Author Archive: Betty Hanselman

Inspiring Creativity And Contemplation In A Paper Maker'S Garden(Part 2) 125450031 4920165584667909 8596782043839705960 N

INSPIRING CREATIVITY AND CONTEMPLATION IN A PAPER MAKER’S GARDEN(Part 2)

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As Betsy began to plan her artist’s garden, she was able to combine her love for green growing things with the order and simplicity she had found so inspiring during her visit to Japan. Betsy began sketching ideas for her courtyard and showed her photos and sketches to Japanese garden enthusiast, James Hanselman of Hanselman Landscape. She asked for his help to create a semi-formal, Nobedan-style patio next to the house and a boulder and Pine composition to soften the presence of the community-owned border fence.
Following the community association’s approval of the project, members of the Hanselman Landscape crew spent many winter days at their facilities, cutting four-to-six-inch-thick slabs of sandstone into rectilinear and irregular shapes to form pieces for the patio and stepping stone pathways. The pieces were then laid out, fit together, numbered, photographed, and stored in preparation for on-site assembly in the spring.
(Stop by next time to see the patio “puzzle” in place in Betsy’s garden.)
Shared by Betty Hanselman
Gardener’s wife (& fan of Nobedan)
Like puzzle pieces, hand-cut sandstone slabs were placed, numbered, photographed and stored at the Hanselman Landscape nursery, in preparation for on-site assembly.
72 Seasons Of The Year? 119710776 4652164014801402 6360729706290127524 N

72 SEASONS OF THE YEAR?

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Here in the Northeast, we observe four seasons and either celebrate or rue the seasonal changes that dictate our wardrobe, our activities, and our house and garden projects. In Japan, however, the traditional Japanese calendar divides the year into 24 major divisions which are each split again into three for a total of 72 kō (or micro-seasons) that last around five days each. These 72 “seasons” offer a poetic journey through the Japanese year, exemplifying a culture infused with deep sensitivity and appreciation for the nuances of nature.
Here are a few of the beautifully lyrical descriptions of Japan’s seasonal changes:
Spring wind thaws the ice
Brush warbler starts singing in the mountains
First Cherry blossoms
Distant thunder
Wild geese fly north
Bamboo shoots sprout
Rotten grass becomes fireflies
Hawks learn to fly
Evening cicadas sing
Maple and Ivy turn yellow
North wind blows leaves from the trees
Gratefully shared by Betty Hanselman
Gardener’s wife
Enjoy each of the four (or 72!) seasons of the year in your very own garden paradise, carefully planned to surround you with close-at-hand beauty! Whether it be brilliant fall foliage, evergreen diversity for winter interest, spring-blooming trees, shrubs and flowers, or a swim-in waterfall for summer refreshment, our team of designers, craftsmen, and plant care-givers is ready to bring year ’round garden joy to life for you!
A New Home 120457687 4724480837569719 1626054852241725590 N

A New Home

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Two of our “babies”, Dwarf White Pines, left our nursery back in August to add beauty and welcome in front of a thriving local business. Below is a brief photo summary of the move from our plant nursery to the Pines’ permanent home across town. The Pines appear to be doing very well in the new location, and are bringing joy to employees and visitors alike!
Shared by Betty Hanselman
Gardener’s wife
Dwarf White Pines, boulder groupings, Liriope, Yews, Pine straw and rock mulch bring easy-care interest to a commercial property in Manheim, PA.
The Delight Of Komorebi 117417867 4477786845572454 7750617388661938318 N

The delight of KOMOREBI

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The last time you walked through a forest, did the beauty of sunlight filtering through leaves take your breath away? If so, you were under the spell of komorebi, a poetic Japanese word which eloquently expresses the dappled effect of sunlight streaming through the leaves of trees. According to EVS Translation Services, komorebi is a word for which there is no English translation and quite simply means sunlight filtering through trees; it describes the interplay between sunlight and the shadows it creates as it trickles and spills through leaves. The closest English equivalent is probably the phrase “dappled sunlight”.
I don’t know about you, but the images evoked by this word stir up a longing to walk in some komorebi. Care to join me? I bet we could find a grove of stately old trees in a forest or garden that would share plenty of komorebi with all of us!
Joyfully shared by Betty Hanselman
Gardener’s wife (& komorebi seeker)
Nobedan Patio 195407071 6226418414848 655943750773498139 N

Nobedan Patio

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“I’m glad I am alive, to see and feel
The full deliciousness of this bright day,
That’s like a heart with nothing to conceal;
The young leaves scarcely trembling; the blue-grey
Rimming the cloudless ether far away;
Briars, hedges, shadows; mountains that reveal
Soft sapphire. . . .
O hark how with the season’s laureate
Joy culminates in song! If such a song were mine!”
– William Allingham (Irish poet; 1824-1889)

Gladly shared by Betty Hanselman
Gardener’s wife (& spring celebrant)

Japanese-inspired nobedan patio, beach pebble drain and stone stairway are softened by plantings resplendent in spring sunshine (Lancaster County, PA).

Breakfast Nook 118775375 4573582159326255 6029900351229023064 N

Breakfast Nook

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Virtually every morning for six months of the year (from mid-spring until mid-fall), I take my coffee, breakfast, Bible and journal, and head outside to my favorite dining room. Here, in the garden, I find refreshment for my soul and my senses, as I drink in the sounds, scents, and sights of the newly-waking world.
Does the idea of an outdoor breakfast nook appeal to you? Talk to us! We’d love to help you plan your own private outdoor room, where you can begin your day basking in the glory of your garden.
Gladly shared by Betty Hanselman
Gardener’s wife (& garden room promoter)