Raised Bed Revamp

Last year we let the raised bed lay fallow. We were too busy to plant, so let the soil have a rest by default. It killed me to not plant tomatoes, but some years are like that – other matters need tending.

Earlier this month I ripped out the existing drip system, and amended the soil with a good, organic amendment from Home Depot. I dug deep to incorporate the material with the original soil. I was surprised at the number of advantageous roots that had worked their way into the soil, no doubt from the surrounding trees and bushes. The nerve!

Rust-clogged emitter

I considered recycling the drip components, but, on inspection, found that many of them had rust build up that was clogging the emitters and pipes. So, I started fresh with a new design that used all new parts and fittings. The water seems to flow better with the new fittings.

New drip pipes and emitters

Now I’m ready to plant. According to the Community Gardening East Bay Planting Guide, I should be able to plant now. But I know from experience that our property, which is situated at the base of a hill, often runs a little colder than other places in the East Bay. I’ll wait a couple of weeks to plant my summer and winter vegetables.

Raised bed is ready to plant

 

Italian Villas and Their Gardens

This classic book about Italian gardens was written by Edith Wharton (1862 - 1937), illustrated by Maxfield Parrish (1870 - 1966), and published in 1904. Wharton wrote several American classics, such as The Decoration of Houses (non-fiction), and Ethan Frome (fiction, and required high school reading for people of a certain age); Parrish was a popular American illustrator with a distinctive style; he painted “The Pied Piper” mural, which hung behind the Palace Hotel bar for a century in San Francisco. A sumptuous edition of Italian Villas and Their Gardens was republished in 2007 by The Mount Press, complete with the original illustrations and photos.

The book includes a list of illustrations with notations, an introduction, and information about the villas, organized by regions, including Florence, Siena, Rome and near-Rome, Genoa, Lombardy, and Venetia. The 2007 edition includes an introduction by John Dixon Hunt, providing context for the subject of "Italian Garden Magic".

I love the "across time" nature of this book. It encompasses Wharton, visiting ancient gardens in her day, and Parrish visiting and painting gardens for the book early in his career (he was trying to break into landscape painting, according to Coy Ludwig in his book, Maxfield Parrish). Italian Villas and Their Gardens is often cited in modern gardening books; Christopher Thacker refers to it in "The Renaissance Garden in Italy" chapter of The History of Gardens. Wharton’s writing is descriptive, and conveys she has visited the gardens she describes. I recommend Italian Villas and Their Gardens to anyone interested in garden history, the Renaissance, and art!

The Villa d'Este

The Villa d’Este is located in Tivoli, Italy, and is an example of a Renaissance garden. The villa and garden were begun before 1540 by the Cardinal Bishop of Cordova, and then became the property of Cardinal Ippolito II d’Este when he was appointed Governor of Tivoli by Pope Julius III. The villa and garden were designed by architect Pirro Ligorio (1520 – 83), and built from 1550 – 1580. The villa and garden are built on a hill, and the design follows many of Leone Batista Alberti’s classical ideas about the site and layout of a garden. The garden is designed for the visitor to enter from the base; to ascend the slope, encountering delights along the way; and to arrive at the top of the hill to be surprised by the panoramic view of the Tivoli country side with long views to Rome.

Christopher Thacker, in The History of Gardens, writes that the garden’s prime feature is its exuberant use of water. A natural stream was diverted to flow from the top of the hill; and to power the water attractions as it descends, using pressure-based hydraulics. Attractions include the Ovato fountain; the terrace of the Hundred Fountains; the Organ fountain; the many-breasted Diana of the Ephesians fountain; water works that emit musical or animal sounds; and water features that surprise, squirt, or drench the unsuspecting visitor. Some of the hydraulics was based on writings in Pneumatica, by Hero of Alexandria.

Edith Wharton, in Italian Villas and Their Gardens (1904), describes the overall design: “…the gardens were meant to be, as it were, an organ on which the water played. The result is extraordinarily romantic and beautiful, and the versatility with which the stream is used, the varying effects won from it, bear witness to the imaginative feeling of the designer.” However, she further writes that the overall affect was tawdry and grotesque compared with other Renaissance examples. Even today, this extravagant use of water seems over-the-top; but it is important to keep in mind the historical importance – use of classical knowledge, science, and theater in the garden.

Elements of the Italian Renaissance Garden

The Renaissance period was a rebirth of thought and culture, and had its impact on Italian gardens. The resurging interest in ancient Rome included architecture, mechanics, hydraulics, botany, and natural history. Many of the old texts, maintained in monasteries and centers of learning over the long centuries of the Dark Ages, made the knowledge available. Some elements of Renaissance gardens, summarized from The History of Gardens by Christopher Thacker:

• Renaissance style – the architectural style was characterized by symmetry, proportion, geometry, and the regularity of parts, based on classical Roman principles. These architectural elements were mirrored in garden hardscaping, through terraces, porticoes, columns, arches, and other forms.
• Site selection – the site was used to its best advantage. Sun, light, air, breezes, shade, and views were incorporated in the garden design. Since many villas and their gardens were built on slopes and hills, the garden site could be viewed from outside the property, and the surrounding view and garden could be enjoyed from inside the garden.
• Unified design – the villa and the garden complemented each other, and were designed as a unified whole. Garden frescoes were painted inside the villa, bringing the garden inside; courtyards and terraces became outdoor rooms, extending the villa to the outside.
• Walls and courtyards – coming out of the Medieval period, gardens walls were still used for security and privacy, but with the villa and garden built on a slope, the garden was viewable from within and without the walls. Outside courtyards, often covered with arbors or shade structures, provided a place for exercise, recreation, and outside living.
• Pleasure garden – the garden was meant to be enjoyed, used for strolling, contemplation, retreat, and refuge from the hot Mediterranean sun. This is a marked difference from the “useful” gardens of Medieval times.
• Surprise and fantasy – the garden was meant to be discovered, to surprise and delight its visitors. This might take the form of unexpected views, shady glades, topiary, grottoes, statues, ruins, and arbors. Fountains and waterworks were implemented, often squirting the unsuspecting visitor or emitting the sounds of birds or animals; many of these based on pneumatic designs recorded by Hero of Alexandria (20 – 62 AD).
• Plants and trees – bushes were clipped into fantastical shapes and box hedges clipped into geometric patterns or mazes. Trees were coveted for their shade, including yew and cypress. Fruit trees, flowers, and vegetables were grown, and exotic plants were starting to be imported from other lands.

Look for some of these elements in these photos from the Villa Lante in Bagnaia.


Villa Lante - gardens in Bagnaia.
Photo by Roby Ferrari.

Villa Lante - part of the formal gardens.
Photo by Brookie.



Garden History – Renaissance Italy

For more garden history, we turn to the Renaissance gardens of Italy, which grew out of the rediscovery of ancient Roman ideals and knowledge after nearly 1000 years of the Dark Ages. Again I am using Christopher Thacker’s The History of Gardens for my reference, and Edith Wharton’s Italian Villas and Their Gardens. The Renaissance period is typically categorized in three main periods: early Renaissance (1400 – 1500), High Renaissance (1500 - 1525), and Late Renaissance or Mannerism (1520 – 1600).

According to Thacker, there are no surviving gardens of the early Renaissance period. Gardens from this transitional period were still influenced by the poverty and difficulties of the Medieval period. Written documents describe idealized gardens, rather than existing ones, but do show the ideas that would influence later garden design.

• On the Art of Building in Ten Books by Leone Battista Alberti (1404 – 1472) – describes garden design and use, drawing on architectural principles from the Roman architect Marcus Vitruvius Pollio (circa 80 – 15 BC), the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder (23 – 79 AD), and magistrate Pliny the Younger (61 – 112 AD).
•  Strife of Love in a Dream by Poliphilo, published by the monk Francesco Colonna in 1499 – a romance describing the adventures of Poliphile looking for his love, Polia. Many of the scenes in the story were later translated into gardens, such as Boboli Gardens.

One Hundred Fountains at the Villa d'Este, Tivoli, Italy (near Rome).
Photographed by Adrian Pingstone in June 2007 and placed in the public domain.

Many fine examples of Italian Renaissance gardens from the later periods still exist in Italy today, and classic Renaissance gardens have inspired gardens around the world. The Renaissance garden is designed to complement the villa and its structures, and vice versa; incorporate classic ideas about form and proportion, including geometric elements and symmetry; take advantage of the natural site; incorporate distant views and borrowed scenery; and to be used for enjoyment, reflection, contemplation, and pleasure. It is both formal and inviting, incorporating unexpected elements, including water treatments, fountains, grottoes, views, and vistas. Later, in the High Renaissance, gardens were used to demonstrate power.

California Impressionist Paintings

We visited The Irvine Museum in Irvine, California, where we met up with some of my mom's cousins from Huntington Beach. We have not gathered for a number of years, so it was great fun to reunite and catch up, while enjoying beautiful California Impressionist art. The day we visited, we had permission to take photographs, enabling us to share and study the paintings in a unique way.


Emil Kosa, Jr. (1903 - 1968)

William Jackson (1888 - 1942)

The Irvine Museum is celebrating their 20th anniversary this year with the exhibit, "Lasting Impressions." The mission of the museum is to preserve and display California Impressionist paintings, also called California pleine-air paintings.
 

Paul Grimm (1891 - 1974)

 

Paul Grimm

These paintings were created between the early 1900s to early 1930s. The movement was influenced by the European Impressionist movement, but focused on Northern or Southern California scenes, with a regional flair. 



 Guy Rose (1867 - 1925)

What I love about the paintings is that they capture rural California from 100 years ago. They also capture the quality of light that makes both Northern and Southern California so unique; similar, I've heard, to the light in Southern France, where Impressionism thrived.
 

Desert Plant Wrapup – 2013

Each year, I look forward to adding new flowers and plants to my Desert Plant Wrapup “photo album” (see previous albums for 2011 and 2012). Each spring, my experience in the desert is unique. We see some blooms no matter when the visit is timed; we see other blooms depending on timing in the season, rainfall, location, and weather. This year was no different. We saw some of the faithful blooms that we always see, such as Ocotillo, Brittlebush, Palo Verde, Yerba Santos, and Bladder Pod.

We saw a few new items as well, such as Joshua Tree seeds, Lax-flower, and Mojave Mound. We also saw mistletoe in abundance everywhere we went (possibly I was predisposed to notice it, since I’m researching a series of posts on parasitic plants). It’s encouraging that even after a two-year drought, which has left many plants looking practically dead and other plants producing a minimum of blossoms, life finds a way to adapt and continue. Here are this year’s offerings.

Creosote Bush	Yerba Santos
Cat's Claw Acacia	Desert Trumpet (insignificant flowers)
Honey Mesquite	Lax-flower
Beavertail Cactus	Teddybear Cholla Cactus
Unidentified - possible sage (resembles Chia in form)	Mojave Mound

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Joshua Tree National Park

My folks and I spent a day exploring Joshua Tree National Park, another favorite spot on our annual Southern California desert tour (see the report from 2012). We visited during the week, so missed the weekend crowds; but did encounter a short delay for the Pinto Basin Road Renovation project, and were not able to stop at the Cholla Cactus Garden. The weather was beautiful and warm, and a brisk breeze kept the vistas clear and the temperature comfortable.

Bajada at the Southern Entrance

On Interstate 10, we noted that the Palo Verde trees were blooming yellow (they rely on the chlorophyll in their trunks for photosynthesis), and the Ocotillo were blooming red (few had leaves on their stems, indicating the dry conditions). We entered the Park through the Southern entrance, stopping at the Bajada Nature Trail for the quarter mile loop (wheel chair accessible). We learned that a bajada is an alluvial fan or wash at the base of a mountain. Everything in this area was dry, dry, dry. Many plants and trees looked nearly dead, indicating they have fallen back to survival mode.

Very dry Ironwood tree on the Bajada Nature Trail

We stopped at the Cottonwood Visitor Center to pick up several maps. Here at the higher elevation, the plants looked much healthier. We saw lots of Mohave Yucca (Yucca schidigera), well past the blossom stage and into seed production; and identified Jojoba, Datura, Chuparosa, Creosote, and Cholla cactus. We headed toward Hidden Valley, on a tip from an article by David Danelski in the Press Enterprise, about Joshua Trees blooming like crazy this year. He reported several theories, one of which is that drought stressed trees are putting all their energy into seed production to ensure survival. We were too late to see the blooms, but could see that almost every branch of every Joshua Tree had sported them.
 

Joshua Trees of the Mohave Desert

We stopped at Jumbo Rocks and Hidden Valley to walk the desert floor and climb on the fabulous rock formations. Many rock climbers train and climb in this area. We identified scrubby Juniper trees, Mojave Mound cactus, Barrel Cactus, Bladder Pod, Jojoba, Desert Trumpet, Mormon Tea (with multiple flowers at the joints), as well as Joshua Trees and Yucca. We saw lots of mistletoe, lizards, and even evidence of tent caterpillars.

Rock climbing at Jumbo Rocks

My folks and I ended our day at the Rib Company in Twentynine Palms, with tasty half racks and all the fixings.

Mojave Mound cactus	Cactus
Lichen colonies	Joshua Tree seed pods

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Whitewater Preserve

My folks and I love visiting Whitewater Preserve on our annual Southern California desert tour. We have visited the preserve for the last several years (see reports from 2011 and 2012), and always find something new. Plus, it is fascinating to compare and contrast from year to year. This year’s big observation was how dry everything is.

Big sky country on the Whitewater River

Whitewater River still has water, but not as much as in previous years. It was easy to cross the stream to access the path leading to the Pacific Coast Trail. Last year we observed many Yucca whipplei (Our Lord’s Candle) with many magnificent blossoms; this year we saw many old stalks without blossoms. Many plants look stressed from lack of water, including lots of mistletoe on the sycamore, willow, and cottonwood trees (even the mistletoe looked stressed). Flowers were scattered and few. The tule reeds by the river were dry. Many bushes looked almost dead, sometimes only putting out a few blossoms.

Mormon Tea with single blossom	Inside view of a Bladder Pod with several seeds
Dry Tule Reeds	Man Root Vine on dry bush

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Despite this rather bleak report, Whitewater Preserve was beautiful! We love the grand sweep of sky and land, and the brisk breeze that sweeps down the river bed (cleaning the air and maintaining a comfortable temperature for hiking). We found tenacious flowers and plants along the trail and river bed – Bladder Pod (with huge pods), yellow and purple Phacelia, Cheesebush, Chippurosa, Mormon Tea, Creosote Bush, and a Beavertail Cactus in full bloom with fuchsia blossoms. It is amazing to observe the survival strategies employed by plants to survive the harsh, drought conditions.

Sweeping vistas of the Whitewater Preserve