How lucky I’ve been—I’ve had more than my share of peak experiences in my working life over these thirty-five years in the field.  Learning the secrets of Japanese garden design from Professor Kinsaku Nakane in Kyoto; traveling the world to research “garden realms” for my first book; building Tenshin-en at the Museum of Fine Arts; creating the Toronto Music Garden with Yo-Yo Ma; opening my studio in Vermont—joyful experiences all.   Then, just two weeks ago on Saturday, January 28^th under a brilliant winter sky, I had my most recent peak experience, thanks to the volunteer efforts of 14 Alpha Tau Gamma alumni, six students, and two girlfriends from the Stockbridge School of Agriculture in Amherst, MA.  This hardy group came together to prune the Garden of the Heart of Heaven back to life.

The heroic volunteer pruning team with Jim Mulcahy at center, in blazer.

The quarter-acre meditation garden, designed by Prof. Nakane and opened in 1987, is about to turn 25 years old.  So it is fitting that the process of its rejuvenation has begun.  Rumors that the garden would be removed in the fourth phase of the MFA’s master planning process seem to have finally been put to rest; the ATG fraternity’s hard work has brought encouragement and impetus to those of us who continue to love the garden, despite its overgrown state.  Thanks to them, I plan to work with MFA staff to ensure that it is well loved, properly maintained, and appropriately curated in perpetuity.

Volunteers gather inside the Kabuki-mon entry gate. The gate was built in Kyoto, disassembled and brought to the MFA, and reassembled by Japanese carpenters. Visitors are meant to look at the garden only from this path and from the terrace, where benches are positioned to allow contemplation of the garden. Julie calls this a “mind journey.”

The enthusiastic and effervescent James Edward Mulcahy, ATG ’60, spearheaded this entire effort on the Museum’s behalf.  He brought a small group of fraternity brothers together in early January to meet with Director of Facilities David Geldart, Facilities Manager Karen Haley, and me to decide how best to proceed.  We walked the garden and assessed the 1,750 plants and decided to put out a call for a legion of arborists to pass under the Kabuki Gate with pruning saws and shears in hand.

L: Crew members Marc Hansen, Greg Barnett, Steve Spencer, and Bob Maltby. R: Pruned material being hoisted out of the garden.

And come they did! The group was assembled by 8 a.m. and, except for a brief lunch break, worked straight through until 3 p.m.  Here’s who arrived to help: Pete Childs (’58), 
Jim Mulcahy (’60), 
Hugh Sweeney (’62) and friend Roberta, 
Robert Stowell Maltby (’74) & son Brian, 
Steve Spencer (’75), 
Greg Barnett (’83), 
Gary Shepherd (’85), 
Mark Olson (’89), 
Jim Anspach (’90), 
Marc Hansen (’97), 
Leighton Allenby II (’04), 
Ben Anderson (’04), 
Nate Cenis (’05), 
Tim Kaija (’09) with friend Abby, 
Steve Copeland (’09),
Josh Lima (’10), 
Ryan McGillivray (’11), 
Ethan Dangelo (’12), 
Nick Henderson 
(’13), Mark MacDonald (’13) and Glenroy Buchanan, house father.

L: Pruned Stewartia inside the Tenshin-en wall. The clay tiles atop the wall were baked in Kyoto four times rather than the traditional two, to temper them for the extremes of Boston’s climate. R: Ethan Dangelo prunes the interior branches of a cherry tree inside the courtyard.

L: A cherry tree (Prunus autumnalis) which had become badly overgrown is removed by crane. R: Euonymous alatus after a drastic pruning. Vertical and crossing branches were removed and the tree opened up to admit light and air.

One member, Bob Maltby, went way beyond the call in his contribution to the cause.   He donated the services of his Maltby Tree Service 38-ton, 129-foot crane, a bucket truck and chipper, and an additional non-ATG 5-man paid crew, removing three overgrown autumn cherries (Prunus autumnalis) from the garden and several large oak and ash limbs that blocked the sunlight overhead.  Bob, along with his son Brian and associate Marc Hansen, have earned my allegiance forever with their huge contribution for the garden.

Stockbridge School freshman Nick Henderson rakes the gravel with a 50-pound rake as the afternoon shadows lengthen.

And ATG is not done yet! Another large group of members has already committed to returning to the garden on April 21st for broad-leafed evergreen pruning, to prune the Enkianthus hedge along the north wall, and to do more precise pruning inside. Thank you, ATG.  This is the beginning of a beautiful and fruitful relationship!

The smiling faces of our amazing volunteers:

We are working on a new book, entitled Landscaping Ideas That Work, to be published by The Taunton Press in November 2013.

We are seeking entries from architects, landscape architects, landscape designers, and photographers. We’re looking for projects to photograph (which will appear in case studies) and completed photography that fits our book outline.

Please click here to read the Call for Submissions and share this with anyone you know who might be interested!

Snow is finally blanketing the ground here in Vermont, offering a blank canvas on which to project our dreams for this year’s garden. Time to snuggle up with some vegetable and annual flower seed catalogs! Here are our favorites.

The first taste of spring: one of illustrator Bobbi Angell‘s lovely drawings in the Scheepers Kitchen Garden catalog.

Julie’s Pick: John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds

Over the past few years I’ve grown my vegetables using seeds from different companies, so that I can experience an array of products first hand.  The first year I combined local seedlings with Burpee’s and High Mowing Seeds, our local Vermont organic seed company.   Happy with the results, I vowed to grow from seed thereafter and began to ask my colleagues in the studio which companies they preferred.

Erica suggested Seeds of Change (read her description below), which I used the second year.  I enjoyed their catalogue, their commitment to being 100% certified organic, and their bright yellow reclosable/reusable plastic packets.   Last year I tried Johnny’s Selected Seeds, since I was also growing many of their annuals from seed for my son’s wedding celebration at our house.  I found that, because I had waited too long before ordering, I had to settle for hybrid varieties, but the results were excellent.

This year, thanks to several years of satisfaction with Scheepers’ bulbs, I’m trying their John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds™ collection.  I like their combination packets and their superb illustrations, drawn by the talented Bobbi Angell, who lives nearby in Southern Vermont and has become a friend.   I can’t wait to get planting!

More of Bobbi Angell’s illustrations from the Scheepers’ Kitchen Garden Seeds catalog.

Erica’s Choice: Seeds of Change

I have been using Seeds of Change for years. An organic seed company, their product is reliable and their selection is quite delicious. They also donate 1% of their profits towards “sustainable organic farming initiatives” like the New York Restoration Project and The Rice Child and Family Center, which works to educate children about gardening. Seeds of Change cultivates its own varieties, which means that its selection is one of a kind. Partly due to the temptation of their colorful catalogue, I usually make a list that far exceeds my budget, only to have to painstakingly pare it down later.

Mouthwatering images from the Seeds of Change catalog.

I was originally annoyed when a few years ago they switched from their regular paper seed packets to a bright yellow plastic, citing better storage of seed. While I continued to buy from them, I discovered that the lighter seeds, especially those of celery, Verbena bonariensis, lettuce, and carrots tended to be over-attracted to the plastic’s static electricity and often refused to leave the container with any dignity. I also wish, in terms of packaging, that Seeds of Change offered the mini packs that so many of its competitors offer. Sometimes you don’t need 25 tomato seeds of a particular variety at $3.49 a pack. They do cater to larger farms though, offering bulk seed amounts and wholesale prices.

Anna’s Tried and Tested Favorite: Renee’s Garden Seeds

If you are planning an edible blossom garden, one to attract bees, or just a few edible containers, Renee’s Garden Seeds has you covered. Her site is chock-full of resources, articles, and recipes, as well as themed seed collections. As a market grower for cut flowers, I find their selection of sweet peas unrivaled, as well as their Secrets to Sweet Pea Success and invaluable photographed growing guide. My favorite flower offerings are in the Nigella collection – both Pink ‘Mulberry Rose’ and White ‘Bridal Veil’ are hard to find elsewhere and oh-so-lovely. Renee’s is also proud to offer only non-treated, non-GMO seeds, seeds from sustainable and organic growers, and some exclusive varieties.

Renee’s Garden boasts a beautiful catalog and lovely packaging, but this company is much more than a pretty seed-packet! Anna was kind enough to give her fellow-workers Renee’s seeds as a gift, and when Jennifer planted these ‘Electric Blue’ sweet peas in the vegetable garden, they bloomed like crazy for months–right up until hard frost.

Jana’s Reliable Source: Fedco Seeds

If you have ever seen the Fedco Seed catalog you know what it is like to be entertained by vegetables!  This no-gloss newsprint catalog is filled with hand drawings that have a lot of character, plenty of quick reference guides, information about GMOs, and reasons to save seeds…it’s practically overflowing with information. The layout and descriptions make me feel like I have uncovered advice that is both prized and coveted.  Fedco is a nonprofit cooperative company with consumers and worker members sharing ownership. They have five basic departments: Seeds, Moose Tubers, Organic Growers Supply, Trees and Bulbs.  They have a lot to offer and encourage group orders, so get together with friends, neighbors, or co-workers to order seeds, tubers and supplies…and save!  Fedco also has a wonderful fundraising opportunity for your school or organization. Our school garden will fundraise with Fedco for its third consecutive year; we’ve have had huge success!

L: The cover of Fedco‘s 2012 black-and-white print catalog; C and R: colorful images from Fedco’s seed and Moose Tubers online catalogs.

Jennifer’s Old Standby and a New Source for Potatoes: Johnny’s Selected Seeds and The Maine Potato Lady

I’m loyal to Johnny’s both for its excellent quality seeds and germination results and for its enormously informative catalog. Every seed packet has detailed planting, cultivation, disease prevention, and harvest information printed right on it, which makes planting so much easier than pawing through printed materials with muddy hands in the garden. Also, Johnny’s extensive trial gardens are located in Maine, so I trust that their advice will pertain to my Zone 5 garden as well. Julie advises that one should order early for organic seeds, before they run out.

I have purchased excellent shallots from Johnny’s, but I also like to spread my modest veg garden dollars around a little among other ethical growers. This spring I’ll be buying my seed potatoes from The Maine Potato Lady, who comes highly recommended for quality and an outstanding selection of seed potatoes, onion sets, shallots, garlic, and the like. I also love the detailed advice about cover crops in their charming catalog.

Bethany’s Discovery: Comstock Ferre & Co.

Am I a lazy wife? Not even close, but I’m often short on time, so I was easily sold on this heirloom pole bean in Comstock Ferre & Co.‘s seed catalog, “Lazy Wife.” She bears clusters of pods for quicker harvest of an “exceedingly rich, buttery and fine flavored bean.” Sounds indulgent AND efficient—I love it! That find pushed me to delve further into the catalog, which is really beautiful by the way, offered as a high-res online flipbook (awesome) as well as in print. Before too long I was drunk on dreams of these heirloom seeds, their history and their promise. I love that the seeds are all from hardy northern plants grown in New England and are all heirloom varieties. Nice.

The front cover and a sample page of Comstock, Ferre & Co.’s 2012 catalog–who could resist those gorgeous retro illustrations?

What are your favorite catalogs for browsing and most reliable seed sources? Please share in the comments. Happy garden planning!

On a cold and rainy mid-November morning, I ascended the metal staircase at West 18th Street to take a stroll along the mile-long High Line. For anyone who doesn’t already know about this marvelous urban landscape in the sky, you must plan a visit whenever you’re in New York City. As my colleague Charles Birnbaum writes, this former elevated railway on Manhattan’s West Side has become “an international urban design sensation.” Now that Phase 2 is complete, the whole elevated garden stretches high above the city, from Gansevoort to 30th Street.

And what a garden it is! Designed by landscape architects James Corner Field Operations and architects Diller, Scofidio & Renfro, the park is a study in continuity and change, with the curving linearity of the steel tracks and long planks of concrete providing the continuity. Native plantings provide a constantly changing series of tableaux, including wildflower meadows, copses, open lawn, and shrub and grasslands, so ably choreographed by Piet Oudolf of Holland. Buildings above and adjacent, the Hudson River beyond, cabs and trucks below, and people everywhere provide a dynamic backdrop to this wonderfully vibrant yet contemplative setting. Have a look at my photos below, and then plan on visiting; no matter the season, it’s worth it.

A holiday gift blog post has become an annual tradition at JMMDS. Here’s what we’re giving (and hoping to receive!) this holiday season.

Julie

This year JMMDS has given the gift of beautiful wreaths from Lands End to our treasured clients. Thanks to the thoughtfulness of our public relations consultant, Suzanne Fedoruk, this very wreath arrived at our own doorstep on December 1st. With its sprays of juniper with their blue berries and twigs of eucalyptus, our studio was soon filled with the scent of Christmas. Everyone who has received one loves it.

“River Sunset” by Christine Labich.

Another gift I’m giving this year is that of garden art. Our niece Christine Labich is a marvelous landscape painter who combines a background in evolutionary biology and ecology with a love of landscape design. Her pastels marry a precise eye for detail with attention to overall composition and color. As a thank-you to our major clients whose projects are completed (and sufficiently grown in), I have commissioned an original painting of their landscape, as a way to “look again” at the world we create for them. As Chris says so eloquently:

“I think that art has the capacity to ask us to look again at the world we live in. The land, air, water, plants, and animals that surround us are not only aesthetically evocative, they are part of what keeps us alive, and they are valuable in themselves. In choosing to paint the landscape, I am asking us to look again with our eyes and our hearts.”

“Meadow” by Christine Labich.

Bethany

This year we’re proud to be giving framed one-of-a-kind paintings by my two favorite budding artists. Priceless. (Thank you, Main Street Arts!) I’d be honored to receive them, too. [Ed. note: Bethany has two adorable little girls!] I would also be thrilled to receive a sewing machine, along with some basic instruction. My mother once told me, “A woman should never learn to sew,” and I understand where that thinking comes from, but I appreciate and long for the freedom of being able to create (and repair) bed and window coverings myself! Isn’t that the ultimate domestic bliss?!

L: Some of the original framed artwork that Bethany’s lucky relatives will be receiving. Photo: Bethany Gracia. R: The coveted machine. Photo: Singer.

Anna

For the aspiring urban homesteader, resourceful foodie or garden junkie on your list, I suggest giving a subscription to Wilder Quarterly, a Brooklyn-based publication that is not only visually and tactilely rich, but offers a condensed version of all the things that I love.  I became acquainted with Odyssey Bulbs and their offerings of hard-to-find geophytes like Allium obliquum, savored a plant profile of cheddar cauliflower, and now have photo illustrated how–to’s from building a modular cold frame to growing and crafting blends for teas.  Also included is a seasonal calendar of national garden related-events and recipes from caramelized carrot and brown butter puree to lacto-fermented dill pickles from Vinegar Hill House.

I particularly loved Trucks Gone Wild, the portrait of Truck Farm, a mobile CSA that deployed insufficient garden space, green roof technology and old truck beds into a burgeoning business.  Plus, it’s FSC and zero printed and a portion of the subscription is donated to the Fresh Air Fund (two gifts in one!).

Pages from the Autumn 2011 issue of Wilder Quarterly.

Jana

Since I enjoy gardening and growing things, often I like to give paper-whites or amaryllis… I found this herb garden kit online the other day which looks like a great gift! (One year, I gave my father a composting kit… I’m not sure he was thrilled.) Not everyone has a green thumb or wants a gift that requires that they “do something,” so this year, less work for everyone…I am making cookies. It’s work for me, but I love baking. I have a favorite recipe that combines my love of baking with one of my favorite garden plants – rosemary. Rosemary Shortbread Cookies sound like an adult treat – and they are – but I have found my 9-year-old daughter stealing one every time she walks past the jar! My original recipe comes from Farmhouse Cookbook by Susan Herrman Loomis, and calls for a half-cup white or brown rice flour in additional to the all-purpose flour…but make them as you’d like, they are sure to be loved. I am wrapping them up in small waxed-bag packages, tied with yarn and a sprig cut from my own houseplant.

Rosemary shortbread cookies. Jana brought these into the studio and…oops! Where’d they go? Photos: Jana Bryan Wunderle.

Another fun suggestion: this upcycled wine-bottle hydroponic herb-planter at Uncommon Goods.

Growbottle. Photo: Uncommon Goods.

Jennifer

I’m giving the children in our extended family their own ornament storage boxes, each containing one Christmas tree ornament. I plan to add to the collections every year, so that each child will have a little stash of tree ornaments when it’s time to go off into the world on their own. I can buy special one-of-a-kind ornaments when I come across them, and other years I can make homemade ornaments, which I love to do.

I also can’t let a gift round-up go by without mention of books I hope to give and receive! Here are a few:

From left to right: Naturally Curious, Mary Holland’s month-by-month New England field guide (Holland has a terrific blog by the same name); Rodale’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening, chock-full of sustainable gardening tips; the matchless Dirr’s Encyclopedia of Trees & Shrubs by Michael A. Dirr; The New American Landscape: Leading Voices on the Future of Sustainable Gardening, edited by Thomas Christopher, a compendium of 11 essays on sustainable gardening, including pieces by Toby Hemenway and Doug Tallamy.

And don’t forget these other possibilities: signed copies of Julie’s books (we can wrap and mail them for you), our iPhone landscape design app, and our Home Outside online landscape design service!

Please share your gift ideas with us in the Comments! We wish all of you a very happy and peaceful holiday season.

We Americans love our Christmas trees—even those of us who don’t celebrate Christmas warm to this centuries-old tradition. Here’s a look at the environmental impacts of various Christmas tree choices.

For many, this is an indispensable holiday tradition: a visit to a tree farm to choose your own tree. Photo: Christmas Geek.

Buying a Real Tree (or Cut-Your-Own)

If you must have a Christmas tree (rather than some of the creative alternatives mentioned below), buying a real tree from a well-managed farm is the best choice. Christmas trees are often grown on rocky or sloping land that is unsuitable for other farming. Their roots stabilize the soil and prevent erosion. The trees absorb carbon dioxide and emit oxygen. Try to buy from a farm as close to home as possible, to cut down on the environmental costs of transportation. It’s also worth paying a little more for a tree that has been grown using organic practices or integrated pest management (for example, using ladybugs instead of chemicals to fight aphids). Search Local Harvest for organic farms near you. Also, if you prefer natural imperfections, look for tip-pruned trees rather than the perfectly symmetrical sheared trees often seen at large retailers.

Artificial Christmas Trees: A Sustainable Choice?

Years ago, artificial trees were beloved by elderly relatives who would drag them down from the attic, covered in a decade’s worth of accumulated dime-store tinsel. In recent years, however, they have acquired some shiny new sustainability cred among those who care about the environment and are concerned about the wastefulness of growing a tree for several years only to bring it indoors for a month and then discard it. Are artificial trees truly a good choice for the environment, however?

Wow, is that artificial? Photo: Lawn Ornaments and Fountains.com.

The components of artificial trees are anything but eco-friendly: petroleum-based, potentially carcinogenic polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which degrades over time, and metals which may include lead. Both the manufacture and the disposal of artifical trees pollute the earth and atmosphere with toxic substances. In addition, many of them are shipped all the way from China.

They are also not a good choice for human health. In an article in this month’s Organic Gardening magazine, Elizabeth Petersen cites a 2008 EPA report which warns about the dangers of degrading PVC and lead poisoning from artifical trees.

Cutting Your Own Tree in the Wild

For those of us who live in rural areas, venturing into the woods for a Charlie-Brown-style Christmas tree has old-fashioned appeal and seems relatively harmless, environmentally speaking—after all, many of our woods appear overcrowded, with young trees struggling for light under the canopy. There are very good reasons for not cutting wild trees, however.

Anna Johansen, JMMDS designer, says, “I wouldn’t suggest taking even the gangliest trees from the wild. Firs (balsam, white and alpine) and spruce (Engelmann, white, blackhills, black and Colorado) are rated as having high wildlife value (25-49 wildlife users).  Tsuga has intermediate value (15-24 users).  Cedar and pines are in the ‘very high’ category, with more than 50 wildlife users.  Unless the stand is thick, the lone tree in the shade should not be cut, since it offers seeds, shelter, etc.  The gangly ones are often very old, waiting for a disturbance event to give them a shot at zipping up into the canopy.  There is also widespread scale and adelgid in American forests, so it’s not a good idea to deplete the wild population in case there are some resistant trees out there.”

A strong argument for leaving wild trees alone: Vermont’s rare spruce grouse, which depends on spruce and fir forests. Photo: Vermont Center for Ecostudies.

If you absolutely must take your tree from the wild, someone who wishes to remain nameless (as this advice is ethical but possibly illegal) recommends taking young pines from under a power line, since the power company whacks them down every few years anyway. These trees are usually growing in full sun, so they’re often well-formed and attractive.

Make your own humble Charlie Brown tree. Photo and tutorial at Instructables.

Alternative Traditions

You can decorate a potted or balled-and-burlapped live evergreen. Eartheasy suggests getting a small tree in a large pot, so you can use it for a few Christmases before planting it outdoors (do make note of what its mature dimensions will be before planting!). I used to hang my ornaments on a ficus tree in my tiny New York studio. I know a young couple, newly married, who are starting an annual tradition of finding a sculptural-looking fallen tree limb from the woods to bring home, stick upright in a bucket of sand, and decorate.

This gorgeous “tree”—and other creative suggestions—can be found at Apartment Therapy.

Making the Most of Your Christmas Tree

Many towns offer a free mulching service for disposing of trees and turning them into a valuable resource. You can also cut off branches from your Christmas tree and use them for shrub protection or for added traction on an icy area.

One year after Christmas we carried our tree out to the backyard, stand and all, and decorated it with peanut-butter-smeared pinecones, cranberries, bits of seed-covered suet, and other treats for the birds. For months we had the pleasure of watching cardinals and other feathered neighbors enjoy the feast, and then in spring we added the skeletal tree’s remains to our May Day bonfire. (Now that we have a cat, however, I’m reluctant to put bird-bait so near the ground.)

Some people submerge their old trees in a lake or pond to provide shelter for fish and other creatures. Just make sure your tree was organically grown; don’t introduce a pesticide-sprayed tree into a delicate ecosystem.

Some ideas for decorating outdoor trees for the birds. L: Citrus fruits and sunflower heads. Photo by North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension. R: Pinecone ornaments and strung cranberries. Photo by Willow Farm.

Now, what to put under that tree?

Through JMMDS, you can give the gift of landscape design in many forms, for any budget!

Know a young couple starting out in a first home? Give them a gift certificate for a beautiful and original landscape design that incorporates all the elements they dream of, with our Home Outside online landscape design service. Our introductory price, starting at $500, is good through December 31, so contact us now!

Additionally, our HOD iPhone app is only $2.99 in the App Store, and Julie’s inspiring books are available on our website.

Julie and I recently enjoyed a fieldtrip to Wentworth, NH, to visit the Shin-Boku Nursery on the western edge of the White Mountains. We were conducting research for a private garden we are designing for a client whose first love is trees, and this specialty plant nursery is renowned as very likely the largest nursery in North America dedicated to the production of Japanese garden trees, grown in and suitable to New Hampshire’s rugged climate.

The Stroll Garden at Shin-Boku Nursery in Wentworth, NH.

Shin-Boku’s owner, Palmer Koelb, was delivering coffee to his foreman when we arrived, so we had a few minutes to experience his stroll garden on our own. Small stepping stones, moss-covered boulders, and sculptural trees are designed to create a journey that adds up to much more than the distance traveled. It was a wonderful first impression and introduction to Shin-Boku.

Striking red fruit against a pool of white gravel.

When Palmer returned, we drove to the nursery entrance on the other side of a cow pasture. Palmer’s story is similar to that of many who fall in love with Japanese gardens – love at first sight. He was riveted at an early age by the books his father, architect Carl Koelb, had on Japanese gardens. He knew when he was twelve years old that he loved the art and design found in this garden tradition.

A weeping Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus ‘Pendula’) drapes its graceful branches behind Sargent’s weeping hemlocks (Tsuga canadensis ‘Pendula’). Photo: Julie Moir Messervy.

We walked among the plant varieties of Picea, Tsuga, Pinus, and more, and I noticed that each tree had its own unique character. Some trees were larger than I had seen in any nursery, some were pruned to display their unique personality or to play with the sense of scale, some trees invited you to laugh, be surprised…or even gasp.

L: Picea abies ‘Virgata,’ or Norway snake spruce: striking and beautiful, but be warned, it’s not as soft as it looks. R: Thuja occidentalis ‘Degroot’s Spire,’ which Palmer describes as “the horticultural exclamation point.”

L: Pinus mugo subsp. mugo, a low, slow-growing, very cold-tolerant shrub. R: Hemlock Tsuga hussii, a rare variety that needs no pruning and has great depth and three-dimensionality.

Palmer’s connection to plants can be traced back to Weston Nurseries. As a neighbor to the nursery’s original site, Palmer was exposed to the variety of general nursery stock and some rare plants as well. He opened his own nursery and developed his interest in grafting. His collection—amassed over 40 years and now numbering over 100 different cultivars (mostly conifers)—is divided between his Shin-Boku Nursery and Baker Valley Nursery locations. Palmer, his wife Deb, and foreman Bill Balch care for hundreds of trees and shrubs, employing a long-standing tradition of Japanese-style pruning.

I liked this small Pinus telling its own story with a bed of moss at its feet.

We soon met Bill, who stopped for a moment to chat, though he had many items on his to do list: pruning, transplanting, and preparing trees for winter. He and Palmer are clearly a genuine team. Palmer said of Bill, “His experience and equipment talents are one-of-a-kind. I am very lucky to have him.”

Shin-Boku’s foreman, Bill Balch, Julie Moir Messervy, and nursery owner Palmer Koelb.

After touring Shin-Boku, we traveled a few miles to Baker Valley Nursery, to walk among very impressive mature tree specimens. As we wove our way through the rows, we came across the sweet scent of the Katsura tree, Cercidiphyllum japonicum. Touched by the cold frost, it smelled like cotton candy. Neither Julie nor I had experienced it before, and we both agreed that children would be excited by this surprise –inspiration for a Children’s Garden! And then the two dancing larch trees – where can we use those? So many ideas!

L: The Katsura tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum), almost leafless, still broadcasts its cotton-candy fragrance. R: Two playful dancing larches (Larix decidua) resemble creations of Dr. Seuess.

A few weeks ago, I was honored to speak at Longwood Gardens’ Leadership in Landscapes symposium, along with the Dutch international landscape architecture firm West 8’s spellbinding principal, Adriaan Geuze. Adriaan is heading up the master planning team for Longwood Gardens, so it was a delight to hear him speak of his firm’s many projects around the world and then to reveal a bit about plans for Longwood.

The lovely and haunting Swamp Garden, an installation designed by West 8 for the 1997 Spoleto Art Festival in Charleston, SC. Photo: West 8.

And what wonderful work he does! Adriaan started by speaking about his first American project, the Swamp Garden in Charleston, SC, for the Spoleto Art Festival. This garden room formed a boardwalk over swamp waters, surrounded by screens of steel wires dripping with Spanish moss. The simple idea, perfectly executed, seems inevitable when Adriaan describes his thought process.

The wooden structure shown here is the Sund Garden in Malmö, Sweden, a garden enclosed within a wall of randomly-placed and connected tree trunks. Photo: West 8.

He moved next to describe the Sund Garden in Malmö, Sweden. As described on West 8’s website, it’s a “garden in its pure sense: small, enclosed, non-functional and formed on illusions.” Stacked piles of tree trunks look like they might in the forest, waiting to be transported to a mill. Atop the stack, which visitors can climb through, lies—unexpectedly—a garden of oyster shells.

The Garden of 10,000 Bridges in Xi’an, China, is an undulating, labyrinthine representation of the path of a human lifetime. Photo: West 8.

Moving on to China, Adriaan described my favorite project of the day, the Garden of the 10,000 Bridges. It tells the story of human life, continuous and winding, like a labyrinth. The bridges rise above a sea of bamboo. How very beautiful it is!

The Miami SoundScape Lincoln Park, an intimate green park in the midst of bustling Miami Beach, offers a range of recreational and cultural activities that belies its small size. Photo: West 8.

Adriaan spoke in depth about working in Florida on the Miami SoundScape Lincoln Park. Using a hardy, hurricane-proof palm tree as the major planting throughout this 1-hectare site, his team created undulating topography with meandering pathways, all criss-crossed graphically by stark white concrete pathways and seat walls. Like our Toronto Music Garden, this New World Symphony garden “marries music, design and experience.” I can’t wait to visit it on my next trip to Florida.

I had the pleasure of getting to know Adriaan and West 8’s New York principal Jamie Maslyn Larson at a dinner given by Longwood Director Paul Redman the night before our talks. I am eager to continue our wide-ranging discussion, including imagining together what a “Woman’s Garden” might look like. I hope to visit their Governor’s Island project when I’m in New York in a couple weeks. It is exciting to be so inspired by another designer’s work, and everyone in the audience was mesmerized by Adriaan’s brilliant and humorous talk about his creative thought process and West 8’s remarkable projects.

An image of West 8′s re-envisioning of New York City’s Governors’ Island—a truly democratic public park embracing the history, culture, ecology, and spirit of the city. Photo: West 8.

Dahlia bud.

Autumn is hard on us gardeners. It signals the end of yet another growing season. It can be difficult to let go of those glorious blooms, and harder yet accepting the reality of winter’s coming. Sometimes a protracted goodbye is a bad thing. For one snarky garden blog writer, enough is enough.

I don’t know who they think they are kidding. It’s late October here in Vermont, and most respectable plants know that winter is coming. The respectable set has allowed their blooms to fade, their seeds to set, and leaves to turn, as they should. It’s called, “going to bed for the winter,” and yes, as chief gardener and regulator of this little homestead of mine, I expect my plants to behave in this manner. After all, I have a lot of work to do to prepare their beds, and I don’t need anybody slowing me down.

L: Asters. R: Phlox paniculata ‘David.’

Yet some plants around here are just going on and on like it’s some sort of all-night party. Not only do they continue to bloom, but some are still in bud! Is it a race to the finish, a contest to see who will be the Last Plant Standing? Perhaps these plants have been watching too much reality TV (Extreme Green?) Okay, perhaps I can find it within myself to hold off on the final bed preparations for just a moment longer. Game on, my friends, game on.

L: Rudbeckia laciniata, or cutleaf coneflower. C: Leucanthemum x superbum ‘Becky,’ or Shasta daisy. R: Knautia macedonica.

I can understand the annuals’ perspectives. They have one shot at procreation and they are going to take it. Hot weather arrived late this summer in Vermont, and these plants have to make the most of their short season. I am sure that my constant dead-heading must have been frustrating to them. They are, after all, trying to go to seed. Every time it threatens to frost, I go out there with my trusty clippers and snip everything blooming in sight. This only seems to stimulate them and they respond with raging new blossoms every week or so.

Verbena bonariensis

I do appreciate their persistence. After all, what are annuals good for, if not constant bloom late into the season? I know that their end will be swift and final as soon as the fatal freeze rears its ugly head. I will be there when it happens to rip them out by the roots and send them straight to the compost pile. Goodbye, zinnias, see you next year.

Annuals: Cleome (L) and Calendula officinalis (R).

As for the perennials, puh-lease. It’s not like they haven’t had their days in the sun. I ask, as I do every year, “What were you waiting for, Actaea, a private invitation to bloom when it was still September? Why wait until October to show your glory? If you are going to be a bugbane, would you mind coming out when there are still swarms to ward off?” Actaea never answers. Its fuzzy white blooms sway gently in the autumn winds. Bees get their last hurrah.

Actaea racemosa, also known as bugbane, snakeroot, black cohosh, or fairy candles.

I will say that Anemone japonica is fading nicely and respectfully in the background. Its neighbor, the Lysimachia clethroides, is beginning to pink in a delightfully harmonious way. (One thing is for certain, though: that Lysimachia better enjoy it while it can because this is its last year in this garden. It has definitely overstayed and overspread its welcome with its underground runners that are cropping up everywhere, including in the middle of my well-behaved Astilbes!)

The Scabiosa ochroleuca, Knautia macedonica, and Callirhoe involucrata are all in the same category for me. None are beautiful from afar at this point and have almost made the chopping block several times this fall, but for their persistent and pesky continuous blooms and buds that are quite beautiful close-up and in bouquets. The Scabiosa’s stronghold is that it sits in my white garden (cliché, I know), amongst the still blooming Leucanthemum ‘Becky’, Phlox paniculata ‘David,’ and chamomile.

Callirhoe involucrata, or purple poppy mallow.

Aster is such an obvious late bloomer but this one takes the cake.  My Aster novae-angliae ‘Alma Potschke’ has come and gone at this point (its bloom partner the Helenium autumnale).  This one, almost like a China Aster with its true double flowers, came to me by way of an unlabeled pot at an end-of-the-year sale at a local nursery.  It takes the wind out of the sails of its neighboring purple bloomer, Oreganum laevigatum ‘Rosenkuppel.’  I think I will change some things around next year to combine the very late blooming Dendranthema species with this Aster.

Also still budding are the Rudbeckia laciniata, Hemerocallis ‘Happy Returns,’ and biennial Coreopsis grandiflora.  I don’t want to point out the obvious, but don’t they know that yellow is passé right now?  I mean, it’s sooo September.

On a gentler note, the Persicaria affinis has been blooming ALL summer long. Its year-end reward has been its delightful fall foliage, a maroony green mixture that blends so well with my catmint and Pulmonaria. I can hardly be angry at its continued bloom, since fall clean-up is such a snap with this plant. Nepeta, Geranium, and Centurea blooms, on the other hand, just remind me of my failings from earlier in the year (when I should have cut them down for the re-flush but didn’t until much too late).

Persicaria affinis, or fleece flower.

Speaking of failings, the Dahlia is particularly troublesome, as I am prone to indulge a bit too long in its fall floriferousness and can miss the necessary moment between flower and freeze to dig up its tubers. I have to cart those babies back and forth to my basement every year and suffer ongoing guilt when I find a dusty forgotten tuber in the crawl space late in the summer or, worse, at this time of year, marking an entirely missed season.

So, who will make the final flower? My bet is on the roses. I have seen them blooming for Thanksgiving in the past. Delighted now that the Japanese beetles have finally gone away, these pinks are usually the last color I see until spring. I wonder what this year will bring?

L: Scabiosa ochroleuca, or pincushion flower. R: Rosa.

To be honest, I see a mighty big bouquet in the near future.

Concrete is one of the most commonly used materials in residential and other construction.  So what happens when that concrete reaches the end of its lifespan and needs replacing?  In one recent JMMDS project, concrete that would have otherwise been hauled away was re-purposed on site.

A new driveway recycling the old. Photo: Anna Johansen.

Not so long ago concrete waste ended up in a landfill.  Fortunately, this practice is too costly today, so it is typically crushed to various degrees and re-used as substrate in roads or other pavement, drainage ditches, as rip rap, or in gabions. Recycling concrete also reduces the need for gravel mining, water use, heavy metals and carbon emissions for processing new cement, and pollution for trucking in new material.

Piles of concrete. L: UVM R: The Journal Record.

Instead of repaving the entire driveway for this project, we chose to create one-way tire strips (since a car can’t turn around in this space anyway) with planting between the strips for permeability, pollen for the homeowner’s bees, and aesthetics. To further break up the monotony of paving, the tire strips were composed of one type of exposed aggregate and the courtyard another, installed by Triad Associates, Inc., based in Haverhill, MA.

Vehicular grade exposed aggregate pavement. Photo: Anna Johansen.

Broken slabs of the waste concrete were placed on either side of the tire strips as stepping stones so that drivers and passengers could step out of the car and walk through the plantings with ease.

Placing the pieces. Photos: Anna Johansen.

Top: Plants taking hold. Bottom: Mazus and creeping Jenny.  Photos: Anna Johansen.

The tire strips and concrete steppers were installed last fall and weathered the winter with minimal breakage.  Groundcovers, which will stabilize the soil, were planted this summer and after about two months have started to fill in and flower!  We used:

• Ajuga reptans ‘Chocolate Chip’
• Lysimachia nummularia (golden creeping Jenny)
• Mazus reptans ‘Alba’ (Mazus)
• Phlox subulata
• Thyme (5 varieties)

R: Athena enjoying the thyme.  L: Ajuga and Mazus.  Photos: Anna Johansen.

Check out these projects using recycled concrete by other designers.

Recycled concrete in gabions, fabric-formed concrete walls with tiles and gravel.  Photos: Kokona

Tobiah Horton of WRT designed the reused concrete planted medians for The Queens Plaza Bicycle and Pedestrian Landscape Improvement Project through Long Island City.  The primary function of the concrete on edge is to direct pedestrians and bicyclists toward safe passage at the area’s new crosswalk and bikepath system.  Photos: Tobiah Horton.

D.I.R.T. Studio uses recycled concrete at the Urban Outfitters Courtyard.  Photo: archdaily.com.

Recycled concrete retaining wall.  Photo: Everything Gardens.

Other links:

Landscape for Life – Use Concrete Alternatives – For more information about the history of concrete, as well as the environmental impacts of cement and concrete with cement alternatives.

Check out http://groups.freecycle.org to find local recycling of building materials in your hometown.

Step-by-step directions on how to make your own recycled concrete path or terrace:

http://www.greenposting.org/articles/limelight/2011-06-15/How-To-Create-a-Recycled-Concrete-Patio-or-Path