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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...

Wednesday Vignette

Euonymous japonicus Albomarginatus

Despite all the snow and ice we have had this winter, the season here in southwestern Washington is essentially a green one. Shining like a beckon on a rare sunny day yesterday was Euonymous japonica 'Albomarginatus' (I am thankful that the previous house owner left the plant tag attached). It is also sometimes called "Japanese Spindle".

Wednesday Vignette is hosted by Anna at Flutter and Hum.

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Comments

  1. Beautiful contrast with the dark green around it. The "marginatus" lights up that corner!

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  2. What a beauty is this little plant. It doesn't look any worse for the snowy/icy conditions that your area has been having.

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  3. What else can one wish for? Tough as nails, and so bright and cheery! I have something similar called an Eleagnus 'Gilt Edge'. It serves the same purpose, and it too sailed through our adverse weather conditions.

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  4. Bright spots like this are so nice in the winter, especially when they're provided by tough plants that can take whatever our winters can throw at them.

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  5. That's a very pretty Euonymous! I bet all those gold edges really brighten up the spot it's in.

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  6. One of my favourite shrubs. It is easy to take cuttings but them, then they grow so slowly for several years, and you almost forget you have them, until one day they are lighting up the garden like a little beacon.

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