Double Vision

Posted on October 31, 2016 by pgbundil

I have two gardens. The one in my mind’s eye is perfect and exactly how I wish it. The other is here on earth, around my house, fodder for pests and vulnerable to the vagaries of weather. Striving to get the real garden reach the ideal of the one I dream about is an eternal quest. The saving grace is that most gardeners share my struggle. No matter where we garden and what size of land we command, the yearning is the same.

Starting in the fall when planting for the next growing season is going full throttle, we are motivated by the vision where all our plans succeed. Through the winter months we plot and plan for the perfect garden. It’s what gets us through the dreary, cold days. The real problem arises if we dwell too much in fantasy land and get carried away. Practicality, patience and common sense must moderate those ambitions. Sometimes, in the eagerness to achieve beauty and form, it is easy to forget about function and balance.

A garden can look beautiful but in truth, it should also provide. It must delight, inspire, feed, comfort, educate and most importantly, do no harm to the environment. This sounds like a tall order but in simply following that last dictum, the rest will happen easily. There is nothing more fundamental to us than to create an attractive, productive, safe haven.

By choosing the right plants for the right location, selecting mostly natives that in turn will attract and support native fauna, employing organic practices, judicious use of precious resources like water and energy consuming tools and in giving diligent care, any spot of land can shine. Truly.

But that doesn’t mean it precludes indulging in dreams. If I didn’t envision a riot of spring color, I wouldn’t be torturing my body by planting hundreds of bulbs each fall. If you hanker for plants that thrive in a different climate and/or are invasive, reasonable alternatives are usually available and will satisfy your vision. Native honeysuckle instead of the Japanese variety, Rose of Sharon can be pruned to grow single or multi-trunked shrubs and are lovely substitutes for crape myrtles. (Select a sterile type so you are not burdened with digging up seedlings all the time.) Russian sage or nepeta are excellent stand-ins for lavender.

If you adore roses but cannot grow them or would like their ‘look’ throughout the growing season, I recommend ranunculus, peonies, camellias, double begonias and dahlias. Native wisteria is better behaved than the Asian types. A myriad choices of native grasses are excellent alternatives to exotic ones. There really is a way to make garden dreams come true. Within reason. You’re on your own if you insist on making your north-east garden into a tropical paradise.

Having said all this, I still dream big. Lush, impossibly wonderful dream gardens. From those wild fantasies come ideas more realizable, creative and applicable in my true, earth-bound garden. Several features that have become hallmarks in my garden came from dreaming. While I’ve learned to temper my reveries with budget constraints, physical and/or time limitations to make my real garden, I give free rein to my imagination. After all, it was Albert Einstein who said – Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination encircles the world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.
And look what he managed to contribute.

See below for some real features that came from my imaginary garden:

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A Spring State Of Mind

Posted on October 25, 2016 by pgbundil

Hallelujah, we’re back to more seasonal weather this week. The leaves are putting up a beautiful autumnal show, garden clean up is underway and, because gardeners are always optimistic and looking ahead, planting for spring has begun.

In my garden, all the tender perennials are tucked safely in the greenhouse which is filled to bursting. The meadow has got its annual mowing just in time for bulb planting. In the herb garden, apart from the still thriving Swiss chard, boxwoods and hellebores, the plants have been cut back. All that remains to be done here is the application of a good layer of compost mulch. The peonies along the side path have also been cut back. I have three new peonies waiting to be planted in the mix. In the front perennial beds, I’m letting the plants be for another couple of weeks. They look quite seasonal with the fading asters, the bright yellow foliage of amsonia, waving ornamental grasses and assorted seed heads.

All this work is leading up to the rather exhausting project of bulb planting. While the previously mentioned tasks signal the end of the growing season and the coming of winter, bulb planting demonstrates the certainty that spring will come again. Despite the guaranteed aches and pains that follow this annual activity, one cannot help feeling cheered by visions of happy bulbs sparkling and ushering in the spring. It is exactly such dreams that keep me going.

My order of about 700 bulbs arrived recently. The Eremurus I ordered require planting as soon as possible. The rest of the bulbs will be attended to in due course. While I absolutely crave the fox-tail lilies in my garden, my previous two attempts to grow them have been utter failures. Apparently, my garden does not meet their standards. This time will be my third and final try. I’m keeping fingers crossed tightly. I admit to a sense of desperation.

As promised last week, here are my tips for planting bulbs:

First and foremost, I order my bulbs by late June/early July. It allows me to go through the catalogs at a pleasurable pace and ensures that I get the specific bulbs I want in the quantity I want.
If you have not ordered any, local nurseries still have bulbs available. Hurry on there and get your share. No garden should be left out of a spring showing of bulbs.
Resolve to get your act together for next year’s bulb order.

When to plant : the rule of thumb is planting should happen after the soil temperature has dropped to about 55 degrees. In Europe, there is a timeline for different bulbs – snowdrops in early October, daffodils in late October, tulips in November, alliums in December etc but thankfully, here in the North-East, the various spring blooming bulbs can be done all at the same time once the temperature of the soil is suitable.

Select bulbs so that there is a sequence in the flowering. Starting with early bulbs like scillas and snowdrops to alliums and lilies into the summer.

Choose your bulbs wisely. No tulips in deer country but alliums and daffodils will do great. Similarly, don’t order small bulbs like scillas and snowdrops for areas thick with evergreen groundcover as the diminutive beauties will struggle to emerge through and gain visibility.

Plant the bulbs at the correct depths. Generally, that means three times the height of the bulb. When in doubt go deep. Except in the case of peonies and iris rhizomes – they need shallow planting or you will be rewarded with lush foliage but no flowers.

To achieve a cohesive yet dramatic look, order a larger quantity of of a few types of bulbs rather than a meager amount of a variety of them.

Invest in the right planting implements. It’ll make the work easier. Really.

The planting instructions that the bulbs arrive with are mere guidelines. I find it much more effective to plant my bulbs a bit closer than advised and in a mixed/scattered manner. In this way, I achieve a more natural, organic look.

To encourage reblooming and naturalization, after the blooms are done, let the leaves be. Do not braid them, tie them or remove them till they are completely yellow and done. Those leaves must be left to work hard to replenish the bulbs so they are fed and ready for the next time around.

When it comes to tulips, I consider them as annuals since most do not return the following year. However, I let the leaves die back and do not remove the bulbs. Every now and then, the tulips do make a comeback and gladden my heart no end. Restores my faith.

Enjoy my watercolor renditions of some favorite bulbs:

Hyacinth

Tulip

Daffodil

Scilla

Crocus

Iris reticulata

Lily

Iris

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Thinking Spring In Fall

Posted on October 18, 2016 by pgbundil

Thinking spring? Heck, this week sure feels like spring! And as if to defy the actual season underway, I have an iris in bloom. This plant has not bloomed in about three years. Seems as though it is staging its own version of a spring awakening. As puzzling as it might be, I’m thrilled to see the pale lilac hued flowers. Perhaps its cousins planted alongside that had inexplicably gone AWOL as well, will also make a comeback next year. I’ve missed these beauties and was only recently wondering if I ought to give up and order their replacements. I guess I’ll hold off that shopping spree.

The standard of three intertwined hibiscus is still flowering sweetly so instead of taking it into the greenhouse, I’ve brought it down to the terrace where I can enjoy it as I go about my chores.
The Heritage and Bonica rose bushes have a few flowers in bloom. At any other time they look their best when loaded in flowers but at this time of year, the minimal look feels all the more precious.
In the potager, the Swiss chard are going strong as are the collards. They will honor our meals until the temperatures plummet and does them in. I’m hoping this does not happen till December.
The vertical garden is continuing to look quite stunning. If only it was located such that I could place a seating area near it so one could admire it at length.

My rather large shipment of bulbs is due to arrive this week. Given the mild weather, I guess I’ll have to wait at least a couple of weeks before the planting marathon commences. The soil temperature is still way too warm. It needs to be 55 degrees and below for the bulbs to know not to start sprouting. Already my mind’s eye can envision the glorious blooms to come and my heart longs for that season.

With the asters and golden rods shining bright, the ornamental kale and cabbages prettying up the pots and the display of gourds and pumpkins serenading fall, the pansies, lone iris, vertical garden etc., are representing a whole other season. My garden is displaying a most wonderful split personality. I’m revelling in its humanness.

(Next week, I’ll go over the “rules” of planting bulbs.)

I am participating in the Beaux Art show in in White Plains, NY this week. Hope you can stop by!

White Plains:

16 Annual Art Exhibit
of the
Woman’s Club of White Plains
305 Ridgeway
White Plains, NY 10605

Wednesday October 19 2-5 p.m. Exhibit Viewing
Thursday October 20 2-5 p.m. Exhibit Viewing
7 p.m.-Artists’ Reception (open to the public)

Swiss chard

Dahlia

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Asters

Posted on October 11, 2016 by pgbundil

Aster

Happy, hardy
freely clustered
Summer stars
scattered below
Butterflies gather
for astral encounters
From Peleides’ showers
till fall’s last glow.

– Shobha Vanchiswar

If you have not as yet embraced asters then get going already! Robust, reliable natives that make fall shine. Low maintenance too. If I can remember, I cut back the plants by a third in July so the plants get bushy rather than leggy. Butterflies and bees of all kinds are drawn to them in droves. Every American garden ought to have asters.

The Aster is rightfully assigned as the flower for September. But oh! How it lights up October!

Note: I am participating in the Beaux shows in Dobbs Ferry, NY this week and in White Plains, NY next week. Hope you can stop by!

Dobbs Ferry:

Dobbs Ferry Women’s Club House, 54 Clifton Place, Irvington, NY, United States

Public Viewing~Oct 14th / Reception & Awards ~Oct 16: 2PM-4PM

White Plains:

16 Annual Art Exhibit
of the
Woman’s Club of White Plains
305 Ridgeway
White Plains, NY 10605

Wednesday October 19 2-5 p.m. Exhibit Viewing
Thursday October 20 2-5 p.m. Exhibit Viewing
7 p.m.-Artists’ Reception (open to the public)

Watercolor – Aster

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The Imposter In Our Midst

Posted on October 4, 2016 by pgbundil

Can you imagine an American garden without the likes of lilacs, peonies, forsythia, mop-head/pompom/snowball hydrangea, common roses, boxwood, azaleas, rhododendrons, common foxgloves, camellias, hollyhocks, chrysanthemums, crape myrtles or even a patch of green lawn?
How about going without some fruits such as apples, peaches or citrus fruits?

Hard to think of life without any of the above right? All are very much part of our landscape and in our collective consciousness. Several states have taken the rose as their representative flower. Crape myrtles and camellias define southern pride. Georgia, the peach state is chock full of streets and sites with names starting with Peachtree. The Orange state anybody? Or the Rose Bowl? No roses perfuming June! No forsythia serenading spring. Mothers’ Day sans lilacs wouldn’t be the same.
Breakfast without OJ or a half of pink grapefruit, no mom’s apple pie or a southern meal without peach cobbler is positively horrifying! What would the Big Apple become without the apple?!

See, none of those plants are true American natives. But they are as good as. Getting rid of them and other similar stalwarts is unthinkable. We need them to feel whole and healthy. These ‘aliens’ have integrated themselves into the American landscape. In doing so, we are all enriched.

Recently, the honey-bee was placed on the United States list of endangered species. That this highly industrious and valuable creature is on this list is a tragedy in itself. It is a call to arms – we must do whatever we can to save the honey-bee. Our own health, both physical and economical, depends on it. But, here is the kicker – the honey-bee is not an American native. Wrap your mind around that.

In an example of reaching across borders, resistant root stock of grapevine from California helped to revitalize the French wine industry following the Great French Wine Blight in the 19th century. However what is usually omitted from mention is that the blight was caused by an American aphid in the first place. Puts matters in perspective right?

What it all means is that while we are taking steps to ensure the vitality of our land and safeguard all its inhabitants, we cannot have a black or white mentality. We should be mindful of the range of voices we listen to. Just as we cannot include harmful or invasive newcomers that threaten our biological balance, we cannot afford to view our own as one homogeneous, harmless population. We are but a part of the bigger world and cannot afford to be ignorant, broadly exclusionist or isolated. Lets not forget that within the great, all-American mix also exists that scourge Periplaneta americana. The American cockroach.
Not everything non-native is bad and not everything native is good.

Here are some of the non-natives I’m thrilled to have in my garden:

Double azalea

Roses

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Finding A Balance

Posted on September 27, 2016 by pgbundil

Ah! The pleasures of autumn! What a difference a week can make. Since this past Saturday, it feels distinctly like fall. Crisp. That word defines the essence of the season. The air is crisp and cool. Crisp apples. Crunchy, crisp leaves underfoot. Even the light has a crisp clarity. I love it all.

Now that the greenhouse is winter-ready, the plants are slowly being moved in. Trimming, picking off dead limbs, washing plant and pot is time consuming. But there is a certain comfort in the ritual as it helps the mind adjust to the inevitability of impending winter. Preparing the plants for that season also prepares me. Inside the house, I’m getting out the shawls and throws, setting up the fireplace with kindling, logs and matches, placing fresh candles, pulling out cool weather recipes, putting away summer linens and stocking up on ingredients for mulled drinks and thick, smooth cocoas. Summer’s bounty is being stored as pesto in the freezer, large canning jars of thick, roasted tomato sauce and pickled cucumbers in the pantry, loaves of zucchini bread also filling the freezer, dried herbs refreshing the spice rack and surplus fruits twinkling in jam pots.

As I trim the plants, I indulge in memories of the recent summer. These are what keep me going when the winter gets unbearably long and severe. And when I’m full of such appreciation, the chores at hand don’t seem so tedious. Sometimes, life is all about tricking the mind. A shift in attitude can make all the difference between whining and celebrating.

I’m also adding plants in the garden – this is a great time to get mature plants into the ground. They’ll settle in nicely and be ready to start growing when spring comes around. I’m expecting my rather large order of bulbs in mid-October and so, I’d like to get all the other chores done before the bulb-planting marathon.

When the weather feels so perfect with just the right combination of sun and temperature, it is hard to get work done. It seems a shame to keep plugging away instead of hanging out with family and friends on the terrace. So, I’m determined to keep a balance. All garden work must cease by Sunday noon so we can sit back under the pergola with the sunlight filtering through the yellowing leaves of the wisteria, get the outdoor oven fired up and while away the rest of the day with gourmet pizza, drink and conversation. What a civilized way to get ready for the work week ahead don’t you think?

Here are a few images of things I’ve enjoyed this past summer:

How many tiger swallowtails can you count?!

The titan-arum

Love this façade in down-town NYC

Edible window-boxes. Beautiful too.

Roasted tomatoes.

One of several memorable farm to table meals

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Falling Into Place

Posted on September 20, 2016 by pgbundil

Having been away a whole month, I confronted the garden with trepidation. I did have someone checking on things but as we all know, nobody can tend to one’s garden as oneself. What I see is that the garden does not look as awful as I feared but neither does it look as good as I’d like. So it’s been a matter of getting down to basic tasks like weeding, staking, cutting back and general tidying.

Those fundamental chores alone have got the place looking more attractive. But with autumn officially starting in two days, I’m also addressing seasonal work. The summer plantings in pots and window-boxes while still looking kinda okay were on the wane so they’ve been swapped out with fall plants. The fresh appearance has quite transformed the atmosphere – instead of seeming like it is desperately clinging to summer, it feels more ready for autumnal pleasures. My own reluctance to let go of summer has shifted to welcoming fall.

In the potager, cool weather greens such as Swiss chard were replanted. The collards, kale and arugula are still going strong so we can expect delicious, fresh garden produce well into late November/early December. Assuming of course we don’t get unexpected storms or blizzards. These days, who knows!

Just ahead of the much needed rain yesterday, the ‘lawn’ in front was raked, aerated and reseeded. This ought to have the grass up and growing before I need to tread on it to get the fall bulbs planted in the perennial beds in late October/early November.

It is too late to stake some of the plants and there are some bald areas in the perennial beds. Not the best sight for this street facing part of the garden but it can’t be helped. The drought like conditions and string of heat waves have slammed down some plants. I have no idea if they have it in them to return next year. I need to examine which plants still look good and plant more of them instead. I fear the climate shift is here to stay.

In readiness for cool weather, the greenhouse has been washed and cleaned. Starting next weekend, the tender perennials will be pruned, washed and moved into their winter quarters. While it might still feel like summer, the arrival of a severe frost in early October is not unheard of.

And so it will go as the weeks lead up to bulb planting and getting winter-ready. Lots to do. But, the quiet days of winter await. And once again, while we rest our bodies, our minds will be plotting the next growing season.

[ I apologize in advance for the photos being on their side to those of you who read my article on your phone or on Facebook. It happens when I take the photos on my phone instead of my usual camera and I cannot seem to fix the problem. Any advice?]

Note: This coming Sunday September 25, at the Concert Across America to End Gun Violence event at the FCC in Chappaqua NY. I will be reading one of my topical poems.It is at 4:00 pm and admission is free. Please come.

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What I Miss When I’m Away

Posted on September 13, 2016 by pgbundil

I’ve just returned from a month long sojourn. Four weeks of wonderful. But, there is nothing like coming back home is there?!

So this week, I offer you a poem I wrote about how I feel when I’m away. Let me now if you agree or not!

What I Miss When I’m Away

Do you think the plants will be all right?
Will the squirrels get at the fruit?
I hope it rains a little each day
May the lilac not bear offshoots.

I heard the weather back home is balmy
The roses must love it so
No doubt the weeds are frolicking
And the tomatoes beginning to grow.

Read a storm hit the east coast
I had left a few windows open
Maybe no harm was done after all
Nothing felled or broken.

I wonder if the blue bird’s nest is now empty
Have the phlox begun to bloom?
Did the cicadas begin their noon chorus?
Will moths seek Brugamansia’s perfume?

Forgot to pinch back the asters
They’ll get leggy very soon
It’s too late to stake the lilies
They’ll flop like deflated balloons.

I’m headed back right now
It has been fun to travel and roam
My mind took in the new sights
My heart never left home.

Note: My recent travels included a visit with the children at Mukta Jeevan. You can read about it here.

Here are a few photos from my trip(s):

From India:

Huge statues of Ganesha the Elephant God were being sculpted at this atelier.

From Provence, France:

Farm to table. Delicious.

Which is better? The view or the ice-cream?!

Still life of perfectly ripe figs

Sunflowers in Van Gogh territory.

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Remembering August

Posted on August 30, 2016 by pgbundil

Being fully present in the moment is something I consciously try to do at all times. And being present in the garden, in nature, results in such a sense of well being and connectedness to the world around us that I cannot imagine a day without time spent simply immersing oneself in it. Personally, being in nature, observing what is going on, appreciating the nuances and transitions, centers me in a way not unlike the way prayer or meditation works. It gives me the focus and energy to get on with my day and projects. At the risk of sounding clichéd, it makes me a better person.

Yet, the month of August, bathed in sunshine and wreathed in sunflowers can be a challenge to sit still and take it all in. Summer vacations, preparing for the start of school, grabbing time to make the most of the season often leaves one in a whirl of albeit fun activities but with no opportunities to stop and quite literally smell the roses. We pine for this month all winter long and then, when it is here, we are too caught up in the trappings of what we think we ought to do instead of simply letting ourselves quietly soak in the many delights only August can provide.

Now that the month is coming to an end, I’m determined to hold on to the memories of it. They’ll warm my heart on those days of winter when it feels like summer will never will come. I want to remember the mornings spent watching a young pigeon practicing to fly. From way on top of a white pine, it took brief sorties testing its wings and no doubt, testing its courage. With each attempt it went a wee bit further before returning to its perch to catch its breath and perhaps determine how to do better. Practice, practice, practice.

I want to remember the colors of August. Vivid yellow sunflower faces tracking the sun, plump tomatoes ranging from vermilion to Alizarin red, juicy peaches echoing the hues of the sun that ripened them, melons with flesh so sweet and so coral pink, figs in plummy purple bursting with goodness, skies awash in blues matched only by seas skirting inviting beaches, sap green basil leaves perfuming the very hands that pick them.

I want to remember the sounds of this special month. From the early morning atonal chorus of the birds to the ascending pitch of the cicadas in the sultry hours of the afternoon to, the clicks and the hums of the crickets and bees and finally to the soft whispers of moths and bats as they swoop and circle as dusk darkens the day.

I want to remember the warmth of the month when the skin can feel so hot that a plunge into a pool comes as a shock, the illuminated winks of fireflies keeping me company as I sit with that glass of rosé that goes perfectly with every summer meal, the clove-like fragrance of phlox glowing in moonlight, the soles of bare feet cooled by morning dew as they make their way to pick flowers for the table.

So many joyous memories! Please let me not miss a single one.

Enjoy some images of my August below!

Note: You can read about my latest visit with the children at Mukta Jeevan here.

Sunflower field in Provence

Tomatoes ripening

Summer phlox

August bounty at the farmer’s market

Zucchini blossoms galore.

Zucchini blossom fritters stuffed with fresh goat cheese. Delicious!

Figs, glorious figs!

Red hot peppers

Trumpet vine

Spent sunflowers still charming enough to adorn this doorway

Blue, blue skies.

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Art In Progress!

Posted on August 24, 2016 by pgbundil

In past posts, I have often mentioned the role that sculpture can play in the garden. From giving it gravitas to whimsy, a garden or, for that matter, any space is much elevated by art. In my own garden, I have a few small pieces but I’ve always hankered for something dramatic and large yet one that is empathetic to the surroundings. Art that was site specific. Which of course meant having the work commissioned.

Meanwhile. I’ve had to confront the reality of losing the tree that is supporting the Paul’s Himalayan Musk rose in the meadow. The tree is quite dead. or the present, It is only a matter of time before a big storm easily brings it all down. It needs something to step in and take up the role of rose upholder. Soon.

Hmmm. Perhaps I could combine the two needs? A sculpture that will also brace the rambler would do the trick. Enter Domenico Belli. A metal sculptor and all round nice guy.

Together we’ve worked out what is needed, wanted and downright fun. A work of art that will bear the additional responsibility of taking over from the tree. And in the future, if for one reason or other the rose ceases to be, the sculpture will still be intact and relevant.

Commissioning a large work ( 8 feet high and all stainless steel) feels so grown-up and glamorous. I’m excited, nervous and impatient all at once. Domenico has begun working on it and sends me photos to keep me updated. It’s like waiting for a baby and becoming ecstatic over each ultrasound image. How amazing and what will it finally look like?!

I’m sharing with you the images and you can have a go at guessing the final design. Let me know what you think. After the piece is completed and installed, I’ll tell you more about what I envisioned, how we collaborated and still permitted Domenico to have artistic freedom.

Domenico still has lots of work to do. We are looking to install in mid-fall and I’m thrilled to keep everybody in the loop. Process in any sort of creative effort is instructive. Together we can be inspired.

Note: You can read about my latest visit with the children at Mukta Jeevan here.