zenofwatering.com

I initially intended to show photos from the book in the sequence that the photos appear in the book. But I broke that rule when I went to the pansy photo. And as you can tell some of the other photos are already out of sequence with the previous comments. c’est l vi ! I am learning to use the blog software so please be tolerant as I hope the photos are dazzling. I had to struggle to get the wet quince photo into the blog in a size that was not a postage stamp.That said, in addition to breaking the sequence rule I think it will be fun for the readers particularly those in zones higher than 8 to see what is going on in North Florida. Hence the pansies below and the viola above and if I master this, then some more violas and Johnny Jump Ups will follow!

Here in North Florida we have begun to experience Fall and Winter simultaneously. Suffice it to say that the Temperature has been as low as the high 20 and as hot as the low 70’s. One of our cold hardy hardy group of plants are the Pansies an their smaller relatives. Two weeks ago we weeded and churned the soil in an oft neglected flower bed. Then covered it with on average 10 layers of newspaper and then an inch of cypress mulch. Ads sprayed the bed with castor oil. If we don’t the armadillos tear the areas apart looking for grubs.

Last week we put in Violas, and Johnny Jump-ups. I will post those pictures when the plants get a little fuller. In the next bed over we will be putting pansies and something taller. But first It has to be prepared. I had cannas there but they never bloomed to my satisfaction

mmc

Beautiful shrub. One just has to be careful of its thornso

The Red Dogwood, Cornus florida ‘Cherokee Chief’ is a bit tempermental in my area which is good for mostly Zone 8 though we are close to Zone 9. It does not grow as fast or as well as the native plant or some of the white hybrids. I keep it heavily mulched and feed it azalea-camillia fertilizer twice a year. It is near a high pine over-story so that it gets light in the morning and a good portion of the day. I am quite fond of this as it has taken several plants to find the optimal location in my yard.It has been well worth it!!!

The second picture to appear in my new book is of Camelia japonica Edna Bass which has just been watered. I keep my camelia garden well mulched with pine straw and bark . The garden is beneath a high pine over-story. I fertilize with azalea-camelia fertilizer twice a year . I water if it has been dry and frequently during the blooming season. (My season is long as I have enough plants to have early to late bloomers or about 4 months or more of blossoms). C. sinensis is the plant that tea comes from.

The photo below is of part of the wrap-around cover of one of my Japanese magnolias. The whole photo is is in the October 21 posting. In the photo the tree has just been watered and the flowers glisten with droplets. this is most assuredly a hybrid. When you plant these trees or any trees you need to have a good tagging system. I have lost the name of this hybrid. I fertilize twice a year around the heavily mulched tree. I only water when it has been dry two weeks (a survival of the fittest practice) as it is a good distance from any of the gardens for the brief but beautiful vista it presents when it blooms. Does anyone know the cultural or historical meaning of these in Japan or China???

WELCOME to the home site of the Zen of Watering Your Garden.

This book will inspire you to hand-water your garden bringing you a Zen-like experience, and closeness to Nature’s wonders and your soul. This book is the culmination of four years of photographic work by myself and others and of a year of my writing and selecting other writer’s and well-know figures’ comments about watering, gardening, and Zen Buddhism. The result is the beautiful and thought provoking book. Join me into entering the ZEN OF WATERING YOUR GARDENS