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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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Sebright Gardens



I've wanted to visit Sebright Gardens in Brooks, Oregon since moving here and finally got the chance this week - many thanks to my friend Linda who invited me on this excursion. It has been eons since I've ventured beyond the house and workplace and it was fun getting away. We also stopped at the Rogerson Clematis Garden and I will share photos of it later.

Sebright Gardens specializes in hostas, epimedium and ferns. I was mainly interested in seeing their display gardens but of course I could not escape without buying something. I did practice restraint, however, and only purchased one epimedium and one fern. I did look at the hostas but so many varieties was frankly overwhelming and I gave up.

The bright midday sun was discouraging for good photos and I'm afraid these are not the best. Hopefully they will give you an idea of the wide array of plants. I was astounded by trees and shrubs, most of them unfamiliar to me.









The retail area for visitors doesn't fully include all of their plants. Many have to be requested in advance or through mail order. Here is a glimpse of the hostas in a holding area, off limits to the public -




And hostas in the greenhouse - as far as the eye can see! -


Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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Comments

  1. ElaineJuly 16, 2023 at 7:35 AM

    I agree with you on the number of hosta cultivars out there. The specimens at Seabright look incredibly lush and happy. I admire your restraint as it must have been hard to not bring any back. Lovely display gardens.

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  2. danger gardenJuly 16, 2023 at 9:29 AM

    But you didn't tell us what you bought!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Phillip OliverJuly 16, 2023 at 5:00 PM

      Oh yeah - Epimedium 'Waterfall' and Golden Zebra Fern

      Delete
  3. Kris PetersonJuly 16, 2023 at 1:00 PM

    What a beautiful nursery!

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  4. Hoover BooJuly 17, 2023 at 4:37 PM

    Oh my! No wonder you've been wanting to visit. Such beautiful Hostas--as well as everything else.

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