All-
My newest travel article,
A WELL-SPENT WEEK IN SOUTHERN DEVON, PART ONE
has just been published. Here’s the link:
Nan Quick
Nan Quick’s Diaries for Armchair Travelers
Tag Archives: Gardens of the World
Garden of the Month: August 2015
The garden at 973 C Street, owned by John Price and Erin Keller, was a blank site following the home’s construction in 2009. The next year, retaining walls and fences were built, with plantings beginning shortly thereafter – all designed and built by the owners.
Passing through a beautiful front gate leading into the garden, past dahlias and zinnias, one can see vine covered arbors. These add interest and dimension to an ordinary lot. Two of the arbors are covered in two species of Kiwi. In addition to peach, pear, plum, fig, and apple trees, the garden also features Rudbeckia laciniata, hazelnut, honeysuckle, and Cornelian Cherry.
Succulents and drought tolerant plants grow as a green roof on the back shed at the end of the driveway. As the owners stated, “The green roofed woodshed just seemed like a fun thing to do. Actually most of it was fun!”
A blueberry hedge growing along the east fence was successfully planted over a buried wood swale. This has proven beneficial in helping the soil retain much needed moisture. In fact, permaculture principals dominated much of the design, with beauty, food production, and privacy playing a key role. I think you’ll agree John and Erin have succeeded and have provided the community with a lovely example of what can be done with a simple, empty space.
Nan Quick’s Diaries for Armchair Travelers
All:
My newest travel article has just been published. Here’s the link:
Nan Quick
Nan Quick’s Diaries for Armchair Travelers
Nan Quick’s Diaries for Armchair Travelers
All- My latest garden tour article has just been published.
Here’s the link–
Nan Quick
Nan Quick’s Diaries for Armchair Travelers
Garden of the Month: August 2014
Tim and Kathy Simonsen established their garden in 2006. The front of the house was uninteresting so they added a wide craftsman style 
covered porch. This just invites you to sit down in the comfortable rockers and enjoy the view. Two hanging baskets of red geraniums adorn the porch and two large pots with sweet potato vine and some other greenery bracket the stairs.
Ken Cobb designed and installed the compact flowing garden. First he removed junipers, ivy and St. John’s Wort. Then he designed a wide curving walkway out of tan colored stamped concrete with a few steps. This separates the upper garden from the lower area. Next the Simonsen’s wanted a large water feature; and after looking for just the right boulder Ken built the waterfall to the left of the stairs. The birds love to stop by for a drink and sit to enjoy the melodious sounds.The pond is kept full with a couple of “drippers” with the irrigation system.
The upper terrace has Pieris Japonica, Gold Mound Spirea, a Japanese Maple, Heavenly Bamboo, a Mugo pine, a Japanese Maple and Scotch Moss.
Below the path is Blue Star Creeper with a small swath of green lawn at the owners request. Mugo pines, Yellow Twig dogwood, Red Twig dogwood, a Strawberry Tree and three more Japanese maples with Phlox, Wooly Thyme and Kinnikinnick fill in the lower terrace. The mature garden is now a very natural and interesting place. The low maintenance garden does require pruning, weeding and shaping two or three times a year to keep it looking it’s best.
Tim and Kathy have a lovely hillside garden to enjoy and share with the many walkers who stop to admire and chat.
Submitted by: Karen O’Rourke
Nan Quick’s Diaries for Armchair Travelers
All- I’ve just published the fifth and final chapter about my explorations of the
gardens and estates of Kent, England.
Here’s the link.
Very Best- Nan Quick