I Simply Remember These Favorite Things, and Then I Can Smile All Day
“It’s a sure sign of summer if the chair gets up when you do.”
– Walter Winchell
A Plant: Begonia ‘Canary Wings’ Annual
‘Canary Wing begonias in Dr A’s garden
I do not buy into the notion that annuals are pedestrian. Annuals are extraordinary; they fill in areas of the garden that perennials and bulbs have deserted, they provide color all season long, and they joyfully fill containers on the deck and balcony.
I have mentioned the usefulness of Rex-type begonias in this column before and cannot get enough of those, but this month I want to recommend today a golden-leaf form called ‘Canary Wings’. I plant a few in a dark corner of the garden and, like neon signs, they radiate light.
All begonias are shade-tolerant; many like the common wax begonia also tolerate a good deal of sun. But for these plants, shade allows them to do what they do best: glow.
If you wish to overwinter begonias, move them indoors before temperatures drop below freezing. However, they will be available once again from your local retailer next spring.
L. radiata in the author’s garden
A Garden - Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, Grand Rapids, MI
Dr A dwarfed by The American Horse sculpture
I must say this was indeed a pleasant surprise. I was in western Michigan and my friend Lis said we had to visit this garden. Oh my, what a treat! Easy to find, and so much to see.
The new (2015) Japanese Gardens are as good an example of Japanese design as I have seen in this country. The 8-acre area includes a good size body of water, a Japanese teahouse, a Bonsai collection and even a Zen garden.
It is a big garden and if you are as old and decrepit as I, you might want to hop on the trolley and stop at the Sculpture gardens or the Children’s garden (really cool) and of course have your photo taken with the 24 foot tall American Horse.
The sculptures are everywhere and astounding. Many artists are represented, and to add to the cornucopia, exhibits by the renowned artist Dale Chihuly were also on display.
Well worth the time if you are in the area.
Japanese garden
Children’s Garden
A Book - The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
I fear I am getting old and musty, because once again I am recommending a book from yesteryear (1926, to be exact).
However, if truth be known, I am really recommending anything from the Queen of Mystery, Agatha Christie. For those of you unaware of Ms Christie, one of her most beloved characters is Hercule Poirot, a short, mustached Belgium detective. There is not a single Poirot story that does not become a page-turner.
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, according to proper literary critics, was one of her best. The plot unfolds in a small English village, and as characters are introduced, the reader has no idea of who did it.
The ending is brilliant, and you will be caught totally unawares. Soon, you will be picking up her next Poirot mystery (Murder on the Orient Express), and then you will be well and truly hooked.
If I am portrayed as old and musty because I appreciate Agatha Christie, I accept that description gladly.
A Show: Clarkson’s Farm
Reality Unscripted Streaming show
First, I must issue a warning about this most fascinating show. The language is atrocious, and if the F word turns you off, you will probably not want to watch it. However, unfortunate as it is, that darn word has become so commonplace in movies, plays, and TV that Susan and I admit to really not hearing it as the show progresses. So, there you have it, warning issued.
Jeremy Clarkson is quite a famous personality in the UK, and he was fed up with his stressful lifestyle and decided to buy a 1,000-acre farm in the Cotswolds of England. The plot reveals itself when we learn he knows absolutely nothing about farming. The first season finds him hiring Kaleb, a local young man, to help him out. But he still messes everything up he touches.
Every episode has you laughing, as well as sitting on the edge of your seat, wondering what latest disaster will befall the farm. Between getting almost everything wrong with the sheep, pigs, hens, goats, and cows, he also has to raise barley, rapeseed, wheat, and hay on 1000 acres of land. He decides to open a farm shop, then a restaurant so he has a place to sell his produce, but each one goes badly.
While watching, I was stunned by the money required for equipment, the labyrinth of rules, bylaws, and forms required by the local village and the county, and the mountain of setbacks due to too much rain and/or drought. We all realize that farming is difficult, but it becomes very obvious, very quickly, that farming is a lifestyle, not a way to make any profit.
There are 6 seasons; the 6th yet to air. The first two are probably the best, but we were hooked all the way to the end. Prime
A Place -Walters Gardens
Well now, I'm usually the one hollering at you to get out there and see gardens for yourself — pack a bag, hop a plane, go smell something. This time, though, the shoe's on the other foot. Not everybody can just up and travel with me, so I figured I'd bring a little bit of the road home to you instead. Earlier this month I found myself at Walters Garden in Zeeland, Michigan, and let me tell you, it did not disappoint. I got the full tour scoop of the new and fabulous from super-plantsman Hans Hansen and from Christa Steenwyk, their Vice President of Sales & Marketing. They both know the operation inside and out but Christa was kind enough to walk me through it with the camera rolling.
So settle in and watch the video — it's the next best thing to being there, and I promise you'll come away wanting to add a few things to your own garden wish list. You've got to love this stuff!