Tired of these gray days? Would a stroll through some old-fashioned gardens perk you up?
You won’t be able to actually physically walk through a garden but will be able to learn about them in a program presented by Scott Kunst owner of Old House Gardens. He will be speaking at the Toledo Botanical Garden this coming Wednesday, February 17, 2010.
I met Scott back in 2001 while picking up an order of antique Dahlias from his place of business in Ann Arbor. I can tell you he is a very personable guy who, over the past couple of decades, has become an authority on the subject of historical bulbs and gardens.
The Dahlias I was picking up back then were ‘Bishop of Llandaff’. The bright red flowers of these dahlias are nicely set off with a beautiful bronze foliage. I have saved and stored those dahlia tubers ever since. That is the subject of another post however.
Image of Bishop of Llandaff Dahlia from Old House Garden
The subject of the Wednesday talk is “Antique Gardens: American Home Landscapes 1800-1940″ . Here’s the description from Scott’s website:
From the scanty pioneer gardens of the early 1800s through flamboyant Victorian carpet-bedding to the “old-fashioned” perennial borders of the early 20th century, “Antique Gardens” illuminates 140 years of American yards and gardens. In colorful, fast-paced slides, it shows how plants, outdoor furnishings, and the design of American yards changed dramatically through the years. It’s an eye-opening primer on the landscape relics that survive all around us and essential background for gardeners wanting to restore a historic landscape or to enliven any garden with a touch of the past.
The program begins at 10:30 am in the Crosby Conference Center at the Gardens located at 5403 Elmer Drive (south of Central Avenue).
This promises be a welcome gardening diversion from the long stretch of cold weather we have been having.
Bob