Just when you thought it couldn’t possibly get any hotter in the garden…….. it does. Naked ladies magically appear all over the place.

Sometimes in the hostas.

Sometimes in the ferns.

Sometimes just right out of the ground.

Cover the children’s eyes. Give Grandpa another nitro-glycerin tablet. Warn the religious right. No, wait. Tell them Resurrection lilies are all over the garden. They won’t know the difference. It’s August and time for the Naked Ladies to put on a show! Read the rest of this entry »

Monday I attended the tradeshow at the OFA Short Course in Columbus, Ohio.

This was only my second visit and I again traveled with Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp -the Hoosier Gardener and fellow GWA member. It’s nice to have another plant geek along to help me see things I might miss in my rush to see everything in one day – which sadly I did not do. You may be wondering what in the hell the OFA Short Course is. Well, to quote their website – “For more than 80 years, the horticulture industry has met at the OFA Short Course. Considered the largest and most important industry event, attendees from across the world come to learn, be inspired, and connect with peers, great ideas, and business solutions.”

My favorite part is seeing all the new plant varieties. This is where the high rollers display all their latest botanical creations. I’m so ecstatic over all the new varieties I’m like a cat in 40 acres of catnip – or am I like a cat in heat rubbing against everything and yowling “I want it! I want it!”? Anyway, the point is I really like seeing all the new stuff. Time is still at a premium so I can’t go into a lot of detail about every plant so I’m gonna throw a few highlights at you with little detail. That’s the best I can do for you.

From the Proven Winners Graceful Grasses program is a new Pennisetum purpurpeum called Vertigo^TM.

The ones in the showroom were wonderfully fountain-like. The ones in the Ohio State trial gardens less so but they were smaller. I like the look of this plant both for the color and the architecture. You might say it makes me dizzy.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Ruth Lily Visitor’s Center at 100 Acres is a lovely piece of architecture no doubt. And it looked great when finished. But it really was just a building until we added more plants. As soon as we planted the first few hundred Carex pennsylvanica – omg!

The herbaceous plantings at this point are all species of Carex (sedge) native to Indiana. All obviously have a grass-like texture. But remember, sedges have edges. And rushes are round.

Carex pensylvanica, Pennsylvania sedge (see why I don’t see the extreme affection for common names?). New to me. Should be around 12-15 inches I’m guessing.

Carex radiata, straight-styled wood sedge, I don’t know why it isn’t radial sedge. Great texture. We’ve grown this in the IMA Horticultural Society Overlook behind the Deer-Zink pavilion for over five years. Under one foot tall.

Carex vulpinoidea, fox sedge, I just love saying vulpinoidea, it’s a sexy word (see why I love scientific names?). This is the tallest reaching 2 – 3 feet. You will find this in our rain garden along the greenhouse parking lot.

We had been moving at hyper-speed to get everything ready for the opening. I think you will love the plantings. Or at least develop a hyper-crush.

Columbus, Indiana is home to some of modernism’s greatest works, including the IMA’s Eero Saarinen designed Miller House. Recently I had the privilege of venturing off the grounds of Miller House for a special tour of Columbus’ veritable treasure trove of architectural gems. It’s mecca for modernism.

Miller House

I was moved by I.M. Pei‘s sleek lines. Seduced by Eames‘ furniture design. Amazed by Harry Weese‘s understanding of light. But in all this courtship, something unexpected happened. An unmistakable tug at my heart strings and a tummy full of butterflies. I fell madly in love with landscape architect Dan Kiley. Well, to be exact, I fell in love with his landscape architecting skills.

Kiley knew the landscape a structure sits on is just as important as the structure itself. It’s a balanced, complementing relationship. A gentle dance across a crowded floor. Swoon.

I wandered through Kiley’s shaded clean grid patterns, well-trimmed shrubs and meticulously placed trees. All were in linear harmony with the horizontal and vertical lines of the structures at their center.

Kiley's work outside Saarinen's North Christian Church

I know what you’re thinking: “He’s so not your type!” Those who know me are aware “linear” and “well-trimmed” are rarely associated with my aesthetic approach. I’m more of an asymmetrical, scruffy and slightly overgrown kinda gal. So what was it about Kiley that stole my heart?

Mark Zelonis captured it in this post detailing the reverent experience he and Ed Blake (landscape architect for the IMA’s 100 Acres) shared while visiting the Miller House garden, designed by none other than my new beau, Dan.

Ed first witnessed the site decades ago while on a work assignment in Columbus. He was then only able to peek through the already tall arborvitae hedges guarding the property’s east side, but knew the place was indeed very special. After all, one of the 20th century’s masters of landscape design, Dan Kiley, had worked his magic here. For all of us in the field, this is a place for reverence.

Miller House garden

Columbus is adorned with Kiley landscapes, both public and private. Perhaps the most cherished are the grounds surrounding North Christian Church, the last building architect Eero Saarinen designed before his death in 1961. It is the last of three buildings in Columbus that Saarinen and Kiley worked on together. The building is woven into the fabric of the site like a fine Girard textile. I was lost, and found there. Read the rest of this entry »

While working in the 100 Acres Art & Nature Park a couple of weeks ago to get it ready for the opening, I spotted a Scarlet Tanager:

(image via dave.lipper)

Of course, covered in mulch and mud and shovel in hand, I had no chance to whip out the camera and snap a shot. So, thank you Dave Lipper for this picture! Nonetheless, I stopped digging for the moment to enjoy the handsome fellow.

There are so many more beautiful birds in our 100 Acres. IMA’s photographer, Tad Fruits caught this Pileated Woodpecker in flight.

And this Blue Heron seems to have taken up residence along the banks of the lake.

What I would suggest to every visitor to the park is to sit a spell in Alfredo Jaar’s Park of the Laments (or anywhere for that matter!) and just listen. Listen to the different songs of our feathered friends. Maybe too, you’ll see a flash of color for an Oriole or Indigo Bunting!

Indigo Bunting (via Nature Nook)

Baltimore Oriole (via Harrier)