You guys. I am well aware of how lucky I am, okay?
Yesterday just proved it all over again.
For several friendly, languid hours I sat, strolled, chatted, and brunched
with a beautiful and interesting woman you will want to know.
And most importantly we have become friends.
generously gave me practically all of her Tuesday
so that I can share it with you.
She sweetly photographed me in my garden for her upcoming book.
(terrifying but she made it so easy... More on that later...)
We talked about garden pests and best practices.
We played with Pacino and petted Mia.
We drank coffee, ate hard boiled eggs and downed fresh fruit smoothies.
We talked about life and family and books and discovered
another few dozen wonderful things we have in common.
Dee and I topped off the afternoon by visiting a nearby tree farm,
Tony is a friend of hers and her husband's.
Do you know how much fun it was for me to explore
a fancy garden center with someone
whose passion for plants matches my own,
but whose knowledge triples it?
So. Much. Fun.
She was like a happy little girl, and I loved it.
On her urging, I brought home a St. John's Wort for my new herb garden.
I was excited about her visit ahead of time;
but I had no idea how much the day would nourish my soul.
Thank you, Dee, for so much enriching conversation!
Thank you for your gardening encouragement and inspiration,
and thank you for sharing these wonderful interview answers that follow!
You are an Oklahoma treasure, and I am proud to call you my friend.
 |
| Dee Nash holding a pretty variegated canna at Tony's Tree Plantation |
1.
Do you come
from a long line of gardeners?
Yes and No. Both of my grandmothers and one grandfather were gardeners, but my parents weren't. I learned most of my gardening from toddling after my Grandma Nita and
from books. She died when my son, now 18, was two, so I've read a lot of books.
2.
What is your
earliest gardening memory?
You may be
too young to remember small white toddler shoes, but I remember mine against
the black soil of my grandmother’s garden in Commerce, Oklahoma. I was walking
behind her. I also remember her teaching about the “bad butterflies” i.e.,
cabbage moths, and why she had to kill them.
3.
At what age
did you start your own garden?
It depends
upon what you mean by garden. I had house plants in my bedroom when I was 13. I
planted outside for the first time at my first home, a mobile home in a trailer
park. I was 19.
4.
What was
your first plant, if you remember?
Polka dot
plant, Hypoestes phyllostachya. Mine
was green with light pink polka dots. I was about twelve.
5.
When did
you first start keeping a garden journal?
I’m
embarrassed to say I've started about a billion of them, but I don’t keep them
up very well. I guess the blog is my real garden journal. Keeping too much
info, too neatly, takes the joy out of it for me. I’m very right brained.
I love that about you, Dee! I am right brained too, and keeping a blog is the ONLY way I am ever gonna keep an ongoing real record of anything. And three cheers for joyful chaos.
6.
When did
you first start photographing your gardens?
In 2004. I wanted to see the layout.
7.
Present
day, do you prefer growing edibles or ornamentals?
I like
both. I find ornamentals to be less work, but I like to eat the edibles so
there you are!
8.
Two phrases you have coined are very special to me... "English with an Oklahoman accent"
and "Thriller, Filler, Spiller"
for container gardening... Do you have
any new comments or adds for these?
I can take
credit for the first one, but the second was actually coined by Steve Silk in
Fine Gardening magazine a long time ago. Here’s the link to his article: http://www.finegardening.com/design/articles/thrillers-fillers-spillers.aspx. I try to
give him credit whenever I write the terms. They are perfect though.
As for
“English with an Oklahoma accent,” that’s mine. It pretty much explains itself.
It simply explains my love of the English cottage style garden, but the reality
of gardening in a state with climate as difficult as Oklahoma. In other words,
you need different plants. I've been experimenting with Carol Klein’s favorite
plants though this year. I started a lot of them with seed. I’m testing how
they will perform here.
9.
How has
your gardening style evolved over time?
I’m much more intense and intentional than I once was.
I think more about design and symmetry.
I love the photos of your garden. Your use of color, scale, shape, rhythm... All so beautiful. Living, changing artwork.
10. What factors or life events have affected these
changes?
My kids
growing up. I have more time. However, the writing and speaking have really
picked up so I now need a helper in the garden. I’m considering a horticulture
intern. I must talk to OSU about that.
What a lucky intern that will be! I would love to have worked with someone like you in college.
11. Who and what are your biggest gardening influences
today?
Carol Klein and Sarah Raven, both in England. I love
Raven’s use of dark, rich color in the garden. I enjoy Klein’s sense of fun.
She loves gardening and loves to share her craft. My friend, Helen Weis, is
also a great influence as is Deborah Silver, each for their sense of design.
Helen is always stressing symmetry to keep my jungle in some kind of form.
12. I know you
love Pinterest (I do too) and have
written a great piece on its usefulness... Where
else do you find inspiration?
I watch English gardening shows on dailymotion.com.
You can’t get their shows here in the U.S. very often. Sometimes, they are on
YouTube, but not with any regularity. I can’t buy the DVDs because they are in
a different format. I love Carol Klein’s Life in a Cottage Garden,
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00xh5n1. I bought the companion book. I also
watch Sarah Raven on YouTube. She isn't as infectious as Klein, but is
soothing. I watch these in the winter when I’m ready to go mad. February is the
worst month for me. I also read a lot of gardening books when I’m not writing
my own. Sarah Raven’s The Bold and
Brilliant Garden is a treasure. Also, here in America, I follow Nan Ondra’s
blog, Hayefield. I've also bought most of her books. Nan is a darling, and I
enjoy her photos and insights so much.
13. How did you break into the professional garden writing
world?
I was
already writing professionally for the local newspaper, The Oklahoman, occasionally, along with other regional newspapers.
I also wrote for the state Catholic newspaper. I joined the Garden Writers
Association where I met wonderful people who encouraged me to start a blog. The
blog helped national editors see my work. I then began speaking at various
venues. I met my publisher at a GWA event. Two years later, I pitched them a
book idea. Hint: I already had the outline ready, and they knew me. I emailed
them the outline at their request when I got home.
14. Also, how did you come to do the landscaping at
Mount Saint Mary's?
I don’t do
MSM’s landscaping. I do the landscaping for St. Mary’s in Guthrie. We now
attend church there, and she went to 8th grade at their middle school. I just
saw a need, asked the priest if I could work on it, and when he said, yes, I
did. I've been working on it for over a year now. I do get help from friends
and volunteers for the big jobs. It’s starting to take shape. I’m happy. Tony
of Tony’s Tree Plantation (?) is the landscaper for MSM. He does a beautiful
job.
15. Congratulations for your first book! I imagine
more book ideas are already in the back of your mind. Care to spill any literary beans? Don't worry. Not too many people
read my blog anyway. We'll keep it secret.
LOL!
Thanks. You need to be more specific. Hmmm, it’s a book for 20/30 something
gardeners just starting out. That’s all I can say until after August when the
cover and other stuff is announced.
We will be tuning in to watch this adventure unfold! And you need to know how happy you made me to be invited to take photos for this age bracket. : ) By the time you book hits the shelves, I will barley qualify.
16. Can you name your Top Five favorite plants? Or is that
like asking you to name your favorite child?
It’s not
easy, but here goes.
A. Roses, but my love is becoming
more jaded over time. I had Rose Rosette Disease in the garden, and I lost six
roses to it. I have over 90. I think I just saw it on another old (over 25
years old) rose. I will have to dig it out in fall, and it will be very hard.
It is ‘Cl. Old Blush.’ I thought I had it eliminated, but I am seeing similar
damage. Of roses, my favorites are ‘Carefree Beauty,’ ‘Dame de Coeur,’ the
Drift(r) series of roses, particularly Pink Drift, Coral Drift and Red Drift. I've added a lot more red to my color scheme over the years. I like the depth
of color. I’m also still a big fan of single Pink Knockout(r). They are rock
hardy in my yard. Of the David Austins, ‘Gertrude Jekyll,’ ‘Graham Thomas’ and
‘Darcey Bussell’ are favorite cultivars.
B. The humble day-lily, Hemerocallis. If you live in the south,
you can’t miss with day-lilies. They are beautiful and easy to grow. If you
choose yours based upon early, mid and late blooming, you will get two months
of bloom.
C. Dahlias, but they aren't easy to
grow here. I’m just sayin’. I like the ones with bronze foliage.
D. Tomatoes. I love all types.
Cherry types are easy to grow. Larger, potato-leaved ones don’t fruit as often
and take longer, but the tomatoes are wonderful. I don’t like ‘Brandywine,’ but
I am fond of the pink, ‘Marianna’s Peace.’ I now collect seed. Eggplants are
the other edible I can’t be without. Oh, and onions too. I make a mean salsa.
E. Japanese maples. I like all
types. Some perform better in Oklahoma than others. They must have a windbreak
and supplemental irrigation. Also, they need to be on the north side of the
house most of the time. ‘Tamukeyama’ will take a lot of sun although in hotter
years, it has leaf burn.
You and I have so much in common. Great choices. Oklahoma gardeners should be paying attention!
17. Do your husband or children ever ask you to grow
certain things?
Yes, Bill
asks for potatoes and green beans, not the fuzzy flat kind. There’s a story
there.
I'd love to hear this story.
18. How much does your family participate in your gardens?
The kids
sometimes help, but at this time, they don’t like to garden. They are teens and
have been surrounded by it all their lives. Bill helps a lot with hardscaping,
building greenhouses, setting up fence. He likes to build stuff. I like the
plant work. He doesn't.
Sounds familiar... xoxo
19. Do you have any special gardening proverbs or
expressions that are near and dear to you?
That’s
funny because I think of the weirdest stuff while gardening, and it’s not
usually related. For example, when I weed, I think “Out, out damn spot” from
Macbeth. I don’t know why.
I love that. I find so much meditation and stress relief in weeding. Not weird at all.
20. What is some of the best gardening advice you have
ever received? Who offered it? Did you heed it?
I've received so much good advice over the years. My friend, Wanda Faller, used to
say to "plant things pretty close together and not worry too much." She now lives
in Washington state.
As with so much wisdom in the gardening world, this seems relevant to all of life. "Stay close together and don't worry too much." Excellent.
21. What gardening questions do you get asked most often?
People
often want me to landscape their properties. I’m not a landscaper or landscape
designer. I’ll come over and garden coach you though. I get asked a lot about
what will grow in Oklahoma, or does nothing grow here. That was the primary
question of 2011 and 2012. In those years, not much. 2013 has been a whole
different animal.
I am so glad you hear you mention that last part! Lots of my friends started gardening in the most recent HORRIFIC years and felt discouraged, with good reason. But it's just not the norm. Try again ladies and gentlemen!
22. Do you think that anyone can be a successful gardener?
What are the basic criteria?
Yes. You
must like to be outside. You need a water source in our state, preferably drip
irrigation or soaker hoses, but you can use sprinklers if you time them right.
You must be consistent. You need to learn to tolerate imperfection and bugs.
You don’t have to like either, but toleration is key.
23. I know that
you and I both love this beautiful state... Oklahoma. Indian Territory. The Red
Dirt beauty. But it certainly presents some unique challenges in the garden.
And I know you are widely travelled, visiting gardens in lots of different
climates and regions. If not here in
Oklahoma, then where in this big wide world would choose to grow and tend your
personal Eden?
Hawaii or
California. Need I say more?
24. Okay. You
are stranded on a desert island. You can choose only one gardening tool (made by Fiskars of course) and five plants either in seed or seedling
form to grow your own food. What do you
bring along?
Well,
honestly, the tool would be made by DeWitt. It’s a Dutch Hand Hoe. I can’t
garden without one. 1. Sunflowers. 2. Zinnias. I need those because they are
easy and pretty, and I can save seed. 3. Tomatoes. 4. Garlic. 5. Lettuce of
some sort. I like ‘Nevada’ and ‘Black-Seeded Simpson.’
Again, great choices.
25. Similarly, you are given one year and a choice of only five plants to grow the most beautiful flower garden, perhaps for a wedding or royal birth or something. What is your floral focus?
Roses. You
must have roses for a wedding or royal birth. Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’
because it’s an easy and native hydrangea, and it is white. Peonies, big pink
ones like ‘Sarah Bernhardt’, Asparagus fern for greenery and great big
sunflowers as a backdrop. I know the last doesn't go with the other four, but I
love sunflowers. They are tall and beautiful. Oh, and I must have Shasta
daisies, Leucanthemum x superbum ‘Becky’. Whoops, that’s six isn't it?
You're totally forgiven. In fact, you get extra credit. xoxo
26. I am big
fan of Niki Jabbour, and I know you two are friends. Have you mastered the year-round vegetable gardening techniques? Do you
believe it can be done in Oklahoma?
If Niki can
do it in Halifax, Nova Scotia, I would think so. I have mastered ¾ of the year.
Honestly, I get tired around Christmas with all the mom duties. However, I now
have a greenhouse, and Bill wants to build cold frames, so yes, it can be done.
Niki is the master. I am simply the grasshopper where this is concerned. LOL!
(Hang on now, I thought we hate grasshoppers.)
27. All good
gardeners are constantly growing, learning, and improving. What questions do you still have that need answering, and where do you
seek your best information? What challenges do you still face?
How do we
cure Rose Rosette Disease? What about Sudden Oak Death? I have it in our trees
here. Our climate is a big issue although I manage pretty well. I always love
learning about new plants.
28. What big gardening adventures are on your horizon?
Finishing
the book. Building a cold frame. Keeping it all going. Each year is a new
addition. I learn more every year about growing vegetables on trellises and how
to do things better.
29. Please
share a little more about your recent greenhouse addition. What prompted it? How big is it? What is going on inside its opaque
walls? Has it proven worthy of the investment yet?
The
greenhouse is 8 x 16, but I’m not using it yet. We need to finish the water
system which involves rain barrels and a copper gutter. We traveled a lot this
year so we’re behind. Besides, I need that greenhouse for winter so I won’t be
so bored.
30. When you
visit other people's gardens, surely you do little edits in your mind. I mean, I do!
Not to be critical; just because it's fun. What
are some common "changes" you make to other people's gardens?
I really don’t.
I mean, if they’re out of control and weeding needs to be done, I think about
that. Also, deadheading. We should all get the clippers out and deadhead more
often. It makes the garden neat and tidy. Plus, flowers bloom better. Harvested
vegetables is the same thing in the edible garden. As for design, I don’t. I
figure everyone needs their own space to do their thing.
More solid life advice, I think. We all need space to do out own thing. Love the advice to keep weeds out and deadhead or harvest regularly. I am often surprised by how much better my garden looks just after a good, thorough cleaning.
31. What one big message would you get out to the average
gardener, to help them?
Hang in
there. Rome wasn't built in a day. Much of my garden is 25 years old.
Bless you for saying this, Dee. I have to repeat it to myself almost weekly.
32. Now... what would you tell ME? Go ahead, I
can take it.
I need to
see your garden first Missy.
Fair enough Missy. haha! For my readers to know... Let me say that I was terrified of showing you my garden, although you gave me to no reason to fear. I am just alone in it all the time, and seeing it through someone else's eyes was daunting. Thank you for all of your kind words... Now tell me what you REALLY thought. i already know that I need to weed better. : )
33. I am sure
you spend at least a little time in your Eden every day... But you also are
busy caring for your beautiful family and have several other professional
pursuits, too. So. Do you have a
gardening schedule? Do you follow a daily or a weekly routine? Or is it
intuitive and fluctuating based on needs?
It’s
intuitive. I have no schedule. I tend to get out there and never come back in.
Ask my kids! When I’m writing and get really stuck, I go outside. Also, if I’m
sad, it’s the first place I go. My best friend was just diagnosed with cancer.
I pray a lot in the garden, and sometimes I cry.
It is possibly the most sacred place in my home, too, for times like this. I think God meets us in the garden when we need it. And it is often the first place we notice His miracles. Prayers for your sweet friend. xoxo
34. Travelling
seems to be at its peak when the garden is also at its peak, summertime. It's a
cruel joke, and it always divides my heart. How do you prepare your garden for long absences?
I installed
drip irrigation in my pots and put everything on timers. As for the weeds, I
mulch beforehand and let the grass grow where it may. Then, I play catch up
when I get home.
35. My final
and most important question: Do you
really wear gardening gloves every day?
No, but I do most of the time. My hands can’t keep up with
the amount of work I do. However, I do go out there sometimes without them, and
invariably, I get bit, stung, or I clip my little finger. Yes, I did it last
week. Gardening gloves might have lessened the injury. I have a basket of
gloves by my back door.
I feel so honored by this as though I’m in Horticulture magazine’s profile or
something. Great questions. As for that desert island, we should check out
which plants can handle salt spray best. Perhaps, read Celia Thaxter?
Haha!! Great! I am so glad. You honored me by visiting the farm, and I certainly appreciate all of this wonderful insight. As for Celia Thaxter, yes. Let's start there then travel like mad.
