sunflowers and zinnias
Formal garden tours are wonderful and becoming increasingly popular and I’m glad for it. But sometimes all we need to do for a fresh look of inspiration is to walk down the street. Really. At least that’s what happened to me. For just a block away an elderly woman (no other way to say it) secured a small house, gutted it, and proceeded to create the dream house of her Golden Years, replete with solar panels and a grey water system. And being a true and knowledgeable gardener, the space around the house is receiving the full creative benefit of what will likely be her Last Big Garden and what an inspiration! But before showing you what she has done, I want to preface this pictorial with an amazing fact about this inspiring woman of 80 years–she hikes six miles every Saturday morning with a group of friends. Indeed, I happened upon her in town one day and agreed to follow her over the farmer’s market and I could barely keep up. She’s a veritable steam engine of energy! Not an ounce of fat on her body, and eats a diet of fresh veggies from her own garden. (Except, oh, yes. Her true confession: she likes Wonder Bread.) So I was delighted when she gave me permission to do an early morning shoot recently, to share with all of you the garden she has created to live in in this particular chapter of her life. I especially like that this trek around her garden will give those afar an insider view into an extraordinary Northern California summer garden.

Let’s start with the dahlias, shall we?

dahlia

dahlia

dahlia and penstemon
And that penstemon hiding behind the above dahlia has a nearby sister and deserves her own clear view, so here she is. What a beauty!

penstemon
This rose, called Eye Paint, was a housewarming gift to my friend. She says it offers wave after wave of roses. I think it’s her favorite.

Eye Paint roses

A simple question. A simple answer. What opportunities lie within our reach that hold the power to make a difference in the quality of the lives of others simply by sharing the bounties and blessings that grace our lives? ~Kathryn Hall, in Plant Whatever Brings You Joy: Blessed Wisdom from the Garden

Along the drive were gladiolus for the last month. Now in our intense summer heat only one is left. This one lovely creature.

gladiolus

Nearby is a sweet daylily. (Daylily lovers, I know who you are! I even asked the name of this for YOU! It’s Frans Hals! Heh.)

daylily

So as I’m walking around gingerly picking my way through beds, suddenly this little boy showed up! Turns out he’s my friend’s grandson, who is visiting here from Africa! He was an adorable surprise!

Compounding my surprise, a few minutes later I learned he has a sister, who oblingly posed for me by the sunflowers!

Apparently their father is an African diplomat. I had no idea they were here on vacation, so this was a treat!

And did I mention this is going to be a long post as this gardener has a lot of beautiful plants!

And this is a charming little vignette, as when this garden was first being formed, a stack of old cement and rocks began accumulating off to the side. Then one day I came to visit and my friend said, “See what’s happening in the corner? One of my grandchildren came and put some dirt on top of the pile of rocks in the corner and planted this and that and now it’s become a little rock garden all on its own.” Fast forward to these grasses, which my friend “brought home from the lake.” All manner of things has been added including wild chamomile, several succulents and near the bottom, this:

hoarhound and sedum in the rock garden

As you might begin to imagine, this is not a highly structured garden. I’d call it Permissive Gardening, which I can actually relate to. Along the sidewalk alyssum is spilling out.

purple alyssum

Go placidly amidst the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. ~Desiderata

And apparently my friend is not one for pulling up every weed, especially if it has an endearing flower, like this scarlet pimpernell! I loved that she knew the name of this weed, which I have long admired and only begrudgingly pulled up. Can’t believe such a humble little flower has such a lofty name!

scarlet pimpernell (Anagallis arvensis)

Then there was the gaura…

…and the agastasche…

…and the phlox, offering a fresh vision in the summer sun.

phlox

phlox

One of my favorites was this hybrid of California poppy. I brought home some seeds, which are drying and I look forward to planting them in the spring! My friend says they will cross-pollinate with my wild California poppies.

poppies

Speaking of cross-pollination, can you begin to imagine the numbers of bees that are attracted to this garden? They were everywhere, I’m very happy to report! They especially like the sunflowers.

sunflower
And the zinnias! (As did I!)

zinnia bed

zinnia

zinnia

I am utterly enchanted with those little round circles of teeny flowerettes, as I know that some power much larger than teeny I consciously chose to create and include them and I am humbled and touched at the thought. 🙂

zinnia

zinnia

Are you just filled to the brim with California beauty?? I hope so!

Love and garden blessings,
Kathryn xoxo

Book News: Oh! Oh! I did at last start a Facebook Fan Page. Please LIKE if you are inclined. I solemnly promise not to overwhelm you with notices. My intention is to now and then mention something of note, and, mostly, to have a place fans of Plant Whatever Brings You Joy can connect. Thank you.

Also, I’ve been continuing to collect pics of my book on shelves around the country. (Who does this??) I was delighted when I unexpectedly received this photo from Kaitlyn at Copperfield’s Books in Healdsburg, alerting me that they’ve included Plant Whatever Brings You Joy in their new Local Author display. Sweet! I do hope you continue to support your local indie bookstores. They are a treasure.

Posted on August 1st, 2012 by Kathryn
Filed under: Plants | 10 Comments »

My love affair with chickens began when I was a small girl living in the undeveloped mountain terrain of Southern California. We lived on a farm, and we had horses, goats and a pen full of chickens, as well as a cat here and there and a cocker spaniel named Cherry. One very early photo of me shows me sporting a large ruffled sunbonnet, carrying a small woven basket, full to the brim with chicken eggs, which I had gathered myself.

I was the keeper of the chickens, the one who cared deeply about them. When they managed to scamper through holes in the fence I was the one who would track them down in the orchard, who caught them gently, and lovingly put them back where they belonged in the safety of their pen and flock.

~from Plant Whatever Brings You Joy: Blessed Wisdom from the Garden

Thus I was delighted when I noticed Timber Press was publishing Jessi Bloom’s book Free-Range Chicken Gardens. While I have had free-range chickens as an adult, and those who have now read my book will recall the story of my finding my rooster Chanticleer roaming on his own through the woods of Sonoma County, I do not have chickens now, and I’m hoping this book will prove to be one more step in that direction. I’m guessing so, as even the photos leave me longing to have chickens gracing my garden again. How charming is this?

I say VERY! If you have not experienced the gentle clucking of companion chickens scurrying about your beds, you are missing a most wonderful experience, and Jessi Bloom does pave the way for the uninitiated. As she points out in her introduction, “When I first got chickens I made a lot of mistakes.” However her intro has a happy ending, having learned “the hard way”: “Fast forward, and now our girls will come when called…Their housing is clean, rodent-proof, and an impenetrable barricade from night predators.” I’m sure we all know someone who has tried their hand at raising chickens who did not have adequate protection for their flock, so I was glad Jessi includes a good chapter called “Friends and Foes of Hens in the Garden” and begins the chapter writing of predators and pests. Discovering your good intentions were scoffed at by a bear or fox or coyote is a painful experience and leaves its mark especially hard on your children. So a good foundation is the best starting point! Different environments have different requirements. Here’s a lovely example of a chicken coop that would work well as long as you don’t have bears. One thing I learned which I never forgot is this: “Chicken wire keeps critters IN, not critters OUT.” Good to take note.

Jessi outlines the “3 c’s for the chicken garden”. They are the COOP, the CHICKEN RUN and the COMPOST AREA. In considering the coop she advises you to check your local laws. Frequently you might be able to have chickens but not a rooster. Each area is different. She points out that exposure and climate are important considerations, as well as easy access. The chicken run is an area that allows your chickens to have fresh air, sunlight and earth. This area can be permanent or rotating. The compost area is where you keep that rich chicken manure you now have access to for fertilization. Jessi uses two bins so she can rotate materials from one bin to the other.

In addressing chicken manure for fertilization one might find a chicken tractor as the one above as a possible choice, for one has the ability to move ones chickens around, to eat your bugs, till your soil and spread their fertilizing gifts, all while being contained. This requires the ability to move such a structure however. But lucky if you can!

For me the ultimate gift of chickens in the garden is the simple pleasure of having them about. I find them infinitely charming. They always bring a smile to my face and open my heart just a bit wider. This is enough reason, surely.

Love and chickie blessings,
Kathryn xoxo

Book News: I’ve at last joined the ranks of millions on Facebook, launching a Facebook Fan Page for those who have read Plant Whatever Brings You Joy to be able to reach out, and for those who have not to obtain more information. I’m also in the process of securing pics of my book on shelves around the country, and this one from San Francisco International Airport, in Compass Books in Terminal 3 was a recent highlight, I must admit!

Posted on July 5th, 2012 by Kathryn
Filed under: Book Notes | 10 Comments »