Getting the Curves Right in the Woodland

 This weekend I worked on refining the curves in the Woodland Garden. This is a view from above. You can see the neighbor's green shed to the far left.

In the portion of the path by the new wooden steps, I made the curve go the opposite direction beyond the steps.

This is a similar view showing how the curve is accentuated on the left to help the path wind down the hill.

This shot shows the final curve at the top of the woodland garden. The area to the right will be seeded up to the green garden markers.

This is the same area from the opposite direction before...

 

...and in process...

 This is the 'before' picture farther down the hill. The shed is on the right side. The path went straight down. I thought a curve would make for a nicer (and hopefully easier) journey through the garden.

The hoses delineate the future path.

The plants have been moved and the curve is much nicer (to me eye, at least)

This is a far veiw from below--note the shed

 

The far view in process...

Before: a closer view from below--note the shed again

After: all the plants have been move to widen the curve. Now that the paths have been adjusted, the next job will be to add stone steps. To be continued....

Another Day in the Parks

 Volunteers clean out the Toadstool Beds

Sand from last winter was removed from the curbing at the Pavilion Garden parking lot in preparation for the sweeping truck

Before at Teixeira Park....

 

After....

 Happily ever after??

The debris waiting for Lenny from the Public Works to pick up and remove. An example of the public/private partnership that keeps the parks in good condition.

The Best of English Gardens 2013

In less than a month, I will be returning to Britain to assist my friend, Mick Induni, on a tour of English gardens May 14-23. We will be visiting Great Dixter, Hidcote, Sissinghurst, Stourhead and Wilsey. We end the tour with the Chelsea Flower Show in London. I think of myself as the "color commentator" to compliment the exceptional British tour guides who will be leading the tours. My mission will be to give an American perspective on how to incorporate ideas from the English gardening tradition into the participants' own gardens back in the states. 

On one of our open nights in London, I have gotten tickets for the Gardens Illustarted lecture at the Royal Geographical Society. Peit Oudolf and Jinny Blom will be the speakers. I did this lecture a couple of years ago when Dan Pearson and Cleve West spoke and it was great. I am very excited to see Oudolf speak for the first time!

You can see the complete itinerary at Mick's website at The Best of English Gardens. He has a wide range of tours. For more information, see his website, Discover Europe.

The azaleas and rhododendrons should be at peak while we are visiting

 The White Garden, one of the many garden rooms, at Hidcote Manor

The modern pool at Kiftsgate Court Gardens

 The Grotto at Mill Dene, the private garden of The English Garden’s contributor Wendy Dare

The Palladian Bridge and Pantheon, at Stourhead

Rosemary Verey’s iconic Laburnum Walk at Barnsley House

Sissinghurst, the garden of poet/novelist Vita Sackville-West and her husband, historian Harold Nicolson

Great Dixter, the home and garden of the late plantsman, Christopher Lloyd

The Brewin Dolphin Garden, designed by Cleve West, won best in show last year at the Chelsea Flower Show

Tom Hoblyn received the RHS People’s Choice Award in 2012

We are back.....

 Last week, the gardening season began for the Peterborough Parks volunteers. It is always satisfying to have the gardens cleaned up waiting for the first flush of spring.

 Wednesday morning, we worked on spring clean-up at the Pavilion Garden at Depot Park. Amy and Maude are taking all the dead foliage out of the borders.

 Maude was full of smiles getting back into the garden

Susannah, keeps the paths tidy each week. We couldn't do it without her!