Saturday, 18 September 2021
at home
In the morning, I watched a glorious zoom webinar, featuring one of my favorite garden writers, which I should have promoted here but forgot to. It was free with pre registration, and I apologize for not mentioning it in advance.
I took many screenshots and took some notes:
Less control and more connection to the natural world.
Relax the land.
Using plants that feel right for the place “but tune it up.” In other words, naturalistic planting refined.
A hand of gentle care in the wilderness so we can feel we are part of the place
Formal garden an imposition on nature
One of my favorite of the gardens he presented was at Lowther Castle, which years ago was “ruinated to avoid paying taxes.” He planted inside the ruins in a way that I found breathtaking and planted a maze of Eglantine rose (smells like apples) patterned after the shape of an old rose. Let people feel part of a forgotten garden. You can see the photos that we got to see in the webinar right here.
Once again I was reminded, as when I recently watched Dan Pearson’s earlier webinar and then read his book about the Tokachi Millennium Forest, that I very much want to grow Cephalaria gigantea.
In the afternoon, after two days of rain, I asked Allan to bring me a photo record of our blissfully wet garden. He took a garden walk during a rain break, and then the rain returned heavily through the night into Sunday, very close to 2 inches of it over two days.
He took some recycling to the bins down at the port and saw two storm flags flying.
Back home, he made applesauce, to freeze for winter, from the big old tree’s harvest. There will be much more to come.
He also turned a marrow into dehydrated veg for soups.
Lowther Castle is brilliantly planted. Just lovely.
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Thank you for the Lowther Castle. What an inspiration!
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It is glorious.
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I adore it.
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Thank you for sharing the castle garden pictures!
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I think they are just wonderful.
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I like your apple picking and peeling kit.
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Thanks, Mr T!
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Lowther Castle is impressive! Thanks for sharing. You will be well stocked with delicious applesauce for the winter.
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