The Obsessive Neurotic Gardener

Category Archives: Public Garden

Philadelphia Flower Show 2014

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For the fifth consecutive year, I made it out to the Philadelphia Flower Show and as expected, it didn’t disappoint. There was a threat of snow in the air as I set out this morning, but if you’re an integral part of the media like me, you cannot let that stand in the way. There was a story to be reported on and I needed to deliver.

This year’s theme is ARTiculture, “where art meets horticulture”. This theme jumps out at you as soon as you enter the main hall, and in a good way. Not in a “please tone it down I’m on sensory overload” way. Obviously art and horticulture go hand in hand and to the surprise of no one, the designers played off of that interplay to perfection.

Upon entering the garden display zone, I followed my usual routine. Camera in hand and extremely business-like; I am a professional photographer and I am here to work. There are photos to be taken and all must get out of my way.

This is where it helps to be 6 foot 4. I have the luxury of being able to take photos without much of a concern as to who is around me. There is little competition and I really can’t be defeated. I even considered renting myself out for a small fee (note to self for next year).

After about an hour of shooting from every possible angle, the camera goes away and I grab myself an $8 beer (Yards IPA) and try to actually enjoy the gardens without thinking about how to photograph them. I’ll then stroll down to the vendors/booths to check out potential purchases and the latest gimmicks.

It was a mad house near the vendors this year so the stroll didn’t last very long. And I didn’t buy a thing. Instead, I grabbed myself a sandwich, sat down for a bit and regrouped. That only lasted for five minutes and I was up with the camera in tow yet again. I couldn’t deny that I the photo taking more than anything else.

So without further ado, I give you the best of my pics from the show …                     

Actually before we get to that, I have a few observations on the crowd. Specifically, three different “types” of visitors I witnessed today and have witnessed at each and every other show to date:

Husband/boyfriend wearing an Eagles jersey telling the world it wasn’t his idea to go to the show – this was as entertaining to watch as the show itself. As the wife/girlfriend walked from display to display, wine in hand, the husband/boyfriend didn’t hide his disdain for being there and constantly checked his phone with a courtesy glance thrown at the flowers every minute or so.

Husband/boyfriend pretending to be interested with the hopes of scoring points with their significant other – this was also super entertaining and I appreciated the effort, even though I saw right through them.

Models demanding to have themselves photographed in front of each and every display – true story, I witnessed a woman, the width of a Twix bar, ask her photographer boyfriend/gofer if he can make sure she looks “as thin as possible” in a particular shot. I threw her a sandwich and walked away.

Back to the photos (with a few random comments thrown in) …
    

Love me an all conifer display:

The stepping stones are covered in newspaper articles from the New York Times:

The Subaru display was my personal favorite:

Watching Miriam Goldberger, author of Taming Wildflowers and Jerry Fritz in a container gardening extravaganza: 

Yes, dead grasses … finally a display I can personally relate to:

The Fabulous Beekman Boys signing books:

I left out one display that requires its own post in the next few days. It was by far the most polarizing display at the show and I spent a good amount of time closely listening to the comments from fellow visitors. I even researched the inspiration for the display and will give you my thoughts on it in the near future.  

Revisiting the Garden at Federal Twist

Posted on by Posted in Local, Public Garden .

Back in June, I visited the Garden at Federal Twist and found myself inspired like never before. This friggin garden smacked me upside the head and said “This is what you love dummy. Stop with all the small groupings of plants and endless mulch. Think architectural plants and Piet Oudolf  and grasses (that one I have nailed down).”

The memories of the garden still resonate today but hot damn I had no idea how much more inspired I would be after visiting Federal Twist again this past weekend. The visit was part of the The Garden Conservancy’s “Open Days Program” but before I share the photos with you, you MUST read the following article that just appeared in the New York Times on the garden and its owner, James Golden:

“The-good-for-nothing-garden”

Seriously, don’t move on until you have read this article. It provides such a wonderful backdrop before viewing the garden. And I couldn’t be more fortunate to live ten minutes away from this gem.

Now we move on to the photos … without interruption of my words … because my words will do it no justice:

 

 

The Garden of Dorothy and John Meggitt

Posted on by Posted in Local, Public Garden .
Today I am sharing photos from another garden I toured on Saturday as part of The Garden Conservancy’s “Open Days Program”. This one – The Garden of Dorothy and John Meggitt – is located in New Hope, PA and well, let me share the description of the garden with you right from the Garden Conservancy website:   

John and Dorothy Meggitt have a love of English gardens, so theirs overflows with perennials and specimen trees. The garden is approached across Pidcock Creek and up a hill where it presents itself as a wonderful surprise. It lies on the side of a valley and is designed so that views of Solebury Mountain can be enjoyed. The hillside is terraced with stone stairs, dry stone walls, and a pergola, so there are numerous places to sit, including a secluded belvedere. There is a water garden with hardy lilies, lotus, and many marginal plants. This is home to specimen koi and a large school of goldfish. A growing collection of significant statuary adds further interest. Much of the ten-acre property is in its natural state to provide a habitat for wildlife and can be explored by trails that lead to the creek.

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

On to the pics:

Damn, I have work to do on mine.
John

The Garden at Federal Twist

Posted on by Posted in Local, Public Garden .
On Saturday, as part of The Garden Conservancy’s “Open Days Program”, I visited a local garden (so local that it is technically the next town over), “The Garden at Federal Twist”. I knew a little bit about this garden from reading the owner’s blog – View from Federal Twist – but was super psyched to finally see it in person. 
And it blew me away. 
Because we are in proximity to each other, I know what kind of conditions FT need to contend with and the challenge of getting anything to grow in these conditions (clay soil with real poor drainage). To say I was inspired is an understatement and I have been planning changes to my own garden ever since I left. 

The description of the Garden at Federal Twist on the Garden Conservancy’s website nails it to a tee:

“When we moved into a mid-century house overlooking the woods, I immediately knew only a naturalistic, informal garden would be appropriate to this place. The garden is hidden. You enter through the house, where you first glimpse the landscape, a sunny glade in the woods, through a wall of large windows. Featuring many big perennials and grasses that evoke an “Alice in Wonderland” feeling (many plants are taller than you), the garden is in the tradition of such “new perennial” designers as Piet Oudolf. Visitors have described it as a highly emotional garden. Plantings emphasize structure, shape, and form as much as flower. Begun as an experiment to explore the potential for working in unimproved, heavy clay, the garden is ecologically like a wet prairie, and is maintained by cutting and burning in late winter. Flowers and butterflies peak in mid-July, then a second peak occurs in October when low sunlight strikes fire in the blousy russets and golds of the grasses. A small pond attracts hundreds of frogs, insects and wildlife.”

And of course, I took over a hundred photos during my “stay” at the garden and here they are:
These are shots taken of the garden from various view points:         

You feeling it? It is the closest to a Piet Oudolf style garden that I’ve ever seen in person. Lots of ornamental grasses and tall perennials, many with fantastic seedheads.
Oh those phenomenal seedheads: 

And winding paths that just dare you to see what lurks beyond:

Nothing gives me a gardening “a ha” moment more than a well placed focal point and to this day, I haven’t pulled off even one successfully.

It looks so easy when done right:

My initial reaction when I got home on Saturday was “I can’t garden to save my life.”
Mine felt so simple, stale, small and uninteresting, But I slowly realized that it takes time and numerous failures and frustrations along the way to get to that point. 
The fun is in the trying.
John