Sunday, August 8, 2010
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Visiting a garden for charity
Renowned container designer Tina Dixon asked me to publicize an event she's holding in her garden in Bothell. While I've been getting a little tired of these endless request to promote all these various events (there's really WAY too many, it's not that I don't want to!!), the cause was one that I am quite familiar with. With Val Easton already posting something on her blog, I figured I'd just cut and paste the details here:
"Tinus herbivorous." A garden art piece made of powder-coated metal by artist Wil Case.
"Here's your chance to help out a worthy charity while hanging out in one of the Northwest's finest gardens....Tina Dixon and Paul Stredwick are hosting a garden tour and party at their Bothell garden on Sunday, August 15, 2010. Both events are fundraisers for Hopelink, a regional non-profit which provides vital services, including housing, daycare, food and transportation for people going through especially difficult and transitional times in their lives.
You can tour the garden from noon - 5 p.m. for a donation of $50 per person. Knowledgeable docents will be on hand to answer questions; be sure and allow plenty of time because the garden is filled with work from local artists, unusual plants, and the gorgeous containers Dixon is known for.
The evening event is a casual party from 6 PM – 8 PM, and will include catered hors d'oeuvres, drinks, and live music by the Chromatics. The donation for the evening party is $150 per person. Every dime from both events will go directly to Hopelink.
Register or donate online or by calling 425-897-3703. The Dixon/Stredwick garden is located at 22433 Meridian Ave. S. in Bothell; parking is one block away at Frank Love Elementary School, 303 224th St. S.W., with a shuttle bus for the evening party. No on-site parking."
Now, not everyone can afford $50 just to see a garden, but I hope people can still make a small contribution to organizations, such as Hopelink, that helped my family when we first arrived to the USA over 20 years ago. Starting a new life in a new country was very difficult for us as so much went on that, to this day, I don't really understand. But, amidst the turmoil and chaos around me as a little kid, I would go with my mom or sister to get a bag of canned goods, bread, some produce and the occasional sweet treat or plush toy for me. I didn't think much of it until I learned what these organizations were for and what they tried to do for the community.
So, Tina is preparing for, what I hope, will be a large turn-out of supporters. Her work and whimsical garden is certainly a treat, but what an awesome way to support an organization you truly care about and THE BEST PART is 100% of everything raised will go directly to Hopelink! Way to go, Tina!
Now, it's things like this that give me motivation and inspire me to be a better gardener; the fact that I can create something that people will enjoy and also create awareness towards a cause/causes that personally mean a lot to me is tremendous!
Private Gardens are meant to be private, but special occasions such as this call for an open gate, a few refreshments, some pretty awesome plants, and a kind, generous and giving heart.
Do contribute and take part if you can! I promise I'll have a most kick-ass garden where I would absolutely do the same thing by giving back to a cause that helped us get to where we are and will continue to do so for thousands of other individuals and families in need.
R
"Tinus herbivorous." A garden art piece made of powder-coated metal by artist Wil Case.
"Here's your chance to help out a worthy charity while hanging out in one of the Northwest's finest gardens....Tina Dixon and Paul Stredwick are hosting a garden tour and party at their Bothell garden on Sunday, August 15, 2010. Both events are fundraisers for Hopelink, a regional non-profit which provides vital services, including housing, daycare, food and transportation for people going through especially difficult and transitional times in their lives.
You can tour the garden from noon - 5 p.m. for a donation of $50 per person. Knowledgeable docents will be on hand to answer questions; be sure and allow plenty of time because the garden is filled with work from local artists, unusual plants, and the gorgeous containers Dixon is known for.
The evening event is a casual party from 6 PM – 8 PM, and will include catered hors d'oeuvres, drinks, and live music by the Chromatics. The donation for the evening party is $150 per person. Every dime from both events will go directly to Hopelink.
Register or donate online or by calling 425-897-3703. The Dixon/Stredwick garden is located at 22433 Meridian Ave. S. in Bothell; parking is one block away at Frank Love Elementary School, 303 224th St. S.W., with a shuttle bus for the evening party. No on-site parking."
Now, not everyone can afford $50 just to see a garden, but I hope people can still make a small contribution to organizations, such as Hopelink, that helped my family when we first arrived to the USA over 20 years ago. Starting a new life in a new country was very difficult for us as so much went on that, to this day, I don't really understand. But, amidst the turmoil and chaos around me as a little kid, I would go with my mom or sister to get a bag of canned goods, bread, some produce and the occasional sweet treat or plush toy for me. I didn't think much of it until I learned what these organizations were for and what they tried to do for the community.
So, Tina is preparing for, what I hope, will be a large turn-out of supporters. Her work and whimsical garden is certainly a treat, but what an awesome way to support an organization you truly care about and THE BEST PART is 100% of everything raised will go directly to Hopelink! Way to go, Tina!
Now, it's things like this that give me motivation and inspire me to be a better gardener; the fact that I can create something that people will enjoy and also create awareness towards a cause/causes that personally mean a lot to me is tremendous!
Private Gardens are meant to be private, but special occasions such as this call for an open gate, a few refreshments, some pretty awesome plants, and a kind, generous and giving heart.
Do contribute and take part if you can! I promise I'll have a most kick-ass garden where I would absolutely do the same thing by giving back to a cause that helped us get to where we are and will continue to do so for thousands of other individuals and families in need.
R
Sunday, August 1, 2010
WTF, City of Seattle!! Targeting gardeners again?!
Seriously, have they got nothing BETTER to do??
So my friend David gave me a heads up about this story about this fabulous garden in Eastlake that has, of course, drawn a lot of attention, but it's made mainstream news because of a controversial order by the City of Seattle for the homeowner, Mary Hansen, to cut and maintain the height of her plantings to 24 inches due to safety and visibility concerns.
W. T. F. F. (that first "f" is for FLYING)!!!!!!!! Amidst the many issues the city is dealing with, I don't understand why THIS is even on their radar. Has she been getting any complaints? If it was an issue, wouldn't she have been notified a LONG TIME AGO that she's suppose to keep some sort of clearance?
This story is very similar to another scenario just a few years back when my friends Daniel Sparler and Jeff Schouten were ordered to reduce their garden when the city reclaimed land that the two guys had landscaped and maintained as a botanic masterpiece.
A compromise, I'm sure, will be made; but sheesh, a resident maintaining and beautifying the local neighborhood and providing something for everyone to enjoy and then being told that it's problematic and parts of it need to go because of "safety and security"?!!
Check out this video. It's actually kinda hilarious:
A garden of this caliber SHOULD BE making the news, but not because of this stupid controversy. My goodness, if they only understood the planning, care, maintenance, and all that's involved in creating and keeping up a garden like this.
Much like my Queen Anne client, who was featured on Evening Magazine, this is a landscape to behold and simply enjoy and perhaps be inspired by.
Not everyone can have gardens like this, but it sure is pretty cool to see one close by and in person!
R
So my friend David gave me a heads up about this story about this fabulous garden in Eastlake that has, of course, drawn a lot of attention, but it's made mainstream news because of a controversial order by the City of Seattle for the homeowner, Mary Hansen, to cut and maintain the height of her plantings to 24 inches due to safety and visibility concerns.
W. T. F. F. (that first "f" is for FLYING)!!!!!!!! Amidst the many issues the city is dealing with, I don't understand why THIS is even on their radar. Has she been getting any complaints? If it was an issue, wouldn't she have been notified a LONG TIME AGO that she's suppose to keep some sort of clearance?
This story is very similar to another scenario just a few years back when my friends Daniel Sparler and Jeff Schouten were ordered to reduce their garden when the city reclaimed land that the two guys had landscaped and maintained as a botanic masterpiece.
A compromise, I'm sure, will be made; but sheesh, a resident maintaining and beautifying the local neighborhood and providing something for everyone to enjoy and then being told that it's problematic and parts of it need to go because of "safety and security"?!!
Check out this video. It's actually kinda hilarious:
A garden of this caliber SHOULD BE making the news, but not because of this stupid controversy. My goodness, if they only understood the planning, care, maintenance, and all that's involved in creating and keeping up a garden like this.
Much like my Queen Anne client, who was featured on Evening Magazine, this is a landscape to behold and simply enjoy and perhaps be inspired by.
Not everyone can have gardens like this, but it sure is pretty cool to see one close by and in person!
R
Catching Up...
Ok, so it's been a crazy past few weeks. I've tried to post random photos and stuff just to say that I'm alive and still at it. Man, blogs are a lot of work!
Here's sort of a lil' timeline of my activities, where each one could be a potential blog subject/entry!
1) With severe reductions in state and departmental budgets, a prominent and critical position from UW Botanic Gardens was cut. It was so unfortunate to hear of the news and it basically resonated with what's going on with Botanic Gardens across the nation.
I'll try and elaborate on my thoughts about this New York Times article, but it basically states that many botanical institutions are taking on a new direction that isn't really so plant focused, but instead, they're catering to the gardens as simply places to be for non-horticultural events.
Even with this transition, you'd think that they'd keep up a position that produces the plant collections as well as provide outreach programs to instill in youth the importance of our native plants and environments. Ugh, it got me quite down and really unmotivated to work.
2) I prepared for and attended for the first time the Perennial Plant Association annual symposium held in Portland, OR this year. I spoke on "Perennials for Tough Situations" and aside from a supposed disappointing review from a very well known and respected individual in horticulture who attended my presentation, the feedback from everyone else afterward was most encouraging. I took the time down there to spend with friends, colleagues, and visit gardens and nurseries I've never seen before and so thrilled to finally have now! Definitely more soon!
3) It's time to scale back a bit. Each gardening season brings forth with it new challenges and this year, I've come to realize that my constantly full and unstable plate will continue to be occasionally unpleasant and intolerable if I don't make some pretty tough decisions in the next couple of months. Basically, a significant someone reminded me that I have a lot of life left to accomplish all that I aspire to do in horticulture. It's time to explore the country and the rest of the world more; gain experience that will help better shape me as a person and as a professional and realize that I have a whole arsenal of other skills and talents I must continue to nurture.
4) I've been thinking a lot about my "audience". Being somewhat of an outlier in the industry because of my age, I've worked diligently to appeal to an older generation of experienced gardeners, but now that I feel like I've got many of them on my side, I need to start collaborating more with my up and coming colleagues who are doing big and wonderful things to ensure that plants and gardening become not just a luxury for people, but a wonderful and fulfilling way of life! It's hard to bridge the generational gap at times, but I think it can be done with hard work, lots of patience, and a genuine respect and understanding between everyone.
There's lots to ramble about, but I promised myself that I'd try to really get more sleep than I've been getting.
Please stay tuned and thank you all for reading!
Riz
Here's sort of a lil' timeline of my activities, where each one could be a potential blog subject/entry!
1) With severe reductions in state and departmental budgets, a prominent and critical position from UW Botanic Gardens was cut. It was so unfortunate to hear of the news and it basically resonated with what's going on with Botanic Gardens across the nation.
I'll try and elaborate on my thoughts about this New York Times article, but it basically states that many botanical institutions are taking on a new direction that isn't really so plant focused, but instead, they're catering to the gardens as simply places to be for non-horticultural events.
Even with this transition, you'd think that they'd keep up a position that produces the plant collections as well as provide outreach programs to instill in youth the importance of our native plants and environments. Ugh, it got me quite down and really unmotivated to work.
2) I prepared for and attended for the first time the Perennial Plant Association annual symposium held in Portland, OR this year. I spoke on "Perennials for Tough Situations" and aside from a supposed disappointing review from a very well known and respected individual in horticulture who attended my presentation, the feedback from everyone else afterward was most encouraging. I took the time down there to spend with friends, colleagues, and visit gardens and nurseries I've never seen before and so thrilled to finally have now! Definitely more soon!
3) It's time to scale back a bit. Each gardening season brings forth with it new challenges and this year, I've come to realize that my constantly full and unstable plate will continue to be occasionally unpleasant and intolerable if I don't make some pretty tough decisions in the next couple of months. Basically, a significant someone reminded me that I have a lot of life left to accomplish all that I aspire to do in horticulture. It's time to explore the country and the rest of the world more; gain experience that will help better shape me as a person and as a professional and realize that I have a whole arsenal of other skills and talents I must continue to nurture.
4) I've been thinking a lot about my "audience". Being somewhat of an outlier in the industry because of my age, I've worked diligently to appeal to an older generation of experienced gardeners, but now that I feel like I've got many of them on my side, I need to start collaborating more with my up and coming colleagues who are doing big and wonderful things to ensure that plants and gardening become not just a luxury for people, but a wonderful and fulfilling way of life! It's hard to bridge the generational gap at times, but I think it can be done with hard work, lots of patience, and a genuine respect and understanding between everyone.
There's lots to ramble about, but I promised myself that I'd try to really get more sleep than I've been getting.
Please stay tuned and thank you all for reading!
Riz
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
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