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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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May 2008 Bloom Day

Today is Bloom Day at May Dreams (visit Carol's website for links to other bloggers who are participating). We've had two days of rain (I'm not complaining!) but there were periods of relief. I took the following photos yesterday.

Florida Jasmine



Honeysuckle 'Pink Lemonade'



Jerusalem Sage




The oakleaf hydrangeas are going to be beautiful this year. Here are three:

'Snow Queen'



'Snowflake'



'Dayspring'






And, of course, more roses!



'Gruss an Auchen'





'Tausendschon'






'New Dawn'




'Marjorie Fair'





'Robin Hood'





And here's Michael at Bennett's Nursery in Huntsville. We drove up there on Monday. It is worth the hour drive just to shop at this nursery. They have a great selection of plants, many that can't be found except in catalogs. Thank goodness there is not one here in Florence!

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  1. AnonymousMay 15, 2008 at 5:24 PM

    Great garden photos. You can really tell how hard you work at your garden.

    Jan
    Always Growing

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  2. GailMay 15, 2008 at 7:18 PM

    I wondered if you shopped at Bennetts...They spoke at a local Perennial Plant Society meeting and I was all set for a field trip! So it's worth the drive?

    The rain has beaten the life out of some of the flowers here....yours look like they survived!

    Very nice post Phillip...loved stopping by!


    gail

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  3. RandyMay 16, 2008 at 10:07 AM

    As always, wonderful photos. I can't wait until we fill our garden up! I love getting a peek into your gardens! And the drip system? What did you decide?

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  4. Frances,May 16, 2008 at 4:54 PM

    Hi Phillip, you have the most incredible roses I have ever seen, so many varieties and so perfectly blousey. Gruss is exquisite. They are the stuff of dreams.
    Frances

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  5. StacyMay 16, 2008 at 7:50 PM

    I miss Bennetts!

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousMay 17, 2008 at 4:16 AM

    Love your Lutyen's bench in the background. I am convinced. I need a few more roses. Now i just have to figure out which ones?

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  7. Sweet Home and Garden CarolinaMay 17, 2008 at 4:17 PM

    Incredible show, Phillip. Love the Oak Leaf Hydrangeas and have never, ever seen a more beautiful one than yours.

    Your roses are outstanding as well. Thanks for sharing your gorgeous garden with us.

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  8. UnknownMay 17, 2008 at 6:31 PM

    Wow, just gorgeous. The 'Gartendirektor Otto Linne' is an amazing rose, I'll have to look it up. And I love your oak leaf hydrangeas- had some at my old house and want them again but can't figure out a good shady area.

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  9. Carol MichelMay 18, 2008 at 5:00 AM

    What beautiful flowers. I'll echo the other comments... those are outstanding oakleaf hydrangeas.

    Thanks for joining in once again for bloom day. Your garden must be quite the place to see in May.

    Carol, May Dreams Gardens

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  10. Annie in AustinMay 18, 2008 at 7:45 AM

    Having three kinds of Oakleaf Hydrangeas is so cool, Phillip! They're all so happy looking, as are the wonderful roses... the color of Gruss an Achen is perfectly beautiful.

    I can understand your feelings for Bennetts! Far SW Austin's Natural Gardener has a large and varied plant selection and is about 45 minutes away from my house...sometimes I wish it were closer, but other times know it's safer to have a little distance between my wallet and those temptations ;-]

    Annie at the Transplantable Rose

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  11. Mr. McGregor's DaughterMay 18, 2008 at 2:59 PM

    Wow, spring is definitly in full bloom in your garden. I can't believe how big your Oakleaf Hydrangeas are. Your 'Pink Lemonade Honeysuckle is also a stunner.

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  12. KiMay 20, 2008 at 7:56 PM

    You have a wonderful selection of plants for bloomday. I'm quite surprised your oakleaf hydrangeas are so far along while our H. paniculatas are still just putting out new shoots.

    Your roses are lovely esp. the 'Gruss an Auchen'. I'm also glad to see the knockout rose becomes a good sized bush. Ours remain stunted but I was hoping they would eventually grow larger.

    I have never seen the lovely Jerusalem sage before.

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