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The Gardens of Mien Ruys - a book review

I don't know how I missed her, but I was totally unfamiliar with Mien Ruys. A beautiful new book The Gardens of Mien Ruys details her life and work. Born in the Netherlands in 1904, she was the daughter of Bonne Ruys, who founded Moerheim Nursery in 1888. She grew up in a liberal atmosphere and encouraged to learn and study. She found great comfort in the natural world around her and learned all the plants in her father's nursery at a young age. After leaving school at the age of 19, she knew that she wanted to work in the garden center. The Moerheim Nursery, in addition to selling plants, had an on-site design studio where they published a detailed catalog and sold landscape design plans to customers. It was in the design studio where Ruys first began to work and she was soon encouraged to venture beyond her country and study abroad. Her father's connections helped her secure a traineeship with Wallace & Sons Nursery in Tunbridge Wells in England. There, she met Gertr...
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July doldrums

This is not exactly the most exciting time in the garden. Since we've finally received some rain (FINALLY!!), the weeds are taking off and the grass is greening up. The humidity is down and this was a pleasant weekend but still a tad hot. This morning I mowed, spread some mulch and did some minor weeding. I took these photos this afternoon.

The paniculata (PeeGee) hydrangeas are beginning to bloom. This one is called "Pee Wee."





Not many roses are blooming right now, but "Belinda's Dream" has several blooms.





I'm beginning to see frogs around the waterfall.





I think this is a rain lily but I don't remember the name of it. The color is fantastic.







Containers around the mailbox include coleus, million bells and ageratum.




Coleus are truly wonderful plants for containers. This one is called "Saturn."






This is becoming one of my favorite annuals - Begonia "Dragon Wing"




This is the first time I've grown this annual and I love it. It is called Dichondra 'Silver Falls' and is a trailing plant with silvery round leaves - they remind me of coins. I put it in a shallow concrete basket which has always been difficult to grow things in but this is doing quite well.



Text and photos by Phillip Oliver
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  1. AnonymousJuly 23, 2007 at 12:01 PM

    Great photos Phillip. I especially like the effect of the PeeGee looking through the "Gateway Of Light" between the trees. Not sure why but I was unable to view the first picture from July 22 as it would not download properly. DW

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  2. Phillip OliverJuly 23, 2007 at 1:13 PM

    Thank you! Can you see all the photos now? - Phillip

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  3. AnonymousJuly 27, 2007 at 8:17 PM

    I like the way you've used the Dichondra, like a silver waterfall. We call it silver ponyfoot around here, because of the round, cloven leaves.

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  4. AnonymousJuly 28, 2007 at 12:08 AM

    Phillip,
    The top photo is still not coming through. DW

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  5. chuck b.August 1, 2007 at 8:04 PM

    That dichondra is awesome!

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  6. Diana StuderSeptember 5, 2010 at 3:45 AM

    Oh dear! When I click on the Photo Label, I get 2 posts. But this one has 'there was a picture here' all over it. No pics at all ;>((

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