GARDEN CLUB OF AMERICA’S ‘GARDEN CLUB OF AMERICA’ DAFFODILS BRIGHTEN CENTRAL PARK

DAFFODIL ‘GARDEN CLUB OF AMERICA’ CELEBRATES SPRING IN CENTRAL PARK

Visitors to Central Park who enter the park at the East 69th Street are dazzled by the Garden Club of America daffodils which are described as “a fabulous flower named for a fabulous organization” by their supplier, Brent and Becky’s Bulbs.

Not only were the bulbs donated by the by the Garden Clubs of America but the planting of 8,500 bulbs and more to come are only a part of the East 69th Street Entrance Restoration undertaken by the Central Park Conservancy and funded by the Garden Club of America’s member clubs whose 18,000 members all contributed to the effort.  2013 will mark the Centennial of the Garden Club and the Founders Fund gift honors New York where the club’s headquarter’s have been for the past 90 years.

The daffodils were planted in December of 2011 by park gardeners and Garden Club of America members.

The bulbs were plant in large swathes across the two acre site.

This beautiful gift to the first public park built in America and one of the most frequently visited, with over 25 million guests per year is a true cause for celebration.

Garden Club of America Daffodils can be ordered from http://www.store.brentandbeckysbulbs.com

                         COMMING NEXT THE CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW 2012

 

Postcards from CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW 2011

MY FAVORITE GARDEN & MANY WONDERFUL THINGS

Sunday, May 29, 2011

The 157,000 visitors to the Chelsea Flower Show voted on their favorite large garden and the winner was Diarmuid Gavin.  It was my favorite too!

I have always loved Diarmuid’s Irish charm as well as admired his design skills.  Perhaps the judges felt that Diarmuid’s previous gardens were too whimsical. In his “Irish Sky Garden” Diarmuid has come into his own as a serious, sophisticated designer with a great knowledge of design history.  He credits the futuristic film Avatar, the landscapes of Capability Brown, Charles Jencks and the cardinals of the Italian Renaissance as his inspiration. His futuristic pod garden filled with flowers and toped with a rolling English lawn reminiscent of the Telly Tubbies floats suspended over an elegant green garden with sweeping ribbons of boxwood and Carpinus clipped to perfection, grasses, photinias, bamboos and 25 ink black circular pools of water.  Diarmuid’s aim was not to start a rash of floating garden construction but to create something so beautiful that the visitors would smile and go home says “I went to Chelsea  and saw something amazing”.  It was amazing and everyone is still smiling!

The crane use to “float” the sky garden

THE PUBLICS’ FAVORITE SMALL GARDEN

What I found so interesting about the publics favorite small garden of lovely Yorkshire stone is that it celebrates another  English favorite pass time,  painting landscapes.  The lovely garden with its real Hepworth sculpture is presented as being recorded with both a Turneresque watercolor & stand and an iPad in the tradition of David Hockney’s current art work.

MY FAVORITE CELEBRITY

Vanessa Redgrave came for the official introduction of Harkness Nursenry’s rose named in honor of her daughter, Natasha Richardson.

OTHER FAVORITES

The ultimate in tacky, blue shag carpet & a melting ice sculpture.

Any plant can be made into a topiary….

Or a Bonsai…..

Remember the smell of the plants is an important factor in designing a garden.

A little charm and whimsy in a sea of green is good…..

Yellow plants can be used to create a sunny corner or

A spectacular statement of color in the garden.

A pavilion for meditation or tea after the gardening is done…..

A beautiful corner of the garden for the practice of yoga for those with energy.

Three of our wonderful camera men preparing for the day at Chelsea

Paul Harper, my favorite cameraman and I getting a good start to a long 14 hour day!

Mother always said “Have a good breakfast”.  HAVE A GREAT DAY!

CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW 2011 #3

PLANTS AT CHELSEA  #3

Friday, June 3, 2011

THE ABOVE PHOTO: Meconopsis ‘Huntfield’

At the Chelsea Flower Show the most prestigious nurseries display their plants in the Great Pavilion which is the heart of the Chelsea Show Grounds and of the show itself.  At least twenty new plants are introduce each year with great fanfare at Chelsea and there are gardeners who are horticulture fashion conscious and are dedicated to having the latest introductions in their gardens. The Royal Horticulture Society also gives an award for the best new plant of the year.  The nurseries present plant of such excellence that all of the plant growers receive gold medals each year!

The Royal Horticulture Society’s Plant of the Year

Anemone ‘Wild Swan’

The new names can be quite bizarre. This new lilly hybrid is is named ‘Kushi Maya.

Another contender was Lewisia ‘Little Mango’

The judges evaluating plants to be judged against perfection!

Buds are wrapped to prevent blooming prior to the judging when the temperature rises.

The larger nurseries present their plants in garden like settings with distinctive themes.

Hillier Nurseries’ theme was the health-giving benefits of gardens and gardening.

Clematis ‘Viennetta’

C.‘Fleuri’

Herbs are always popular…multicolored lavender

I fancied White flowering Catmint

Ginger Rosemary is a definite must have!

Of the three botanic gardens that exhibited this year only the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne won a gold for their garden of Australian plants.  The judging is tough and Kew  Garden did not get a gold….imagine…

UNTIL MY NEXT & LAST BLOG INSTALLMENT