Hello kindred gardener and writer! What a great list. I am currently co-creating the optimal shape of a prolific English Ivy covering 20% of my home's exterior. I want to support its expression and the robins who are nesting in it while keeping it from growing much bigger. Some of the vines are the size of my forearm and it makes me think of the person who planted it. Whoever they are (I assume passed on), I hope they are appreciating my thoughtful pruning.
Hello! I’m so glad you’re here. Pruning could be its own mini essay, no? How to provide the kind of creative constraints that allow a being or work to be at its best, or your own idea of best, without over-doing it... or under-doing it, as was my habit as a tender-hearted gardener who wanted things to be “wild” -- even though I’d planted them all in a city container garden and was responsible for seeing that through. Lately I’m finding we need both structure and spaciousness to find our fullest expression. And we definitely need to find ways to do it without disturbing the robins. Sounds like an amazing initiation you’ve got going!
Absolutely, I would read the essay on pruning :) Pruning is a conversation between pruner and prunee, sometimes with long pauses where you're not sure if you've said the right thing until a year out. Such a nail biter!
Last summer, when I was rebuilding a home by redoing a garden, I found sustenance and inspiration in these two books:
A Way to Garden, by Margaret Roach (garden editor at Martha Stewart). She reflects on her garden season by season, both the plants themselves and the act of gardening. Gorgeous writing and photos.
Planting the Natural Garden, my Piet Oudolf (who did the high line). It’s a great guide to natural plants and has examples of gardens that create a different feel (exuberant, tranquil etc) and the plants that make them.
Also last summer I planted a baby oak, which represented what would grow in the second half of my life. The twiglet taken a while to get started but she’s putting out new leaves and I think this is gonna be her year :)
Oh gosh, I love this. I love the story of your baby oak. Oaks are so special, aren’t they? No wonder humans have been such close friends with them since the Druid days. And you’re absolutely right about Margaret Roach, how could I forget? I love her weekly column in the NYT. I will have to get my hands on Oudolf’s book, thank you for the reco!
Fab links again thank you Ryan!
Sending hugs to you Jade, and hope you are feeling better!
Hello kindred gardener and writer! What a great list. I am currently co-creating the optimal shape of a prolific English Ivy covering 20% of my home's exterior. I want to support its expression and the robins who are nesting in it while keeping it from growing much bigger. Some of the vines are the size of my forearm and it makes me think of the person who planted it. Whoever they are (I assume passed on), I hope they are appreciating my thoughtful pruning.
Hello! I’m so glad you’re here. Pruning could be its own mini essay, no? How to provide the kind of creative constraints that allow a being or work to be at its best, or your own idea of best, without over-doing it... or under-doing it, as was my habit as a tender-hearted gardener who wanted things to be “wild” -- even though I’d planted them all in a city container garden and was responsible for seeing that through. Lately I’m finding we need both structure and spaciousness to find our fullest expression. And we definitely need to find ways to do it without disturbing the robins. Sounds like an amazing initiation you’ve got going!
Absolutely, I would read the essay on pruning :) Pruning is a conversation between pruner and prunee, sometimes with long pauses where you're not sure if you've said the right thing until a year out. Such a nail biter!
So much this. You nailed it.
I always scorned those little bits of daily wisdom books, but this https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/east-wind-melts-the-ice-a-memoir-through-the-seasons_liza-dalby/395551/#edition=4809073&idiq=8534877 is a Japanese-calendar inflected gardening memoir that I've found extraordinarily good company
This sounds absolutely amazing. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much for these! I must take a break for a bit and didn't want to unsubscribe without thanking you. All the best! Deb
Last summer, when I was rebuilding a home by redoing a garden, I found sustenance and inspiration in these two books:
A Way to Garden, by Margaret Roach (garden editor at Martha Stewart). She reflects on her garden season by season, both the plants themselves and the act of gardening. Gorgeous writing and photos.
Planting the Natural Garden, my Piet Oudolf (who did the high line). It’s a great guide to natural plants and has examples of gardens that create a different feel (exuberant, tranquil etc) and the plants that make them.
Also last summer I planted a baby oak, which represented what would grow in the second half of my life. The twiglet taken a while to get started but she’s putting out new leaves and I think this is gonna be her year :)
Oh gosh, I love this. I love the story of your baby oak. Oaks are so special, aren’t they? No wonder humans have been such close friends with them since the Druid days. And you’re absolutely right about Margaret Roach, how could I forget? I love her weekly column in the NYT. I will have to get my hands on Oudolf’s book, thank you for the reco!