Sweet Holy Grass!

Posted on December 15, 2015 by pgbundil

This is a good news/not so good news post. First the good news. Turns out, in the search to find powerful yet natural mosquito repellents, we need but look at one of our very own native grasses – specifically, sweet grass Hierochloe odorata. It also goes by the common but very auspicious names Holy grass, Manna grass, Mary’s grass, Peace grass, Unity grass or Vanilla grass. In north America, Hierochloe odorata occurs in southern Canada, northern Great Plains/Rocky Mountains and northwest of U.S., and New England. Not to be confused with the sweet grass Muhlenbergia filipes found in the southeastern United States.

Long used by Native Americans to deter mosquitoes, it is a sacred plant, used in peace and healing rituals. Leaves are dried and made into braids and burned as vanilla-scented incense; long leaves of sterile shoots are used by Native Americans in making baskets. The plant is showing great promise in scientific research. In laboratory tests, two sweet grass compounds drove mosquitoes away just as well as the widely-used repellent Deet. Imagine that!

One of the compounds is coumarin. Not only effective but it smells good too. Same stuff that renders Skin So Soft ( Avon’s moisturizer) as an anti-mosquito salve. The product is not advertised as such but users have long known it’s additional property. Coumarin is also a safe chemical.

Smells fine, safe to use, fends of mosquitoes – hmmm, what’s the problem then? Studies are still required to see how long the effects last. Oddly enough, coumarin is not registered or marketed as a repellent.

The second compound isolated from sweet grass is phytol. A common constituent in essential oils from plants. Phytol, similarly, is known to repel insects but is not currently sold for that purpose. Go figure.

And therein lies the not so good news. It’ll be at least two to three years before all of the research is completed to establish the efficacy, Still, I’m optimistic. I dream of summer evenings spent in the garden sans the swatting and scratching.

In the meantime, I’m seriously planning to introduce sweet grass in the garden. Hierochloe odorata is a very hardy perennial, able to grow to the Arctic Circle. Its leaves do not have rigid stems, so only grow to about 20 cm (7.9 in) in height, and then the leaves grow outward horizontally to 100 cm (39 in) long or more, by late summer. Grown in sun or partial shade, they do not like drought. Seeds are usually not viable, or if they are viable, take two to three years to develop a robust root system. So I’m guessing they will not be invasive.

I think testing out this plant near outdoor dining areas, swimming pools, children’s play areas and other spaces where humans gather, will be worth trying. I understand that the grass’ mosquito fighting property is more potent when it is dried so wearing a crown and garland of braided sweet grass might well become my go to accessories for outdoor soirées. At least until coumarin is available as a commercial product. I will check if my local nursery carries the plant or will get me some. Stay tuned!

If any of you have knowledge or experience with sweet grass, please share!

[do_widget “Blog Subscriptions (Jetpack)”]

The Enduring Gift

Posted on December 8, 2015 by pgbundil

Perhaps it is a sign of growing wise with age but I’m just plain tired of the commercial pressure to run out or get on-line to buy the latest and trendiest products to hand around as gifts. Am I the only one astounded that cars are considered perfectly normal Christmas presents? The insistent barrage from all manner of media dictate that I should not be the one who missed out on being the coolest gift giver. The message preys on the pervasive insecurity of humans – the fear of being the odd one out, to be considered stingy, ‘out of it’, unfashionable. Yet, for the most part, a month after the holidays, both gift and giver are forgotten. The world resumes its day to day rhythm and struggles to keep New Year resolutions and make those credit card payments. What are we doing to ourselves? More importantly, what does this say about us?

I have no idea how to change anybody but I do know what I can and will do to give what I believe is an authentic, thoughtful gift. One that surpasses time and trends. A gift that endures.
And I’m not talking packs of tube socks, electric toothbrush or flannel pajamas. While these are all practical, much used, loved and long lasting items, they admittedly do not carry the pizazz to elicit the squeal of delight one expects. They are simply not special. (Personally, I don’t need the squeal. I’ll take a genuine. heart-warming hug instead).

So how does one converge thoughtful with interesting? Welcome to the garden where it will show you how. Here, being rich or poor is inconsequential. What matters is the generosity of the heart.
The garden itself is a timeless, most generous gift. Day after day all through the years it feeds, nurtures, comforts, inspires and delights. For so much, all it asks in return is your time and attention. And there you have the key elements of honest, sincere giving – reciprocity, time and attentiveness.
Keeping this in mind, here is how I apply myself to the season of giving which, in my mind, is all year round.

First and foremost, I believe in passing on the benefits of being present in a garden. So, I’m happy to welcome friends to my own garden not only for gatherings I put together, but also for their own quiet pursuits like meditating, painting or writing. To those in need of continued encouragement to garden and gain inspiration, I give memberships to the New York Botanical Garden ( or the premier botanical garden in their area) and the Garden Conservancy. Then all through the year they can visit public and private gardens gaining intangible benefits that will last a long time. ( Pssst!This works for non-gardeners too!)

Staying with the horticultural theme, gifts of young trees, shrubs and plants are always welcome. Sometimes they are in memory of or in honor of somebody or some event. Toss in an assurance to help with their planting and your gift is golden. If funds are short, a promise to help with weeding and/or mowing on a weekly/monthly basis will be priceless. Even the offer to share your garden’s bounty is always much appreciated. Homegrown fresh flowers, herbs, veggies and fruits provide the most elegant of offerings. Sharing, helping, kindness equals feeling good all around.

One of the sweetest gifts I’ve received was a flat of young plants from seeds carefully collected by an old gardener going through very hard times. Knowing my love for columbines, he’d collected seeds from those in his plot and got them started. When they were ready for planting, he presented them to me. It felt like I’d just inherited the earth.

With children, taking the time to teach them or have them ‘help’ in the garden is one of the best gift exchanges of all. The adult gets to enjoy alone time with the child, pass on valuable lessons and the young one gains more than he/she can ever know. While receiving instruction on growing plants, thoughts and secrets are shared, confidence boosted and bonds strengthened.

If someone enjoys music or the theater, get tickets to a performance. Go together. Share a meal before or after. That memory will endure far longer than any object you might have given. Trust me.
If tickets are beyond your budget, make a date to watch the show on DVD/Netflix/on-line. Pizza, popcorn and libation of choice round out the present nicely.

One year, struggling to come up with gift ideas for boys, I taught a college sophomore a few super- simple recipes he could use to ‘impress’ his friends at his next party. We not only got to know each other better but, we shared lots of laughter over those tasty treats and the young man has gone on to become quite the amateur chef. I didn’t make him a cook. All I did was show him he could do it.

If a child plays a music instrument, then taking her to a concert where the soloist plays that particular instrument will go a long way in sustaining the interest. It doesn’t have to be a concert at Lincoln Center ( which of course is a real pleasure), but there are lesser known,highly talented groups/orchestras that play locally. Tickets to their events are less costly and just as enjoyable. In which case, a season’s subscription could be in order.

Likewise, an interest in art or natural history can be supported with membership to museums. Taking that person to a special exhibit might be all you can afford but it’ll be more than sufficient to show how much you care.

Walking/biking dates with a friend, a regular visit and game of Scrabble with one confined to the bed/house, a weekly phone or Skype chat living someone living far away …. the list is endless. Recently, a friend told me her son, a college freshman in the Midwest, missed the colorful fall of the Northeast. So, I sent him a box of multi-hued leaves. I had fun picking the leaves and he had a good laugh receiving them. I was sent a photo of his window decorated with said leaves.

The common thread through all of these gifts is that triumvirate of thoughtful giving: Personal Time, Attention and Understanding. The garden taught me that.

Note: From Dec 8 – 22, 2015, the Holiday Art Show is on at the Phyllis Harriman gallery of the New York Art Students League. Lots of art to be enjoyed! You might score a great deal. Take a friend and make it a play date. Full disclosure – I have a painting in the show.

Enjoy the photos of this year’s Train Show at NYBG. It is always inspiring and delightful.

[do_widget “Blog Subscriptions (Jetpack)”]

The New Perennial Movement

Posted on November 17, 2015 by pgbundil

I’m quite taken with this style in garden design. It got the garden world’s attention a little over ten years ago but has become a ‘here to stay’ type of style in the US more recently. Having been a long time fan of the Dutch nurseryman and designer Piet Oudolf, I’ve followed the emergence of his concept very keenly. Piet is best known for using bold drifts of grasses and herbaceous perennials that are selected for both color and structure. Indeed, his hallmark has often been referred to as the New Dutch Perennial Movement.

The overall effect is one that looks and feels very natural. There is an easy-going, informal ambiance in these gardens. And while Piet is widely acknowledged as the father of this new movement, if one digs deeper, one finds that the ideas are really not so new but Piet perfected it, Between the North American Prairies and the German plantsman Karl Foerster style in the very early 1900’s, one can clearly see the principal influences of the current movement. It is plainly all about using rugged, hardworking perennials and grasses to create a modern, fresh look.

What I particularly like about this style is that not only does it look quite stunning and au courant, it utilizes common and largely native American perennials. The effect is harmonious and natural – which is in keeping with the move towards living more simply, organically and authentically. It is not fussy or overly structured. It feels right. Everyday plants such as Rudbeckias, Solidago, Verbena, Echinacea, Achillea, Eupotorium abound. The grasses being such a vast and diverse family, can be selected to suit taste and climate. Hence, to make such a garden is not only a matter of easily obtaining the plants but the cost can also be easy on the wallet.

The challenge lies in coming up with a planting scheme that appears to flow well and yet, bears some semblance of order. It is easy to go wrong and make it disheveled in appearance. My advice is to start simple and small. Work out the kinks and then expand the scheme. In Piet’s own garden, he brilliantly contrasts the deliberate and thoughtfully created informality with the very orderly and well trimmed green hedges that enclose the garden.

I’m moving slowly towards this style. Sort of dipping my toes in this tide. I’m beginning to feel that I’ll have to take the plunge soon. Over the years, I’ve been adding those aforementioned hardy natives. More grasses are needed – my hesitation is mostly because I’m not sure what will work for my garden and my preferences. I plan to do some major research in that area over the winter. The cool, ecologically sound factor of this type of garden beckons.

Check out Piet’s work at the NYBG and the High-Line in NYC.

I’m adding lots of photos to give a good idea of this type of design. Hope it will inspire and instruct:

In Piet’s garden in Hummelo, Netherlands:

Posing with Piet

Piet’s work at the NYBG:

His work at the High-Line:

[do_widget “Blog Subscriptions (Jetpack)”]

Planting Bulbs With Henriette

Posted on October 27, 2015 by pgbundil

On Friday, October 23, 2015, about 1,500 bulbs were planted in memory of Henriette Suhr. The weather was perfect for this project – sunny with a seasonal chill. In clear view of the hills blazing fall’s russet and ochre hues, about a dozen of us planted what will be a most splendid sight next spring. Hundreds of Chappaqua commuters will be treated to the show.
To keep it simple, a variety of daffodils, scillas, crocuses and snowdrops were chosen.

As we planted, we exchanged happy memories of Henriette. She brought together so many of us and it was only right that here too, in the midst of gardening, we were reconnecting and strengthening our friendships. It is funny how a daunting task can be made easy when many happy hearts and willing hands come together. And so the job got done.

As I planted, took photos and chatted, it occurred to me that here was a perfect lesson – Bulb Planting 101. If one was interested in putting down a bed of bulbs for the first time, this was the ideal demonstration. In creating her own gardens at Rocky Hills, Henriette taught so many. Educating on horticulture, the environment and good design, she led by example. Now, once again, she was providing yet another learning opportunity. On my part, it was only right that I spread her message that we must always care for the environment with sensitivity and grace.

So here goes the pictorial tutorial:

1. The selected site was just a typical grassy area. So, in preparation, the sod was removed and the area was dug to the depth required by the large daffodil bulbs. Remember, depth is three times the size of the bulb.

2. To create a natural, informal look, the different daffodils were mixed up and placed in no particular pattern in the trench. Kept about 5 to 8 inches apart, the bed will look thickly planted.

Scott Medbury, director of the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens plants with volunteer and my dear friend Toni Kelly.

3. These large bulbs were then covered with soil. The depth was thus raised to be correct for the smaller bulbs.

4. Again, the minor bulbs were mixed and planted at random.

5. The remaining soil covered all the bulbs and filled up the bed.

Fred oversees the entire operation

6. The whole bed was mulched with shredded cedar.

7. Finally, an evergreen ground cover of vinca/creeping myrtle was planted. The vinca will mark the bed and provide year-round definition. Its mauve-blue flowers will add an additional splash in spring.

This rock, brought in from Rocky Hills, will bear a plaque dedicated to Henriette.

8. The bed will be kept watered till the weather turns really cold. That ought to allow the ground cover to settle in nicely before the winter.

Part of the planting team,

I can’t wait for spring! This bed should look lovely. I do believe Henriette would approve. I felt her presence the whole time we planted – as though she was gently guiding us along.
Once again dear friend, I salute you. You are deeply missed.

[do_widget “Blog Subscriptions (Jetpack)”]

Green Acres

Posted on September 29, 2015 by pgbundil

No doubt with summer at an end, the garden is looking all too blah. I know mine is. It’d look even worse if the fall flowers were not doing their thing by throwing splashes of color to liven up the scene. We’ve grown so accustomed to planting for color that we’ve completely neglected that most dominant of horticultural colors. Yes, the ubiquitous green.

Green comes in so many hues and yet, we lump it as one humdrum ole’ pigment. Such a shame considering we are absolutely starving for it well before winter has called it quits. In spring, the different shades of green are all too apparent. Spring green, sap green, chartreuse green, olive green, blue-green, gray-green, pthallo green, the list goes on. And every single one of those shades is a welcome sight. So what happens as the year goes along? A lot of the plants that started out looking different seem to turn the same type of green.

It simply means one must select more carefully to create a diversity in greens. The choices are plenty. Variegated plants as well as the huge range of plants with foliage of different greens can infuse the garden with enough excitement. Toss in diverse textures and shapes and you have something truly fantastic. We know all of this but often fail to make the effort because we are too focused on other colors. Hence that humdrum look in late summer.

I got to think more on this matter these last couple of days. I’m enjoying a Tuscan vacation and the classical Italianate gardens are pretty much mostly green. And a uniform green at that. The effect is rather soothingly simple and elegant. Occasional spatters of color only serve to emphasize the minimalistic use of it. The gardens focus more on elements like pattern, perspective and positioning. The simplicity is most deceptive as much thought and skill is required to create these gardens. They are the opposite of cottage gardens where anything goes. It isn’t enough to know plants. A good knowledge of mathematics and architecture along with a heightened sense of aesthetics is required. A tall order for us average gardeners. No wonder that style is not so popular today.

But, I think we should revisit the idea that a garden must always have ‘color’. The more I visit the classical gardens in Tuscany, the more appealing they are becoming. There is something very restful and calm in them. For visual interest, think parterre or knot gardens. Not the highly stylized, hard to maintain sorts of beds but the basic patterns of squares and circles outlined in boxwood and a single shrub or tree in the middle. True, the box needs trimming but that would be just a couple of times a year. There’d be no staking or deadheading! The gravel on the paths and within the beds would make mowing and weeding an occasional necessity. The central trees/shrubs could bear flowers and/or fruit. Does this have any appeal to you?

The problem is, such gardens tend to be quite formal in appearance. A far cry from our more informal looking chateaux. But for the duration of my trip, I’m going to indulge in dreaming up an all green, super-simple, elegant garden.

The following images are of the famous Boboli gardens in Florence and one other private garden. While the low borders are of boxwood, the wall-like hedges are of bay laurel! So utterly fitting to this region – a tip of the hat to its Roman history.

I apologize for the poor quality of the photographs as I’m having some technical problems. Will post much nicer ones in future posts!

[do_widget “Blog Subscriptions (Jetpack)”]

Weeding, Watering, Wandering

Posted on September 22, 2015 by pgbundil

Hard to believe that September is coming to an end. The equinox today, officially declares the end of summer 2015. The weather has only just taken to hinting at autumn days ahead. The leaves, still mostly green, echo my own reluctance to let go of summer. And I’m seriously delinquent in the usual chores of the month.
My ‘Things To Do’ list for Seprember says:

1. Continue weeding.
2. Deadhead. Cut back anything that looks ragged or done for.
3. Mow the lawn less frequently.
4. Water judiciously.
5. Get leaf rakes, leaf bags and keep ready. Fall cometh!
6. Similarly, keep bulb planting stuff like dibbler, bulb food, trowel, spade, etc., handy.
7. Continue harvesting vegetables. Remove plants that have given their all and toss on the compost heap.
8. Stir compost thoroughly.
9. Plant in cool weather vegetables.
10. Check if fall blooming plants such as asters and chrysanthemums need staking.
11. Inspect garden for pests or disease. Take prompt action if detected.
12. As days get shorter, make it a point to enjoy the garden as much as possible.

Of those dozen action items, I’m only following through on #s 4 and 12 most judiciously.
All summer long we’ve bemoaned the lack of rain. Too dry too long. Not willing to see my precious garden perish from thirst, watering deliberately and daily has been de rigueur. Hence, there remains a semblance of verdancy but don’t be fooled. The plants are struggling. If this near drought situation continues, all our gardens will be in peril.

Weeding seems to be a distant memory. A heavily guilty one at that. It has been either too hot to bother or I’ve been traipsing around checking out gardens in other lands. The latter is a sound way to avoid that chore. Gives me an air of scholarly interest whilst shirking my duties. I’m hoping the weeds will simply go away. I know what you’re thinking and I agree – I’m delusional.

Coming back to # 12, I’m most certainly enjoying the garden: mine as well as several others. Doing very little has advantages. Wandering through foreign lands, admiring plants I cannot grow has renewed my appreciation of those that thrive in my neck of the woods. I’m also inspired to focus harder on supporting native plants and sustainable practices.
As for all those other to-do items, they must wait a tad longer. I have a bit more immediate wandering to do. Tuscany, here I come!

Here are some images from my summer wanderings:

Singapore:

Amsterdam:

Heather

Vermont:

Chicago:

[do_widget “Blog Subscriptions (Jetpack)”]

Parks And Recreation

Posted on September 15, 2015 by pgbundil

This past weekend, I was in the Chicago area and came across two spaces that became the highlights of my trip. We are accustomed to visiting public gardens and learning from them ideas and plants that we can apply to our own gardens. But to see an ordinary neighborhood park or a bike/jogging trail offer up unexpected gardening lessons is nothing short of thrilling.

Driving along a very nondescript road in Skokie, I spied a large stand of bright pink cosmos waving happily to passers-by. Seeing this rather unusual display, I felt compelled to stop, get out and cross the road to catch a closer look. What a surprise awaited! This clump of cosmos was actually a whole looooong bed of cosmos that lined a bike and running path through which said road cut across. Not immediately visible from this road, the flowers were there solely to cheer on the recreational crowd. It was utterly charming.

To me, this simple, inexpensive and enchanting idea is pure genius. What better way to make a ribbon of asphalt cheery and attractive? I’m hoping to discover if other seasons are equally well served along this trail.

The second surprise I came upon is what once was a green space that provided residents of Wilmette a place for picnics, sunbathing and other downtime pursuits. While it still offers that, it now also hosts a spectacular expanse of a prairie garden as well as a thriving community/allotment garden. The former recalls the landscape indigenous to the area and subtly suggests to the residents what they too could grow, the latter draws attention to the joys and rewards of cultivating the food we put on our tables. Both gardens support a plethora of wildlife like butterflies, bees and birds and, are so vibrant in their purpose. More park-lands around the country should follow this example.

My take home was to keep it simple, native and fun. As always, travel instructs and opens the mind.

Note: The prairie garden at Wilmette’s Centennial Park is a work in progress. Started in 2010, it expects to be completely established in a few more years. I caught it at the tail end of the growing season. One can only imagine how much more colorful and rich it is in spring and early summer.

[do_widget “Blog Subscriptions (Jetpack)”]

September Affair

Posted on September 8, 2015 by pgbundil

It is the second week of September and doesn’t feel like it one bit. For starters, it is HOT! Sizzling, heat wave hot. And oh so dry that even the trees are gasping. Along the highways, the greenery looks so brown and parched you’d think they’d been deliberately torched. In my own garden, I’m torn between watering my plants copiously and letting nature take her course. What survives should be my guide for future plantings. But then, what about the plants I’ve paid for dearly and lovingly cherished? I’m constantly tussling with my conscience about doing the right thing. A good, thorough drenching rain would go a long way in serving my cause.

I note that the fall plants like asters and monkhood are slow to bloom this year which is not a bad thing as the hydrangea, phlox, cone flowers and Joe Pyes are still going strong. But I hope then that we do not get cheated out of a colorful autumn with an early winter.

By now, I’m usually getting the tender perennials into the freshly scrubbed greenhouse, cutting back spent plants and generally cleaning up. However, it feels too early this year and I’m kind of at a loose end. No doubt the mad rush to complete the chores will occur in due course.

As I await my shipment of bulbs for fall planting, complete my list of perennials to purchase, set up a plan to replace the gazebo that supports the wisteria and prepare to harvest fruit, I’m determined to enjoy these days of transition as both summer and fall vie for attention.

Come, enjoy the beauty of September:

[do_widget “Blog Subscriptions (Jetpack)”]

Retreating From The Heat

Posted on September 1, 2015 by pgbundil

No real gardening is happening this week. It is way too hot to spend any length of time outdoors. So I’m focusing on gardening indirectly – reading, watching films and generally pondering. Here is a sampling:

I’ve been doing a lot of travel this season and airports are becoming a rather familiar sight. And I’m rather unhappy about our New York hubs. There are hardly any sort of planned landscaping around the airports let alone nice pots of plants indoors. Given the glut of data supporting the positive effects of plants on our physical and mental healths, it would stand to reason that airports install gardens outside and within. After all, they are the very places where tensions run high, tempers flare, nervous tics develop, blood pressures soar, anxiety and panic set in and general fatigue prevails. Instead, it seems nobody told our airport powers-that-be about the enormous benefits that plants provide.

However, in Singapore, the gardens in the different terminals and the landscaping in the surrounding areas of the airport are so lovely that they are now world famous. This airport has truly taken its gardens seriously – there are vertical gardens, butterfly gardens, orchid gardens all over the place. In July, I found myself at Changi airport with a layover from midnight to 4:00 am and the only salvation I had were those gardens.

Then this past Sunday, I had to be in Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport at 6:00 am. Having partied at a wedding bash the night before, I was seriously sleep deprived and a tad grumpy. But, on emerging from the taxi at the airport, my eyes saw sunflowers all along the sidewalk. Great, big, happy pots of them. How could one not smile at the sight? Put me in a better frame of mind right away. You see?

*********

I saw a movie that I think many of you would enjoy. “A Little Chaos” is one of those mostly unheard of films with an impressive cast. Kate Winslett, Alan Rickman and Stanley Tucci to name three. It is a fictional story about a woman garden designer working with Le Notre at Versailles. While the story is more about the development of their relationship than the garden, the movie manages to combine period setting, life at that time, a glimpse of Versailles in the making to give the audience the slightly lofty feeling of watching something intellectual instead of just another romance.

On a hot day, sit back in a cool, comfortable room and watch this movie. A nice escape from the summer doldrums.

**********

“Gardening is one of the rewards of middle age, when one is ready for an impersonal passion, a passion that demands patience, acute awareness of a world outside oneself, and the power to keep on growing through all the times of drought, through the cold snows, toward those moments of pure joy when all failures are forgotten and the plum tree flowers.”

-May Sarton, Plant Dreaming Deep

I came across this passage and immediately took umbrage with middle age and impersonal. For one who has been gardening long before middle age and taken my gardening work, its successes and failures very personally, this certainly did not sit well. But the rest of the quote definitely nails what gardening is all about.

After more neutral minded pondering, I concede that most gardeners are not the twenty – somethings. We are in general a slightly more mature tribe. But then again, most young adults do not have the luxury of space, time or finances to garden. Age has a few perks I suppose. But the energy of youth certainly eludes.

Children might learn the joy of growing plants but as they reach independence, the immediacy of life and its quotidian demands take over. Gardening is set aside till one ‘settles down’. Only very few continue gardening in one way or another. For myself, all through college I kept plants in my room. I struck a deal with the campus gardeners – they’d look after my plants whenever I went home and I’d help with watering a specific garden the rest of the year. And in the following years, when I lived in apartments, I convinced landlords to let me cultivate a small patch outside. You can well understand my response to the part about gardening as reward for the middle-aged. I sure took that personally!
Let me know your take on this topic.

Note: Dr. Oliver Sacks passed away on August 30. He was a big hero of mine and I’d only recently written about my last meeting with him in June. I will forever cherish that time. When I’d mentioned to him that I was going to Singapore, he immediately mentioned the vertical gardens and orchids there! Please join me in honoring Dr Sacks by staying curious about everything in this world, treating all people with compassion and understanding and staying fully engaged in life.

Something to see! For the entire month of September, some of my watercolors and photographs will be on exhibit in three windows of Sotheby’s real estate office in Chappaqua ( corner of lower Greeley Ave and King Street, across from Starbucks). I hope you will stop by and take a look. I would love your feedback!
Please, I need your help in spreading the word! Thanks very much.

Vertical garden at Changi, Singapore

Orchids in Singapore airport

Sunflowers at Schiphol, Amsterdam

[do_widget “Blog Subscriptions (Jetpack)”]

Harmonizing With Summer

Posted on August 18, 2015 by pgbundil

What sounds come to mind when you think of summer? The thrum of bees on sorties in the midday sun. The vibrato of hummingbird wings as they hover over the stand of Bergamot in bloom. The periodic crescendo of cicadas punctuating the sultry, hot hours. The early morning choir of avian throats stirring the world awake. The staccato beat of the woodpecker keeping time on the dying sugar maple. The sunset chorus of frogs by the pond. The frenetic percussion of a summer thundershower ending the heat wave. The high pitched laughter of sun-kissed children cooling off in the neighborhood pool. These are the sounds of my idyllic summer.

Sadly, it has become almost impossible to truly enjoy these seasonal melodies. Like the rustling of candies being unwrapped or the ringing of the unsilenced phone ruining the experience of going to the philharmonic or movie, our solace in our gardens is being spoiled by mowers and leaf blowers in use at any given hour of day. They drown out the natural sounds or worse, scare away the musicians all together.

The Law of Mo-Blo rules our lives all through the warm months. If you’re sitting down to an al fresco meal or settling in for a read and/or nap in the hammock, rest assured a neighbor will begin priming the mower or leaf blower. It never fails. The noise from these machines has permanently become the background sound of the season. The hallmark of summer in suburbia.

But, it needn’t be a status quo. We can do something about it. We must make the effort for the sake of our health, our hearing, the environment and our sanity.

The verdict is in. Particulate matter is produced at dangerous levels by leaf blowers, hedge trimmers and brush cutters. Pregnant women and young children must be kept away from their harm. Recent studies at the University of Pittsburgh have implicated these particulates in increasing the risk of childhood autism by as much as 50%.
The high decibel noise generated by yard equipment can damage our hearing. The people operating the machines are exposed to this noise even more so. The U.S. Surgeon General warns that “Excessive noise exposure during pregnancy can influence embryonic development”.
That the machines consume a great deal of gas and the resulting pollution of the air hardly needs reiteration.

Additionally, leaf blowing erodes soil, destroys the habitats of wildlife, stirs up pesticides, dust and fungal/bacterial spores (watch out asthmatics), reduces the water retention capacity of soil and in high temperature, causes ground level ozone formation.

I don’t need to elaborate on the repercussions of being distracted or unsettled in our work and other creative pursuits by the impact of loud sounds. And I certainly don’t need to discuss the ruined ambiance at outdoor events. I expect very little argument against the need to curtail the use of the harmful machines.

So lets get pro-active. For starters, every town should have ordinances limiting the hours of lawn equipments use. Personally, I’d like a ban on any such noise after 6:00 pm on weekdays and absolutely no weekend use altogether. This might be seen as inconvenient at first but, trust me we can get used to it. The tranquillity that will ensue will be worth the adjustment. Across the country, there are some towns that have such laws but they are too few and far between. A concerted program is in order. Every citizen ought to lobby for it.

Until such legislation is instated, neighbors could form their own pacts to be considerate and thoughtful. Come to a consensus for the betterment of all.

At a personal level, follow the three Rs – Reduce, Recycle, Reuse. Reduce the lawn area by creating more/larger flower beds, planting more trees, letting a meadow grow. Mow with the blade at a height of about four inches. Let lawn clippings stay on the lawn as they will quickly settle down to nourish the soil and keep it from drying too fast.
Rake leaves off lawns and dispose them in the compost. You can skip a trip to the gym on those days! Let leaves remain in beds as they make for a good mulch – the soil will be enriched and kept moist and weed free. Plants will require less watering too.

If you must, use electric instead of the gas powered machines. This is the lesser of the two evils. Seriously consider getting a manual powered reel lawn mower. The new models are light to use and very efficient. And so quiet! Some sweat equity and fresh air will do us all good.
If you employ a lawn service, discuss with them the need for environmentally sound measures. There are now companies that offer ‘green’ management of yards. They might charge more but are worth the expense. What you think you’re saving in money by hiring the much too common mow-blow- and go crews actually comes at great cost to all of our well being. And this includes our pets, our environment and the entire planet.

We must each play our part responsibly so we can forever dance in harmony to the pure sounds of summer.

My front lawn is quite tiny. The grass is kept at a height of 4 inches.
While it looks pristine, it is not all purely grass. Many other greens such as clover are mingled in.

The meadow in May. It gets mowed perhaps two times in the whole year – towards the very end of summer. With a push-reel mower.

Whole leaf mulch at the Singapore Botanical Gardens

[do_widget “Blog Subscriptions (Jetpack)”]

Seeds of Design

by Shobha Vanchiswar

Category Archives: Your Garden and the Globe

Sweet Holy Grass!

Like this:

The Enduring Gift

Like this:

The New Perennial Movement

Like this:

Planting Bulbs With Henriette

Like this:

Green Acres

Like this:

Weeding, Watering, Wandering

Like this:

Parks And Recreation

Like this:

September Affair

Like this:

Retreating From The Heat

Like this:

Harmonizing With Summer

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: