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A Closer Look at Winter Damage

But first, take a look at this gorgeous rainbow that we had on Friday! The five-day stretch of warm temperatures last week really jump-started the garden. Now that plants are putting out new growth, it is easier to see what kind of damage the winter left. Back in mid-January, we experienced five straight days of below-freezing temperatures. This caused much damage in Portland and areas where frigid winds were a factor. Here, we were fortunate to not get the wind and the cold temperatures were dampened by a blanket of snow. That said, it was a tough time for the garden and there are noticeable casualties but no outright deaths that I have seen. The bottlebrush ( Callistemon 'Woodlander's Red') did not like the cold at all. It was planted six years ago, in the north-facing garden no less, and I've not experienced die-back on it until now. A local expert said to cut it all the way back so that is what I did. If it doesn't make it, I won't be too distraught. It is

Remembering Tasha Tudor


This morning I stumbled upon the news that Tasha Tudor has died at the age of 92 at her home in Vermont. She was many things - mainly a children's book illustrator - but among gardeners, she was justly famous for her quaint cottage style garden that was illustrated in at least two book in 1990s by photographer Richard Brown. I have Tasha Tudor's Garden and it is one of my favorites. I remember being in awe when I first saw this book and was mesmerized by the photographs as well as reading about Tudor's lifestyle. She loved the old times and lived that way. She dressed in old-timey clothing (making her own and buying them in antique stores), raised chickens and cows, and made her own candles which illuminated her farmhouse that was built by her son. Her garden is full of stone terraces that overflow with foxgloves, peonies, roses and all kinds of flowers. She also loved Corgis and had a menagerie of them. She believed she was the reincarnation of a sea captain's wife and her obituary says that she intended to go back to the 1830s when she died!

Comments

  1. Yes she was very fascinating wasn't she... Wouldn't it have been a treat to meet her and tour her gardens!

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  2. She certainly lived her life on her own terms and we are the ones who are better for it.

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  3. Hi Phillip,
    Something that struck me from one of the books was that her son built the house with everything in proportion to Tasha Tudor's height - so that even the ceilings were reachable.

    A unique personality, for sure!

    Annie at the Transplantable Rose

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  4. I, too, was saddened to learn of Tasha Tudor's passing. She was such an interesting person. Her garden was an inspiration, wasn't it?

    Jan
    Always Growing

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  5. she always seemed to me the embodiment of a fairytale. Thanks for sharing this, Phillip. She really understood the important things in life. I am glad you appreciated her, too.
    Regards,
    Philip

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  6. Oh my gosh I hadn't heard that she died. She was always an inspiration to me...she has certainly left her mark on the world.

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  7. Soooo you blog is the reason I have been thinkng about Tasha Tudor? I had childhood books on my mind all morning and just made a post about them. I was wondering why Tasha Tudor was on my mind. It's all your fault! LOL..I loved her and use to sell her illustrations on eBay. They were the most requested. She was wonderful.

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