Colleen Vanderlinden's Blog
Posted by Colleen Vanderlinden
"My heart found its home long ago in the beauty, mystery, order and disorder of the flowering earth."--Lady Bird Johnson
Plant and garden lovers across the world were saddened today by news of the passing of Lady Bird Johnson. Johnson initially came into the public eye in her role of First Lady, but has become beloved by so many of us because of her dedication to the conservation of our nation's native plants and wild places. In 1982, on her 70th birthday, Mrs. Johnson founded the National Wildflower Research Center, which was dedicated to the re-establishment of native plants in both natural and planned landscapes. In 1997, the center was re-named the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. She is also responsible for the Beautification Act of 1965, which mandated that advertising and junkyards along the nation's highways would be cleaned up, and encouraged the installation of plants along those highways. In fact, many of the wildflowers that so many of us see planted at the side of the interstate are there because of Mrs. Johnson.
For those of us who would like to pay tribute to Mrs. Johnson, the family of the former first lady has asked that donations be made to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Endowment Fund. Another way to pay tribute is in our very own gardens. Consider planting more native plants and wildflowers. Get involved in local conservation efforts, and spread the word about the importance of native plants. And, if you're ever near Austin, be sure to visit her legacy, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
Posted by Colleen Vanderlinden
The next gardens we will be looking at are located in balmy, beautiful Georgia. Specifically, we'll take a look at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia, located in Athens, as well as the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Running with the Georgia theme, we'll explore plants that will thrive in hot, humid conditions (Useful information for many northern gardeners as well, by the way-- summers in my home state of Michigan are hot, hot, hot and humid!) and we'll discover garden blogs written by gardeners from the Peach State.
One of those bloggers is my pal, Barrie Collins, who is a landscape architect and creator of Garden Mob, which is an information-packed, edgy, completely gorgeous blog about growing roses and perennials. Stop by, but be sure to set aside plenty of time--you'll find yourself happily lost in Barrie's infectiously enthusiastic writing as well as his gorgeous photography. Besides having a killer garden blog, Barrie's been a huge help in my research for this series of articles. So, thanks Barrie!
If you've visited a great public garden in Georgia, I'd love to hear about it! Leave a comment in the discussion area.
Posted by Colleen Vanderlinden
Located on the flowing water of the Detroit River, with the magnificent Detroit skyline in the background, Belle Isle Park is beloved among area residents. The 982 acre island was originally settled by French colonists, who named it Île aux Cochons, or "Hog Island." It was so named because it was a safe place to keep their livestock. In 1879, it was renamed "Belle Isle." While the park was originally swampy, Detroiters yearned for a wold-class, European-style park of their very own. To fulfill this dream, the city hired famed park designer Frederick Law Olmstead to design the park.
Belle Isle contains several acres of wooded areas, a nature zoo featuring animals from Michigan, a stunning fountain, golf courses, marinas, and a yacht club. But for our purposes, we'll focus on the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory and gardens. Built in 1904, and designed by architect Albert Kahn, the conservatory is fashioned after Jefferson's Monticello. The Whitcomb Conservatory covers over one acre, and contains areas dedicated to tropical plants, desert plants, a fernery, and a display gardens area. If you visit during the winter holidays, the display gardens are filled with gigantic "trees" made of poinsettias. The conservatory also houses one of the nation's largest municipally-owned orchid collections.
Outside the conservatory are the perennial gardens, rose garden, and lily ponds. All together, the conservatory and its gardens cover about 13 acres of the island. It is a wonderful way to spend a summer afternoon.
Posted by Colleen Vanderlinden
Michigan's state motto ("If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you.") is especially true for gardeners. The climate in Michigan is ideal for growing a wide variety of ornamental and edible plants, and the glacially deposited soil is very fertile. In general, the climate of Michigan is classified as moist, temperate, continental. The four Great Lakes that surround the state have a tremendous effect on the climate, causing lake effect snow, cool moist springs, and diverse microclimates, especially along the coastlines. Summers in Michigan are hot and humid.
The growing season can last anywhere from 70 to 170 days depending where in Michigan you're located. The state is mostly classified as USDA Zone 5, but several areas (including the southern west coast and the Detroit area) are classified as Zone 6, and a few places in the northern part of the state are a frigid Zone 3.
Thanks to its temperate climate, the west coast of the state is home to many productive farms, orchards, and vineyards. Michigan is also home to several wholesale nurseries, and is the nation's largest supplier of flowering hanging baskets and the third-largest supplier of bedding plants (annuals). Ferry-Morse Seed Company got its start in Michigan under founder Dexter Ferry, right in the city of Detroit.
It should come as no surprise that a state so perfectly suited to growing has a treasure trove of public and botanic gardens. This week, we'll be taking a look at the great gardens of Michigan.
Posted by Colleen Vanderlinden
When I took over the helm here at North American Gardens, it seemed that I would be trying to carry on the direction that fomer Feature Writer Kate Copsey had established, i.e., how to garden in North America. But the fact of the matter is that Suite101 already has several amazing writers who explain that. Robert Dailey knows more about desert gardening than I'll be able to learn in my entire lifetime. Barbara M. Martin can teach you everything you need to know about flower gardening, and Angela England is a master at introducing plants of all kinds to Suite101 visitors. What's really left for me?
This line of thinking brought me (with the help of Home and Garden editor Barbara Bell) to the conclusion that this section needed a new direction, a new focus. From now on, rather than trying to explain "how to garden in North America," this section will focus on "the great gardens of North America." State by state, and province by province, we'll visit the continent's public garden treasures. Consider it a tour of North America's public gardens, right on your computer screen. Non-gardeners can enjoy the beauty of our public gardens, and gardeners are sure to find plenty of inspiration for what is possible in their own back yards.
Next week, look for articles and blogs about the gardens of my own home state of Michigan (it's as good a place to start as any :) ) and every week or so we'll visit the gardens of a different state or province.
I hope you'll come along for the ride, and please feel free to let me know about your favorite public and botanic gardens. I'd love to hear about them!
