~ L. M. Montgomery (in Anne of Green Gables)
Today, as I celebrate 61 amazing, grace-filled years, the fleeting beauty of autumn leaves, growing grandchildren, the shorter days and the speed with which they pass remind me to slow down and savor each moment and the people who make them significant.
Joyfully shared by Betty Hanselman
Gardener’s wife (& grateful wife, mother, Grandma/Nana)
Japanese gardens are designed to provide rest for the soul and the eyes by eliminating loud, competing elements and creating a setting that increases connection to the natural world.
To create a Japanese garden, the designer pays close attention to the existing and proposed physical features that shape the “Ma” (negative space) which defines the character of the garden. The designer also carefully considers human scale, emphasizing “eye-level” perspective. In Japanese residential garden design, this view is commonly planned from a primary vantage point (a favorite chair, for example).
Where possible, designs incorporate opportunities present in the existing landscape, utilizing “Shakkei” (borrowed scenery) to enhance the garden’s unique sense of place.
The photos of a Lancaster County, PA, garden (below) display some of the principles and elements often considered when creating Japanese-inspired gardens.
Shared by Betty Hanselman
Gardener’s wife (& Japanese garden enthusiast)
Snow-white clouds scudding across skies of intense blue; Goldenrods dancing in the afternoon sunshine to the tempo of a gentle breeze; fuzzy orange Wooly Bears scuttling across roadways . . . . Nature is hinting that autumn glory is just around the corner. And soon, God will flick His paintbrush and splashes of orange, red, and gold will appear on hillsides, in meadows, in our own gardens. Without a doubt, the radiant splendor of autumn will soon be here and we will be wishing that October lasted five months instead of just one!
I have an idea for prolonging the colors of autumn for at little longer: This October, when the trees in your garden or a nearby park are flaunting their glorious colors, pack a picnic lunch, rally the kids (or grandkids), and head outside for a leaf-collecting adventure. Bring home the leaves you gather and place them between the pages of the phone books you keep forgetting to recycle. In November, as you set your Thanksgiving table, bring out the leaves and scatter them across your table for a spectacular second showing of autumn’s extravagant colors!
Gladly shared by Betty Hanselman
Gardener’s wife (& avid leaf gatherer)
If the thought of ‘fake’ rock does not jive with you, we offer the real thing: classic, stable, enduring rock products delivered and harmoniously arranged in your garden.
For the lasting beauty and balance of authentic rocks and pavers, give us a call (717-653-1273); our “rock stars” excel at garden rock medleys.
Gardener’s wife (& fan of Hanselman Landscape’s ‘classic rock’)
There is something exhilarating about being outdoors on a blustery, rainy day. With the wind sweeping through the high branches and rain drops splashing on rocks and dripping from Pines, there is excitement and refreshment in the air as the earth drinks deeply following a long, dry spell.
This was my garden view on a recent rainy-day walk. . . .
Joyfully shared by Betty Hanselman
Gardener’s wife (& frequent rain-walker)
As gardeners, our great commission is to care for and protect all of the gardens entrusted to us.
How does you garden grow? Our full-service maintenance team can restore order, life, and loveliness to the living rooms outside your walls. Call us today: 717-653-1273.
Contributed by Betty Hanselman
Gardener’s wife (& garden care advocate)
