Open book statuary at Nickel Creek Nursery (I LOVED it!)

“Gossip in the Garden”

“Good Morning Glory, what’s the
Four O’clock news?”
Johnny Jump-Up lost his shoes.
Black-eyed Susan has her eye on
you.
And the Tulips want a kiss or two.
Iris just wants Rose to know,
Sweet William is her favorite beau.
Busy Lizzie took her Butcher’s
broom
and chased the Cattails round the
room.
Poor Weeping Willow isn’t feeling well,
and Hollyhocked her Chiming Bell.
Yesterday Daisy cut off Aaron’s
Beard
Then whispered “Forget-me-not”
in
Elephant’s Ear.
Today a Texas Ranger knocked
at my door,
Creeping Jenny found a
Naked Lady lying on the floor.
Tomorrow who knows what gossip
there’ll be
The Flowers are from such a large
family.

Wanderlust tugged again and I obediently drove out to Nickel Creek Nursery which I find a serene and lovely place to be from time to time. Owner Dawn Lorenzi will not mind if you wander about, or sit and take advantage of the myriad vignettes that abound at Nickel Creek. In short it is A Destination Nursery, should there be such a thing. (And I think there is.) Part of the luxury of Nickel Creek is that it is flanked by 70 plus acres of open vineyards.

That’s a whole lotta quiet, my friends.

I had advised Dawn that I wanted to come by with my camera, so I actually arrived early this morning, before the nursery had opened, but enjoyed the company of some Hispanic workers who had arrived, I’m guessing, at dawn. I had been assured the gate of the two-acre nursery would be open, but, in fact, it had not yet been pulled back by the time I arrived. Fortunately, just to the right of the tall gate is this collection of lovely plants, where I found a hole in that fencing.

(I suspect this might have happened before.) I scrambled through and continued with my early morning adventure!

One of my favorite features of this particular nursery is the statuary, of which I am very fond. So I was greeted upon entry by this lady basking in the early light of day. Noting the intensity of the light even at this early hour you might imagine the heat we have been experiencing lately! (No complaints here!)

And she…

Just beyond is one of the vignette’s Dawn has created. As a landscaper she has created water features such as these all over this valley for the last twenty years, leaving her mark of skilled beauty on this community.

Another view reveals more detail.

Continuing with my treat of basically having the nursery All to Myself, I ventured along and discovered this little inviting spot, filled with a variegated rosy rose and an unusual purple geranium.

I found this corner very charming.

A short distance from the boy with the panpipes stood another child, highlighting a second water feature sporting such classic water plantings as cattails, papyrus and canna lilies. (Secret: he has a frog in his back pocket!)

Just around the corner I was enchanted finding a spider about his morning duties lodged near the tippy top of this pineapple fountain!

Coming full circle I am now in front of the nursery again, where this spectacular collection of Columbian high-fired pots greets customers…

And at the very moment of my full circle arrival, Dawn was just emerging from her new hybrid car, warmly greeting me to Nickel Creek Nursery.

Thanks, Dawn, for allowing me to document the abundant beauty you have created. Strong woman!

Here’s what followed me home. (Won’t my jays be happy?)

Enjoy your gardens!
Love and blessings!
Kathryn xox

Posted on June 13th, 2008 by Kathryn
Filed under: Field Trips | 24 Comments »

When Timber Press alerted me to a new book they were publishing about gardening and fitness I was immediately interested, as you might imagine, having written about the marriage of gardening and yoga. But I was not prepared for just how much I would utterly LOVE Garden Your Way to Health and Fitness by UK’s famed and admired gardening guru, Bunny Guinness and her co-author, English physiotherapist, Jacqueline Knox. Now, just for my European and Australian readers, please note that the cover is different for you. And here it is so you can find on your local bookshelves:

Do you suppose the British are having more fun than we are here in the US? Could be. I’ll tell you this, as you might well already know, the British REALLY know how to create a garden. As my friend Marsha observed, “They’ve been doing it for a lot longer.” Maybe. Or maybe it’s a cultural thing. I don’t know. But, oh, my! This book is worth just the many inspirational photos of Brit gardens. Just take a gander:

I love the use of the box to fence in the perennials. This practice of using natural, creative ways to enclose or encase one species with another is a theme in the English garden. One of my other favs was a wonderful handwoven willow fencing about a vege patch. And here is this marvelous, yet simple patchwork affair for individual herbs and veges. Beats traditional raised beds, does it not?

Ironically, in spite of the focus and excellent instruction on how to ergonomically lift, hoe, prune, and move about your wheelbarrow without ruining yourself, one of the most inspirational sections for me personally was the emphasis on Good Tools. As a result of reading this book I have purchased in the last week a much broader rake, a long handled pruner that does not come baggaged with any sort of complicating strings or ropes, a hula hoe and a Dutch hoe (highly recommended by the authors), a nifty edging iron, and a new digging tool that is so fierce it could double as a weapon, God forbid you should ever need it. Next on the list are an apron (moi!) and a pair of Wellington boots, apparently, known affectionately as Wellies. I can wear them with my Children of the Forest wool-lined oilcloth raincoat, a personal favorite item, which reads “made in the Royal Forest of Dean, England.” Sigh. But I digress.

Here’s a wonderfully inspiring, charmingly instructional photo of what the authors recommend as basic gardening gear:

I am all atwitter just thinking about it.

I would be remiss if I did not emphasize that the primary focus of Garden Your Way to Health and Fitness is bringing our attention to the importance of warming up our bodies prior to gardening, learning to move our bodies as we work in ways that prevent injuries, and incorporate stretches and exercises into our gardening practices. The book is rich with lush photos that show us the way. Here is a lovely photo of Bunny stopping for a stretch against a handy tree while working:

And, obviously a woman who understands the importance of balance, here is a splendidly seductive suggestion (and I want one!):

Again, while the primary intention of Bunny and Jacqueline’s book is to raise our awareness of how we might use our bodies more consciously and effectively in the garden, which it does brilliantly, it is ever so much more than that, my dear readers. I have to say this is probably one of my all-time favorite gardening books, and I can readily imagine taking it into my garden as a new Garden Bible to refer to again and again, the ideas therein are so rich and abundant. Well done, ladies, and highly recommended!

Love and garden blessings,
Kathryn xox

Posted on June 3rd, 2008 by Kathryn
Filed under: Book Notes | 13 Comments »