Hoosierhillsinc - Landscape Designer

When gardeners refer to August their descriptions are unlikely to be favorable. The “dog days”, and worse, characterize the most troublesome part of the growing season when the heat of summer has taken its toll. Spring is vibrant, full of yellows, reds, and blues, but August is dusty and brown at the edges, the gardener supposes.

I’ve had the good fortune to have adequate space, and a determination to have a garden that doesn’t fade late in the summer. I am only slightly discouraged that the lawn is struggling and infested with a variety of weeds, but there are flowers and other ornaments that are as delightful (if not so numerous) as any that spring will offer.

While the spring garden is a riot of blooming cherries, dogwoods, and redbuds, in August the crapemyrtles remain fully in bloom, the Franklin Tree (Franklinia alatamaha) is at its peak, and the Seven Son Tree (Heptacodium miconioides, above) is nearly in full flower. Butterflies and bees swarm to the tree on a warm August afternoon, darting between blooms, and with their fill of nectar move on to the Franklin Tree, and then perhaps to the caryopteris (below).

In late August the fruits of the Chinese dogwood (Cornus kousa ‘Galilean’, below) are nearly as plump and juicy as strawberries, though they are partially hidden by the lush foliage that withstands the summer heat far better than our native dogwood. Once ripened, birds abscond with the fruits in a hurry.

The red pitcher plant (Sarrecenia, below) was slow to grow early in the summer, a result of my fiddling with the edges of the large swimming pond, which added another inch to the water’s depth. I am quite certain that the pitcher plant would prefer the more shallow water level, but there it is, and it seems to have survived my “improvement”.

The pitcher plant is one of the little oddities that are not so obvious as you travel through the garden. It is tucked in a spot of mud between two mossy boulders at the ponds’s edge, and the surrounding growth has made the route to see it treacherous such that the last several feet are most safely approached on hands and knees to avoid tumbling into the pond.

I seem often to be scrambling about on hands and knees, weeding or snooping for a close up of a bug or bloom, and if not I would not have seen the odd flower, then another, and a third, that have appeared under the arching five foot leaves of the humongous elephant ear (Colocasia gigantea “Thailand Giant’, above). Of the dozen or more types of elephant ears in the garden I have seen flowers only on a few, but Thailand Giant is said to bloom more readily.

The green and white striped liriope (Liriope muscari variegata, above) is the latest to bloom in the garden, and along with the green leaved Big Blue these liriopes would be quite useful even if they did not flower. The grass-like clumps spread slowly, contrasting with more broad leafed plants at the front of the border and along paths. Liriope muscari should not be mistaken for the thuggish spicata types that romp through open spaces and into the lawn, a plant that my wife has sworn to eliminate from the garden, but one that I am content to allow to spread through some dry, shady out-of-the-way areas where its aggression is appreciated.

I have heard that Japanese spireas (Spirea japonica ‘Little Princess’, above) can seed themselves about, but I’ve not seen that in my garden or in the surroundings. Little Princess blooms off and on through the summer without deadheading, and stays compact without much effort except shearing it to eighteen inches every two or three years.

There are several abelias in the garden, though none of the common, coarse, glossy abelia (Abelia grandiflora). Kaleidoscope, Gold Dust (in bloom above), and Canyon Creek (below) are grown as much for their colorful foliage as for blooms, but also their arching habit is more graceful than the old upright variety.

There are a few plants, and a few patches in the garden that are a bit brown along the edges, but there are more plentiful blooms than will fit in todays entry, so I’ll return in a few days with the blooms of early September.

Finding the perfect landscaping plant is not such an easy job. There are so many different plants for you to choose from and each will have its own special ways that make is a great find for your yard. You can choose any kind of landscaping plant that will compliment your particular yard, just make sure that the landscaping plant that you choose can live in your climate. Not all landscaping plants can thrive in all areas so talk to your local plant specialist. The place where you usually get your plants may be able to help you with your selection of landscaping plant.

There are many different kinds of landscaping plants for you to choose from and some of the best ones are the ones that you would normally never think of. For example if you want to have a gorgeous border you can use sage plants. This is the perfect landscaping plant for any home especially yours. You can do so much with this great landscaping plant. Not only can you make wonderful borders with it you can also add them to pretty herb gardens.

What makes herb gardens to fun is that they are not only pretty to look at they are also practical. You can use all of the herbs that you grow as a landscaping plant in your cooking. Cooking with herbs is such a wonderful bonus to having a gorgeous landscaping plant.

When you are looking for a landscaping plant you will also need to take into consideration what time of year it happens to be. You cannot usually go into a gardening store looking for a landscaping plant in the middle of winter and find a summer bloom. Your shopping will have to be at least a little seasonal. Your landscaping plant, some of them anyway, will have to be purchased at certain times of the year.

You can find a landscaping plant that is annual or one that is perennial. An annual landscaping plant will need to be bought and purchased anew each year where as a perennial landscaping plant will grow back each year on its own. Some perennial plants like tulips for instance will double in number each year if left alone. When there gets to be too many in one spot of this kind of landscaping plant you can simply dig down and split some of them up and plant them elsewhere.

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Stone at the main entrance of The J. Paul Getty Museum

Southern California is an iconic part of the American landscape.  Thanks to Hollywood, the whole world knows a lot about SoCal.  Our mountains, beaches, temperate climate, relaxed attitude, casual sophistication, multiculturalism, narcissism, conspicuous consumption and our love of overpriced, oversized cars.  SoCal, especially Los Angeles, doesn’t just have a car culture, we have a parking culture.  We don’t just consider where we’re going or what the traffic will be like, we also always consider what the parking situation will be.  A good day can be had just by finding a spot near your destination that still has time on the meter.  We always know never to look for neighborhood parking off Beverly.  Those bitches think they’re so special.

And the shining beacon on a hill symbolizing why we love LA (even if we don’t a lot of the time) is The Getty Center.  A sprawling ode to J. Paul Getty, who founded the Trust in 1954 and left the bulk of his fortune to it, The Getty Center is a subtle yet visible part of the West LA landscape, but like all good rich things, completely separate from it.  You can’t even drive up to the Center.  You drive to the parking facility (because to call it a “lot” or “structure” would seem crass), pay $15 for the privilege to park in so fine a facility (but you can always take the bus…HAHAHAHAHAHA), and take a tram up the hill.  If this sounds like I’m mocking the Center, I’m not.  It really is a world unto itself where none of the daily, petty aggravations of life in a crowded, poorly planned city exist.  There’s just sunshine, and art, and beautiful gardens, and lush greenery and plenty of places to sit in the sun and relax and understand the power and the pull of this great state of ours.

Entrance to the Getty Museum

In many ways, the museum and grounds are every bit a piece of the Getty collection as are any of the works of art contained within.  The gardens set the tone for your visit.  The Center and landscaping nearest the entrance were designed by Richard Meier and they are both breathtaking and inviting.  In spite of its vastness, the Getty is not an intimidating museum.  It’s very modern and very lovely and the volunteer docents who take you on a tour of the gardens are the friendliest people you’ll meet.  They’re even protective of Meier’s contribution to the gardens since his architect’s eye for symmetry and terrain establish the visitor’s first impression of the museum.  The sculpture garden and fountains enhance the experience without overwhelming the visitor.

The Central Garden designed by Robert Irwin is the main draw of the grounds and it’s  captivating. You could spend your entire day wandering around the grounds, never setting foot inside the museum, and still feel invigorated and enriched.  Surrounded by lawns that the museum encourages visitors to walk over and through, or to just lie in the sun, the garden is a lush  and winding path full of color and wonder that empties onto the central water fall and azalea maze where you can contemplate the maze or enjoy a view of the museum in all its glory.

The Centennial of Independence - Henri Rousseau (1892) permanent collection at The Getty Museum

Visiting the museum proper, though, is a multi-day affair.  There are several buildings with many permanent and temporary exhibits, so you have to choose what you want to see.  On this visit I specifically wanted to see the photojournalism exhibit “Engaged Observers” which I’ll write about later, and stayed to see the 19th century European art, because you can’t go to the Getty and not see Irises.  Which wasn’t as thrilling as I’d hoped it would be.

Living in Los Angeles when the Getty acquired Irises, I expected it to be a spectacular painting.  It was a big story at the time, mostly because of the price the Getty paid to acquire it.  And it is a lovely painting, no doubt about that, but nothing could live up to that hype.   Having had the privilege of visiting the van Gogh Museum puts it into perspective, and Almond Branches in Bloom or Fishing boats on the beach at Les-Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer just touched me more for the delicacy with which he painted the almond branches as a gift for his newborn nephew or the detail he painted onto the fishing boats.

Still, the way the Getty presents Irises, as one of just many works of art in that gallery, makes it a happy surprise.  You’re wandering around looking at the Monets and Degas and then all of a sudden you see a small crowd around a medium-sized canvas and, oh, it’s just Irises.  Okay, on to the Gauguin.  Like everything else about the Getty, it’s just there for you to enjoy.   No pomp, no pageantry.

I don’t know why it took me this long to finally visit the Getty Center.  Lord knows I’ve lived 15 minutes away from it since it first opened.  But the aura around the Center is that it’s a destination.  It’s something you have to plan.  You can’t just drop in on a whim.  Which is the only unfortunate thing about the museum, because it really should be enjoyed as often as possible.

If you want to take a quick tour, here’s my slide show, inadequate though it may be.

So, more than a month ago I picked up all of the landscaping around the Shepherd Compound and started over with a clean slate. I wasn’t particularly happy with the end result the first time around. I used the same thought process the second time around to lay it out all over again – I began with determining and placing zones of activity, then placing large “hardscape” elements, followed by large botanical elements, working my way down progressively in size and scale through the smaller ones, adding layers of colour, texture, and modulating leaf size as I went. And you know what? I still wasn’t thrilled with the final outcome…..I think that my dissatisfaction is due to the fact that when we had a smaller house previously on fewer lots we seemed to have enough prims to really load it up with landscaping and make it feel very verdant and fertile.  Next time around I’m going to try for that feel again and see if that quiets my inner design demons.

Currently at the Shepherd Compound we have two outdoor “activity zones” – our camping spot and a seating area at the water’s edge – and these are representative of all of the prims that I had left to work with at the time. The seating area is where you’ll find me at nighttime if I’m waiting for Cheruscii to get into Second Life (SL). It’s very peaceful, serene, and soothing to hear the waves lapping at the shoreline and listen to the crickets, gulls, lit torches, and wind. Rather hypnotic, actually…..

Ornamental Grasses * Herb’s Garden
Saw Grass Patch * Destiny Docks & Bridges
Large Australian Leaf Palm * Destiny Docks & Bridges
Floor Torch II * RnB Designs Furniture
Beach Chair – Brown Wicker * Republica
Sculpty-Rock-Clusters – Slate Grey * Heart Tropicals V
Giant Dragon Claw Bamboo 1* Heart Tropicals V

Our camping spot is hands down my favourite outdoor hideaway. The hammock is quite conducive to afternoon naps, sweet little whispers, and small fits of laughter. It’s nestled in the bosom of a giant stand of bamboo, with nearby overscaled, colourful plantings. Luxuriant.  That’s the best word for how this place makes me feel…..Nearby you’ll find one of Cheruscii’s masterpieces – our tent to which he added a bed.  To be honest, it was an idea born of necessity. We simply couldn’t find a couples sleeping bag with animations that we liked, so Cheruscii came up with this. And who wouldn’t sleep better on a real bed than in a sleeping bag on the ground anyway? My avi always wakes up quite well rested after a night in the tent. The detail I love the most here is the flickering, dancing fireflies between the tent and bonfire. They’re difficult to see in the picture – look for tiny yellow bursts of light.

Ornamental Grasses * Herb’s Garden
Large Elephant Ear * Destiny Docks & Bridges
Snuggle Camping Tent * created by Raul Ariel
Bisi Sexbed * PopArt
Fireflies * Jorja’s
EarthBound Hammock * EarthDwellings
Giant Dragon Claw Bamboo 8 * Heart Tropicals V
Sculpty-Rock-Outcrop – Black Volcanic * Heart Tropicals V
2 prim campfire 2 * Incendia
Hollow Log Laura Sit * Incendia
Caress Log * Incendia
New Palm Tree – Small * created by Sergio Sobocinski

This whole area feels kind of surreal to me – as if I’ve fallen through some black hole and resurfaced on the set of Land of the Lost (1974 TV series, naturally, not that modern Will Ferrell crap). Everything feels bigger than life – you can almost hear the water dripping from the dinosaur-sized leaves and see the foliage growing right before your eyes.  Yep, next time I do battle with the landscaping I’m going for this feel everywhere…..Abundant, copious, fresh and clean, thriving leafiness.

Yard and Garden questions AND answers along with WCCO radio host Steve Thomson.

Hot colored

Have I mentioned that it’s been warm lately? At least one day last week the temperature was 107º! Such heat makes everyone — including some of my favorite succulents — look a bit haggard, droopy and in need of a good long drink. Needless to say, we’ve been watering everything more frequently lately but still some of the Rancho’s plants look the worse for wear. Our once-gorgeous angel’s trumpet is now more stick figure than celestial, and even a prized yucca has given up the ghost. Some plants are thriving and seem to relish the steamy atmosphere, but most seem to be waiting out the heat. Working in the yard today I couldn’t help but notice a distinct lack of color overall, with some exceptions. Take the echeverias above; they seem to be thumbing their ruffly noses at the heat by putting on an off-color show, replacing their former purple-y/mauve fleshtones with more subdued yellow/green/blue tones edged in rust. Still striking, but now they have the effect of vintage hand-tinted photographs. And, speaking of rust, it seems to be the garden’s color story for Summer …

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