by GardenLover | Oct 11, 2016 | Gardens to Drive, Snapshots, Special Topic, Trendspotting
Art brings garden feel to subway tunnel
By Michael Leach
I didn’t expect to have a garden moment in the subway of the Atlanta airport, but it happened.
Shunning the train to get in some needed walking en route to my gate, I passed several pieces of sculpture by African artists in one of the connecting tunnels between concourses. The greenish color of some of the stones, the serene faces and fluid lines suggested life outdoors and fresh air. I coveted several as focal points in my landscape.
Among my favorites were Galactic Dancer by Tapfuma Gutsa, Woman Showing Traditional Salute by Edronce Rukodzi, and Caring Mother, by Lameck Bonjisi.
“Galactic Dancer” by Tapfuma Gutsa
“Woman Showing Traditional Salute” by Edronce Rukodzi
“Caring Mother” by Lameck Bonjisi
Adding further outdoor ambience was a colorful installation suggesting a leafy canopy running the entire length of another connecting tunnel. Recorded tweets and trills of bird songs added to the fantastical effect of being deep in a whimsical, shaded garden.
Had I known my flight would be delayed by nearly an hour, I’d have hoofed it through the rest of the tunnels to see what was on exhibit. Or backtracked to look more closely at the photo exhibit and permanent exhibit of Atlanta’s history.
To learn more about art in the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport visit: http://www.atl.com/about-atl/airport-art-program/.
by GardenLover | Mar 4, 2016 | Snapshots, Special Topic, Spring countdown
Buds on a star magnolia offer promises of brighter, warmer days ahead.
By Michael Leach
Winter brings special magic to the garden. Visions of snowy branches, frosty twigs and bluish moon shadows on clear frigid nights come to mind. But sunshine is part of the potion.
Seeds of northern sea oats glow in morning light.
In this part of the Midwest, winter sunlight can be a rare and fleeting phenomenon. Weeks of gray skies are not unusual. So there is delight when the sun makes an appearance. When those welcome rays appear in early morning and late afternoon, the garden glows softly with the burnishing effects from the sun low on the horizon.
Plumes of ornamental grasses stand out against the somber backdrop of evergreens.
The poem on a garden plaque I keep meaning to buy starts, “The kiss of the sun for pardon … .” That kiss in winter, no matter how brief and infrequent, warms my heart regardless of the temperature.
Sycamore branches are tinted with the first rays of a February day.
In recent weeks I collected images of this warming touch. Perhaps they will inspire you to go forth in the remaining days of winter to look for special effects and golden vignettes before becoming overwhelmed with all the work that lies ahead.
The withered giant leaf of a prairie dock wears the gilt of sunshine on a winter morn.
Love ’em or hate ’em, yuccas seem magical at dawn on a clear winter day.
A walk in the woods in late afternoon brings enchantment and the voice of the woodland.
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by GardenLover | Oct 9, 2015 | Garden profile, Snapshots, Special Topic
By Debra Knapke
I’ve often heard the complaint that autumn is dull, and all we have is mums and pumpkins. Well, I recently went searching for jewels in my autumn garden and found not only jewels, but a plentiful array of flowers. Below is a glimpse of these treasures.
This weeping toadlily, Tricyrtus micrantha, is a rare jewel in a Central Ohio garden. In my garden since 2007, it has been a shy bloomer. But my patience was rewarded this year with this gorgeous display of 1 ½” golden bells.
The more typical flower form of a toadlily is an open six-pointed star with six stamens (male reproductive structures) fused to a six-lobed pistil (female reproductive structure). If you look closely at the buds and stems you can see how Tricyrtis hirta became known as the hairy toadlily.
I do not have Michael’s zinnias, but this nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus ‘Alaska Mix’) offers a zing of orange which contrasts beautifully with its variegated leaves. An added bonus: the flower petals and leaves are edible. Borage (Borago officinalis) offers another edible flower; imagine a cool whisper of cucumber flavor. The blue flower is also a complimentary color to the orange nasturtium flower. I often plant them together as I find it to be a pleasing color combination.
The smooth aster (Symphyotrichum laeve ‘Bluebird’) is one of many asters in my garden. Asters supply food to bees, butterflies and later, birds. Two asters I can’t show you, since they don’t bloom until late October. Perhaps, a last drink for pollinators?
Our beautiful native Heuchera villosa and its cultivars (above is ‘Bronze Wave’) have become one of my favorite shade to part shade plants. Tolerant of dry shade once it is established, it offers a bold foliage effect and long-lasting flowers that bloom in August until frost. The inflorescences are so heavy that they gracefully bend and intermingle with other plants. Watch for hummers when heucheras are in bloom.
Last, but certainly not least, are the hardy mums. This is an old hybrid, Chrysanthemum ‘Mei Kyo’, which has graced my garden for 20 years. Its flowers are just starting to open. I will have flowers to bring inside until a hard frost sends this mum “to bed”.
Where are the beautiful hybrid anemones that often grace an autumn garden? Well, in my garden the buds and flowers have become choice edibles for my herd of deer. I did not protect the flowers so I have beautiful leaves and naked stems adorned with a few seedheads of flowers that got away.
‘Wishing you a beautiful and creative fall!
by GardenLover | Sep 23, 2015 | Favorite Flora, Snapshots, Special Topic
Looking for some fall gardening inspiration? Well, check out some of the season’s best posts on Heartland Gardening:
by GardenLover | Jun 27, 2015 | Snapshots
By Michael Leach
Rain is one of a garden’s greatest allies. But too much of a good thing, becomes tiresome. In my part of the Midwest, we’ve been having a rainy, dreary summer.The result is weeds and mosquitoes going berserk and al fresco activities canceled with scant notice. All too often, we remain inside, looking out through rain drops trickling slowly down window panes.
Yet raindrops add a unique look to plants. So hoist an umbrella, kick off your shoes and prepare for a fresh perspective when “pennies from heaven” start to fall.
Hostas look fine no matter the weather, and a spangled woodland poppy enlivens the scene.
Roses sparkle after a rain.
Waterlilies get into the act, too.
Drought-tolerant succulents assume a different look.
Downpours bent the stems of a couple of over-loaded lilies. No matter. They became an opulent bouquet and brought a whiff of the garden indoors.
