Tag Archives: garden

A Case For Autocracy Or Tough Love?

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Did the title get your attention? Good. Allow me to spend the next few paragraphs making my case.

In trying to understand what we’re facing as a nation, my mind has been working overtime. As always, when faced with a life problem I turned to the garden for counse. The answers were not readily apparent. However, in going about the business of gardening, cogitating on what and how we humans readily behave badly whilst simultaneously declaring our goodness, I started becoming aware of just how explicitly the garden was informing me.

The very work of making and maintaining a garden is about Control. We act as boss and not so much partner with Nature. We apply our plans and designs to create our vision and in doing so, we often operate counter to Nature. What we plant and grow, the practices and methods we employ are for our own purpose – to make a beautiful, bountiful garden.. Even as we ‘welcome’ pollinators and beneficial creatures, we are doing so to our own advantage’.

Weeds? Pull ‘em by the roots and dispose. A plant (native or otherwise) gets thuggish and invades spaces not intended for them? Cut back ruthlessly or remove entirely. We cut, clear, coppice, confine and cage to suit. Train, tie and twist. Stake, suppress, spray. We do what we we want. You see? We’re a pretty bunch of horticultural autocrats!

Are we really this bad? Yes we are if all we focus on is getting our personal agenda fulfilled. The worst kind of gardener is one who uses methods and practices that damage/destroy indiscriminately and without consideration to the surroundings and those who live in it. Such gardeners do indeed exist but I’d like to think that there are more of us who are better than that. We make choices that do the least harm or none at all. On principals of coexistence, conservation and community, we create our gardens to be spaces that allow insects and other animals to visit. Pests are discouraged by encouraging their natural predators, companion plantings or the judicious use of organic applications.

Of course, we still prune, pull weeds and deal with invasives but we also compost to use as both fertilizer and mulch. Grow native and/or ecologically beneficial non-native plants that are resilient, hardy and less demanding of resources like water and labor. We keep in mind that we are but the privileged, temporary custodians of this, our precious piece of land for future generations to enjoy. As in parenting, we provide structure, boundaries and some discipline – with kindness, care, compassion, empathy and most all, with love. Tough love.

In the final analysis, it comes down to who we choose to be and how we choose to act. If we can look into the eyes of our children and grandchildren and justify our choices without reservation or excuse, with the full understanding that they led to better, healthier lives for them, then, and only then can we confirm that we chose right. From deep within our hearts.

(c) 2025 Shobha Vanchiswar

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Pachyderms Pacing Purposefully

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There’s a new baby girl in my life. Please meet little Beejal – the Sanskrit word ‘Beeja’ means ‘seed’. The name Beejal is described as symbolizing creativity and adaptability, reflecting an innovative spirit. The connection to the word Beeja suggests themes of growth, potential and, new beginnings. Traditionally it is a name assigned to a male but, I’m applying it to my new baby girl from the Nilgiri Hills in southern India. Beejal is a member of a herd of elephants making its way across the globe and currently marching across the United States.

The Great Elephant Migration is a project with all the hallmarks of a message that transcends all geopolitical differences and unifies the world and all its residents to inform, educate and take positive action towards conservation, coexistence and community. You can read much more about it here.

Here’s a quick account. The Lantana plant, a member of the verbena family, is native to tropical regions of Central and South America. Vibrantly colored flowers attract pollinators, does well in a variety of climates, grows rapidly, drought tolerant and low maintenance, it has long been a garden favorite everywhere. Unfortunately, it has been way too happy in certain swathes of the world where the climate has encouraged it to thrive so well that it has become hugely invasive. To the point that it has completely out-competed other native plants. Lantana has literally taken over entire landscapes. Furthermore, it is completely toxic thus depriving animals of their typical native, nutrient rich plants. This problem cannot be overstated. An animal like the elephant, a keystone species, must consume a vast quantity of vegetation daily is dangerously impacted. Forced to seek food elsewhere, they must venture beyond their traditional terrain and this has often meant cultivated fields and consequently resulted in perilous conflicts with humans.

A story like this covers the importance of growing native plants, monitoring invasive and/or non-native species, the value of living in co-existence with all creatures respecting each others space and needs, conserving resources and, in the final analysis, each living member of this planet is an integral part of the global community.

The Great Elephant Migration was conceived to visually illustrate this overarching problem to the world, Using lantana stems, artisans of the indigenous people of the Nilgiris create sculptures of the elephants amongst whom they live. Each lantana elephant is created in the likeness of a real one. A herd of a 100 such pachyderms has been tasked with spreading this important message to the human world. All the monies raised goes not only towards paying the artisans but is also shared by numerous conservation organizations worldwide.

I first learned of this wonderful project about a year and a half ago. It is one that resonates with me deeply and at so many levels. And there’s one additional fact that strikes me very personally, right into my heart – my father grew up in the Nilgiris. The need to attach myself to this amazing effort was unquestionable. I’ve spent my whole life getting involved in many important causes but the pull of this particular one was as strong as well, a herd of elephants! I therefore made the decision to ‘adopt’ a baby elephant. Knowing the proceeds will achieve so much good gives me immense joy. Plus, I have myself one irresistible and adorably rotund baby elephant in my garden.

Win-win-win all around.

P.S. I hope you will be moved to support this wonderful cause in any way you can.

Introducing Beejal! –

(c) 2025 Shobha Vanchiswar

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In Tune With June

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Right on time the roses, peonies, irises, geraniums, native wisteria and so much else are blooming wildly. Utterly thrilling when things go as anticipated. In these times when the weather is so erratic and flowers are often blooming too early or late, it is particularly nice to see June has arrived and the garden is festooned correctly.

Here’s the What To Do In June list –

1. Weed, weed, weed! Do it regularly and you’ll be less inundated.

2. Continue deadheading flowers after they’re done blooming. Let those that you want to go to seed remain.

3. As many plants take off this month, keep the garden looking tidy by staking and tying back.

4. Water only as needed. As summer heat and humidity increases, too much watering will encourage the proliferation of fungal diseases.

5. Keep close vigil for pests and disease. Take prompt action. Use only organic products.

6. Fertilize the vegetable beds and  plants in pots every two weeks or so. Comfrey tea, Epsom salts and compost are my go to fertilizers.

7. Mow lawns regularly but keep the blades at a height of 4 inches. The slightly longer grass will retain moisture better. Leave clippings in place to enrich the soil.

8. Prune back lilacs by one-third their height. Do the same for other spring blooming plants – once flowers are done of course.

9. Net soft fruits to keep away the birds.

10. With the threat of frost over, plant out tender plants.

11. Harvest vegetables regularly.

12. Each evening, make a point of sitting still in the garden and observing the fireflies do their silent dance. Smell the roses. Gather peonies to bring indoors. This, is why you garden!

(c) 2025 Shobha Vanchiswar

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Peony Passion

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Persistent rain and routine garden chores notwithstanding, it’s peak peony season. I’ve been indulging heavily in these beauties. A visit to the New York Botanical Gardens where the Peony Walk was abundant in blooms and a special dinner at the show garden of Peony’s Envy Farm in New Jersey that was ablaze in all colors and types of the flower have me absolutely besotted. Seriously, can there ever be such a thing as too many peonies?!

It really is time to stop and smell the peonies.

I won’t say anything more. Instead, I serve up an plethora of photographs. If only I could share the fragrance to accompany such beauties.

(c) 2025 Shobha Vanchiswar

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Nexus

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A great garden is the perfect nexus between science and art. The science dictates the way one gardens – choice of native/ecologically beneficial plants, sound organic practices, soil amendment, water management, planting sites, pruning, propagation etc,. The arts guide the use of color, shapes, size, textures, elements of visual interest like pattern of paths/stonework, sculptures, overall design and so on. Together, a definitively pleasing garden is born. As both a scientist as well as an artist myself, I strive to apply my skills and knowledge to create a well balanced garden. It’s an eternal work in progress which is what keeps the effort of gardening challenging, interesting, exciting and deeply rewarding.

How a visitor to a garden views it is usually indicative of their mindset. While, in general, all respond positively to a beautiful garden, there is often a telling bias towards art or science. There’s no right or wrong – like in everything, we come with our preconceptions, prior knowledge and experiences. I, personally enjoy listening to the diverse comments and feedback from visitors to my little garden. Over the years, I’ve gained much in remaining open to opinions. Seeing my garden through the eyes of others is something I thoroughly enjoy. While I garden according to my own sensibilities, I love the chance nugget of information or insight that comes my way.

For some years now, my garden has played muse to artists. They come from everywhere bringing with them their unique style and ideas. This past Saturday, a group of NYC contemporary water-colorists held their annual workshop here – it’s become quite a tradition and one I look forward to. While several of them have painted here many times over the years, some were first timers. One artist who resides in Panama, plans her annual trip to the US to coincide with this workshop in my garden. That, to me, is hugely gratifying and humbling.

In any case, it is such fun to see where and what each artist chooses to paint. And how they interpret it on paper! Some make repeat paintings of the same view while others move around.

The workshop concludes with a grand showing of everyone’s output and a super-helpful critique from artist and instructor Naomi Campbell ( not the famous model). I’m invariably blown away by all the work on ‘display’.

When everybody has left, I walk around the garden with a renewed appreciation and outlook of my horticultural creation. And I’m eager and inspired to get back to my own paints, paper and easel.

Later this week, a tree expert is stopping by to see the espaliered trees. The scientist eye and word is eagerly awaited!

(c) 2025 Shobha Vanchiswar

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Welcoming The Stranger

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Opening the garden to the is fraught with trepidation and thrills. Preparing for it requires time and energy in abundance as one must get the garden to look its very best. Visitors, on their part, make the time and effort to come to it so it is imperative that every endeavor is made by the gardener to make it worth their while. That’s not just hard work but a demanding one as well. The way I see it, a visitor must be delighted, inspired, pleasantly surprised even and hopefully, learn something as well. That’s what I’d like when I’m the visitor. So, it’s what I strive to achieve with my own garden open day.

It’s important to give an authentic experience. After all, a garden ought to be a true reflection of those who tend it – their philosophical sensibilities on gardening, nature, the environment, design, as well as their lifestyle. “Get to know my garden and you get to know me” To deliver all that is the trepidation part.

The thrill is in meeting the diverse guests – hearing their reactions and observations, receiving feedback and best of all, seeing my garden through their eyes. Of course, while most are first time visitors, several arrive every year and finally, some friends who love my garden but also want to show support. Visitors arrive as strangers and leave as friends. For sure, gardens bring people together. I find it all positively exhilarating.

Open Day this past Saturday was glorious. After days of torrential rain ( and doing my chores through those challenging conditions), the garden sparkled in sunshine and radiated joy. What a relief! It was a near perfect event. I say ‘near’ because total perfection is a myth. Besides, as any gardener worth their salt soil knows, humility is a lesson learned very early in gardening.

I’m sharing some pictures taken from that day. Enjoy.

I do want to convey my heartfelt gratitude to all those who came – thank you.

Windo boxes
Relaxing after Open Day
Dessert
The party went into the night

(c) 2025 Shobha Vanchiswar

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Open May! Open Day!

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I returned to the garden yesterday. Two weeks ago, my deeply loved father passed away. It’s been an emotionally charged time and I’m still processing my grief. I was blessed and privileged to be the daughter of a truly great man. Time heals it is said but I believe that working in the garden is the best therapy there is.

May has arrived in full glory – spreading color and joy everywhere. A

reminder that life must be celebrated. I spent the better part of yesterday gardening in the rain. While not the ideal weather by any measure, it still felt wonderful. With my Open Day just days away, there are a myriad chores to be completed and I must make up for the time I was away. I’ll certainly do my best to have the garden ‘visitor ready’!

For those with more time on hand, here is the general to-do list for May –

  1. Weed regularly if you want to keep the thugs in check.
  2. Put stakes in place so that as plants grow it’ll be easy to secure them.
  3. Deadhead spent blooms for a neat look. Some plants will reward you with a second wave of blooms. Of course, if you want to collect seeds, do not deadhead.
  4. Water as necessary. Add a splash of compost tea to fertilize – about every 3 weeks.
  5. Plant in summer vegetables, summer bulbs and tubers and, annuals.
  6. Keep bird baths filled with clean water. Use mosquito ‘dunks’ to prevent mosquitoes from breeding. The same goes for fountains.
  7. Start mowing lawns but do the right thing by keeping the mower blade high at about four inches. Leave clippings in place to replenish the soil.
  8. Make sure all beds, shrubs and trees are mulched to retain moisture and keep weeds from proliferating.
  9. To take care of weeds in areas that are paved or bricked, pour boiling hot water over them. The weeds will be killed and no chemicals were used!
  10. Stay vigilant for pests or disease. The earlier you catch a problem, the easier it is to treat them. Always employ organic methods.
  11. Stir the compost heap regularly. Keep adding in kitchen and garden waste.
  12. Take time every day to simply enjoy the garden.
  13. Visit other gardens through the Garden Conservancy’s Open Days Program. You will be vastly instructed and inspired. Www.gardenconservancy.org/opendays

I look forward to seeing some of you this Saturday in my garden!

(c) 2025 Shobha Vanchiswar

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Capricious April

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April continues to test and tease. Days of sun and sparkle vanquished by spells of gray clouds expelling chilling rain and most recently, covering the garden in a light blanket of snow. It’s particularly frustrating for this gardener who is hurrying to get the garden ready for Open Day.

Like the postal service, I’ve persevered and have been making steady progress despite the vagaries of the weather. There are so many varied tasks that it’s been fun in spontaneously deciding what gets done after checking the daily forecast. Summer bulbs and a new peony got planted in the rain. As did the replenishing of river rocks under the espalier fence of fruit trees. Over time, the stones shift, settle in deep or break up and expose bare earth. Every 8 to 10 years a topping off is required to maintain the pleasing aesthetics whilst thwarting weeds from taking up residence.

On really cold days, I’ve whiled away hours in the greenhouse trimming and cleaning up pots and plants that are showing winter fatigue. Spending a whole season cooped up in rather cramped quarters can quite understandably take a toll on anyone’s appearance. The whole lot of plants will get moved out later this week and take up their rightful garden positions till the Fall.

Taking advantage of the promised sunshine and comfortable temperatures this week, I expect to make a trip to my local family-owned nursery to get the annuals for window-boxes and urns. Just in time for the holiday weekend.

Despite all the fluctuations in temperature, each day brings exponential growth and more plants bursting into bloom. How I love these days of spring! The long held anticipation giving way to the sheer exuberance of both color and beauty is what gets me through the dark months of winter. I’m determined to savor every one of these precious days. My hardworking garden deserves no less.

So nthrilled to see poppies coming back

(c) 2025 Shobha Vanchiswar


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Recap, Review, Recharge

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Lyndhurst In Bloom has come and gone. Weeks of plotting and planning reduced to a short 2 day event. Was it worth it? Absolutely!

I was very gratified to see my vision realized perfectly. It came together exactly as I had intended. The feedback has been wonderful – better than I had dared to hoped. All in all, a great experience.

Each of the other installations were inspirational. So different and yet, they all seemed to relate to each other. That’s serendipity. Bonus – some exciting new professional as well as personal friendships forged.

I am taking the time this week to review and savor the entire experience. Acknowledging the work, the stretching of skills and, creative energy that was involved is important. No less important is the support received from family, friends and the folks at Lyndhurst ( specifically the inimitable Emma Gencarelli who puts together this huge undertakng) who gave me the opportunity in the first place.

Some garden work did get done too! The very large pots were brought out and they will be potted up soon. A bit of weeding – yes, that is best started as early as possible. It appears that weeds possess an inexplicable advantage – they get going before almost all other plants. There’s a research project awaiting some out-of-the-box thinking graduate student of botany.

I’m eager to get more time in the garden – it’s just about a month to Open Day. No time to waste! This week, I intend to plant summer bulbs, get the vertical garden going, bring out the more hardy plants out of the greenhouse, start leafy greens seeds and keep going with weed patrol.

Now, allow me to share some footage from my Lyndhurst In Bloom 2025 installation – I was unable to add the video so please imagine the field recordings of birdsong as well as the amazing fragrance!

(c) 2025 Shobha Vanchiswar


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April Anticipation

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April has started out correctly -with showers. May flowers are duly anticipated. But looking around, there is clearly all the hallmarks of expectancy everywhere. Buds slowly loosening up to reveal tiny glimpses of promised color, what sounds like birds going about their business includes songs of partnerships being forged and future possibilities, signs of dormancy being broken as the soil gives way to emerging growth anticipating the return of light and warmth.

With the prospect of lush blooms, I, as gardener have peony rings set in place. The birdhouses have been cleaned and await new or returning families. The very act of gardening is all about anticipation and it is this month especially that underscores that.

With that in mind, here is the To-Do list for April:

Things To Do In April

1. Time to restart the compost pile! Give it a good stir and add fresh compostables. If you don’t have a composter, please do make or buy one.

2. Clean up all winter debris.

3. Can you believe weed patrol begins now? Be regular about it and you will always be on top of this chore.

4. Seedlings started indoors can be planted out once the soil has warmed up and has been well prepared for planting. Stay vigilant for spells of late frost. Keep cloches and fleece covers at hand.

5. Attend to the lawn. De- thatch, aerate, reseed and finally, fertilize with a good layer of compost.

6. Similarly, feed trees, shrubs and all garden beds with compost.

7. Remove burlap and other protection from plants and pots.

8. Divide overgrown perennials.

9. Plant summer-flowering bulbs.

10. Remove any dead, damaged or diseased stems/branches from roses, other shrubs and trees.

11. Start using an organic control to put off slugs and snails.

12. Put out nesting material such as wool, moss, cotton string, shredded paper, small twigs, feathers and hay for the birds. No synthetic materials please!

13. Uncover the outdoor furniture and give them a good cleaning. Now you’re prepared for the first truly warm day!

14. Plant or move evergreen shrubs and conifers.

15. Take the time to revel in the beauty of the bulbs in bloom.

P.S. Last call to get your tickets to Lyndhurst In Bloom ! It’s this coming weekend April 5 & 6.

In my garden today –

(c) 2025 Shobha Vanchiswar


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