Another Visit to Federal Twist

     After attending the Perennial Plant Conference back in October, I was able to enjoy some of what fall offered in the Delaware River Valley. One of the things I did was to visit James Golden's garden as part of The Garden Conservancy's Open Days Program. On my first visit to Federal Twist the white glare of a blazingly hot summer afternoon made photography nearly impossible. On this trip the light conditions were much friendlier, however, word has spread about this remarkable garden, and I often had to wait for people to walk out of my viewfinder to get a good shot. James' garden is one of the most unique private spaces I have ever seen. The architecture, carefully chosen pieces of art, a blend of native and exotic plants - all seem to arise naturally from the surrounding landscape. I could attempt to describe it further, but the gardener is much better at that then am I.

     On the day of the tour, the look-at-me plant of the day was Viburnum plicatum sporting its red autumn blazer, and I heard more than one visitor inquire to its identification. The viburnum looks over the reflecting pool, which is one of the few bits of rectilinear formality in an otherwise naturalistic informal garden. The contrast elevates both.

     I was surprised by how much I admired the dormant form and structure of Inula racemosa 'Sonnenspeer', which was all over James' garden, weeks past its prime.

     I also admire my mother and brother for many reasons, but on this day for putting up with my photo-snapping, garden-obsessed self. BTW, don't you love these Wave Hill chairs? I think we may have to see some of these a little further south.

     Speaking of photo-obsessed, if you would like to see all of my photos from my visit, my complete set can be found here.

Scenes from the Ferry

Last week on the way to and from Atlantic City we took the Cape May-Lewes Ferry.  Travelling this way is not so much a short cut, but it does avoid having to fight Wilmington and Philly traffic, and if your timing's right and depending on your destination, it takes no longer.  On top of that it is a very genteel way to travel.

The day we headed up was the tenth anniversary of  9/11 and security was tight.  Sniffer dogs and officers with pole mirrors were busy inspecting cars, and the ferry had an armed Coast Guard escort heading out of the Lewes harbor.  Once away from shore, the cloudy skies and cool weather made me long for a jacket.  Despite the chill, I spent the whole trip on deck.  Some might think there was not much to see beyond sky and water, but those are things I rarely tire looking at.  Closer to Cape May I noticed two small boats with kayaks behind them and was amazed anyone would kayak across the bay.  A few minutes later my amazement grew as I realized the kayaks were actually escorting two swimmers across the bay. Two days later on the trip back it was sunny and much warmer, and the boat was full.  Many of the passengers were NYC fireman on their way to a golfing trip in Delaware.  If anybody deserved a golf outing, it would be them.

If you are interested in heading that way, I would recommend making a reservation rather than taking your chances, especially in the summer.  You will save no money taking the ferry; it is not cheap.  However, it is very relaxing, the views are great, you can get a meal on board and the non-drivers can get adult beverages; most civilized.

Gambling on a Good Spring

This past Sunday two of us from work headed up to Atlantic City for a large trade show, primarily aimed at garden center buyers.  I usually go to nursery trade shows where plants are the main attraction, but this was not a plant show; it was everything but.  Tools, pottery, soils, fountains, chemicals, furniture, birding supplies and just about any other imagined garden accessory could be bought and sold for the upcoming season.  Many of the vendors were large national players, but there were also smaller, specialty companies showing off their products. The convention center floor was a good place to see what trends might be in store for the industry (and yes, it is an industry).  So here are a few things I noticed:

- I was very glad to see how prominent organics continue to be, and glad that there are so many companies offering them.  Even names synonymous with chemistry, like Scott's and Bayer, are offering their own lines of organics.
- Edible gardening will continue to be a hot topic.
- I was amazed at the assortment of creepy-to-me figurines and statues that are available, but I know that different regions of the country have different tastes in this sort of thing.
- Birding supplies and options appear to be growing.
- Fairy gardening?  Really?
- Pottery designs and colors are trending towards Art Deco, perhaps so the Great Recession will mirror the Great Depression.
- I am not a big fan of gadgets and tend to only keep one or two simple tools close at hand, but the gadget fans will not be disappointed.


The show was hard work, but we were fed well, offered a few free drinks and they put us up at Caesar's.  The lobby was a little over-the-top, but the room itself was very good and had a nice view of the ocean and the boardwalk.  It would be easier for me to grow a third eye than to gamble in a casino, so that part of the Atlantic City experience was lost on me.  Besides, all the casinos smelled of stale cigarette smoke and desperation.  Outside it smelled like the sea.






















(I have more pictures if you are interested.  Click here to see the whole set.)

A Real Garden

Recently fellow blogger James at View From Federal Twist wrote a post where he relayed an overheard comment about his garden. Seems a house guest did not think his garden was a real one, perhaps preferring something with more formality or tradition. Regardless, this created an excellent opportunity to discuss just what qualifies as a garden. Do a few plants in pots on a balcony constitute a garden? How about a prairie set on fire to encourage some plants at the detriment of others? What about a patch of cosmos and daylilies planted by the highway department or a Zen garden of raked sand? In my own neighborhood should wetland restoration with native plantings count? In my mind, all of these qualify as gardening, but to others, perhaps not.

This summer I had the chance to see James' garden for myself as my family, my brother and I descended upon him on the last day of our vacation. His home and garden are set among the woods in western New Jersey (necessarily surrounded by deer fencing). Though some gardening takes place out front, most of what James has accomplished is on the other side of the house. The garden's look could best be termed "new American" or "bold romantic" in the style of Piet Oudolf or Van Sweden and Oehme, but is actually more James Golden than James van Sweden. The garden has large drifts of grasses, punctuated by naturalistic plantings of perennials, shrubs and trees. Linking the different areas of the garden and house is a pleasant gravel pathway, as well as a terrace which has a commanding view of the creation. The whole garden appears as if it arose naturally from the surrounding landscape, fitting in seamlessly with the architecture of the house. It is indeed a real garden.

The day we were there was not a good day to be outside. It was hot and humid even by southern standards, and the harsh afternoon light made for poor photos. But what the weather took away from the day, circumstance gave back. Perhaps the focal point of James' garden is a sculpture created by Marc Rosenquist, and we were fortunate enough to be there while he and his wife Gail were visiting too. After a leisurely garden tour, we spent a little time in the AC with a glass of wine and conversation - it was a great way to spend our last full day in the north country.

Thank you James and Phil

Along the Delaware

When money is tight, it is a good thing to have family you can vacation with, especially if they live in a nice place. After spending a fair portion of our savings on AC repairs, plumbing emergencies, electricians and vet bills, we were glad we could invite ourselves to my brother's house. Our accommodations were in an 1830's field stone farmhouse, complete with pool, stables, gardens and included an excellent cook staff (my brother), plus they took dogs as well. His house is in a small town along the Delaware River in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Right across the river is New Jersey, and if you think you know what Jersey looks like, make sure you have visited this area before you form your opinion. Both sides of the river are unexpectedly wild, lush and green, dotted with small riverside towns that are full of unusual shops, galleries, B&B's and great places to eat. All of it looks like a photo shoot for Town and Country magazine.

On the first morning I woke up to heavy fog, and the photographer in me made quick haste to the river. The ominous looking power plant once belched pollutants, but now the area is remarkably clean.

The Delaware Canal at Indian Rocks

Nockamixon Cliffs

Frenchtown, New Jersey

Near Kintnersville, Pennsylvania

One of the bridges that links Pennsylvania to New Jersey is the Riegelsville Bridge. It is a beautiful piece of engineering, and that drew me to it, but when I began walking across, I noticed equally remarkable constuctions. Nearly every available space was covered with spider webs, built by enterprising arachnids taking advantage of the natural flyway above the river to snag a meal.

The bridge was built in 1904 by John A. Roebling's Sons, Co. You might know that John Augustus Roebling was the man who designed the Brooklyn Bridge, and in a few posts I will share my photos from that incredible landmark. We headed to Manhattan for a few days during our vacation, but it is going to take me a while to sort through all the pictures. It will also take me a while to read the posts my fellow bloggers put up while I was vacationing - I had 377 unread posts on my Google subscription list waiting for me when I got home. So please don't think I have skipped over something wonderful you posted.