Gardens of Shangri-La

Fantastic collection of garden pictures with music

On a sunny day, when all material needs are satisfied, what is one to do to chase away the restlessness? For all of you who like to delight in a family picnic or a solitary stroll among the islands of nature this metropolis has to offer, here’s an overview of the best parks (or “gongyuan”) of Shanghai.

www.ananda.org The Crystal Hermitage – Spiritual Heart of Ananda Village Join us in springtime for an incredible show of 9000 tulips and flowering trees, set amidst soaring mountain vistas The photographs are of Crystal Hermitage Gardens at Ananda Village in Nevada City, California. Photography by Barbara Bingham. www.ananda.org

Whether it be the need to stay closer to home these days or the growing awareness about the environment, green thumb gardeners like John Westermajer have taken a limitless interest in gardening. Westermajer’s leisure activity has turned into a daily passion that has led him to earn First Place in Heaven Hill Farm’s “Most Gorgeous Garden” Contest 2009.

Westermajer’s like affair with gardens and gardening started nearly 15 years ago.  He spends as much as 20 hours per week tending to his gardens. Favoring lily’s and tulips has driven him to place more than 3,000 bulbs in the ground so far.

With every passing year, the lavish and extent gardens covering nearly ½ acre of Westermajer’s property have been a sure-fire way for him and his wife to express themselves, relax and delight in the outdoors.

Although Westermajer has not joined any area gardening clubs, he does search out planting tips from the garden and nursery team at Heaven Hill Farm and his favorite magazine, Garden Gate. “I don’t visualize well, so I see what I reckon is ‘incorrect’ in my garden this year, then simply add color where it’s needed next season,” says Westermajer.

Following the same gardening path as Westermajer, Tammy Barron and Liz Nuss, both from Sussex County, New Jersey, share 2nd place in Heaven Hill Farm’s “Most Gorgeous Garden” Contest.

For anyone who has ever dreamed of turning his or her garden into a showcase, a visit to Heaven Hill Farm offers both an extensive choice of flowers, shrubs and trees for all types of gardens as well as planting and design advice from owner Martin Theobald and the garden and nursery staff. All gardeners are welcome to reap the rewards of their labor by entering their gardens in The Most Gorgeous Garden Contest held every Spring at Heaven Hill Farm.

Established in 1983, Heaven Hill Farm is a 150 acre working farm and full service garden center offering annuals, perennials, shrubs, trees, gardening supplies, seasonal produce, patio and pool furniture, sheds and giftware. In addition to the “Most Gorgeous Garden Contest, Heaven Hill is host to yearly events including the Pumpkinland Festival, Haunted Acres Hayride, Easter Egg Hunts, Seasonal Tent Sales and Educational School Tours.

For additional information and directions, contact Heaven Hill Farm at (973)764-5144.

For more videos, go to vafb.com. If you’d like to support local farmers and local gardeners, a new Gorgeous Gardens program should be your first stop this spring. Norm Hyde reports these plants are bred to thrive in our part of the country.

Truly stunning gardens complete with hardscape elements like wall water fountains do not fall into place overnight. Exceptional designs require a lot of thought and plotting while taking into account the size and shape of the area you are going to design. Design thoughts often start with plotting around natural elements like trees or your plot may involve the removal of some trees. Weather and overall climate are key considerations – including plant selection that will be most suitable for the climate conditions in your area.

Considerable time is usually spent on what plants, shrubs, and flowers will go best with each other, so as to have everything coexist in a way that is pleasing both to the eye and to nature. Will you have a desert theme? Perhaps an Asian theme would suit your desires? Or maybe even a rain forest theme? There are also tropical island themes and pine forest themes among others you could consider. You might even be able to mix some, such as an Asian/tropical theme blended together. The choices are many and each requires fantastic attention to detail.

Gardening Style Decisions

Once you have made your choice on what style of garden you wish to design and build and what plants you wish to have, you can start looking at the hardscape. Hardscape is the term for things you’ll have in your garden like decks, statues, streams, pools, and waterfalls, among other things. Water wall fountains are a common item that would be considered hardscape, and could have many uses in a garden. You could place one against your fence and have it act as the tributary to your stream or pond, or you can set it off to the side of your pond and have it surrounded on its sides and back by lush foliage or bamboo.

Wall fountains are made in many shapes, sizes, and colors. See a large variety of styles to choose from at http://www.garden-fountains.com/Categories.bok?category=Wall+Fountains. Where you choose to place your fountains in your garden is limited only by your own creativity. Will you have a gazebo as part of your garden? You could accentuate it by adding wall water fountains. You could place three wall fountains opposite the entrance facing inward so that as you sit you can relax to the sound of running water all around you. Another thought would be to alternate sides and have 3 sides with outward facing wall fountains adding a small modicum of privacy. You could also make the gazebo into a cave of sorts by placing wall fountains on all 5 non entrance sides facing out, and have foliage growing on top and around so you are left with one unique entrance.

Wall Water Fountain and Design Integration

The installation decisions and style selection of wall fountains in garden design are numerous and the plotting will take a lot of time, effort and care. A garden is a peaceful place where one should be able to go and rest and feel revitalized. If even one design element is slightly off theme, it could greatly alter the desired visual feel you want and possibly leaving you less than pleased with your final product. If you want to make your garden truly stunning, you should know that many gorgeous garden designs often include wall fountains. Learn more about different textures of wall fountains at http://www.garden-fountains.com/Categories.bok?category=Fiberglass+Wall+Fountains.

Here’s Lorde Awesome’s version of their favourite Cramps tune, ‘Gorgeous Gardens’, from Psychedelic Jungle. An extended version of this song will be included on an international Cramps tribute CD, which is scheduled for release later this year.

Gorgeous Gardens #5

The New Jersey Botanical Garden at Skylands in Ringwood State Park is the centerpiece of a property assembled by Francis Lynde Stetson (1846-1920) from pioneer farmsteads in the Ramapo Mountains. Stetson named his country estate Skylands. Skylands was sold in 1922 to Clarence mckenzie Lewis (1877-1959), an investment banker and trustee of the New York Botanical Garden. Lewis wanted the property for a summer residence, but in the process chose to make Skylands a botanical showplace. For thirty years, Lewis collected plants from all over the world and from New Jersey roadsides. The result is one of the finest collections of plants in the state. Included among the Annual Garden are the Crab Apple Vista, the Perennial Border, the Lilac Garden, the Peony Garden, the Summer Garden, the Azaleas Garden, the Magnolia Walk, Octagonal Garden, & the Winter Garden. Music By Taylor Hayward..Song Title Loire www.taylorhayward.org