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| The duck blind in our border garden. |
Wouldn’t you know it: the one garden I designed that I'm sheepish to show even to my friends is the one that gets featured in The New York Times. Ah well, I'll have to have a word with my PR department . . .
Today our garden is featured in The New York Times Home section. The story is about our garden: how we started it with little money (and even less design) while renovating a very dilapidated house (still in process); how it’s different than what we design in our landscape architecture firm; and how we live in it. My wife and I were fortunate to spend a Sunday in late September with The New York Times' feature writer Michael Tortorello. Michael is funny, warm, and wickedly smart in a casual kind of way. His articles are one of the reasons the Times' Home section is such a compelling read. His range is vast, from the ecology of vacant lots, to what happens when trees go dormant, to great human stories such as this recent one of James Golden. His focus on the way real people live and work with real spaces is always refreshing.
The wonderful images were taken by DC based photographer Darren Higgins. Darren spent most of a day with us, hanging off our roof, clinging to a ladder in the middle of the street—all while narrowly dodging traffic. Considering the garden is surrounded on three sides by ugly roads and one side by our ugly house, Darren did a lovely job telling a story with a not so promising site.
While I love to read the real story of other people's gardens, I tried my best to distract Michael from our garden. Lots of lofty talk on the meaning of gardens . . . but it was all to no avail. Anyway, please check out Michael's excellent piece on our garden in today's New York Times.
Our deepest thanks to Michael, Darren, and the editors of The New York Times. It was a pleasure to entertain and work with this amazing bunch of professionals.
One minor post-publication quibble: The print edition of the Times refers to me in two bylines as a "horticulturist." I am, in fact, a licensed landscape architect. I have many friends and colleagues who are indeed professional horticulturists. I don't do what they do, and they don't do what I do. Though both professions deal with plants to a degree, they are two entirely different professions.
One minor post-publication quibble: The print edition of the Times refers to me in two bylines as a "horticulturist." I am, in fact, a licensed landscape architect. I have many friends and colleagues who are indeed professional horticulturists. I don't do what they do, and they don't do what I do. Though both professions deal with plants to a degree, they are two entirely different professions.
Congratulations! Off to read it now...... Xxxx
ReplyDeleteAnd did. You know - I'd love a piece for thinkingardens about the problems of translating a style which works on a large scale down the a small domestic scale. It's a critical issue, isn't it?
That's a great topic, Anne. I liked the dialogue format . . . anyone else be willing to add thoughts about that?
DeleteCan you think of anyone - I think we'd have to ask them directly. If you don't I'll have a think....(!)
DeleteThat is fantastic! I'm so happy for you!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Betsy! It was a fun day.
DeleteCongratulations! Never realized how close you were. You'll have to let us know if you ever do a walk & talk kind of event :)
ReplyDeleteHmm, where are you?
DeleteAn hour west of DC. I'll watch for invitations & open houses, lol!
DeleteGreat article, Thomas! I love seeing the next generation engaged. I am hoping to come to the lecture at NYBG. I think others will be wanting to go as well.
ReplyDeleteThat would be great. If you're available to do dinner before, it would be wonderful to connect.
DeleteI would really like that, Thomas. I think James Golden is also hoping to attend your lecture. You two have a lot in common: back-to-back NYTimes articles!
DeleteThomas, Congrats on the article and I kind of love that this is the garden that got in the New York Times, because it reflects something more than lofty intentions and philosophies, doesn't it. If there's a place where you should be able to follow your impulses and experiment and do thing just because you want to try it out and have fun, that is in our own gardens. Not everything needs to be, or should be, a showpiece. And expressing that is refreshing. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteIt is refreshing, but that direction was all Michael Tortorello. I of course wanted to crop out all the less than flattering parts, but Michael really wanted to tell a real story without the pretension. All of his articles have that unpretentious quality. A big part of his appeal.
DeleteThomas, great article. Mark and I loved seeing the pictures of you and your family in your very personal interpretation of the Garden of Eden. Say no to very little, welcome beauty in any form, let it grow under some gentle guidance. Lovely.
ReplyDelete"Say no to very little, welcome beauty in any form, let it grow under some gentle guidance." Wow, I'll have to steal that line. I love it. Thanks so much, Janet. We had a lot of fun with this.
DeleteI love love this article and am so glad I follow your blog!
ReplyDeleteI like "buy small and buy a lot". I am constantly trying to fill in, and then dividing and moving everything around.
I've just shared the article on Facebook, and will put it on my Pinterest board: congratulations!!
Thanks, Libby!
DeleteI enjoyed seeing and reading about your garden and family. Congratulations.
ReplyDeleteIf you don't know how to do it... M.T. is the new I know nothing about garden stuff writer .more more! .. Nice article. http://youtu.be/0lnkm9ReVyo
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the exposure, and nice article! There are plenty of gardeners in the Washington, DC area who are bucking the natives trend. Please check out the DC Tropics group on Yahoo, or MidAtlantic Tropics on Facebook.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I'd say I'm "bucking" natives. Just think the messages around them need to be more nuanced and optimistic.
DeleteI am a habitual reader of the NYT's Thursday gardening section and was very pleased to see your garden featured yesterday. Despite your constant denigration of your garden, all in jest I assume, it is nice to see your experiments. Your blog speaks volumes on lots of issues, so your garden is only one aspect your identity.
ReplyDeleteThank you for that. No, like a lot of gardeners, I'm hyper critical. Plus the garden has only been in the ground for a couple of years. An early garden looks entirely different from a more established one, so let's just say that this was not the time I would have chosen to shown it to the world. But you are absolutely right, it is only part of me and my interests, and the article got a flavor of that as well. Thanks for the reassuring note.
DeleteCongratulations on a great article and thanks for articulating your thoughts on natives, et al. I have been feeling like the lone voice in the wilderness saying that garden is an art form and not a call to moral action! Your observations and philosophies are in line with my own - which may be a cause for concern on your part!! Come to Atlanta some day - lunch is on me!
ReplyDeleteenjoyed the New York Times article and had many laughs.
ReplyDeleteIf the gardening doesn't work out, you can be a comedian.
Come out to California and attempt my garden!! We have our own problems here. Christine
exceptional use of space. like a little oasis in the middle of it all. well done.
ReplyDeleteSteve
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