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.

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

Posted on December 14, 2020December 31, 2021 by Betty Hanselman

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?

Posted on November 30, 2020October 4, 2023 by Betty Hanselman

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

With inspiration from: https://www.nippon.com/en/features/h00124/?fbclid=IwAR23AAmez6bmW33POo0bNYeIUpUSqX6QPo22DKOrVuTnCGUUBlzV6U3LGls and http://www.kurashikata.com/72seasons/

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

Posted on November 9, 2020December 31, 2021 by Betty Hanselman

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.