MONDAY MUSING: GETTING DiRTY

Moms always stress being clean especially having clean hands. But, sometimes we just have to get dirty.

When I learned volunteers were needed to help repot 650 pansies, I was game. 

You see I wasn't able to plant shop on the Texas trip since my own yard needs some amending before investing in plant material. 

So, I joined 3 others to work on the pansy task.

It was a gorgeous day with blue skies and the two and a half hours passed so quickly.  As soon as the new larger containers were filled with soil each pansy got a new home to give its roots more space.

We didn't quite finish but those pansies certainly were happier and so was I . Playing in the dirt definitely is therapeutic.

Remember Fall is a good time to plant not just bulbs but new shrubbery and trees too. Water them in and enjoy them next spring!

Have a great week!

FOTO FRIDAY: TEXAS FLORA

FOTO FRIDAY this week has to do the first flower I saw last week in Texas.

Can you guess what it was?

If you responded 'a ROSE', you guessed it .

 And what color do you think it was ?

 Now remember where I was...

Yep, it was YELLOW.  

Obviously the 'Yellow Rose of Texas.'

Actually, it was in the trial garden, a new variety called 

Julia Child. Isn't she a beauty?

Remember: Mitch Miller's THE YELLOW ROSE OF TEXAS ?

In case you missed last week's FOTO FRIDAY it was :

MY HEART'S A FLUTTER

SATED SENSES

As if  two gardens weren't enough we had a surprise stop in downtown Ft. Worth for a very unique type of garden. In fact , it is more distinct than any other urban oasis I have visited because it truly is an interactivity of one's senses.

As we crossed the empty downtown street we did not know what to expect. After ascending some stairs we heard the rush of water. We then saw from whence the sound of water emanated.  Get ready.

There in front of us was Fort Worth Water Gardens built in 1974, an architectural and engineering masterpiece by Philip Johnson. 

Whoa.  Giant steps led downward with thousands of gallons of water becoming waterfalls down the stone platforms. 

Janet, our fearless leader  (below R) wasted no time descending the stairs...

To remind folks to be careful there were four stones marking 

the ages of 4 lives lost after a tragedy. Apparently others had jumped in to save others. The park was closed until changes could be made insure safety as the water level was decreased and now the void one sees is an illusion. 

After being mesmerized by this enormous vortex. I opted to not climb down but to walk to the next part of the park. 

The Mountain

Across a large plaza on one side was a massive concrete wall called the 'Mountain'. That it was... 

As one walks towards the sound of more water, anticipation grows and in the second pool, an aeration of 40 nozzles spouts 871 gallons of water per minute.  The mist was super refreshing. 

Aerated Pool

The fourth vista was a tranquil body of water with trees surrounding it. As frenetic as the other water features were , it looked like a great place to picnic / take a nap.

After a group photo it was time to head back to the hotel and a free evening... 

My senses were sated...  

And the day wasn't over yet as my brother and wife drove to Ft Worth so we could have a memorable dinner together. TBC...

What a wonderful day!

LOVE IS IN THE AIR

Another love story awaited us at the Chandor Gardens right in the small town of Weatherford where famous British portraitist Douglas Chandor married Ina Kuteman, a daughter of a wealthy Texas family in 1934.  

One might wonder how did a world renowned artist who painted the Queen, a couple of U.S. Presidents, etc... end up in the South? 

Well, Ina's mother took her to New York to introduce her to society at elaborate balls in order to meet a prospective husband. It was there Ina met Douglas Chandor who was then invited by Mrs. Kuteman to return with them to Weatherford to paint family portraits. And as they say, the rest is history.

The architect Joseph Pelich helped the newlyweds build their home with a ballroom size studio with good sunlight.

 Chandor between commissions dedicated the next 2 decades working on the landscaping until his death. He always claimed his art skills were just a means for him to build this home garden. He designed it with English style gardens filled with boxwood rooms, water fountains, the Pixie Pond, bowling alley for bocce, statuary and of course, plant material.

Chandor also had an affinity for China and implemented Chinese symbols, statuary and oriental design.  

He used the color 'red' as an accent as the Chinese traditional use of  red is to symbolize 'good luck and joy.'

Note that red bench above.

Chandor also was innovative when supplies were limited as seen in the fountain below-

 The Chi Ling Fountain was built with a tractor gear base, 

coke and 7 up bottles... 

Here's a close up of the implementation of those bottles. 

Pretty ingenuous, right?

The lushness of the garden and its upkeep was striking in contrast to the former Clark gardens. (Of course, it is a lot smaller.)

After her husband's passing in '53  Mrs. Chandor kept the garden up and opened it to the public until her passing in '78.

 

In ' 94  a private party bought and restored the neglected grounds and home. 

In 2002 the city of Weatherford acquired it. Through public and private funding it has flourished.

Besides full time staff, Master Gardeners now also help in the maintenance of not only weeding but seasonal plantings and decorating as well.

Chandor Gardens is a gem and delight to visit. We really enjoyed our time spent there.

Definitely put it on you list of places to visit when the opportunity arises !

You tubes 1978 John Paul Young's LOVE IS IN THE AIR

LOVE IN THE GARDEN...

Love stories can share commonalities and Tuesday's two Weatherford, Texas gardens were a result of their owners's passion...

Our first stop was an hour out of Ft Worth at Clark Gardens where we were welcomed by their assistant director who spoke of a 22 yr old Max Clark on a blind date with Billie, a 16 yr old girl he couldn't take his eyes off of. He might not have watched the movie that night but he did marry that girl 6 weeks later... 

Today at 91, Clark still works on the 35 acres of what once was just Texas mesquite and tumbleweed which he and his wife converted into an oasis of rose gardens, nature trails with a tree arboretum, water features, koi filled ponds, a chapel, gazebo areas, and even a miniature train depot run by a local train club. 

A great deal of planning had gone into these plantings and grounds, a labor of love.  Now, it is not just their homestead but a tourist stop and wedding venue ...

Clark Gardens have suffered the effects of last year's harsh winter and the previous night's storm which had not left the garden unscathed for our visit. Branches and foliage littered the paths with some muddy stretches. Also a lack of funding for sufficient labor was obvious from the condition of the grounds.

Blooms, even roses were scant. Although at the end of its growing season one of my favorite annuals, Fiesta de Sol, a deep orange Mexican sunflower brightened an otherwise dreary garden bed. 

A fountain feature awaits the visitor after walking up a circular stone laden path to the gardens's highest point for a garden vista. 

Here a top the short path Mrs. Billie Yvonne Clark was laid to rest  with a permanent overview of the gardens the two Clarks had built over the years. She passed in 2012 at 80 years old.   

Even the family dog is buried nearby. Metal sculptures of both master and dog grace the site. 

After Googling past photos of Clark Gardens the beauty the Clarks had created on the grounds was more obvious. Hopefully some new benefactors will appear to help restore Clark Gardens to its past glory. 

Our next stop would be laden with more passion flowers at the glorious Chandor Gardens. 

Stay tuned...

MONDAY MUSINGS: MENDING

Monday Musings:Mending

Gardening itself has many healthful benefits and visiting gardens this past week definitely helped me achieve some of these by boosting my mood, reducing stress, fostering human connections and most important of all for me right now healing. 

The Texas Gardens trip was a gift I gave myself as its significance relates to the bible portion " to do best homage to our dead when we live our lives more fully, even in the shadow of our loss.” 

Being with Mother Nature in the variety of landscaped gardens  of trees, plants / flowers and their placement whether it was Asian/ European was undeniably curative.  

Just as those gardens were greatly affected by severe weather last year their damage has been removed and plantings replaced in many of these areas. A parallel to be drawn indeed to many of our lives this past year...

My spirit was not only bolstered but also boostered by the trip's participants who also share the love of gardening and the possibility of new friendships.

 Amending the soil and mending one's soul both take time...

 

FOTO FRIDAY: MY HEART'S A FLUTTER

Whew. Thank goodness it's FOTO FRIDAY and there'll be the weekend to work on next week blog posts about my Texas garden visits, etc... 

Meanwhile here's this week's FOTO FRIDAY which encapsulates the joy of being able to join Arkansas Master Gardeners again even if we're in Texas. 

It's nectar for my soul...

Have a great weekend and remember to go outside and enjoy FALL.