I love Vita Sackville-West. We bought a larger than average property for our area, as I had in my mind a serious garden space for my forever home. But as often happens (especially when the house itself is very old), my original timeline is nowhere near what I'd planned. I do what I can, and make the most of existing trees and shrubs, and created a container garden atop a paved area at the back. I occasionally receive a bit of snark from people who think we should build rental units, or imply that I haven't 'done much' with my space. I just smile and remind myself that Harold and Vita spent 35 years creating Sissinghurst...and had staff. I don't recall the author, but I found a vintage book (1950s) on creating garden structures at a library sale for $2. I also have a garden book by Roy Strong, that focuses on inventive design. I'm so pleased you are providing this forum for gardeners. I also love Monty Don, and while it was not 'nuts and bolts' practical for us in the modern age, I was over the moon about his four-part TV series, "The Secret History of the British Garden". I highly recommend it, especially for anyone who might be laid up by illness or surgery, and unable to get outside. It's a feast for the eyes.
You may like to know that the BBC has just released a new series, "Monty Dons British Gardens". He travels from Scotland down to the southern tip of England and everywhere in between. Its a fantastic production of a nation of gardening obsessives!
I'm obsessed with any and all books by Beverley Nichols. His series Beyond The garden Path (3 books) and Merry Hall (3 books) are beyond charming! Partially fictional and partially non fiction the books tell the stories of his gardens and home he created in 2 different locations in England! He has many other books as well about gardening and I adore them all!
I picked up Monty Don's "Mad about Gardening" at a $1 book store. I had no idea who he was, which is kind of crazy because my husband's grandmother wrote one of the most prolific & popular weekly gardening column in So Cal. But we never talked about other authors. Most of my gardening reading came from BH&G, Sunset Mag or the garden bible Sunset Western Garden book. But Monty's was truly eye-opening.
The Victorian Kitchen Garden is my favorite gardening book. It’s based off a BBC television series where they try to restore an old walled garden back to what it was during the Victorian era with the help of a head gardener who learned from the Victorian gardeners.
Here in S. Ontario, I find that landscape companies follow British advice on gardening which often is inappropriate to our weather conditions. For example they routinely plant the crown of a rose bush at the soil surface and hard pruning to achieve exhibition blooms even if you don't intent the blooms for exhibition. Even before I aged, I wanted efficient garden practice to lessen the hours of work required to maintain a lovely somewhat tidy garden, hence my gardening style. While living in Atlanta, I saw gardeners mulch rose bushes a foot high to preserve soil moisture. I chose to bury the crown of the rose bush at least a foot below soil surface which then guaranteed winter survival without any mulch in our harsh climate and prevented drought conditions at root level during hot summers. I have lived in Vancouver which is a duplicate of British weather conditions, mild temperatures and lots of rain and British rules apply perfectly. Unpruned tea and grandiflora roses grew to heights of eight feet easily, lovely to view from an elevated distance but at close range offered a great view of the undersides. Trial and error will teach one not to slavishly follow the advice of others. According to one's locale, some methods work well, some don't and it's fun, entertaining and instructive to try a bit of everything. Vita Sackville-West deserves all the accolades accorded her as a great garden designer and horticulturist whom I admire greatly and enjoy her writing. What a beautiful video you offered featuring the views of the Sissinghurst garden. Thank you for providing a refreshing retreat during a snowy afternoon.
Certainly agree! Roses are in a category of their own and treatments such as pruning will be wildly different depending on zone and climate conditions and also the type of rose, of which there are several. If one were to cut a climbing rose to a foot above ground in my area, one might not see another bloom for years, even if it quickly regrows 8 feet tall. Loved this video! And thank you for directing us to Vita Sackville-West's books! I highly recommend The Well-Gardened Mind, by Sue Stuart-Smith, and The Hidden Life of Trees, by Peter Wohlleben. These books are not practical guidebooks to gardening, but do offer tremendous insights into the importance and necessity of gardens, of gardening,
I LOVE growing calendula and will be growing ‘Pink Surprise’ and the more medicinal ‘Resina’ this year. I have grown ‘Cantaloupe’ and adored those shades, too. I love that it readily reseeds and I always let the plants create seeds and then throw them around in areas where I’d like it to establish. The smell of the foliage is so enjoyable to me.
I love her recommendation about sowing large patches of a few varieties. I find this repetition impactful and calming in my garden. Thank you for sharing.
I throughly enjoyed this video. I now want to go on a search for these books even though I have plenty of garden books in my library. I also have the itch to find the seeds you mention. I love it when a flower has a long bloom time and the ones you mention fill that requirement. I have already purchased so many seeds, so I will have to give it a thought as to whether I should purchase any more for this year. I do quite a bit of winter sowing and I wonder if these flowers would work with that method of starting seeds. I visited Sisssinghurst a number of years ago so this video reminded me of that wonderful garden and my trip to visit English gardens, so thank you for the trip down memory lane.
Hi Sue, you always inspire me and all your followers! Definitely want to read the In the garden book and try some of the seeds! Especially the first two-so dainty and prettyThank you for sharing ❤
We live in zone 3-4a and planted African Daisy last summer, dug them up and brought them inside in the fall. They continued blooming right through the winter. We will put them back outside in the spring.
Thank you Sue! You always inspire me with your videos. I have always enjoyed Vita Sackville-West. Your gardening style and your choice of gardeners you talk about has always resonated with me. I feel like we are gardening soulmates, lol. Just a FYI about calendula, it may be deer resistant, but it certainly isn’t squirrel resistant. I found out the hard way last summer. I moved my pots of calendula onto my front porch as close to the front door as possible and that finally saved them from the squirrel buffet. Looking forward to another year of gardening with you!
Hello and thanks for sharing that you struggle with squirrels and your calendula. That is great information. It sounds like we are gardening soul mates...😊 Thanks for watching.
Vita has been my mentor since reading the book Portrait of a Marriage...I visited Sissinghurst, a few years ago, luckily I also had talks with the gardeners. It was a magical day. Paul Bangay is also a good modern day gardening book read.
I have toadflax in my flower beds. It seeds itself but not aggressively. Mine is pink/lavender. I recently bought another package of seeds for variety. ❤
I never knew this about Vita Sackville - West. Thank you for enlightening me. I have received inspiration from "The Secret Garden" by Frances Hodgson-Burnett...the idea of recovering a wild garden. Just found your channel today and thrilled to subscribe.
Hi Sue Oooh, I love your introduction to Vita Sackville-West, her body of work & Sisinghurst. Your book club is awesome, thank you & this video, a perfect compliment. Best wishes for joy, discovery & fun projects in the beautiful garden you have created & share with us - from your fan in VA Beach, VA. 🎉😊
Hello friend and thanks for being part of the book club. I am really enjoying it too. I am looking forward to the first Zoom discussion. Thanks for the kind words and thanks for watching.
Absolutely loved this presentation. Your narration is so inspiring, calming like a warm sunny garden in winter. I’m falling more in love with gardening and the possibilities that maybe I too can become a successful landscaper and flower gardener. Thank you for your wonderful vid.
I read Lisa Mason Ziegler's book, The Cut Flower Handbook, last season that talks about cool flowers. That was an excellent book! She inspired me to create a mini cut-flower garden. I haven't heard of "Cool Flowers" so I will goggle it. Thanks for sharing.
I've been watching lots of your videos Sue since I recently found your channel. They are inspiring and soothing at the same time. I have moved house recently and am both excited and daunted where to begin with the garden. Love from the UK 🇬🇧
Another great video! Thank you Sue, for inspiring us with the wisdom of this wonderful writer. What a treat, I can’t wait to hear more. I have grown linaria for years and yes indeed this is a little known gem. It has a huge spectrum of saturated jewel colors. And as far as calendula is concerned, it is a perfect annul for winter sowing!
Hi Bernadette, Thank you for your note. I am glad to hear your experience with linaria. I want to try growing it from seed this season. I also appreciate your feedback that calendula is a good candidate for winter sowing. That frees up more space under my grow lights.
What a wonderful treasure to find. I 'm sure I would enjoy reading those books. Thank you for your review and tips. I'll look forward to seeing the seeds you try.
The book that made me fall in love with gardening is Thalassa Cruso's "To Everything There Is A Season." I just purchased a couple (inexpensive) volumes of Sackville-West's books, they're not those four originals (prices out of reach) but more edited anthologies of those four. They're coming in a few days, and I look forward to reading them...and then maybe revamping my "flower garden." We have a LOT of food growing plots, but not a lot of flower spaces. I want to expand my flowers!
Thanks for sharing your book recommendation. I love the title. I am glad to hear you found a couple inexpensive Sackville-West volumes. I hope you like them as much as I do. Thank you for watching.
Yes the book that did it for me was ‘With Nature’ by Fiona Brockoff. I just love her combination of plants, although my garden has more flowers, I use her ideas for the backbone of the garden. I’m in Australia NSW Thanks for introducing me to Vita Sackville-West books
Hi Sue... we have been enjoying your videos and "In your Garden " sounds like one I need to add to my collection. I think we might be neighbors as we are in SE Michigan in zone 5b. Funny our cottage is 4 hours north and is a 5b as well. Can't wait to see how you plant up your back garden!
Wonderful video. Have you read the garden books by Beverley Nichols ? Down the Garden Path or A Thatched Roof? Once picked up I couldn’t put them down because not only are they informative, but injects humor into the passionate love we have for gardening.
when I started gardening I got the book THE GARDEN PRIMER by Barbara Damrosch. It is available at thrift books (used). I 'm sure you can get it new also. It was very helpful to me and made all the difference. She is married to Elliot Coleman who also is a big veg gardener in Maine. He has his own books especially about extending the season for growing. I highly recommend the Primer.
Alan titchmarsh had great British tv garden shows as does Monty don. Alan has written some books and has had numerous shows as well as Monty don. I enjoyed esp. Monty don’s 80 gardens around the world.
Aww what a lovely ode to VSW - Sissinghurst and Great Dixter are my go to gardens for inspiration. Have you Christopher Lloyd? You’ll love him too. The was the roses are done at Sissinghurst is the best!
Lovely as always, Sue. I recently discovered and enjoyed several volumes by Page Dickey. I have too many books, if that is possible, and have vowed to purchase no more as my shelves and stacks are many.
Your videos are next level stuff, thanks! I have a weird recommendation from the pioneering hippie pile, that won’t expand your palette even one iota, but it changed my relationship to insects, plant damage, and action generally: One Straw Revolution. It’s a blessing to rethink everything, What if I don’t do that?
Vita’s books can often be ordered through library sharing services with libraries across the USA. All of these annuals mentioned are indeed beautiful, but where spring turns to humid , hot summers, they quickly fade away. They really do best in the far west, especially California.
There is another gardener, William Robinson, during the same time frame that focused on what he called "wild gardening". It was all about finding the right plant for the right place. He also planted natives.
Oh yes! I had the pleasure of going to a Tasha Tutor exhibit at the Henry Ford Museum years ago now. It was wonderful. The had a portion of the display where a video played showing how she created birthday cakes with candles that she floated down the creek. Magical.
At the end of this wonderful vid, you ask for book recommendations. I would urge reading Vita Sackville-West's book-length poem, "The Garden", which I read aloud over an Internet link a few years ago to a correspondent. A quick check at my usual online bookseller shows several copies available, both new and used. My own copy is from a rather recent printing, I think from some point after the year 2000.
These books are great to read and look at but gardening in the Midwest is a lot different from gardening in the hot ,arid southwest where I live. Her books are now over $200.00 on line
Please tell us, why did they put a tall wall around their gardens? Secret beauty they don't want to share? Protect from wind? But it gives shade all day.
Walls in Britain are used for heat retention, as the summers are usually very cool. With climate change they are less necessary now. They would make absolutely no sense in most of the USA
Lovely video. I am determined to grow older varieties as an alternative to brand plants. I have a new book to recommend for its visual pleasure and recipes: The Side Gardener by Canadian Rosie Daykin.
❤ … in a loving regard, May I lend a personal insight? In keeping with more of a common sense approach to gardening, let’s just take a look at The botanical Latin structured School of thought and where it came from. Interesting, how the Roman Latin scholarly class has historically put its mark on so-called higher learning, including the church. I think this is the very essence of what You are describing as a kind of relief from binary structured schooling. Don’t get me wrong, most of us have a need for and desire for learning. However, binary, structured schooling Isn’t the end all of creating, caring for and tending a garden. For me, I’ve simply backed it up A little further to take a refreshing look at The word of God from Genesis. The origins of the garden, And the very nature of plants, actually replicate what you’re saying about large patches of uniform plants And colors. We all would be fascinated to hear your perspectives and thoughts on the vastness and beauty of the original garden.😊
@ you’re welcome. I garden in eastern Pennsylvania since age 12. I am now 66 years old, and God has cultivated and paralleled an observer learner spirit in me…… I gather you’re from the Midwest, you may find of interest in viewing my latest video on my channel. I suspect many gardeners from the Midwest all the way down to the south east will experience winter kill this year. I address this and some of the problems generated when the USDA revise their hardy zone map A few years ago. Might make an interesting discussion on your channel.
Some really nice information there however I prefer to stick with local native plants whenever possible and seeding California flowers in Ohio just seems wrong no matter how pretty.
I love Vita Sackville-West. We bought a larger than average property for our area, as I had in my mind a serious garden space for my forever home. But as often happens (especially when the house itself is very old), my original timeline is nowhere near what I'd planned. I do what I can, and make the most of existing trees and shrubs, and created a container garden atop a paved area at the back. I occasionally receive a bit of snark from people who think we should build rental units, or imply that I haven't 'done much' with my space. I just smile and remind myself that Harold and Vita spent 35 years creating Sissinghurst...and had staff. I don't recall the author, but I found a vintage book (1950s) on creating garden structures at a library sale for $2. I also have a garden book by Roy Strong, that focuses on inventive design. I'm so pleased you are providing this forum for gardeners. I also love Monty Don, and while it was not 'nuts and bolts' practical for us in the modern age, I was over the moon about his four-part TV series, "The Secret History of the British Garden". I highly recommend it, especially for anyone who might be laid up by illness or surgery, and unable to get outside. It's a feast for the eyes.
Thanks for sharing all the great recommendations. Your property sounds wonderful. Happy gardening and thanks for watching.
You may like to know that the BBC has just released a new series, "Monty Dons British Gardens". He travels from Scotland down to the southern tip of England and everywhere in between. Its a fantastic production of a nation of gardening obsessives!
@ Thank you! I'll look to see if it's available in the U.S. or on RUclips.
@@SpanishEclectic I hope you can find it. Good luck!
@@SpanishEclecticI saw it in You Tube
You are our Sackville West. At lleast you are my Sackville West. Please never stop giving us videos. You inspire me. Thank you Sue.
Ha! Thanks for the compliment however off base it may be...ha ha. I am glad to hear you liked the video. Thanks for watching.
I'm obsessed with any and all books by Beverley Nichols. His series Beyond The garden Path (3 books) and Merry Hall (3 books) are beyond charming! Partially fictional and partially non fiction the books tell the stories of his gardens and home he created in 2 different locations in England! He has many other books as well about gardening and I adore them all!
Thanks for the recommendations and thanks for watching. I will definitely check out those books.
I picked up Monty Don's "Mad about Gardening" at a $1 book store. I had no idea who he was, which is kind of crazy because my husband's grandmother wrote one of the most prolific & popular weekly gardening column in So Cal. But we never talked about other authors. Most of my gardening reading came from BH&G, Sunset Mag or the garden bible Sunset Western Garden book. But Monty's was truly eye-opening.
Monty is a legend in the UK
I am a huge Monty Don fan. I have two of his books, but never read 'Mad About Gardening'. Thanks for the recommendation.
Being British, it’s hard to get my head around anyone not knowing who Monty is 😂
The Victorian Kitchen Garden is my favorite gardening book. It’s based off a BBC television series where they try to restore an old walled garden back to what it was during the Victorian era with the help of a head gardener who learned from the Victorian gardeners.
I will definitely check that book out. Thanks for the recommendation.
Add storyteller extraordinaire to your resume! Very well done video!
Thanks so much for the kind words and thanks for watching.
Here in S. Ontario, I find that landscape companies follow British advice on gardening which often is inappropriate to our weather conditions.
For example they routinely plant the crown of a rose bush at the soil surface and hard pruning to achieve exhibition blooms even if you don't intent the blooms for exhibition. Even before I aged, I wanted efficient garden practice to lessen the hours of work required to maintain a lovely somewhat tidy garden, hence my gardening style. While living in Atlanta, I saw gardeners mulch rose bushes a foot high to preserve soil moisture. I chose to bury the crown of the rose bush at least a foot below soil surface which then guaranteed winter survival without any mulch in our harsh climate and prevented drought conditions at root level during hot summers. I have lived in Vancouver which is a duplicate of British weather conditions, mild temperatures and lots of rain and British rules apply perfectly. Unpruned tea and grandiflora roses grew to heights of eight feet easily, lovely to view from an elevated distance but at close range offered a great view of the undersides. Trial and error will teach one not to slavishly follow the advice of others. According to one's locale, some methods work well, some don't and it's fun, entertaining and instructive to try a bit of everything.
Vita Sackville-West deserves all the accolades accorded her as a great garden designer and horticulturist whom I admire greatly and enjoy her writing. What a beautiful video you offered featuring the views of the Sissinghurst garden. Thank you for providing a refreshing retreat during a snowy afternoon.
Thank you and thanks for sharing your experiences. Thank you for watching.
Certainly agree! Roses are in a category of their own and treatments such as pruning will be wildly different depending on zone and climate conditions and also the type of rose, of which there are several.
If one were to cut a climbing rose to a foot above ground in my area, one might not see another bloom for years, even if it quickly regrows 8 feet tall.
Loved this video! And thank you for directing us to Vita Sackville-West's books!
I highly recommend The Well-Gardened Mind, by Sue Stuart-Smith, and The Hidden Life of Trees, by Peter Wohlleben. These books are not practical guidebooks to gardening, but do offer tremendous insights into the importance and necessity of gardens, of gardening,
I offed my first rose bush, will definitely try your planting deeper method for my cold zone! Thanks
I LOVE growing calendula and will be growing ‘Pink Surprise’ and the more medicinal ‘Resina’ this year. I have grown ‘Cantaloupe’ and adored those shades, too. I love that it readily reseeds and I always let the plants create seeds and then throw them around in areas where I’d like it to establish. The smell of the foliage is so enjoyable to me.
That sounds awesome! I thought the 'Cantaloupe' variety was gorgeous as well. Thanks for watching.
I love her recommendation about sowing large patches of a few varieties. I find this repetition impactful and calming in my garden. Thank you for sharing.
I thought that was great advice too. Thanks for watching.
Absolutely! Large swathes of texture & color are gorgeous ❤
I throughly enjoyed this video. I now want to go on a search for these books even though I have plenty of garden books in my library. I also have the itch to find the seeds you mention. I love it when a flower has a long bloom time and the ones you mention fill that requirement. I have already purchased so many seeds, so I will have to give it a thought as to whether I should purchase any more for this year. I do quite a bit of winter sowing and I wonder if these flowers would work with that method of starting seeds. I visited Sisssinghurst a number of years ago so this video reminded me of that wonderful garden and my trip to visit English gardens, so thank you for the trip down memory lane.
Hi Sue, you always inspire me and all your followers! Definitely want to read the In the garden book and try some of the seeds! Especially the first two-so dainty and prettyThank you for sharing ❤
I'm glad to hear you liked the video. Thanks for the kind words and thanks for watching.
We live in zone 3-4a and planted African Daisy last summer, dug them up and brought them inside in the fall. They continued blooming right through the winter. We will put them back outside in the spring.
Oh my goodness. Isn't that a treat! Thanks for sharing that.
My goodness! You are so lucky to have a copy. It is over $100 on both eBay and Amazon. Thanks for sharing.
They were cheap when I found them online. Thanks for watching.
Oh, how wonderful that was
Thank you and thanks for watching.
Thank you Sue! You always inspire me with your videos. I have always enjoyed Vita Sackville-West. Your gardening style and your choice of gardeners you talk about has always resonated with me. I feel like we are gardening soulmates, lol. Just a FYI about calendula, it may be deer resistant, but it certainly isn’t squirrel resistant. I found out the hard way last summer. I moved my pots of calendula onto my front porch as close to the front door as possible and that finally saved them from the squirrel buffet. Looking forward to another year of gardening with you!
Hello and thanks for sharing that you struggle with squirrels and your calendula. That is great information. It sounds like we are gardening soul mates...😊 Thanks for watching.
Vita has been my mentor since reading the book Portrait of a Marriage...I visited Sissinghurst, a few years ago, luckily I also had talks with the gardeners. It was a magical day. Paul Bangay is also a good modern day gardening book read.
I bet it was wonderful to meet the Sissinghurst gardeners. That sounds like a wonderful day. Thanks for watching.
I have toadflax in my flower beds. It seeds itself but not aggressively. Mine is pink/lavender. I recently bought another package of seeds for variety. ❤
I am hoping to grow them this season. I love the colors. Thanks for sharing your experience and thanks for watching.
Calendula is my favorite flower, great taste!
Such a pretty flower. Thanks for watching.
Well done - a gardening book club sounds divine
Thank you and thanks for watching.
Sue I’m inspired I’ve taken notes and will purchase this book . Simple easy beautiful uncomplicated. Thanks.
I am glad to hear you enjoyed the video. Thanks for watching.
I never knew this about Vita Sackville - West. Thank you for enlightening me. I have received inspiration from "The Secret Garden" by Frances Hodgson-Burnett...the idea of recovering a wild garden. Just found your channel today and thrilled to subscribe.
Thanks for subscribing. The Secret Garden is one of my very favorites. Thanks for sharing your recommendation.
Hi Sue
Oooh, I love your introduction to Vita Sackville-West, her body of work & Sisinghurst. Your book club is awesome, thank you & this video, a perfect compliment. Best wishes for joy, discovery & fun projects in the beautiful garden you have created & share with us - from your fan in VA Beach, VA. 🎉😊
Hello friend and thanks for being part of the book club. I am really enjoying it too. I am looking forward to the first Zoom discussion. Thanks for the kind words and thanks for watching.
Absolutely loved this presentation. Your narration is so inspiring, calming like a warm sunny garden in winter. I’m falling more in love with gardening and the possibilities that maybe I too can become a successful landscaper and flower gardener. Thank you for your wonderful vid.
Will be going to the library! Love your voice is so tranquil. Thank you❤❤
Thank you and thanks for watching.
enjoy gardening, it is the best hobby ever, I just subscribed.
Thanks for subscribing and thanks for watching. I agree that gardening is a great hobby. Happy gardening!
What a lovely video. Well conducted book review with visuals and valuable information. Brava!
Thank you and thanks for the kind note of encouragement. I appreciate it.
I love and inspired by her white garden. Love yours too. All the greens are beautiful, soothing , and peaceful .
Thank you. I love that Sissinghurst White garden too. So beautiful! Thanks for watching.
Thanks for sharing! The book: “Cool flowers” recommended by Daniel at Northlawn flower farm was a very good one for hardy annuals.
I love that book. Currently rereading it!
I read Lisa Mason Ziegler's book, The Cut Flower Handbook, last season that talks about cool flowers. That was an excellent book! She inspired me to create a mini cut-flower garden. I haven't heard of "Cool Flowers" so I will goggle it. Thanks for sharing.
I've been watching lots of your videos Sue since I recently found your channel. They are inspiring and soothing at the same time. I have moved house recently and am both excited and daunted where to begin with the garden. Love from the UK 🇬🇧
Hello and thank you for the kind note. I am so happy you are here. Happy gardening!
Another great video! Thank you Sue, for inspiring us with the wisdom of this wonderful writer. What a treat, I can’t wait to hear more. I have grown linaria for years and yes indeed this is a little known gem. It has a huge spectrum of saturated jewel colors. And as far as calendula is concerned, it is a perfect annul for winter sowing!
Hi Bernadette,
Thank you for your note. I am glad to hear your experience with linaria. I want to try growing it from seed this season. I also appreciate your feedback that calendula is a good candidate for winter sowing. That frees up more space under my grow lights.
I’m inspired by your interest in these great gardeners of the past. Thank you Sue!
Thank you and thanks for watching.
What a wonderful treasure to find. I 'm sure I would enjoy reading those books. Thank you for your review and tips. I'll look forward to seeing the seeds you try.
Thank you and thanks for watching.
The book that made me fall in love with gardening is Thalassa Cruso's "To Everything There Is A Season."
I just purchased a couple (inexpensive) volumes of Sackville-West's books, they're not those four originals (prices out of reach) but more edited anthologies of those four. They're coming in a few days, and I look forward to reading them...and then maybe revamping my "flower garden." We have a LOT of food growing plots, but not a lot of flower spaces. I want to expand my flowers!
Thanks for sharing your book recommendation. I love the title. I am glad to hear you found a couple inexpensive Sackville-West volumes. I hope you like them as much as I do. Thank you for watching.
The cantaloupe calendula was gorgeous.
I thought so too. Such pretty colors. Thanks for watching.
This video is a gem. Searching for the title now (and a new subscriber here). Cheers! ❤
Thanks for subscribing and welcome to the channel. Thanks for watching.
Thank you. so very comforting garden! OOOOh to have the land for it! Cheers
Thank you and thanks for watching.
Thanks for this thoughtful video- really enjoyed it!
Thank you. I am glad you enjoyed the video. Thanks for watching.
Yes the book that did it for me was ‘With Nature’ by Fiona Brockoff. I just love her combination of plants, although my garden has more flowers, I use her ideas for the backbone of the garden. I’m in Australia NSW Thanks for introducing me to Vita Sackville-West books
Thanks for sharing an author I am not familiar with and thanks for watching.
Hi Sue... we have been enjoying your videos and "In your Garden " sounds like one I need to add to my collection. I think we might be neighbors as we are in SE Michigan in zone 5b. Funny our cottage is 4 hours north and is a 5b as well. Can't wait to see how you plant up your back garden!
Hello fellow Michigan gardener! Thanks so much for your note and thanks for watching.
What a beautiful book 🥰
Thanks Jasmine and thanks for watching.
Your video is very helpful and inspiring. Thank you
Thank you and thanks for watching.
Wonderful video. Have you read the garden books by Beverley Nichols ? Down the Garden Path or A Thatched Roof? Once picked up I couldn’t put them down because not only are they informative, but injects humor into the passionate love we have for gardening.
Thank you. I love books that can make you laugh and learn. I am adding your recommendations to my list. Thanks for sharing them.
when I started gardening I got the book THE GARDEN PRIMER by Barbara Damrosch. It is available at thrift books (used). I 'm sure you can get it new also. It was very helpful to me and made all the difference. She is married to Elliot Coleman who also is a big veg gardener in Maine. He has his own books especially about extending the season for growing. I highly recommend the Primer.
Oh that sounds wonderful. Thanks sharing the book recommendation and thanks for watching.
Alan titchmarsh had great British tv garden shows as does Monty don.
Alan has written some books and has had numerous shows as well as Monty don.
I enjoyed esp. Monty don’s 80 gardens around the world.
They are both amazing. I agree. I can't get enough of those great gardeners. Thanks for watching.
Aww what a lovely ode to VSW - Sissinghurst and Great Dixter are my go to gardens for inspiration. Have you Christopher Lloyd? You’ll love him too. The was the roses are done at Sissinghurst is the best!
Thanks so much and thanks for watching. Christopher Lloyd is one of my favorite writers.
Wow ❤ thank you
Thank you and thanks for watching.
You never know where you will find inspiration.
Indeed! It is amazing where you can find inspiration. Thanks for watching.
I picked up A Joy of Gardening by Vita at an antique store. I’m really looking forward to reading it.
Thanks for the book recommendation and thanks for watching.
Suasana taman yang indah sekali
Thank you and thanks for watching.
Lovely
Thank you and thanks for watching.
Lovely as always, Sue. I recently discovered and enjoyed several volumes by Page Dickey. I have too many books, if that is possible, and have vowed to purchase no more as my shelves and stacks are many.
Hi Peggy. I know what you mean about the number of books on your shelves. There are so many great books to read. Thanks for watching.
Tasha Tudors books! They all touch on gardening. Also "The Good Life" by the Nearings. I will try and find these books you talk about, thank you.
I also like Tasha Tudor. Great suggestion. Thanks for watching.
Your videos are next level stuff, thanks! I have a weird recommendation from the pioneering hippie pile, that won’t expand your palette even one iota, but it changed my relationship to insects, plant damage, and action generally: One Straw Revolution. It’s a blessing to rethink everything, What if I don’t do that?
Thank you. I am glad to hear you liked the video. Thanks for the inspiring book recommendation. That book sounds amazing.
Adorei, aqui no Brasil não tem esse conteúdo
Thank you and thanks for watching.
Going to check out these books, tfs!
I hope you like them as much as I did. Thanks for watching.
I started Linaria this season for he first time. 😁
Awesome! I will be joining you. Please keep me posted on your outcome. I would love to know!
Vita’s books can often be ordered through library sharing services with libraries across the USA. All of these annuals mentioned are indeed beautiful, but where spring turns to humid , hot summers, they quickly fade away. They really do best in the far west, especially California.
Thanks for sharing your experiences and recommendations on how to access older books. Thanks for watching.
I have read the book Garden Maker three times
I'm definitely putting that on my "to read" list. Any book you can read three times must be great. Thanks for sharing the recommendation.
In the time period she was writing, was there any emphasis on native plants? How easy is it to adapt her gardening advice to native plantings? Thanks!
There is another gardener, William Robinson, during the same time frame that focused on what he called "wild gardening". It was all about finding the right plant for the right place. He also planted natives.
Tasha Tudor’s Garden is my garden inspiring Author💚 I share her love of Foxgloves & Forget-me-not.
Oh yes! I had the pleasure of going to a Tasha Tutor exhibit at the Henry Ford Museum years ago now. It was wonderful. The had a portion of the display where a video played showing how she created birthday cakes with candles that she floated down the creek. Magical.
I looked for this book on AZ ... $170!!!
I suggest checking eBay. I paid $15 for my copy.
@GardenMoxie thank you! ❤️
At the end of this wonderful vid, you ask for book recommendations. I would urge reading Vita Sackville-West's book-length poem, "The Garden", which I read aloud over an Internet link a few years ago to a correspondent. A quick check at my usual online bookseller shows several copies available, both new and used. My own copy is from a rather recent printing, I think from some point after the year 2000.
Great recommendation. I actually just got a copy of the poem and I'm looking forward to reading it. Thanks for watching.
❤
Thanks for watching.
These books are great to read and look at but gardening in the Midwest is a lot different from gardening in the hot ,arid southwest where I live. Her books are now over $200.00 on line
Thanks for watching.
Oh to live where one gets regular rain and not in this barren dry parched California. But …..
Thanks for watching.
Please tell us, why did they put a tall wall around their gardens? Secret beauty they don't want to share? Protect from wind? But it gives shade all day.
The walls are from the ruins of the castle walls from past history. It is a beautiful space.
Walls in Britain are used for heat retention, as the summers are usually very cool. With climate change they are less necessary now. They would make absolutely no sense in most of the USA
Am noob... but I guess leaving open spaces for wilderness is better than growing gardens... correct me if am wrong ...
Thanks for watching. The more natural space we have for people to enjoy, the better.
Lovely video. I am determined to grow older varieties as an alternative to brand plants. I have a new book to recommend for its visual pleasure and recipes: The Side Gardener by Canadian Rosie Daykin.
Thanks for the book recommendation. I am with you on growing different types of plants. Thanks for watching.
Anything that the deer won't eat I grow 😂
Indeed! I am with you.
❤ … in a loving regard, May I lend a personal insight? In keeping with more of a common sense approach to gardening, let’s just take a look at The botanical Latin structured School of thought and where it came from. Interesting, how the Roman Latin scholarly class has historically put its mark on so-called higher learning, including the church. I think this is the very essence of what You are describing as a kind of relief from binary structured schooling. Don’t get me wrong, most of us have a need for and desire for learning. However, binary, structured schooling Isn’t the end all of creating, caring for and tending a garden. For me, I’ve simply backed it up A little further to take a refreshing look at The word of God from Genesis. The origins of the garden, And the very nature of plants, actually replicate what you’re saying about large patches of uniform plants And colors. We all would be fascinated to hear your perspectives and thoughts on the vastness and beauty of the original garden.😊
Thanks for sharing your insights and thanks for watching the video.
@ you’re welcome. I garden in eastern Pennsylvania since age 12. I am now 66 years old, and God has cultivated and paralleled an observer learner spirit in me…… I gather you’re from the Midwest, you may find of interest in viewing my latest video on my channel. I suspect many gardeners from the Midwest all the way down to the south east will experience winter kill this year. I address this and some of the problems generated when the USDA revise their hardy zone map A few years ago. Might make an interesting discussion on your channel.
@ Thanks so much for sharing!
Common sense is certainly NOT common.
Ha! Isn't that the truth. Thanks for watching.
Some really nice information there however I prefer to stick with local native plants whenever possible and seeding California flowers in Ohio just seems wrong no matter how pretty.
Thanks for watching!
Thank you for the lovely video, which also has so many helpful suggestions!!!
Thank you and thanks for watching.
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Thanks for watching.