Garden Views in Winter

Posted on February 18, 2021June 13, 2023 by Betty Hanselman

When a blanket of new-fallen snow softens the lines in the overall landscape, berries, boulders and branches are highlighted and redefined. A garden with interest and beauty in all seasons is a delight we enjoy sharing!

Shared by Betty Hanselman

Gardener’s wife (& winter garden explorer)

Fresh snowfall redefines stone steps with Pine and Boxwood plantings, front porch view, Deciduous Holly berries, and ‘tsukubai’ water feature in country garden, Central Pennsylvania.

TINY COURTYARD GARDEN DELIVERS ENORMOUS DELIGHT!

Posted on February 11, 2021December 31, 2021 by Betty Hanselman

Immense joy is a daily experience for Rich and Kris ever since they chose to transform the problem area just outside their front door into an exquisite water garden. They can hardly believe the tranquility and loveliness of this space they used to avoid.

“This beautiful garden invites me to take time out–to sit and rest awhile,” smiles Kris. “Even when I am working in the kitchen, I can hear the water splashing onto the rocks. I never get tired of it!” A garden bench now sits adjacent to the garden, where Kris reads and recharges on temperate mornings, and where she and Rich often linger and catch up at day’s end.

According to James Hanselman of Hanselman Landscape, “This project was a joy for all of us! And it came about because Rich and Kris trusted us, even though the ideas we proposed were bigger than they imagined possible. Their trust gave us the freedom to be creative.”

How may we transform your living spaces–small or large–so that joy and peace are your daily experiences?

WALKING IN A WINTER WONDERLAND

Posted on January 21, 2021December 31, 2021 by Betty Hanselman

Resolving to stay healthy in 2021, James and I are once again pulling on our winter boots and getting outside to walk around our property!

And in the process, Winter and I are getting better acquainted and I am once again enjoying this wildly unpredictable, bi-polar season of the year! My previous perception of Old Man Winter was prejudiced, determined by the snow storms that interfered with my schedule and the salty slush that messed up my floors; I’ve rarely chosen to experience, much less enjoy, Winter.

Now, however, James and I are crunching through ice-crusted snow or squelching through snowmelt–often in moonlight–tracking Orion’s climb across the heavens, passing beneath the rustle of wind-tossed Pines, and running up the rise to stand breathless and awed under the stars. By allowing myself to experience–and be OK with–biting cold and slippery surfaces, I am beginning to recognize and appreciate the beauty in this harsh, bone-numbing season–in the naked tree-silhouettes against the sky, the lonely cry of a hawk rending the silence, the whoosh of ice crystals against rocks, the diamond-sparkle of fresh snow in sunlight.

Winter slaps me in the face, waking me up to the stark beauty in the landscape, in the overarching sky, in our garden. It makes me feel, notice, hear things I wouldn’t attend to if I were comfortable. Winter reminds me that, in every season, there is unrelenting joy and beauty to discover if I will just go outside with eyes, ears, and heart wide open.

Q&A with R&A (a local building and renovations publication)

Posted on January 11, 2021December 31, 2021 by Betty Hanselman

Q: As garden builders, you and James seek to cultivate daily interaction with natural beauty for your family and clients through the creation of private garden spaces. Now, with the recent Covid-19 shelter-in-place restrictions, have you sensed a greater appreciation for these personal garden spaces?

A: Because James is a gardener, I have been the beneficiary of a garden development project that has been years in the making and will likely keep us interested and occupied well after we retire. But it has only been recently, when other once-normal niceties in our lives—family visits, dining out, game nights with friends, travel—have been limited, that I am realizing with profound gratitude all we still have outside our door because we decided to invest in our garden over the years. Now, more than ever, I appreciate the value of frequent interaction with natural beauty and the daily refreshment a garden provides. Never before has our garden been such an escape and source of continual wonder!

In our garden, I can listen to the whisper of the wind through the Pines above me, look for animal tracks on fresh snow, or watch tiny leaf buds unfurl in the spring sunshine. Our garden is a sanctuary where I am able to slow down, breathe deeply, and regain my balance. It is my daily vacation, and last summer, it was our only “let’s eat out” option; we were privileged to dine under the sky and trees, serenaded by bird song and the whirr of hummingbird wings.

There is hope in our garden—that spring will surely follow winter; that what was green and vibrant last year will burst forth in color, fragrance, and beauty once again; that someday soon, we will again hear delighted little granddaughter voices exclaiming over wildflowers and “under-doggies” on the swing; that the cares of today are just for a moment and will eventually recede in memory. In all seasons–the exuberant and the desolate–I find refreshment, peace, joy and hope in our garden, and I am thankful.

Gladly shared by Betty Hanselman

Gardener’s wife (& grateful garden dweller)

May these garden vignettes breathe hope and joy into your soul on this winter day: a fern-and-Azalea-lined strolling path in Elizabethtown, PA; a patio breakfast nook and Japanese Maple leaves on a mossy bed, Manheim, PA; the sparkle and splash of water over rocks in a church courtyard, Mount Joy, PA; and a dusting of snow on a stone and boulder staircase, Manheim, PA.

INSPIRING CREATIVITY AND CONTEMPLATION IN A PAPER MAKER’S GARDEN (Part 4)

Posted on December 21, 2020December 31, 2021 by Betty Hanselman

Betsy is elated with the finished courtyard. “It is exactly what I envisioned—the distilled elements of everything I loved in Japan. And,” she continues, “It’s just what I need as an artist. Because an artist’s mind is always going—seeing and imagining—it can be chaotic and exhausting. My garden’s beauty and order are very calming, providing an invitation to just “be”. Many mornings, you will find me just sitting on the rock, meditating in the sunshine. And when I am in my studio, the garden extends my workspace and provides so much scope for creativity!”

One of Betsy’s greatest joys has been her husband’s response to her garden: “Although he did not want to be involved in the process or understand the need, I now often catch him just gazing out into the garden, taking in the beauty and calm.” She continues with a smile, “He is realizing what a garden can do for a person’s well being. This garden has brought both of us so much joy!”

Gratefully shared by Betty Hanselman

Gardener’s wife (& Japanese garden aesthete)

Large boulders, just right for sitting on, invite peaceful contemplation, while an Azalea lends a joyful splash of spring color against an evergreen background that softens the view in all seasons.

INSPIRING CREATIVITY AND CONTEMPLATION IN A PAPER MAKER’S GARDEN (Part 3)

Posted on December 17, 2020December 31, 2021 by Betty Hanselman

As soon as spring weather permitted, the Hanselman Landscape team members began preparing the site by first “getting rid of the ugly,” Betsy remembers. They yanked out the huge, overgrown Yew bushes that had dominated the tiny courtyard for so long, and removed the old concrete slab, chunk by chunk. The cleared area was excavated and graded to provide a level base for the patio and make allowances for surface water flow. The crew then created planting mounds for Azaleas, Pines, and other plants. For Betsy, this was one of her favorite parts of the project: “I loved watching the mounds being shaped, and seeing the grades change,” she recalls. Following the grading of the area, boulders were set into the soil and mounds were shaped around the boulders to integrate them naturally into the landform. Then, while the area was still accessible to equipment, the largest plants were brought in and planted.

Finally, the area was ready for the installation of the patio. The cut stones were delivered to the Miraglia residence and the real fun began! Stone by stone, the patio was pieced together—much like a huge jigsaw puzzle—beginning in the back corner adjacent to the house. As the work progressed out towards the courtyard’s entry gate, the crew planted shrubs in the newly graded soil next to the patio, finally closing off access to any activity that required wheels. From the entry gate descending to the surface of the driveway, the patio transitioned to stepping stone stairs cut from the same sandstone. Small shrubs and ground covers were then added and the planting areas were mulched with Pine straw. The final step was to spread gravel in the space between the mounds and the patio.

(For Betsy’s response to the finished project, please come back next time!

Happily shared by Betty Hanselman

Gardener’s wife (with great respect for all of the artists involved in this skillful “puzzle” presentation!)

Finished Nobedan patio mirrors the prototype that was first pieced together at Hanselman Landscape. Large boulders and evergreen plantings were placed together in gently-mounded soil to soften the space and hide the community-mandated fence.