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Roses In The Garden - a book review

Roses In The Garden by Ngoc Minh Ngo Photographer Ngoc Minh Ngo celebrates rose gardens throughout the world in this beautifully produced book.  The author photographed a total of 11 gardens across the globe (Italy, Morocco, Spain, USA, UK, and Japan). Beginning with the Italian garden Ninfa (often referred to as the most romantic garden in the world), her photographs have a dreamy quality that transports the reader to these exotic locales. Closer to home, Floret Farm in Mount Vernon, Washington, is included in one of the chapters. All types of roses are included in the gardens but the majority feature old rose varieties. Many of the gardens have roses growing in wild abandon, intermingled in hedge rows, spilling over walls and fences and surrounded by pastures and rolling hills. A pictorial index lists all the roses and the gardens where they reside. This stunning book was published by Rizzoli Books and is available on Amazon and in bookstores. Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, ...

Waiting for the fall color



Despite us having a drought-free summer, I am afraid that we have been paying the price for it this fall. It has been extremely dry for over a month now. There has been rain around us, especially in Colbert County, but every time a mass of rain heads this way, it tends to break up when it gets to the Tennessee River. Last weekend the weather forecasters screwed up big time when they predicted a 70% percent change of rain and we ended up getting nothing! They are saying the same thing for this coming Monday but I am refusing to listen to them.

Yesterday, I turned the sprinklers on in areas that needed it the most. Really the entire garden looks pretty pathetic. The garden wall area (above) was the only spot worth photographing. 

Also, the Hardy Orange (Poncirus) is covered with small fruit.  




The fall color has yet to arrive but it is usually late here - sometimes well into November. I have noticed a few trees around town changing color.

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Comments

  1. I have noticed that a long dry spell before the leaves change is a real death knell for fall color. Luckily that didn't happen here this year, but in dry years past the red maples -- usually our chief source if color -- would barely change and the leaves would just fall off.

    Drought is very frustrating.

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