All the complicated details
of the attiring and
the disattiring are completed!
Thus having prepared their buds
against a sure winter
the wise trees
stand sleeping in the cold.
~ William Carlos Williams
Shared by Betty Hanselman
Gardener’s wife
Enjoy the glory of each day in your garden, regardless of season or temperature. And if we can help by adding beautiful tree silhouettes to your sky scape, let us know; you’ll need to start soon!
Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849 – 1924), author of one of my childhood favorites, The Secret Garden, had a life-long fascination with gardens. It began in her early years in Manchester, England, where she fondly remembered her home as the “back garden of Eden.” However, following her father’s death and ensuing financial hardships, her family moved to Tennessee, where Frances found a new “Garden of Eden” in the rural American landscape.
At age 18, she began writing short stories, hoping to boost her family’s income.
None of her stories were rejected; she continued to write and her writing career took off. Frances eventually became one of the highest-paid writers in America. Her success funded travels, houses in both England and America, and eventually a home on Long Island with extensive gardens that became her creative retreats.
Throughout her life, she turned to writing and gardening for comfort, especially after tragic personal losses. For Frances, gardens were always a place of solace and healing, much like the transformative garden in The Secret Garden. Near the end of her life, she wrote an article titled “In the Garden,” echoing her belief in the restorative power of nature, which she viewed as essential for health and renewal. This article was published after her death and ends with words that have come to symbolize her life’s work: “As long as one has a garden one has a future, and as long as one has a future one is alive.”
Gladly shared by Betty Hanselman
Gardener’s wife (& garden-restoration advocate)
Perhaps you are in need of some refreshment and restoration? A “secret garden” could be just the thing to revive your health and restore your spirit. Talk to us: 717-653-1273! We’d love to be part of the inspiration, follow-through, and joy-filled “dream come true”.
The beauty of Japanese Maples is unmatched! Whether you’re captivated by their vibrant fall colors, delicate leaves, graceful structure, or all of the above, these gorgeous trees add elegance and tranquility to any landscape. From chartreuse greens in the spring to brilliant reds and oranges in the autumn, when correctly selected and planted, they promise a stunning seasonal show from your window picture frames. Perfect as a focal point in a small courtyard garden or as part of a larger garden masterpiece, Japanese Maples radiate breathtaking beauty and delight, making them one of our top choices for the gardens we design and install.
If you’re interested in adding a Japanese Maple (or several) to your garden view, we’d be delighted to help you to select one that will fit your setting and share its loveliness with you for years to come! Give us a call: 717-653-1273.
The specimen Pines and Japanese Maples in our nursery have been shaped over the years to add enduring beauty and grace to any garden. Give us a call if you’d like to honor the life of a loved one (living or deceased) with the gift of a living monument, shown here on a golden, late-Autumn morning.
Gladly suggested by Betty Hanselman
“I am in love with this world….I have tilled its soil, I have gathered its harvest, I have waited upon its seasons, and always have I reaped what I have sown. I have climbed its mountains, roamed its forests, sailed its waters, crossed its deserts, felt the sting of its frosts, the oppression of its heats, the drench of its rains, the fury of its winds, and always have beauty and joy waited upon my goings and comings.”
~ John Burroughs (American naturalist and writer; 1837 – 1921)
Gratefully shared by Betty Hanselman
Gardener’s wife (& daily grateful for a life of beauty & joy)
If you are considering upgrading your property, there are a few steps to take before a shovel is lifted or a tree planted.
STEP 1. Work out how much you’d like to accomplish and the resources you are able to commit.
STEP 2. Obtain an overall garden design from a reputable, thoughtful garden design/build firm, such as Hanselman Landscape. This design plan will provide you with the “big picture” to guide your decisions from the start. And with 40 years of experience and happy clients from south central Pennsylvania to New York City and beyond, Hanselman Landscape’s team will help you visualize and plan at the beginning, and then oversee and carry out your wishes for the duration of the project.
STEP 3. Decide how much of the overall plan you’d like to complete in a given time frame. You may wish to consider working on the upgrade in phases as James and I have done in our garden, completing a new section or two each year, as funds allow. For example, this stone staircase at the front of our dwelling (photo 1) makes a once-slippery grass bank safe and accessible and is the final section of a stone walkway that began about 10 years ago and now beautifully encircles our home (photo 2 shows rear walkway completed earlier).
GET STARTED by giving us a call: 717-653-1273. We can’t wait to hear about your garden dreams and partner with you to make them come true . . . step by step!
Contributed by Betty Hanselman
Gardener’s wife (& delighted garden “phaser”)
