Where the wild things are Part IV/The Gardens of Southern Oregon
"Some people feel the rain, others just get wet"
Bob Dylan
I closed up a chapter in life this past week, I'm moving on from being a garden manager at a formal garden conservancy and going back into environmental conservation work. Both of these careers have been work I've been able to feel passionate about through the years, They have allowed me to feel dedicated and driven to do the best possible job I can do. One was for the reward of creating beautiful art that others could enjoy and the other has been for the reward of trying to keep this planet occupied by humanity (although a lot of times I think we don't deserve to be occupying it with the way we have taken it for granted and mistreated it).
I went chasing some nature and art this weekend to get a little time to reset and refocus. Southern Oregon was calling with it's promise of wildflowers and wonderful gardens.
Calochortus tolmiei This one has such a big range throughout Oregon. We ran into some nice forms of it in Jacksonville Oregon this weekend. |
Fritillaria gentneri Wikipedia gives us this story about its discovery: |
Fritillaria recurva blooming in the woodlands around Jacksonville |
Kathy Allens Rock Garden |
The stunning display is absolutely mindblowing with the diversity she has created. |
We hit Kathy's Place at what seemed to be just about the perfect timing for the peak bloom. |
Kathy Allens rock garden in Central Point was a mindblowing display! The dwarf columbine bed looked like a minature fairy land. |
This weekend offered an amazing balance of the wild and untamed of Southern Oregon's woodland wildflowers, and the perfection of art in nature created by gardeners of lore who have mastered their craft. My head is still spinning from all the wonder we took in. It was a fantastic reset and I feel like it launched a booster rocket for me in inspirational creativity for my own garden that I can focus on now.
Came back to a chilly, windy rainy evening but it looks to moderate into the typical sun/clouds mix that an Oregon Spring is usually filled with.
Cheers,
Mark