Re: Seeing our gardens

Lil...once past 45, age is only a state of mind. We shall never be 'long in 
 the tooth' but rather aging gracefully.
 
Has anyone tried Heptacodium miconioides in a perennial bed? That's my  
next foray and maybe Chris' bluey-green foliaged Hypericum...I love  woodies 
combined with perens., each off-setting the other so beautifully. And  golden 
oregano (mounds of lush growth)  is a lovely lime green. very pretty  as 
edging on beds...pretty with Sedum alboroseum Medoivariegatum (cream/llght  
green foliage, pale pink flowers in late summer). Why does it have to be  
September already?
 
Joanie Anderson
35 mi. north of Chicago
 
 
 
In a message dated 9/10/2009 3:45:56 P.M. Central Daylight Time,  
liltovey@hotmail.com writes:

You're  welcome Joanie - I know I sometimes forget that parts of me (well
really  all of me) is older than I want to believe.

Lil

> From:  Jeaa0088@aol.com
> Date: Thu, 10 Sep 2009 15:18:15 -0400
>  Subject: Re: Seeing our gardens
> To:  perennials@hort.net
>
> Lil...that was fascinating and explains a  lot of things I had wondered
> about. Thanks for sharing!  Joanie
>
>
> In a message dated 9/10/2009 8:30:32 A.M.  Central Daylight Time,
> liltovey@hotmail.com writes:
>
>  Well Gene, seems that even the muscles that control things like how  
quickly
> our pupils dilate etc slow down a bit. For example, going from  bright
> light
> (sun) to dim (shade) takes that microsecond  longer. Think for example of
> entering an apartment unit from a  brightly lit hallway and stepping into 
a
> dim
> vestibule -  difficult adjustment for eyes our age. Especially if the rest
>  of
> the apt., for example is usually brighter - there are windows  there. We
> become
> so used to it we stop paying attention except  for the odd expletive (or 
in
> my
> case many of them). We  unconsciously tend to to prefer sharper contrasts 
-
> because they are  easier to see. A sharp delineation is easier to see 
rather
> than a  gradual shading. Same holds true with colour saturation. Stronger
>  colours become clearer, soft or subtle colours tend to "grey out" for  
us.
> Simply - we see them better! And making stronger "bones" in our  gardens
> gives
> us stronger "frames" to enjoy - we can move from  spot to spot with less
> "bleeding" of the  visual.
>
>
>
> Also I think that simply being the  human animal with a bit more 
experience
> allows us to broaden our  tastes and preferences - thus I refuse to ever
> wear
> black, and  I will use a red purse - so in our gardens, that neat hit of 
red
>  amoung the fine foliage can be truly pleasing. Or the different  textures
> amoungst all the greens can be a wow. However for the aging  eye -keep it
> simple -too much confuses the  eye.
>
>
>
> On on top of that - Did you know that  most of the North American 
population
> begins to form cataracts in  their 40's? Sure surprised me. So as well as
> the
> aging eye,  many people are seeing less clearly without noticing the
> changes  -
> they may not realize for 20 years that they have changed vision. So  now 
we
> have slower reaction time (muscle) along with a a haze/screen  (cataract) 
to
> contend with. And thank goodness there is surgery - Now  that cataract
> surgery
> is so easy, and can be done so much  sooner, even though the muscles
> continue
> to act their age, we  can see the gardens and life so much more  clearly.
>
>
>
> Quality of light also makes a  difference, but as gardeners we all are
> aware of
> it, even if  we aren't aware of being aware. Eyes react differently
>  according
> to time of day, cloud cover,  etc.
>
>
>
> Anyway - you did ask - And yes - life is  so much clearer after surgery -
> having second eye done this winter  -can't wait!
>
>
>
> Lil T.
>
> Georgetown  ON
>
> Zone 5
> > From: genebush@netsurfusa.net
>  > To: perennials@hort.net
> > CC: woodyplants@hort.net
>  > Subject: RE: Gardens & Weather
> > Date: Wed, 9 Sep 2009  07:43:49 -0500
> >
> > Hello Lil,
> > Would you  care to go into the subject in more depth? Fascinated by
> > the  topic of color perception and how it changes with "maturity".
>  Especially
> > in how that would tie in with gardening.
> >  Hope that I have not put you on the spot, but since you tackled that  
on
> for
> > a whole semester.....
> >
> >  Gene E. Bush
> > Munchkin Nursery & Gardens,LLC
> >  www.munchkinnursery.com
> > Garden Writer - Photographer -  Lecturer
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >  -----Original Message-----
> > From: owner-perennials@hort.net  [o*@hort.net] On
> Behalf
> > Of lil  tovey
> > Sent: Tuesday, September 08, 2009 9:27 PM
> > To:  Perennials @ hortnet
> > Cc: woodyplants@hort.net
> >  Subject: RE: Gardens & Weather
> >
> > Well Gene, I hate  to have to tell you this, but the ability of the 
aging
> > (O.K.  strike aging - lets call it maturing!) eye to differentiate 
subtle
>  > colours diminishes as time goes on. We need sharper contrasts,  colours
> > become
> > bolder. Spent a whole semester  learning about light and the eye's
> reaction
> > to
>  > colour, shadow, etc. in college.
> >
> >
>  >
> > Lil T.
> >
> > Georgetown ON
>  >
> > Zone 5
> >
> >
> > > From:  genebush@netsurfusa.net
> > > To: perennials@hort.net
> >  > CC: woodyplants@hort.net
> > > Subject: RE: Gardens &  Weather
> > > Date: Mon, 7 Sep 2009 09:01:18 -0500
> >  >
> > > Well,
> > > I suppose one should be careful  what they complain about /wish for.
> > > It started raining just  after I sent the last message. Darn nice rain
> > > yesterday  morning. Cleared up and then began again last evening. 
Still
>  at
> > it
> > > this morning. My garden has now been  watered. Thoroughly. In fact, 
rain
> is
> > a
> > >  strong probability every day this week. May catch up on my paper work
>  yet.
> > > I have been working on clearing out a small area or two  in my garden
> > > where I have a bit too much of any one  plant....something took over 
an
> > area.
> > > At first  it looked good, now it is just too much. I look at it as
>  exercise
> > > and an opportunity to purchase more plants. Perhaps  put a bit more
> punch
> > > into the garden in color  choices. In my addled old age I am
> appreciating
> > >  stronger color more.
> > > Is the desire for stronger colors in  the garden come with age...or
> > > just me wandering around in my  garden?
> > >
> > > Gene E. Bush
> > >  Munchkin Nursery & Gardens,LLC
> > >  www.munchkinnursery.com
> > > Garden Writer - Photographer -  Lecturer
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >  >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From:  owner-perennials@hort.net [o*@hort.net] On
> >  Behalf
> > > Of
> > >
> > > We had a  'misting' yesterday. Our prediction today is for a 70% 
chance
> >  > of thunderstorms, but the sky is blue and the sun is shining. I  
don't
> > > think it's going to happen.
> > >
>  > > Chris
> > >
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