Thank you .. ‘Dirt du Jour’

for the glowing review! "Go ask Alice ... where all the best vineyard gardens are. She's an erudite charmer; you'll have fun!"
England

Bloomsbury Gardens, Sussex

Monk’s House Terrace Photo © Alice Joyce

Rodmell, Lewes, East Sussex — The fortunate residents of National Trust properties experience an aspect of history that I imagine to be rarified and wondrous. As an ardent fan of the Bloomsbury Group – writers, painters, creative forces, free spirits – I envy the tenants living in Monk’s House, the cottage once occupied by the writer Virginia Woolf and her husband Leonard.

Last year when I toured the property, I encountered a lush landscape with verdant plantings and an altogether inviting layout that we garden lovers on this side of the pond long to experience.

After returning home, I learned via Email that the current tenants planted the herbaceous borders from scratch over the previous decade; ever since the beginning of their occupancy. You may consider the design finesse and horticultural savvy emerging in the beautifully cultivated Monk’s House gardens a well-kept secret!

Roses and Clematis  © Alice Joyce

To literary and artistic types who might be reading this, I recommend a visit should you set out to explore the counties that comprise the ‘garden of England‘ — Kent, Surrey and Sussex. As you can see, Spring displays promise breathtaking delights.

Charleston House Sculpture & Border  © Alice Joyce

Charleston House © Alice Joyce

Charleston, Firle, Lewes, East Sussex: Charleston House is associated with Virginia’s sister, the artist Vanessa Bell, with the painter Duncan Grant, Clive Bell, and with countless Bloomsbury figures who gathered in this idyllic setting: To nurture friendships and creative urges, while moving in and out of love affairs.

When I toured the house, it did not disappoint, as the iconography of the Bloomsbury aesthetic appears in every aspect of the house’s decor, from fabric to ceramics to fabulous patterning on walls and furnishings. And the gardenscape is mesmerizing, with statuary that forms perfect focal points, i.e. a levitating damsel.

Charleston House Levitating Damsel © Alice Joyce

Maintained by The Charleston Trust, the property hosts a yearly festival: Visit the web site for details.

Charleston Gardens Pond Photo © Alice Joyce


Charleston Mosaic Piazza Patio  © Alice Joyce

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Portland

Iconic Ira Keller Fountain: Portland

In the book, 1001 Gardens You Must See Before You Die …there’s an entry I wrote for an iconic 20th Century Modern public space in Portland, Oregon: Ira Keller Fountain Park.

Ira’s Fountain: Dedicated by the City of Portland to Ira C. Keller – “Strength and Beauty Come From Us – Not From Tyranny”   ~   You may wish to download a self-guided Walking Tour Map on the Portland Parks & Rec web site to experience the downtown’s trove of fountains.  Designed by Angela Danadjieva, associate of renowned American landscape architect, Lawrence Halprin, the interactive water feature achieved the goal of providing access to water so that people might revel in its sensory pleasures. The city of Portland acknowledges how fountains can enliven a neighborhood, and to that end, offers such pleasurable spots for families and friends to gather.

In this city that celebrates fountains, the Ira Keller fountain reprises in all its contemporary angularity the wondrous power of the natural world, encountered an hour or so outside the urban environment.

Mt. Hood  –   Copyright: Alice Joyce

As in the crags and commanding waterfalls of Oregon’s Cascade Mountains, the lure of rushing water produces a compelling, profound effect on our sensibilities. Explore Portland and you won’t be disappointed. The city itself is a vibrant hub for adventures of all kinds, from wine and foodie fun to street festivals, markets, and proximity to rejuvenating outdoor activities.

Multnomah Falls ~ Copyright: Alice Joyce

Eco-friendly in every way, the city boasts convenient public transportation, a haven for cycling, and a wealth of green spaces. And stay tuned for additional features on the parks, gardens and scenic wonders of Portland and environs.

Columbia River Gorge  ~ Photo Copyright: Alice Joyce

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Horticulture

Portland Interlude: Cistus Nursery

Photo: Alice Joyce

Plant shopping while in Portland?

You’ll want to plan a stopover at one of the Portland area’s most enticing plant emporiums:

Cistus Nursery, operated by plantsman extraordinaire, Sean Hogan;

author of Trees For All Seasons … & … Flora: The Gardener’s Bible.

Zonal Denial: Cistus (Photo: Alice Joyce)

I reconnected with Sean during a trip to Portland, and reveled in the opportunity to revisit his Portland home. Its well-known, head-turning parkway and lush front yard plantings were featured in my book, Gardenwalks in the Pacific Northwest. Sean’s private garden in the rear of the house is an intimate, visually exciting space teeming with rare plants.

After catching up on the changes since my last visit, we made our way 20 minutes north of Portland to Cistus on Sauvie Island, a bucolic landscape of you-pick organic farms to delight foodies, beach camping, and a marina situated along the Multnomah Channel.

Fuchsia boliviana ‘Alba’ (Photo: Alice Joyce)

The Cistus nursery set-up is instructive and informative, with signage that helps to explain plant groupings and cultural needs. If you’ve a passion for plants, Cistus might prove irresistible, with arrays of exceptional species and cultivated varieties.

Cistus on Sauvie Island (Photo: Alice Joyce)

Stroll through the nursery’s borders and you’ll discover a wealth of specimens with uncommon foliage and flowers; rare trees that demand pride of place as focal points; shrubs and succulents for varied habitats and garden conditions.

Albizia j. ‘Summer Chocolate’ (Photo: Alice Joyce)

Fargugium ‘Kaimon Dake’ (Photo: Alice Joyce)

Drought tolerant plants are becoming ever more popular, as the issue of global warming comes to the fore, and concern for water usage increases.

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