Seeds to Dye For: July Check In

 Three months a ago I sowed the seeds for a few dye plants in our Oakland garden (see Seeds to Dye For). So far the calendula seeds (Calendula officinalis) are showing the most promise. Our weather here in the San Francisco Bay Area has been ideal for them, since they bloom best in cool weather, and our temperature has been in the low to mid-70s all summer.

Calendula officinalis

I planted Orange & Lemon Twist (Butterfly Calendula Mix) and Flashback Calendula (Butterfly Mix), and the flowers are cheery shades of yellow and orange. According to Mother Earth News, calendula flowers produce light, lemon yellows, olive-browns, and light browns, depending on the fabric and mordant used.

Orange & Lemon Twist (left container) and Flashback Calendula (right container)

The plants are really packed in their containers, since I failed to thin the seedlings as recommended. They get a good supply of water applied to the soil, and not splashed on the  leaves, to reduce the chance of mildew. The lower leaves are showing signs of yellowing and wilt so I may be overwatering them (I am notorious for killing plants with kindness).

Yellow calendula

Following recommendations on the web, I've started gathering flowers, just as they pass their prime. Most information say to dry the flowers, but my method of freezing flowers has worked on other projects. With a second sowing possible in late summer, I should be able to gather enough petals with which to experiment! Stay tuned!

Orange calendula

Summer Movies 2021: Around the World in 80 Gardens – India

For my final journey with Monty Don this summer, we're heading to India to visit gardens, and see famous movie star plants in their native environment. In this episode Monty explores historical gardens influenced by Hindu Maharajahs, Mughal emperors, and the British empire. One of his favorite gardens turns out to be a modern garden in the jungle, made with found and recycled objects. Grab your sunglasses, hat, and water jug for our final summer destination!

Agra, Deeg, Jaipur, Kochi, and New Delhi (2008, Episode 3)

Monty kicks off his first trip to India with a dawn visit to the iconic Taj Mahal in Agra. The white marble tomb was built by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, in the mid-1600s for his wife. The design is based on a description of heaven in the Koran; it is meant to be a paradise garden - heaven on earth. An hour away Monty visits another Mughal-inspired tomb - Akbar's Tomb. It was built of red sandstone in the early 1600s. The Mughals were conquerors from Afghanistan, establishing their empire in 1526. Their garden designs were based on the Islamic idea of paradise on earth, filled with animals, nature, and water. Before the Mughal empire, India was a series of Hindu states, each with it own Raj. Their gardens were devoted to pleasure, not Allah.

Next Monty visits Deeg Palace in Rajasthan, built in late-1700s. Of special interest is Keshav Bhawan, the monsoon pavillion. During the monsoon, water was harvested and stored in large tanks, then during the dry season used to simulate a monsoon storm in a grand spectacle for the king and his court. The technology for collecting and using the water is interesting and ingenious. Deeg is set in a very dry place. The spectacle is a thing of the past, and the tanks are now used for laundry and bathing.  

In nearby Jaipur, the red city, Monty visits Jal Mahal, a water palace and garden that is being restored. When the monsoons come, water forms a lake around the building. Visitors arrive by boat and disembark on the flooded lower floors. Also in Jaipur, Monty visits a small Hindu Temple Garden, to enjoy the beauty of the small. His tour guide describes the plants that are grown for offerings (banana, jasmine, ficus, basil, and more), all of which are auspicious.

Then to the south of India to Kochi, formerly the British port of Cochin. where evidence of spice merchants, Chinese fishing nets, Portuguese churches, Dutch streets, and English culture converge. Nearby, Monty visits Mr. Abraham's Spice Garden, drives through the Kannan Devan Hills Plantation (KDHP) tea farm, and takes tea with Mrs. Abbas in the British-style Old Railway Garden that is maintained by KDHP. All their teas come from camellias that originated in China (Camellia sinensis), and are handpicked.  

Then north again to New Delhi, the ambitious capital designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens (a British architect and landscape architect, who worked with Gertrude Jekyll) and built in the early 1900s. Lutyens mixed British pomp with Mughal and Maharajah elements, and incorporated parks and tree-lined avenues to lower the temperature by 7 degrees. New Delhi is a grand show of imperial power, which started to fade within 10-15 years. 

Finally Monty heads to The Rock Garden of Chandigarh, close to the Himalayas. Nek Chand started the garden in the jungle in the 1950s, using rocks and castoffs. It was discovered in the 1970s and almost bulldozed, but then saved and turned into a tourist destination. The garden has a maze-like structure, with water works, stone paths, and delights everywhere. It is a modern garden that looks to the future, recycling castoffs and rubbish to make art. Monty loves the garden, and leaves India energized and full of hope. Thank you for joining me on this final leg of our summer tour!

Summer Movies 2021: Around the World in 80 Gardens – The Med

My next journey with Monty Don is to the Mediterranean to visit gardens and meet movie star plants (OK, I can't stay completely away from the Mediterranean climate)! On this trip Monty travels through the cradle of European civilization visiting gardens in Spain, Morocco, and Italy. He studies the elaborate Renaissance gardens that influenced western garden design, and the artistic achievements of the Moorish culture that influenced gardens in Spain and around the world. So grab your camera and join us for more summer travelling!

Spain, Morocco, Italy (2008, Episode 7)

Monty's first stop is Tivoli, Italy, just outside of Rome and a popular summer residence since ancient Roman times due to its altitude and cooler temperatures. He visits several gardens in the area including the Renaissance-era Villa d'Este, which was commissioned by Cardinal Ippolito II d'Este (1509–1572). Water is the main theme of the garden. Water features are incorporated into the design to delight and surprise its visitors, including fountains, water sprays, a grotto, and a water organ. 

He visits nearby Villa Adriana (Hadrian's Villa, built in the second century). Its design implements hydro technology, which was revived centuries later in gardens including Villa d'Este. Monty marvels at the size of the garden and the engineering involved, and notes that the grand garden was left to deteriorate as Europe headed into the Dark Ages. Monty heads for a modern vineyard in the same area, where they grow organic fruits and veggies, including a variety of grapes that originated from Villa d'Este. 

Next stop is Villa Lante in Bagnaia, which represents the perfect Renaissance garden for Monty. The villa isn't just a retreat, but a statement of power. The garden is designed around a central axis, with a clipped and controlled formal garden and a backdrop of parkland. A 50-foot long stone table features an icy-cold canal running down its center, in which cold drinks and dishes would float by its diners, perfect for outdoor entertaining. The garden design may have inspired English gardening 200 years later.

From Italy, Monty travels to Marrakech, Morocco to explore the Islamic influence on gardens. He visits Aguedal, one of the oldest continuous gardens in the world, with water brought in from the Atlas mountains 1000 miles away. It is part orchard, part farm, and part garden. Everything in the garden has both usefulness and beauty. Monty interviews Professor Mohammed El Faiz about the garden to learn more, and finds his views on gardens challenged.

In Marrakesh, many homes are based on traditional Islamic design, where the house is built around a courtyard garden. The buildings appear modest from the outside, but the courtyard gardens are lush and lavish, and provide an outdoor space in which to cook, eat, and grow food. Monty also visits the French-inspired Jardin Majorelle, dating from the 1920's and 30's, and featuring Art Deco, Berber, and Islamic influences.   

From Marrakech, Monty travels to Spain via train and hydrofoil. He visits The Alhambra in Granada, the oldest surviving palace garden. Its elements are based on Islamic design, which seeks to represent paradise on earth. On the island of Cordoba, Monty enjoys the annual festival of patio gardens, where thousands of courtyard and patio gardens are opened up for visitors. In these gardens, people eat, drink, party, and work, which Monty has come to see as the definition of a garden.

Monty ends his tour in Madrid, at Casa Caruncho, a cloister garden that opens out to nature. He interviews its designer, Fernando Caruncho, and learns the importance of light in the garden (direct, reflected, and shaded) for the Spanish psyche. In the garden you are transported outside of yourself, like a mini-pilgrimage.

Monty ends the tour pondering how Mediterranean gardens reflect the strength of two different cultures, the classical and Islamic. The two have enriched and informed each other from very early times, synthesizing the physical and the spiritual from both cultures. Hope you've enjoyed traveling with Monty to see the beautiful ancient and modern Mediterranean gardens, which continue to influence garden design today.