what I stumbled upon. Early in this day's journey, however, I was particularly struck by the exquisite floral designs in a display of 16th-century ceramic bowls from Turkey. I thought it might be fun to turn my V&A visit into a "garden walk" and record the various flowers I encountered. This slideshow reproduces a small sample of over 200 flowers and gardens I observed on that March afternoon. Although my Canon PowerShot photographs are of poor quality, I hope these images might nevertheless convey how much I enjoyed this memorable and pleasurable garden walk. ~Bob
Four Warm Days in February, 2017
The photos in this slideshow were taken on four record-setting warm days, February 20-23. Temperatures were in the 60s, and the camera was focused on signs of early spring renewal. The 35+ different flowers and shrubs showing evidence of life included alchemilla (lady’s mantle), allium (ornamental onions), asters, baptisia (false indigo),bee balm, boltonia, coreopsis, cranesbill, creeping phlox, crocus, daffodils, daisies, daylilies, forsythia, goldenrod, several grasses (blue fescue, briza media), geum prairie smoke, husker red penstemon, grape hyacinths, iris, lamb’s ear, purpleleaf loosestrife, nigella (love-in-a-mist, the only annual in this list), peonies, pulmonaria (lungwort), sedum (several varieties), spurge, stonecrop, thyme, tulips, yarrow (several varieties), and—of course-- dandelions.