Leaves Of Substance

Some years ago a startling observation was made about the state of the Fairegarden. It was a diagnosis of Little Leaf Syndrome. Because of the mostly sunny, mostly sloping, mostly rocky, mostly dry in summer situation, the plants that grow best here have smaller leaves to help them withstand these conditions. LLS has been mentioned several times in posts, click here-Large Leaves to read more about it.

A conscious effort was made to find those rare plants that thrive in these conditions that bear larger leaves. Some made the cut, like Hosta ‘Sum And Substance’.

Moving onward, the Garden Bloggers Fling of 2011 was held in the faire city of Seattle, Washington. What a cacophony of not only breathtaking views and gorgeous gardens, but the art showcased in every location we visited was embedded in my brain. Especially the glass art. For a taste of what we saw, click here-Glass Art Of Seattle. Above: Seen in the Dunn Garden.

The shape of spikes seemed to appeal to me the most of all of the glass art observed. Tall, thin and massed together, as nature so artfully does, was the vision of my dreams, like the emerging foliage of Hosta ‘White Feather’.

Combining the need for large leaves with the love of glass garden art, in particular the creations of Barbara Sanderson of Glass Gardens NW, whom we met while in Seattle, pennies were scraped together and saved in the best of tightwad thriftiness by cutting costs in meal planning, among other venues. (Dried beans, by the way, are an extremely cheap source of protein and I really did not need/want that new dress or pair of shoes.) After weather-testing the glass mushroom that was purchased last fall, to see how it withstood the extreme freeze-thaw cycle that is a Southeast Tennessee winter, six color-coordinated leaves were ordered. Ms. Sanderson was very helpful in the choosing of the colors that would best coordinate with the ruby and gold mushroom.

Placement was tricky, but at the top of the criteria was backlighting. Still, it seemed not quite right. Ms. Sanderson was again pestered for ideas about how best to group this glass.

She suggested angling the copper pipes that are pushed deep into the ground then moving the leaves and turning them until satisfaction is achieved.

After much pounding of the copper pipe that the glass rests upon with a sledge hammer, then pulling out the length of copper pipe that had been pounded and respacing and more pounding, then going inside to sleep on it, then starting again the next morning, I believe the desired look has been achieved. At least for now. It needs mulch, and decisions made about the planting. What is presently planted will be allowed to emerge and reveal itself. A copper bowl birdbath on a cement pedestal had been located on this spot for over ten years. Various low, flowering perennials and bulbs are scattered around there. I forget what was planted behind the birdbath, it was constantly changing, so we will take a wait and see approach, all the while enjoying the new leaves of substance and the mellow mushroom vignette.

Frances

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~ by fairegarden on March 5, 2012.