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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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Storm damage

We had more severe weather last night. A line of storms came through around 11pm. I was on the computer in the middle of responding to an e-mail when the power went out. It was out until 5am this morning. I didn't think we had any damage. I was out all morning and got home around 1pm and went out to get the mail. It was then that I saw that the "Autumn Blaze" maple had been hit. Two large limbs, one hanging, one already down. It was sad seeing this but other people have had much worse things happen. I saw a lot of trees down around town this morning and there was damage to the water lines in town. The lines have been fixed but we are still under a warning to boil our water before drinking it until it can be checked for bacteria.



Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy


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  1. Tallulah's Antique ClosetMay 26, 2011 at 9:30 PM

    I am sorry to here about the storm damage you recived. Hope all is passed on for now. Try and have a good week.....Julian

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  2. Lisa at GreenbowMay 27, 2011 at 3:42 AM

    Will these horrid storms ever end? I hate to see that you have damage. Have a great weekend. I know you will be busy.

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  3. EveMay 27, 2011 at 5:26 AM

    So sad when we lose a beautiful tree. No damage here but we didn't get that round of storms. We were in a line yesterday and luckily it only brought much needed rain. My big Oakleaf is bowing it's head in thanks....hope it says amen and comes back up soon!! :-)
    Good luck Phillip!

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  4. ShoalandaMay 27, 2011 at 5:47 AM

    I read 15,000 customers were without power at some point. Mine was out for four hours. Thankfully, no trees down this go round (that I saw) in my immediate neighborhood. So sorry about the Maple--they are such beautiful trees.

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  5. LarryMay 27, 2011 at 6:00 AM

    This damage to your gardens has been most unfortunate Philip... we have been spared thus far thankfully... there were tornados a few miles SW of us a few days ago... Larry

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  6. sherryocalaMay 27, 2011 at 2:31 PM

    So glad the damage wasn't worse. I hope this is the last of these horrible storms.

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  7. AnonymousMay 27, 2011 at 7:01 PM

    Sorry you have damage, a young Heptacodium miconoides got smashed in my garden...we are lucky thats all the damage we had. Its heartbreaking to see towns destroyed and lives lost.

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  8. LesMay 27, 2011 at 7:12 PM

    Similar story here. Our streets were full of leaves and branches. I had a few perennials snapped off and some annuals blown out of the pots, but I count myself fortunate. After seeing the images from Joplin, Tuscaloosa and elsewhere, I will never complain about my weather, at least not much.

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  9. Rainy Day GardenerMay 27, 2011 at 10:03 PM

    sorry to see your tree was damaged Phillip, it is a beautiful tree. Glad that was all the damage you sustained.

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  10. Anne BoykinMay 27, 2011 at 11:47 PM

    Sorry to hear that you've had storm damage; I love maples.

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  11. sweetbayMay 28, 2011 at 6:54 AM

    Sorry about the loss of the beautiful tree. This has sadly been a record spring for violent storms.

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  12. Rosedale gardenMay 28, 2011 at 8:07 PM

    I hat that about your maple. I lost one of my Pink Lady apple trees, full of apples. My coral bark maple looks like some one just broke off limbs here and there. I haven't figured out where my ginko tree lost it's limb from. My power was out over 12 hrs. Thanks for visiting today. I should have listen to Mom's advice about the cake and measure the flour after shifting twice. I wouldn't have been so dry. Mary

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