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...
Bloom day, and viewing the blogs of southern gardens has made me aware of camellias, which I obviously can't grow in my garden.
ReplyDeleteYour gardens look amazing! Thanks for joining in for bloom day.
Carol, May Dreams Gardens
Phillip, the first picture is a beautiful postcard from Alabama.
ReplyDeleteYou have so many camellias! You seem to have so much room...
My neighbor has a camellia that I get a borrowed view of. I should have claimed it was mine for Bloom Day.
Saucer Magnolia. Gorgeous. Never seen the bloom before. Now I WANT it!
ReplyDeleteI'll echo Bonnie's admiration of your saucer magnolia. And the camellias are beautiful too.
ReplyDeleteOf course the camellias are lovely, they're always beautiful. Yesterday I discovered two red blossoms on a small camellia (rooted cutting) that I'd missed before, always a treat.
ReplyDeleteI especially liked the candytuft photo, it's never easy to photograph well. The close up of the carolina jessamine is great, too. I usually view it festooned through trees, high above the ground.
I know I could enjoy my time in your garden...the camellias are gorgeous. Do any have fragrance to match their beauty?
ReplyDeleteGail
Phillip, your garden must be one of such delight, with all those camellias. I like the peak at your rustic arbor in the background of the first photo. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteFrances at Faire Garden
You know what they say: if you've got it, flaunt it. You've certainly got the gorgeous Camillias (vicarious thrills for us Northerners). I love the juxtaposition of that rustic arch with the Baroque/Rocco(?) sculpture.
ReplyDeleteI envy you the ability to grow so many gorgeous camellias. I can grow only two because of space limitation in a very sheltered spot next to the house. I would like to have a plain white one but impossible I'm afraid.
ReplyDeleteThe magnolia looks like M. x soulangeana, "Rubra"? I mistakenly bought one because the label prominently read Magnolia Rubra so I thought it was some kind of red magnolia. I didn't want a soulangeana because of their profuse blooming habit and subsequent clean up but didn't know the one I bought was one until a month later when I read the label carefully and in small print it said M. soulangeana, Rubra. Oh well it's not the usual one you see around here and the small tree is loaded with buds so I'm excited to see it bloom.
The camellia photos left me weak, Phillip - what beauties! Oh that first CM Wilson, just grazing the border of peach and pearl pink, tumbling all over. Pam at Tales from the Laboratory in SC also has magnoliaflora and Nuccio's Pearl so I had a little innoculation against them.
ReplyDeleteWonderful, just wonderful.
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Great selection of blooms. I recognize some of the Camellias.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful Camellias Phillip. And I think, yes, yes I'm absolutely certain, I saw the perfect spot for a Redbud in one of those photos. :-)
ReplyDeleteHey Phillip,
ReplyDeleteYour flowers look wonderful. To cold here for camellias. My crocus are up and blooming but that is it.
You asked about using a heating pad in your basement to start seeds. It should work. I should have one but don't. It took 2 weeks for the first group of seeds to come up. With some heat I am sure it would have been quicker.
Good Luck!!