IRIS CIRCLE PROJECT

    When we decided, that we are going to live here, I started to make a plans of my garden. And in the back of long and slim backyard I decided to make an Circle project. At first in my plans was daylilies. All circle of daylilies could look great. But when I start to dig, soil looked good just for irises. So all plans switched to IRIS CIRCLE. Large circle of grass make it look dramatic. Tree, that grow in it doesn't make it plane. So no centrifugal impression. Sometimes it look nice, but this area is too small to make it nice. So tree was saved and keep as part of it. Beds was arranged as sunshine first. But that doesn't look nice to me. Also, soil condition doesn't satisfy me. So while I was in States, parents bought truck of top soil without peats. Because I have enough of them in other parts of garden if I ever need. Also irises do not need them. And when I go back from States - full of inspiration started to draw some ideas of how to make it dramatic. And get inspiration from pattered daylilies or reflecting water. So I just offset circle contour to paths and make beds. So easy to maintain and reach blooms when bloom. Also from side look nice.

    Other task was to add some perennials, that could bloom after main iris season. Because when irises done their show, that part of garden no longer look attractive. So make gaps for some perennials. Already I add some small verbena plants with clear blue candle blooms, few salvias, daylilies, aquilegias (Aquilegia's bloom in same time as TB irises, but there is other story. I ordered aquilegia seeds from UK National Aquilegia Collection. Seedlings do not that good. But I have several that might bloom next season.) and a lot Echinacea seedlings. Echinacea is my third favorite plant after daylilies and irises. Maybe in spring I have others to fill empty gaps. So nice to keep some small room for unexpected new plant from fair or nursery.

  Panorama photo show all circle. But beds look too big. Actual they are just in borders of circle. Not that big. Circle dominate. Also in photo you can see both corners, that was behind me. So that make sense of how panorama is made.

   Detailed photo of my favorite part in this circle. Strong lines give formal look. I could not imagine irises in free style garden. Always look nice in classical or formal gardens. So tried to play with forms and display my irises as best as I can. Other task was to make them look as flower beds, not nursery rows. So now look even better. Even not that organized as before in straight lines, but I could get nice clumps in near future. Maybe true experts notice that they are too close to each other, but that was the best way to fit them all.

   Same area, just from other point. You clearly see corners of my garden. Usually garden designers try to cover them. I did that too. I planted hedge. But it is too small to be visible in photos. But in few years it will cover that ugly fence and neighbors gardens. Street is small. Only few cars drive per hour. But still I planted it and want to cover from noisy eyes of people who stop and stare in my garden. At the moment I want to create for myself and enjoy it with my friends. But not for all. My gardening friends and people who care about my works want to see something new. And this project is recently thing I have made. From the day I go back from States. It is done for week now. But I wanted to capture it in when all beds look alike.
   I planted these beds during hot and dry days. So that keep all works really slow. But inspiration was stronger and I make some nice area in my garden. Next year it will be glorious.
   Thank you for reading my blog. There is almost 20 thousands views. So that is powerful. It means, that I am not alone, writing for more than my friend abroad. Now I start my third year in university. So that keep me very busy. Some huge projects. But I always find some time to enjoy my garden and try to share my joy with you all.

Best wishes,
Yours Lithuanian daylily and iris garden owner
Edvinas

Tower Hill Botanical Garden

Remembering trip to States one of the most important and special day was DAYLILY EXHIBITION. I already wrote about it, but that was not all from that day. Exhibition was in beautiful Tower Hill botanical garden, which I can explore during brakes from exhibition of daylilies.

Entry from parking lot to botanical garden. I have not seen such a things often, so was surprised to see gazebo as entry. Interesting point, that each gap of structure is like frame to wonderful view created around. Sadly photos doesn't look that nice, so hope you can imagine it. What I liked during my visit to States was daylilies. I saw them everywhere. Parking lots, street green zones, parks, public spaces - everywhere I saw daylilies. And this garden show great point of using daylilies as landscaping plant. People used to say, that they doesn't look good enough in modern gardens. But I think that we have to found perfect daylily for each spot. And plant it with others or alone with combination of hardscape.

Weeping Katsura tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum f. pendulum). That was my first touch with this form. It look very nice. I like it as special tree of garden. It look nice from far. But there is nice features when you come closer. Leaves are same as usual specie. But features of weeping tree is like waterfall. It could give dramatic view in garden. If anyone found this tree in Baltic countries, please get in touch with me.

Alley with bench in back look nice. But I am not sure why it doesn't invite to go and see it closer. Need something on borders to look more dramatic. I see it is shaded area, but there is some nice plants for shade, that could give nice view and invite to explore these long borders.

Some times daylilies look nice alone. I think this point is just for practical uses to reach plant for breeding or take close-up pictures. I like background in this picture.

As I was fanatic to fabaceae family plants and this themed bed with Baptisia plants amazed me. They are huge. And I saw labels, that few are same as I bought this spring. So I have to keep that in mind before plant some companion plants. I know that they might be smaller, but still keep more room to grow and look good. They look Royal in this botanical garden.

I worked in Kaunas Botanical Garden and saw problem of where to plant small succulents in display and during this visit I saw nice way for that. In this section beds edged with thyme pillows and there planted sedums. Easy to maintain and looking nice.

Fern collection. These are just few varieties and species to chose from for shaded areas. I like them. Sadly have almost no shade in my garden at the moment. So wait till trees and hedges grow more and then can add few ferns to my garden.

Some times rose garden can be made with one variety and without companion plants. That is interesting and simple. For my own opinion I would like to add other perennials, but that was main idea to make it simple. Other borders around look fancy. So this make more relaxing area.

This palm ( and others) are in large pots and moved from big conservatories where they grow over winter. During summer time they are placed outside. And look nice in combination with other plants, that used to grow there all the time. I am not sure about their experience, but some of these plants are annuals in Lithuania. So they mix annuals, perennials, shrubs and ornamental grasses. In this way they create seasonal changing garden. I hope there was some bulbs for spring impression and then plant annuals when they turn brown. Grasses give amazing autumn view and evergreen trees and shrubs make static winter view, which might gone during summer.

Following photos are captured in motion. I have limited time to see this area of botanical garden. So almost run with never ending snapping. I had about 230 photos from this area only. Lots of them blurred or half blurred. So show just the best. I enjoyed this fast tour.

Main area with unusual form lawn make big impression. Green edges give a feeling like I was in nature. No distractive views, only plants and me.

That area might be bigger, but they reflected paths adding beds. That give more private places to enjoy plants and relax.

Statues give theme and nice feelings. They doesn't look like monuments in center lines. So surprise us, when you came from corner and saw one.

All area. I liked display of daylilies. Yellow bloom spots give class to this area.

And this is same gazebo which I show first, just from other side. That was great day to visit garden. Not too hot and not too sunny. So photos went perfect. Memories from this botanical garden is very bright. I get enough inspiration and sense of freedom.
If you even plan your trip around, you have to visit this botanical garden.

Conference 'GARDEN STYLE'

Let's make a brake in my sweet memories about visit to States and write something I have done today. It was strange to make a last minute decision to go to this conference - 'Garden Style'. Held in Vilnius, Lithuania. It's so bright event for everyone who is related to gardens. It was good for everyone - from simple person, who want to make his garden interesting to true experts and Giants of landscape architecture in Lithuania. I am in big honor to listen all presentations and note some things. But something influence me to write a blog and share a little bit of what was said for all of us. Do not expect all secrets. Only those who go there can keep everything what saw, heard and feel. Get some new information these times is easy, but to get a good one, with all focal points is hard. So this conference opened my eyes and give more positive feelings about landscape architecture future in Lithuania.

Organizer of this great event was - Lina Liubertaitė. Head of wonderful courses for landscape architecture - 'Yellow Wheelbarrow' (Geltonas Karutis). Intention of this conference is to open doors for new things. Let people to make an experiments in gardens without any restrictions and with your own way.

Rasa Laurinaviečienė - who was translator in this conference noted, that it's good to catch some new ideas. But it is bad to copy and paste them to your own garden. In this way progress just stop. You can never catch a fresh winds of garden design just copying. While you copy and paste, others start working with other things. So that was a powerful message for me and I believe, this will influence my life a lot. I see that information I got in university is just basic academic works. But actual feeling of this field will came when I start to work with personally.

Vittorio Peretto - Landscape architect from Italy. He get inspiration from music. It show his presentation - 'Landscape of Music'. Brilliant presentation about how related is music and landscape architecture. "Garden is like a symphony". Words that has a great message. That is simple way to work with it. Make it special and get all inspiration from music. Simple - but brilliant.

One of examples was his project with wooden violins made from special wood got from old poles in Venice used for base. That make a strong detail with history and special feature to garden.

Asta Grabauskienė - Landscape architect from Vilnius, Lithuania. She give us presentation about how shape of lawn can change your garden. She show examples of shapes and give information where to use it and what you get if you do it in your garden. All that information was like a music to my ears. We should heard this in university. But I think better later, than never. So now I know that experimenting with shapes is fun. And each form can give a dramatic look to your garden. Same space can be longer, shorter or interesting to explore.

Ingė Auželienė - garden designer. Give a presentation about vegetables in our garden. How to make an esthetic, but edible garden. Lithuanians are used to have only practical things in garden for a long time. And now, in new times old fashioned vegetable field is not accepted. People want a relaxing spaces. But she give an examples and ideas, that everything can be mixed with perennials in borders, placed in pots. Everything is necessary and can fit in garden, you only have to found a right spot in garden and always have it as close to your home as you can. Because your kid never go to pick some berries from other part of your property. That is just a few ideas, that she gave to us.

Carrie Preston (right) - Garden designer, Holland. Rasa Laurinavičienė - translator (left). Presentation "From Global Tendencies to Your Own Design". This was the most powerful presentation that I have heard and seen in my life. Carrie show us a lot of great examples of gardens. Give us a bomb of inspiration. Rasa translated her presentation to Lithuanian language and add some extra details which we should know. Even Carrie keep say, that she make her presentation shorter, translator still keep adding a new things. And a funny situation was when C.Preston say, that she will go in chop, Rasa translated and added some extra facts about specific garden feature when using Zinnia's in big quantities. So Carrie started to laugh and ask why she have to say about Zinnia's when we have a limited time. That was so nice. Simple and not arrogant persons. Giants of this conference show the best experience and give us a lot of resource to make our own research to these gardens. Personally, I was shocked to hear all that information so easily. Just go to garden and make few combinations. Carrie show various examples and let us to know, that we can always try and make something special without looking in others. You never know how it's going to be later. I noted several great lines of thinking that I want to share: "It's a feeling, not a view of actual nature, illusion of nature give a great feelings", "They feel like they are in nature and that is the most important". That give a message, that you have to create a garden for feelings not for copy of nature. Some people are very strict to that. They want to make everything the same. Actual copy. Well, if that make them feel better, then it is good. But I noticed, it is all about feelings. What garden make for you. You pick style not because it is popular - it's because it is close to you and you can feel very good in that environment. All the ecological ways are just a bonus to project. Aspects for public spaces are a way more deeper. I living in personal gardens and places that are in touch with peoples. To create a garden look like easy task. But you can see it is long way to learn everything to start making it and even start to break the rules.

I can say, that I am fortunate about my meeting with Carrie. During coffee break I went to hall and seen her. Start conversation and get to know her even better. I am pleased to talk with people who I want to follow. I like to surround myself with people, I want to be. Following their steps I can build something my own. As I am a young I love breaking rules. But at first I have to master what is available and then start creating something my own. Trying, making mistakes and change things give a progress in all fields. Not an exception with garden design.

Boston's Emerald Necklace

It looks like today I got a nice inspiration to write. So using it and keep documenting my memories and showing them for you all. I am in heaven to write about those few weeks in America. I visited 3 states (or 4 if counting airports). So list started very fast and hope I can fill it with more in future.

This time I write about a short part of Emerald Necklace in Boston. As we walk, we went to a little part of them.

View from Prudential Center 'Skywalk' of Emerald Necklace. A part we visited first and after that went to Public Gardens in Back Bay Fens. Will write something about in other blog post.

With Claudia Conway drive to Boston, leave car in parking lot and take train to reach center of Boston. Our first stop was Boston Common. Nice green spot with minimum plantings and nice area for sports.

Other nice feature is big gazebo and huge open space for various events. That time there was fence and people make some construction works for concert of something similar to that.

Then cross the road and went to Public Garden. As we like to laugh, that neighbor grass is always greener. So this park is different than visited before. Trees have labels, mulched and have big pond.

And in this pond is small boats for people with swans. So that look very nice. Weeping willow reminds me a waterfalls, or rain drops to water. So natural and simple.

From the past to future. Very nice point of photo. It looks like urban specialists has influence for those high buildings and make empty spot where the sculpture is. So nice.

Mixed flower bed. Some times it is one step from something beautiful to awful. And something make it look not that nice. Those colors and shapes doesn't blend well for me. It is taste and very specific, but this is my blog and my expressions.

I know that this is the most popular view of sculpture. Everyone capture from there. And it look nice.

Focal point to main entrance and park gates. It moves to emerald necklace line to other park (Jewel).

There was a small island in that pond and I noticed it is styled in Japanese or Chinese with specific features. Maybe one day I can recognize both of them and identify this one. At the moment I see it is different. And such detail look nice, because it is separate from all park.

And long way to other park. In perspective it look very nice. But walking is not boring. Streets divide it to different sections and almost every section has sculpture or even two.

One of the impress me very much. I have never seen monument like this. So nice and different. Simple, but not bad.
So this was my view to green spaces in Boston. I wish we could have more time for exploring, but seen more than expect. I will write one more blog from Boston about Community Gardens.

Prudential Center. Boston

One very hot day with Claudia Conway we planned our visit to Boston, Massachusetts. Our main point was green places. And a big part of Emerald Necklace was on our route. But this time I write about other point of visit. Prudential Center. We went on top of it. But I want to write not about that powerful view from the top of this huge building, but about small green space surrounded with buildings. A total urban space turn to natural area for relaxation. Simple ideas and boom. You have a nice area to relax and calm.

Garden in very busy city is fancy. You can not see people on photos, who sit on grass and eat, or just relax in lunch break, because I do not wanted to disturb their relaxation time. Place is healing, because of green and simple colors. Not a luxurious English garden style, so you can feel simple breeze in all ornamental grasses and herbaceous perennials. I like the way they mix them. It's very similar to Dutch wave or mixture of it with something else. Also, what surprise me all visit time - daylilies. I saw them in every garden and park with flower beds. So that give me good inspiration of how to use them in landscaping.

As this garden/park is surrounded with buildings, all city noises is covered. And fountain made a feeling like you are not in center of Boston.

Wave of echinacea. I can imagine if they release any butterflies here, this could be a magical park also. But in all, it look very nice. Big masse of them perform better than several mixed with several other plants. Sometimes less is more.

I liked, that they not cut the old blooms. So that make an extra room for wild life and more natural view. I am not sure for how long they keep them.

Even this fountain is complex with other one, and make a big water feature. Sadly during my visit here, the main fountain was under construction. So I can just imagine all flow and sounds they make together.

Simple ideas make a nice view even in complicated spaces. Landscape architect who made this is true expert, because I felt every detail is necessary and look nice. Nothing look alien in this garden. Blend of urban and natural is very nice. Contrast and simplicity is powerful weapons for landscape architects.
I get enough inspiration to work in my garden. I creating iris circle project more seriously, planning main perennial bed and thinking about some daylilies for landscaping. Some people here notice, that they look good just in English style gardens, but I notice, that specific type of them can fit in any style.