Vision of Eden

Many years ago I visited Monet's garden in Giverny, France. Visited is not the right word... made a pilgrimage is more like it. The verticality in his garden inspired me to think about the garden as a full visual palette from ground to sky. In the book Monet's Passion by Elizabeth Murray, the author, who worked at Giverny for nine months as a volunteer, offers sketches, photographs, and wonderful advice about how that vision of paradise is maintained to this day.

Another favorite picture book is Visions of Paradise, by Marina Schinz (out of print). Many of the gardens depicted have strong vertical lines. My favorite is the laburnum walk in Rosemary Verey's garden. It must be a glimpse of heaven to walk beneath the arbor in full bloom.

Here at Casa Grande several sturdy Smith and Hawken arbors and trellises support my attempts to get color up into the air. The climbing Eden roses are stout enough after 8 years to no longer need external support. They are especially pretty this year so I wanted to share them.

The Edens got a heavy haircut last January, were doused with epsom salts at the beginning of March, and fertilized a week later.

They survived the 100 degree weather last week nicely with a little extra water and seem to be at their peak today at 65 degrees and overcast.