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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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Fantastic phlox



Is August the pits or what? I officially hate it. It has been so hot and humid this week that you can't be outside for ten minutes without enduring a sweat bath. To add insult to injury, there is no rain in sight. This morning the weather man was talking about some type of front in the pan handle of Florida that was preventing tropical moisture from reaching us here in north Alabama. Typical!

Despite this, there are some plants that actually look great this time of year. Phlox is one of them. This is a very forgiving perennial and seems to do well in either sun or shade and snubs its nose at the heat and drought. The variety in the photo is "Robert Poore," which, true to the catalog descriptions, is resistant to powdery mildew. You can't beat it this time of year for blue color in the garden and it is great in flower arrangements.
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  1. chuck b.August 5, 2007 at 8:54 PM

    When I lived in Atlanta, it rained every day at 4 p.m. during the summer. Like clockwork. It was quite an adjustment for me.

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  2. Tracey CrehanAugust 6, 2007 at 8:36 AM

    Thanks for reminding me about Phlox. I am in Charlottesville, VA - dry, dry, dry. It is great to remember what keeps going during these down-times!

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  3. Annie in AustinAugust 14, 2007 at 10:02 PM

    Hello Phillip - thank you for coming to my blog and leaving a comment - what a beautiful site you have!
    My one little white phlox nearly croaked when we had too much rain - and is now being fried. 'Robert Poore' looks great.

    As one movie-loving gardener to another - have you seen the YouTube called Women in Film ?

    Annie at the Transplantable Rose

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