Haven't Been Blogging Much - Fertilizer Friday

You haven't seen a lot of me on her lately except for an occasional post. So
much has been happening I just can't seem to do it all. Most recently I had to
go up toward Mt. St. Helens, pick up my daughter and take her into town for
surgery. They removed hardware in her knee from a previous surgery that was
giving her trouble. All day in town then taking her home I decided to take our
favorite 5 year old home with me so she could stay down and not have to chase
him around as he had a couple extra days off from school this week. Just the
whole day in town waiting for her was tiring for me but chasing the 5 year old
around just flat does me in.
Yesterday we went on a camel hunt so he could see the goofy looking camel who lives down
the road and then we came back and he helped me take some flower pictures for
Fertilizer Friday.

The Azalea I showed earlier loaded with buds is blooming now. What a
gorgeous color. Last year this was just opening on April 13th so it is really
early this year.

Helleborus

Pulmonaria Smokey Blue

I absolutely love that this blooms in 2 different colors.

It's Fertilizer Friday so be sure to go over and visit our hostess Tootsie after you leave here andsee what's blooming in everyone's gardens! And while you’re there why not join in on
the fun.

What can be fairer than Florida's Fairchild?

No review of Florida gardens would be complete without a visit to Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
- I was saving this till last in my Florida section, but then got diverted to
California and North Carolina, so I'm submitting this review - just a few weeks
late - but still hot off the press. There's no doubt that this is a fabulous
garden, whether you're in search of palms, bromeliads, orchids, cycads or open
spaces. I also really enjoyed the art in the garden - because there's nothing
quite so surreal as staring down the lakes and seeing a dinosaur head peaking
out at you! What's more the birds are quite at home with the art, as you can see
below.

Fairchild is located just a few miles south of
downtown Miami and is home to the largest collection of palms in the world. I
spent a lot of my visit with my head in the air just staring in amazement at
these wonderful trees and I certainly had no idea how many different types there
are - with more than 800 here, I certainly didn't see them all, but they made a
lasting impression on me!

This garden was founded in 1936 by a group of
avid plant lovers. They opened in 1938 and were named after Dr David Fairchild -
the legendary plant explorer - who lived at The
Kampong (another must-see if you're in the area!). There's something for
everyone here - the wonderful 560-foot pergola (above) is one of my favourites,
but perhaps that's because it reminds me of home; the Tropics Conservatory is
astounding and the Cycad Circle will have you gasping!

And these are just a few of the features at
this 83-acre garden. There is so much to see here - a single visit
certainly won't do the gardens justice - so if you're planning to go, do leave
time to return. What really impressed me about this garden was the wide open
spaces and the wonderful vistas, all thanks to William Lyman Phillips, the
Harvard-educated landscape architect who designed Fairchild.

There really is something for everyone here and
one visit is not enough to do this garden justice! As Lilly Pinkas explains in
her book on Florida gardens: "The layout is based on ecological communities
(where plants share the same habitat) and on taxonomic plots, which include
plant species belonging to the same families". This means that you can
concentrate on one particular area of the garden if you're interested, or just
wander around as I did, trying to see everything. But in reality, if I lived in
or near Miami, I know that I would spend many happy hours here watching the
seasons go by and admiring the plants.

You'll also find some amazing art scattered
throughout Fairchild - big bold pieces like the dinosaur, and smaller displays
like the one above in the Conservatory - but what's so great about the
exhibition is that the gardens are big enough to show art and plants in harmony,
and there's also a lot of birds here, encouraged by the watery landscape and
quite at home around the sculpture. I was also delighted to see that Fairchild
produces a wonderful catalogue so that you can take your memories home! I've
noticed that there are few gardens here in the US doing that and given my total
inability to remember plant names, this means that I constantly look to my
readers for help!! But best of all about this garden, is that they've launched a
special programme to work with Alzheimer's
patients. It starts later this month and if you click on the link, you
can go direct to the relevant site with all information and dates. This
certainly sends Fairchild to the top of my list for innovative ideas and what
better setting than a beautiful botanic garden!

And by the way all text and photographs
here, belong to me: The Galloping Gardener, so if you're thinking of borrowing
without asking, think again!

Perfect Pergolas at home and abroad

One of the two pergolas at the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden

I've seen two incredible pergolas here in the
US recently, which gave me the inspiration to write this entry. The first is at
the Daniel
Stowe Botanical Garden near Charlotte in North Carolina (above), which
has not one, but two of these wonderful features; and the second is at Fairchild
Tropical Botanical Garden in Florida (below). Glorious additions in any
garden, since they provide strong architectural interest and are an important
structure for climbing plants.

The 560-foot long vine pergola at Fairchild

Pergolas are open structures with no walls,
with columns supporting crossbars and therefore ideal for all kinds of plants.
They were extremely popular in Renaissance Italy where they were used as grape
arbors, and became a real hallmark of Gertrude Jekyll gardens last century.
Indeed, Vann
(below), where Jekyll also designed the water garden, has a fantastic
pergola, which makes an impressive sight in the summer months as the foliage
begins to spread. Spring must be coming because Vann opens to the public in
April and May - it's one of my favourite gardens in the world, and I'll
certainly be making my annual visit. No year would be complete for me without
it!

West Dean in West Sussex (right) has a pretty impressive pergola too - a
sight to behold even when it's bare on a cold winter's day - when you get the
reflection in the water below. And of course, it's truly joyous in the summer
months when it's covered with greenery. Gertrude Jekyll designed the water
garden here too, but this is definitely a garden for all seasons and there's
always something going on here, because the garden organises wonderful themed
events throughout the season, so it's worth checking their calender. There are
also specialist courses at West Dean College.

Hever Castle, another of my favourites in England, has one of the most
impressive pergolas of all (below), which stretches as far as the eye can see
and is a delight in full bloom. This is just part of the wonderful Italianate
garden there, and is worth planning a special visit to see when the weather gets
better. Definitely 5* gardens and a must-see if you're in the area.

And the pergola that sticks in my mind from my
visit to the South of France last summer is the wonderful edifice at Villa
Hanbury in Ventimiglia (below). And here it really came into its own for
me because it was such a hot day when we visited, that I was only too happy to
hide from the sun in the shade below. Visit any of these gardens on a sunny day,
and you'll be doing the same!

Pictures .... just pictures!

Magnolias at Filoli, CA

Just a recap from my recent travels - I've seen
so many beautiful gardens and plants in the last six weeks - and if you've
missed any of the posts, you can click on the links. I'm going home to England
next week, so hoping to see some snowdrops, and first signs of spring. But if
the weather clears up in Florida, I'll also be visiting a few more gardens here
before I go .....

The Wave Garden, Richmond Point, CA

PS Really sorry, but I don't know what this is - any suggestions?

University of California Botanical Gardens
The Spirit Garden, Big Sur, CA
Hakone Garden, CA

What can be fairer than Florida's Fairchild?

No review of Florida gardens would be complete without a visit to Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
- I was saving this till last in my Florida section, but then got diverted to
California and North Carolina, so I'm submitting this review - just a few weeks
late - but still hot off the press. There's no doubt that this is a fabulous
garden, whether you're in search of palms, bromeliads, orchids, cycads or open
spaces. I also really enjoyed the art in the garden - because there's nothing
quite so surreal as staring down the lakes and seeing a dinosaur head peaking
out at you! What's more the birds are quite at home with the art, as you can see
below.

Fairchild is located just a few miles south of
downtown Miami and is home to the largest collection of palms in the world. I
spent a lot of my visit with my head in the air just staring in amazement at
these wonderful trees and I certainly had no idea how many different types there
are - with more than 800 here, I certainly didn't see them all, but they made a
lasting impression on me!

This garden was founded in 1936 by a group of
avid plant lovers. They opened in 1938 and were named after Dr David Fairchild -
the legendary plant explorer - who lived at The
Kampong (another must-see if you're in the area!). There's something for
everyone here - the wonderful 560-foot pergola (above) is one of my favourites,
but perhaps that's because it reminds me of home; the Tropics Conservatory is
astounding and the Cycad Circle will have you gasping!

And these are just a few of the features at
this 83-acre garden. There is so much to see here - a single visit
certainly won't do the gardens justice - so if you're planning to go, do leave
time to return. What really impressed me about this garden was the wide open
spaces and the wonderful vistas, all thanks to William Lyman Phillips, the
Harvard-educated landscape architect who designed Fairchild.

There really is something for everyone here and
one visit is not enough to do this garden justice! As Lilly Pinkas explains in
her book on Florida gardens: "The layout is based on ecological communities
(where plants share the same habitat) and on taxonomic plots, which include
plant species belonging to the same families". This means that you can
concentrate on one particular area of the garden if you're interested, or just
wander around as I did, trying to see everything. But in reality, if I lived in
or near Miami, I know that I would spend many happy hours here watching the
seasons go by and admiring the plants.

You'll also find some amazing art scattered
throughout Fairchild - big bold pieces like the dinosaur, and smaller displays
like the one above in the Conservatory - but what's so great about the
exhibition is that the gardens are big enough to show art and plants in harmony,
and there's also a lot of birds here, encouraged by the watery landscape and
quite at home around the sculpture. I was also delighted to see that Fairchild
produces a wonderful catalogue so that you can take your memories home! I've
noticed that there are few gardens here in the US doing that and given my total
inability to remember plant names, this means that I constantly look to my
readers for help!! But best of all about this garden, is that they've launched a
special programme to work with Alzheimer's
patients. It starts later this month and if you click on the link, you
can go direct to the relevant site with all information and dates. This
certainly sends Fairchild to the top of my list for innovative ideas and what
better setting than a beautiful botanic garden!

And by the way all text and photographs
here, belong to me: The Galloping Gardener, so if you're thinking of borrowing
without asking, think again!