So we're starting what seems like our 100th day of 90+ degree heat in Atlanta today.....it's only 7:20 in the morning, and I'm just finishing up the watering, hoping to help things survive through this weather! Considering how miserable the heat has been, the plants are actually looking pretty good. Since they're just coming out of the drought from Hell, I guess they're all just used to it by now.
The crazy heat is the perfect justification for me to spend a few days at my family's home in NH right after the July 4 weekend. That and the fact that Celia Thaxter's garden is open!
If I haven't babbled about this garden before, here's the short version: Celia Thaxter was a poet and author who lived on Appledore Island (off the coast of NH) in the second half of the 1800's, where she ran a small hotel and had what was reputed to be a pretty fabulous garden. There are lots of details about the garden in her book, "An Island Garden," published in the 1890's. There are also lots of impressionist paintings of her gardens (many by Childe Hassam) in various museums and private collections, largely because that's the group of people she hung around with.
Fast forward......the island and garden are now owned by Cornell University, and over the course of the past many years, a group of dedicated volunteers has restored the garden to its original plan. It is open to visitors only five consecutive Thursdays per year, and I'm going to be there on one of them! I have wanted to do this for many years, and things never worked out. This year they have! I'm pretending not to notice that it involves taking a plane to a car to a boat to get there (a few hundred dollars later), and Frank hasn't directly asked how much we're spending for this little garden jaunt..... I'll definitely bring back photos!
And the added little enticement came when Mum emailed me a notice about the "Garden Party" at Fuller Gardens (http://www.fullergardens.org/) that (coincidentally) happens the evening before my boat ride. How can I not attend the garden party/fundraiser for one of my favorite gardens? I believe it's my duty to do so!
The crazy heat is the perfect justification for me to spend a few days at my family's home in NH right after the July 4 weekend. That and the fact that Celia Thaxter's garden is open!
If I haven't babbled about this garden before, here's the short version: Celia Thaxter was a poet and author who lived on Appledore Island (off the coast of NH) in the second half of the 1800's, where she ran a small hotel and had what was reputed to be a pretty fabulous garden. There are lots of details about the garden in her book, "An Island Garden," published in the 1890's. There are also lots of impressionist paintings of her gardens (many by Childe Hassam) in various museums and private collections, largely because that's the group of people she hung around with.
Fast forward......the island and garden are now owned by Cornell University, and over the course of the past many years, a group of dedicated volunteers has restored the garden to its original plan. It is open to visitors only five consecutive Thursdays per year, and I'm going to be there on one of them! I have wanted to do this for many years, and things never worked out. This year they have! I'm pretending not to notice that it involves taking a plane to a car to a boat to get there (a few hundred dollars later), and Frank hasn't directly asked how much we're spending for this little garden jaunt..... I'll definitely bring back photos!
And the added little enticement came when Mum emailed me a notice about the "Garden Party" at Fuller Gardens (http://www.fullergardens.org/) that (coincidentally) happens the evening before my boat ride. How can I not attend the garden party/fundraiser for one of my favorite gardens? I believe it's my duty to do so!
Tim, your trip sounds fabulous!! I have to say, I was not aware that Cornell owns Appledore Island - as you may remember, I'm a Cornell Master Gardene, but I never heard anything about that. Can't wait to see photos! I bought "An Island Garden" a couple of years ago, but it kind of went to the bottom of the pile. I may have to fish it out and put it at the head of the line now!
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