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...
You must be in heaven! So many great ideas for your new garden!So glad you are making the rounds and sharing with all of us. Thanks Phillip!
ReplyDeleteLove that blue wall. The first thing I thought of was your wall in the previous garden. I bet your head is spinning with ideas. These gardens are so lush. It is so dry here the grass is going dormant already. UGH... This post took me to gardening heaven.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing these gardens with us! When I saw the blue painted wall I thought of your purple wall right away. I lived most of my life in the San Fransisco area and miss growing plants like hebe. As you well know, there are many beautiful plants to grow in the South where I live now. Glad you are adapting to your new climate zone!
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing like a garden tour to get the garden design juices going. There are terrific examples of asian influence in your photographs. I have grown - and lost - Hebes over the years, they aren't all hardy in the PNW and a cold winter could kill some verities. I was told once that the smaller the leaf of a Hebe, the hardier it is. So far I find it to be true.
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ReplyDeletePhillip, these gardens are amazing and I am in love with that blue wall! I will enjoy watching your new gardens grow as time goes by.
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