18 May 2010

Three “The Art of Landscape Gardening” Sessions To Be Offered

Masterpiece Landscaping has started a three session class to acquaint homeowners to the art of the landscape garden.  The class is led by Glenn Ray, co-owner of Masterpiece Landscaping and former instructor of  class sessions, "Landscaping the Minnesota Home Grounds" and "Beauty in the Bleak Season", through the University of Minnesota Extension Service. Glenn was Executive Secretary of the Minnesota State Horticultural Society from 1974 to 1988.  The class sessions will be held on Saturdays...

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18 May 2010

What Is Put Where, and Why?

The 2010 Minnesota spring is almost back to its normal time frame.  In my grounds today's May 18th garden usually occurs about May 26th, so now spring is only about 8 days early.   Last week's cool, cloudy and rainy weather, made the adjustment.  Still, eight days of a better Spring is much appreciated.  I usually use Azalea bloom as my standard for comparing Spring's timing.  My grounds are designed as a landscape garden....not a staged garden...

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10 May 2010

Ground Covers in the Landscape Garden

Mulch, soil, leaves, river rock are all ground covers.  Each have there own place in Earth's landscape  with river rock probably best located at the river. The ground covers honored by this article are the ones which produce flowers and the coniferous evergreens that like to spread. Have you ever seen a Japgarden juniper over fifteen feet wide.  You've missed a beauty if you haven't. Ground covers provide the negative space among  upright forms in the garden...

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03 May 2010

The Spring Garden Is Three Weeks Early

There have been at least three springs over the past twenty years that resemble the present spring, when the vegetative world  started a month early and has continued to maintain such a schedule.  The symptoms have been the same, although this year, 2010 our Spring began according to calendar, in March.... even a week earlier. Since then, not a day has been over 80 degrees Fahrenheit and there have been no driving dusty winds with dry...

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01 May 2010

Beethoven’s 3rd Piano Concerto and the Landscape Garden

I have a bit more homework for those of you who are studying landscape gardening with me.  Of the two pieces of classical music I asked you to review at home, I wish you would pay particular attention to a  Beethoven composition, his 3rd piano concerto, the first and second movement. You will remember I offered the analogy that much in classical music is to the ear as classical landscape gardening is to the eye.  Beethoven's...

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