Plant Whatever Brings You Joy

Rose Heaven

Oh, my goodness. In the nick of time I happened to hear about the Russian River Rose Company, which is open to the public during April and May for perfume tours. Not wanting to interfere with a commercial venture I phoned owner Jan, who very kindly invited me to come out early this morning for a very special private peek at what they are about: making high quality rose oils and rose water for the public following a very old tradition with very high quality European roses! Stunning opportunity! Her husband Michael met me as I drove out to the vineyards in Healdsburg amongst which their treasured roses live–and they among them. What a lifeplan! I was struck by how rudimentary the process is, at once realizing how time intensive it must be to make this treasure, and simultaneously realizing why rose oil is a costly item. “It takes 120 roses to make one drop of rose oil, ” Michael affirmed. Wow. Meanwhile, one cannot help but think of an older profession in our country’s history as one views the apparatus. It is, afterall, a distillery!

Nearby the distillery sit buckets of petals waiting to go into the vat on the right.

Hi, kitty!

Water in the bottom of that vat reaches a temperature that causes steam to go up through the petals, carrying the oil with it. When it reaches the second container it reconstitutes, and eventually finds its way to that little glass jar underneath. There it sits until the oil rises to the top, and rose water remains below. Yes, I get it. Not easy to come by and quite an endeavor in our fast paced world. But oh the result! You can bet I left at morning’s end with more than one rose atomizer in a small bag. How could I not?

Then along came the lovely gracious Jan who ever so generously escorted me about the property personally introducing me to a myriad of roses and irises and various other companion flowering plants.

“Oh, my poor readers,” I lamented, knowing I could never ever remember the names of anything I was shooting, coupled with the self-knowledge that I live in a land of “That is so beautiful!” not, “What’s that?”

Oklahoma

“You easily lose yourself in [words], become hypnotized into implicitly believing that when you have attached a word to something, you know what it is. The fact is: You don’t know what it is. You have only covered up a mystery with a label.”
–Eckhart Tolle

Nevertheless, I do understand that it is nigh onto impossible to go into a nursery and ask for a large red undulating rose. And we are indeed fortunate that Jan is an extremely patient and understanding woman who was willing to look at specific images and identify my favorites that I longed to share with you. Perhaps you will be inspired to bring some of these into your life. Top of the list for me personally was one I could remember! The 4th of July! I purchased two as Mother’s Day gifts. (Yes, I’m one of the Mothers. How did you guess?) This is a climber and I found it to be the happiest of blossoms!

Here are more of my favorites. I’m seeing that I am particularly drawn to the luscious reds! But it is impossible to choose one best one, the variations are so great, the beauty so overwhelming.

Graham Thomas

“Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose.”
Gertrude Stein

Oh, I am so happy to tell you that Jan was not sure which red beauty the above photo was. Even the expert can not be sure in a moment. I feel so much better. 🙂

Paulsen’s Pearl

“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
–Abraham Lincoln

Kardinal

And over one more set of hills,
along the sea,
the last roses have opened their factories of sweetness
and are giving it back to the world.
–Mary Oliver

Dearest readers, wherever you find yourselves, avail yourselves of the beauty of the roses. Give thanks for every dear one of them for the joy they bring into our lives. Take not one for granted.

Tend your gardens. Tend your hearts.

Love and spring blessings,
Kathryn xoxo

Happy postscript: Blogger Cyndee Greene has honored me with a Friendship Award. I invite you to visit her blog The Journey.

Posted on April 24th, 2009 by Kathryn
Filed under: Field Trips | 32 Comments »

Hardscapes

Photo by Michele Lee Willson, courtesy Sunset Books from Patio & Stone, p. 189

I don’t know about you, but I see a photo like the one above, and I just want to get busy! I want to figure out what they used and see how I can somehow incorporate even a smidgeon of the beauty into my garden even if it’s a humble rendition. I do. I mean, look at this! The boxwood. The fountain. The walls! The wall beyond! The doors! Where did they get those doors?? And then to have the brilliant creativity to add the lumber on the top. I mean, it’s orgasmic. Really.

Can you tell I’m into hardscape?

The truth is I haven’t done a whole lot of work with hardscape but it doesn’t diminish my passion. I did one flagstone walkway to the rose arbor; one large brick sidewalk to my guest cabin on my old four acre property; and one mini-sidewalk, that barely counts. But I am fascinated, nevertheless. So this post gave me the perfect excuse to examine hardscape more closely. I headed out for Nickel Creek Nursery, as owner Dawn excels at this sort of thing. Sure enough, look at this.

Tumbled flagstone. It looks so doable, right? It is. It’s heavy, no doubt. But what a great way to build summer muscle! If I can do it, you can, too. It’s actually very fun to fit the pieces together like a puzzle, and then to fill in the spaces in between with tiny rocks or something low to the ground. In the area I built to the rose arbor there is a hodgepodge growing of violets, some teeny succulent and a blue star creeper. I do have to weed out invaders, but it’s not that hard and I enjoy it so much. It’s a precious corner that I dearly cherish.

Poking around Nickel Creek a bit more I found this lovely used brick walkway that runs around one side of the nursery. I look at this and say, “I can do this.” How about you?

One thing I learned living in Arizona was to consider using large rocks in my landscapes. Dawn has these wonderful basilite stones she gets from East Washington state. I think they would add so much to a creative project, don’t you? And I love how she offers up a plate of river rocks for you to consider for your building palette! Yes, thank you. I’ll take a big bunch. (How do you order rocks? By the pound??)

Worse. How do you order big rocks? By the flatbed?

Clearly out of my element, I came home and turned for some good practical advice from Sunset Books’ brand new Patio & Stone: A Sunset Design Guide by Tom Wilhite and the experienced Sunset editors (published March 2009). It is rich with both photos and details to take you from start to finish. And now is the perfect time to be planning this sort of project with our weather patterns finally shifting allowing out of door time in our beloved gardens. Look at this inviting spot featured on the cover. How luxurious. A cup of tea? A nice book in the morning sun, enjoying the chirping of neighborhood birds and the buzzing of bees? How relaxing. This is the way to live.

Patio & Stone is thorough and well organized. It examines many materials you might consider using then turns to the likely projects at hand: patios, paths and steps, walls and raised beds, boulders, water features, and entryways, side yards and driveways. That about covers most of the possibilities, right? There is clearly something for every gardener aspiring to create a destination garden. The 400 beautiful photos alone make this book a valued addition to your library. Patio & Stone is the kind of book you will pour over again and again for years to come, I guarantee you, kindling your inspiration and imagination to create something wonderful and new. Enjoy, dear readers!

Love and gardening blessings,
Kathryn xoxo

Posted on April 18th, 2009 by Kathryn
Filed under: Book Notes | 14 Comments »

Easter Dogwood

Undoubtedly the Legend of the Dogwood holds a special place in my heart as my beloved Grandfather mailed me a postcard from a business trip when I was a wee little girl, and the front of the card bore a photo of a dogwood tree, and next to the photo was this very same legend, which persists today.

In Jesus’ time, the dogwood grew
To a stately size and a lovely hue.
‘Twas strong and firm it’s branches interwoven
For the cross of Christ its timbers were chosen.
Seeing the distress at this use of their wood
Christ made a promise which still holds good:
“Never again shall the dogwood grow
Large enough to be used so.
Slender and twisted, it shall be
With blossoms like the cross for all to see.
As blood stains the petals marked in brown
The blossom’s center wears a thorny crown.
All who see it will remember Me
Crucified on a cross from the dogwood tree.
Cherished and protected, this tree shall be
A reminder to all of my agony.” –Author unknown

At Eastertime, when dogwood trees in blossom abound in many regions, it is understandable that the legend would be revisited, as I have done today. It is a very beautiful tree and when I went in search of them this morning, I was certainly not disappointed. Indeed, many of the old homes near my own were bursting with their beauty. I offer them here for your pleasure.

As I spotted the green dogwood above I literally dragged a small ladder out of my car, placed it on someone’s lawn, climbed up and started shooting. Yes, I did. I noticed almost immediately a closed blind being peeked through, not surprisingly, and a minute later an older well appointed woman came out on the porch to see what I was about. “I’m a gardening blogger. I’m shooting your dogwood.” She seemed charmed enough and immediately was happy to volunteer that she had planted the tree many decades before from a wee small pot, she said. She assured me it was “a native plant” that a gentleman friend had brought to her and her husband after hearing “she liked plants.” It had apparently been growing on a large plot of land he had bought “for the wood” she said. The tree was the largest dogwood I had ever seen, nor was I aware that some bore pale green blossoms. It was quite extraordinary and I think the woman was very pleased I recognized its beauty.

Continuing my quest, here are more I found close by! It’s amazing what you see once you start looking for something with intention.