Tag Archives: gardener

Decompress And Debrief

Posted on by

What a week it was! Busy, hectic and full of excitement. It was spent installing my art for the Lyndhurst In Bloom event. Transforming a vision to reality is a process fraught with ideas, doubt, fun, tweaking, rethinking, redoing, second guessing everything and, finally pulling it all together. A roller-coaster ride.

And then the preview night arrived – it had all come together and I was ready to enjoy the evening. Whew!

The feedback that evening and through the weekend was good and gratifying. I’m really glad I’d said ‘yes’ to this opportunity. It made me stretch and explore, dig deep and think out of the box. It was truly exciting. I’m very pleased with how the final installation looked as well the public response. I learned a lot too.

I had many requests to share as much as possible about my project from those who could not attend. So I submit here the mission statement for it and lots of photos. Lyndhurst had a professional photographer take pictures but I will receive them only later.

And now, after a day spent collecting my thoughts and decompressing, I head into the garden and onward to the garden’s Open Day!

Before Flowers, Beyond Flowers

Lyndhurst Mansion will forever be connected to the Gilded Age. A time associated with rapidly expanding industries, significant progress in science and technology and of course, opulence and excess. What is often overlooked is that this period was also when Environmentalism as a national movement got started. It was a seminal moment when Yellowstone National Park was established in 1872. The first of its kind in the world.

We are now at a similar inflection point where we must renew our covenant as protectors of the environment.

On that note,Welcome to The Gilded Age 2.0. What was the scullery has become an ode to seeds.

The very fundamental source of all life is highlighted. Every seed contains the past, present and future. Seeds hold the history, geography, science and art of life on earth. 

Yet, while there is universal agreement that seeds are important, one tends not to pay serious attention to them. Benign, diminutive, innocuous with an appearance perceived as dull, they’re easy to go unnoticed. When was the last time you deliberately examined a seed pod, capsule or head?

They are exquisite in design and each uniquely suited to its natural environment and manner of seed dispersal be it by gravity, wind, ballistic, water or animal.

The viewer is invited to take the time to examine the watercolor art works, displays of the real materials themselves, various ways to propagate – seeded paper hung like prayer flags as testaments of faith, hope and service, seed bombs to broadcast generously, seedlings started in flats/)pots for assigned places and purposes, some set aside to exchange with fellow gardeners,

“A lot of gardening is focused on flowers. People don’t realize plants can be beautiful after flowering, and they cut them down before they can even see it. I look outside now and see the clematis that flowered in the summer but is more interesting now that it is showing seed heads.

If you make a four-season garden you have to learn to accept decay and see the beauty of it. It’s about the texture and shape, the seed heads and the skeletons. So instead of using the scissors you use your eyes.” Piet Oudolf

Note: The dried materials seen here were gathered from my own garden with some treasured additional contributions from Harnek Singh – @plantstani and Timothy Tilghman of @untermyergardens.

Sustainability at its best!

My garden is open to the public May 4 through the popular and highly acclaimed Open Days Program of the Garden Conservancy.

– Shobha Vanchiswar

Artist, gardener, designer, environmentalist

Welcome To Before Flowers, Beyond Flowers-

A few of the other lovely installations –

(c) 2024 Shobha Vanchiswar

[do_widget “Blog Subscriptions (Jetpack)”]

Spring Up!

Posted on by

Happy Spring! The first day of the season and as if on cue, the daffodils have begun the celebration. I cannot recall the last time there was so much early growth on this day. Despite the uneasiness, I can’t help but feel eager to see what’s popped up overnight. And this year, the season has hit the road running. The snowdrops are done but the Hellebore. Crocus and Scilla have been dancing gaily for several days already. The Daffodils have just joined in. The party has begun. Even the birds are raucously going about their business of disturbing the morning quiet earlier in the season than ever before. Note to self – clean out the birdhouses so new tenants can move in!

Feeling cautiously optimistic, this past weekend, we began the seasonal chores in earnest. The arrival of 5 young ( two years old) apple trees to replace ones we’d lost over recent years in the espalier spurred us into action. The weather was mild enough, the soil quite pliable to plant and so it seemed foolish to wait.

This in turn led to chores like digging up some boxwood that had been struggling the last few years. While new replacements will be procured, the evicted plants will be given a go with some TLC and cossetting in pots to see if they might come around. I do hate just tossing plants away.

The large pots were dragged out of winter storage, positioned in their rightful locations and filled with fresh soil and compost. They will be duly planted up next weekend. It’s best to work systematically and mindfully. I’ve learned not to rush. Though all of a sudden I’m beginning to feel the pressure of the myriad tasks that must get done ahead of the garden’s Open Day on May 11. The work of getting ready for my installation at Lyndhurst In Bloom is also underway. The weekend of April 20 is only a month away!

The juggling act requires not only a good deal of organizational skills but a good sense of humor to boot. Admittedly, it’s all exciting.

As I schedule out my chores, I imagine gardeners everywhere doing the same. Making lists, trips to the local nursery, extensive searches online for plants and such, examining the garden closely. But mostly, I allow myself to feel a sense of camaraderie where, in the guise of gardening, we indulge in the sheer joy of once again being out in the garden. It is our happy place.

Together, lets make this a very happy, healthy and productive Spring.

This week in my garden:

Planting new apple trees
One of the new varieties
Big pots ready for newplantings
Black hellebore
Not as dark hellebore!

(c) 2024 Shobha Vanchiswar

[do_widget “Blog Subscriptions (Jetpack)”]

As The World Turns

Posted on by

Through the ages, gardens have been extolled as places that nourish ( literally and figuratively), comfort, heal, soothe, instruct, delight and nurture. The one who gardens gets the most from the garden. There is a sacred intimacy that exists between garden and gardener. Yet, as in any relationship, discord can creep in.

The gardener can one day come to the realization that he/she has become disenchanted. The act of gardener starts feeling like more work and far less pleasure. As soon as one becomes aware of this, it is time to pause and reassess. A shift has taken place to cause an imbalance. Best to understand why, what and how before the situation gets worse.

Often, the simple answer is one’s health or age or both. Loathe to confess to oneself that things have become difficult, a gardener keeps persevering but the joy that he once derived is diminished. It’s not fun anymore and it’s not easy to admit it.

This came to light at a recent discussion with some fellow gardeners. While lack of time to work to ones hearts content in the garden was a much repeated refrain, probing further revealed obvious health setbacks but even more relevant ,was the toll the natural passage of aging takes. And that’s tough to accept. After all, one isn’t feeling old. The fact is that in either case, health or age, the mind is willing but the flesh is weak. So it got me thinking about it and the evolution of our relationship with our gardens

Evolution. That is an important process that includes both garden and gardener. The two must evolve with time – to remain static is not natural. How we make a garden changes as we understand more about the science of horticulture, the invention and discovery of new tools, practices and methods. With shifting weather patterns, we must respond by way of what we choose to plant, how we use water and commit to organic practices. We invite in more wildlife to restore a healthy balance of native flora and fauna. I see this as encouraging nature to call the shots and respond with nurture only as necessary and appropriate.

With time, the gardener must adapt to aging. Growing old is inevitable but that in no way means we cease to do that which we deeply love. It merely requires a shift in attitude and a willingness to accept certain inevitable developments. From less energy and/or strength to the challenges of arthritis or other ailments, it is hard to do what one could when younger. That is A okay. We don’t need to garden harder. Instead, we garden smarter.

For starters, native and ecologically beneficial plants are hardy and far less demanding. They bring in the native fauna. Installing water baths and bird, bee and bat houses also helps. This natural pest control means the gardener, whilst remaining vigilant, needs to do less. Similarly, mulching with compost and bark chips translates to less watering and weeding and, no other fertilizer application.

Raised beds are a good solution for those who can no longer kneel or bend comfortably. Replacing or reducing expanses of lawn with more plants or other appropriate native groundcover is not just a way to reduce the upkeep but is vastly healthier for the environment. There are now available ergonomic tools to make it easier on the hands and back.

Finally, it is perfectly okay to delegate tasks that have become difficult to perform. Ego or plain stubbornness has no place in the gardener’s attitude – by now, he/she should have learned humility from mother nature.

In the end, we gardeners and our gardens will grow old gracefully together. It’s a beautiful thing.

Notice how all the measures stated will also free up some time? Those who complain about lack of time have no excuse anymore!

Reminder! Have you pre-registered for my Open Day? Do it soon – numbers are limited. Thanks!

Note: My garden is springing awake!

(c) 2022 Shobha Vanchiswar

[do_widget “Blog Subscriptions (Jetpack)”]

Giving Thanks

Posted on by

For a year replete with so much dissidence and despair, I find myself overcome with gratitude as never before. With Thanksgiving two days away, it is not the meal that is uppermost on my mind but the simple fact that I’m present and accounted for. Everything that has brought me through the months up to this point has my deep, sincere thanks. Every single thing.

Ups and downs, good and bad, sad and happy, birth and death have all been experienced. What a year! As I look back, it’s painful to recall some events but, there have been celebrations as well. If anything, 2020 has exposed the raw reality of life. Nothing glossed over. All the trimmings of how we live have been stripped away to reveal exactly who we are. And that I see is the gift.

The’ pause’ button was pressed and a ‘reset’ was initiated. A new way of living was begun.

To arrive at this realization, I give full credit to the garden. I rediscovered my joy of gardening and paying attention to the lessons it teaches. With so many other plans and projects canceled or postponed, I had no need to rush to be elsewhere. I approached each garden task with the unfettered willingness to do it properly. I even had the luxury of time to take satisfaction in completing each achievement and fully appreciate every chore the garden provided. What I did in all other aspects of my life paralleled what I did in the garden.

As I pruned and cut back wayward branches, I reduced the personal to-do list to only what was essential. Nurturing the plants with a layer of rich, homemade compost directed me to make delicious yet healthy new meals for the family. I took the time to pay mind to the process of creating them. Vegetables, flowers and fruits from the garden were no longer assumed as given; they were admired and prized. I started appreciating my own near and dear ones anew instead of taking them for granted.

Finishing a big task in the garden invariably caused my body to express itself by way of aches and soreness. Rather than complain about the demands of the garden, I noticed how much more energy I had, how my strength had improved and how my mood was uplifted. I took to valuing my physical self instead of grumbling about its decline with each passing year.

In spending more time in the garden, I became acutely aware of the wildlife that enjoyed it with me. Stopping to watch a pair of wrens checking the bird house or a robin foraging for worms to feed its babies, had me breathing deeply and relaxing my muscles. I chuckled at the butterflies and bees vying for a drink from the same flowers. Noting a toad hopping around and then staying completely still once it felt my presence made me stand still as well. A few minutes observing its markings and cuteness instantly put me in a good frame of mind.

I spent many hours watching the birds – right here in my own garden, there are so many different kinds. Over the years, I’d forgotten how pleasurable it is to be in their company. Chipmunks flourished this year – while I was not elated about their presence, I couldn’t help being amused by their antics. A live and let live policy seemed to be good for us all.

All sorts of problems and conundrums got resolved when I weeded and watered. Lines for new poems came to me, I found the correct approach to responding to difficult emails, ideas for gifts or celebrations, resolutions to conflicts, working through worries were some of the personal benefits from these chores. I mourned, adjusted to new circumstances, celebrated, commiserated, vented and worked out dilemmas in the garden. A lot of joy, fears, sorrow, tears, laughter and anger have found expression in this beautiful space.

To garden is to live in hope. That tomorrow will come and it will be bountiful. This, I believe with all my heart.

The more time I had, the more I spent it in simply appreciating the garden. After all the years of being too overwhelmed, I was finally ready to paint my garden. Not simply individual flowers but actual parts of the garden. It was as though I had been liberated. Nay, I had liberated myself. The garden had, very quietly and gently, coaxed me to shed my doubts and uncertainties. I was free to create as I pleased and exactly how I saw it.

I’ve so enjoyed the day by day changes in the garden. I’ve learned as much about myself this year as I have about my garden. It’s an intimate relationship. Together we have grown to be more authentic, articulate and expressive. For which, my gratitude knows no bounds.

I sincerely wish each of you a safe, healthy, meaningful Thanksgiving. It might look and feel different this year but celebrate it we must. Gratitude begets happiness.

Note: Here is a collection of my garden paintings since the pandemic started. I will share the ones done in the autumn (and potentially this winter) another time.

Daffodils

The Light By The Woods

The Embrace

F meleagris

Tree peony

Remembering Spring

The phlox garden

Vertical Garden 1

Vertical Garden 2

A Peek Into The Potager

The Side Path

Nasturtium

Beauty In Passing. Hydrangea

Summer Collapsing Into fall

Amaryllis Social Distancing

(c) 2020 Shobha Vanchiswar

[do_widget “Blog Subscriptions (Jetpack)”]

 

Freedom

Posted on by

Liberty is the freedom to do as one ought to do. I learned this definition in fifth grade civics class – it was how we started to understand what democracy meant.

A cornerstone of a thriving civilization, freedom is all about having choices. So one can chose their actions bearing in mind one’s moral responsibility. To choose to act after discerning between right and wrong, good and evil. To do what is ethically correct for the greater good.

Keeping that in mind, I take this power very seriously. Especially in the garden where all too often a gardener is inclined to play lord and master. It’s so easy. We have at our disposal so much control and power that all too often we forget that gardening is a privilege. The very notion that I can assume ownership of a piece of earth to do as I please is astounding. Arrogant even.

While I often kid that I’m the dictator-in-chief of the garden, in reality, I feel my responsibility greatly. I’m allowed to freely design, create and play in a this space in whatever way I please. Within good reason. And that is the key. To use good reason.

My principle commandment is to do no harm. Whatever action taken must have the least negative impact – on humans, animals, plants, soil, water or air. On that basis, only organic methods are employed. But, trying to control pests organically is not without cost. These natural products are not specific to the pest. They affect the good critters as well. So judicious application is imperative.

Compost is used as fertilizer and mulch. The plants enjoy it. As do members of the animal kingdom. They too thrive because they are not harmed by compost and hence roam free and make nests and homes underground and above, destroying root systems, chomping on leaves and flowers, girdling trees, ruining lawns with tunnels and burrows etc., Constant vigilance is required so action can be taken as soon as possible. Japanese beetles, red lily beetles and such are picked off and dropped into hot, soapy water. After years of battling those red devils, I’ve stopped planting lilies but since I still grow fritillaria ( their close relative), I must continue to keep a lookout. Mice, voles and other rodents are trapped. The fruit trees must be sprayed with dormant oil only under specific weather conditions and at a particular time of year. You get the idea. It’s not always easy to do the right thing.

Rain water is collected, a manual reel- mower cuts grass, since no herbicides are used, weeds are removed by hand, native plants dominate the garden and support native fauna and so on. Every one of those methods involves more work and effort. And there are times when I’m completely frustrated. However, my conscience is clear. I’m doing my part in exercising my freedom as I ought.

This translates very well to everything else in life. Relationships, raising children, at work, being a part of the community, a town, a city, a country, the world at large. Imagine how powerful exercising our liberties as we should can be.

Note: The reception to Small Works is this Thursday, August 8. I’d love to see you there!

A few images of the challenges in the garden:

Mice attack on the espalier.
Fully girdled trees were lost and had to be replaced.
Sanguisorba attacked by Japanese beetles

Subsequent damage
Evidence of voles under the front lawn
Lily’s under siege

(c) 2019 Shobha Vanchiswar
[do_widget “Blog Subscriptions (Jetpack)”]