After the Brendon left I was feeling buoyed for a couple of hours and then panic stepped in again. What plants do I want? Do I want color in the front or shades of green and white and lots of texture? Since I can't do it all on my budget this year, what is really the most important? What can wait until next year?
Action always calms me and the most immediate thing I could think to do was to dig through my old Sunset magazines. I found gardens I loved and ripped out the pages; I started a new folder. I have to see the mature plants. I have to think about what they will look like in the summer and in the winter. I'm thinking about butterflies and birds. And gophers. I'm thinking about vegetables and herbs. Do I really need a little orchard that will produce too much fruit? Maybe. Maybe it will be barter produce. What about a cutting garden? Doesn't that sound romantic? "Where is C. D.? Oh, she's gathering a bouquet in the cutting garden."
In October of 2008, Sunset Magazine wrote an article; well did a 2 page photo spread with a few words, about the The Getty Museum in Los Angeles. Specifically about the cactus garden. Light bulb. I'll go to the Getty.
On Sunday I went to the Getty and took the garden tour. At the entrance to the Central Garden there is a concrete plaque on the walkway.
It's hard to read but it saysPRESENT CHANGING
NEVER NEVER
TWICE THE LESS THAN
SAME WHOLE
DECEMBER ROBERT
1997 IRWIN
All of the Getty gardens were experiencing CA winter. The deciduous trees were bare. The grasses that grow 6' and cascade, were cut back. The bougainvillea was cut back. Plantings of dogwoods, red, yellow and orange were placed just for the winter. OH NO. I thought. Will I want to plant for the seasons and replant? Definitely NOT. I took some pictures of some plants that I thought I would like. I hope the gardeners can tell me what they are. The garden guide didn't know this detail. She was versed in the art of the garden, not in the horticulture of the garden.
My Getty garden guide opened my eyes to 'view'. How will the garden look when driving by? How will it look from inside the house looking out? If I plant a tree there, will it block my view of the city? And she pointed out lines and colors and water and fragrance. I know that it will all get more comfortable as I go along, but right now I feel overwhelmed.
I went to the library and checked out books on Mediterranean gardens, kitchen vegetable and herb gardens and Robert Irwin's Getty Garden. I went on line to the Sunset Magazine website. My 5 year old granddaughter helped me measure the area I am considering for the kitchen garden. I drew up a couple of ideas for the lay out of raised beds. She helped. The budget is tight and I need to know a little about what I am doing. Time is money. I’m cramming for an exam.
I dreamed that the installation crew was here. They had dug a big hole and were installing a globe in the top left corner of my front yard. They had the driveway pulled up and several men were planting I don’t know what along my circle drive. And, they were doing something structural in the garage. “I haven’t approved the plan. I haven’t signed a contract, how much is this costing me?” I ran screaming out the front door. “And I haven’t even met Jackie yet.”
The project has taken over my days and my nights.
No comments:
Post a Comment