31 Days of Kissing the Wounds :: Day 25 ~ Bedrock Gardens Field Trip

damagedshellpinepoint29may2015logo31daysWelcome to day 25 of 31 Days of Kissing the Wounds, a month of posts about the beauty, longing, and soul inherent in our damaged selves; in the world’s brokenness; in the imperfection, incompleteness, and transience of all that we love; in our recognition of each other as the walking wounded; and in the jagged, messy, splintery, deformed, sullied, unhealed parts of me, you, the natural world, our communities, the culture. Each post will look at these ideas from its own vantage point, which may not obviously connect with the others. I won’t attempt to tie them together.

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I’ve documented a trip to Bedrock Gardens previously, but this is a new trip, made in September this year.

The current owners, two artists (Jill Nooney and Bob Munger), bought the property in 1980 — with original farmhouse (dating from pre-1800, quite close to the road, with a rock foundation and no insulation), and the land which has a dairy farm for more than a century, from 1845 to 1957 — and began landscaping in 1987. They cleared scrub growth and grown-in fields, along with acres of poison ivy; they thinned and trimmed the woods under advice from a forester and arborist, and “bed by bed, gardens were eked out.” Their tender care and creativity has revitalised and enlivened the land, with verve, colour, and whimsy. And they share it all with the public one weekend of the month, from May through October, with a variety of events and live music; both Jill and Bob have always been present each time I’ve been there, available to answer questions about anything.

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A place full of frogs has to be a pretty happy ecosystem, right?

And turtles, butterflies, dragonflies, grasshoppers, chipmunks … And there are bee hives.

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I’m drawn to the several waterways (and I didn’t even take a photo of the big pond this time, other than of the turtles and frogs in it).

The Petit Pond (where many frogs, shown above, hang out):

evergreentreereflectionspetitpondbedrockgarden17sept2016 teahousepetitpondbedrockgarden17sept2016 swingpetitpondbedrockgarden17sept2016

The Wiggle-Waggle (lotus pool, with goldfish and more frogs):

Even the formal circular pool in the Parterre Garden:

poolbenchparterregardenbedrockgardens17sept2016

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Grasses feel so soothing:

grassacrebedrockgarden17sept2016 baxisgrassesbedrockgarden17sept2016 pathgrassacrebedrockgarden17sept2016 redgrassesgrassacrebedrockgarden17sept2016

And on the other hand, the Garish Garden and other bright spots are so invigorating:

arborvitaehedgecoleuskalesinewybedrockgarden17sept2016 yellowrudbeckiapurplesmokeplantbbedrockgarden17sept2016 blueorbfunnelgardenbedrockgarden17sept2016 orangeconesspruceconetownbedrockgarden17sept2016 colourfulshrubariasculpturesticksbedrockgarden17sept2016 smokebushbaxisbedrockgarden17sept2016 orangezinniasbedrockgarden17sept2016 sculpturecastorbeanredflowerswhimsygarishgardenbedrockgardens17sept2016 aquaorangemexicansunflowersgarishgardenbedrockgardens17sept2016

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Some of the plants are unusual, or rarely seen in gardens around here, anyway; besides the lotuses and the castor bean plant, already shown above:

Gomphocarpus physocarpus (hairy balls)
Gomphocarpus physocarpus (hairy balls)
Angelica (purple) and Gomphocarpus physocarpus (hairy balls)
Angelica (purple) and Gomphocarpus physocarpus (hairy balls)
Magnolia tripetal tree seedpod
Magnolia tripetal tree seedpod
full view of peony with blue and red seeds
full view of peony with blue and red seeds
peony with blue and red seeds
peony with blue and red seeds
blue berry on Caulophyllum thalictroides (Blue Cohosh)
blue berry on Caulophyllum thalictroides (Blue Cohosh)
closer view: blue berry on Caulophyllum thalictroides (Blue Cohosh)
closer view: blue berry on Caulophyllum thalictroides (Blue Cohosh)
Rudbeckia subtomentosa 'Henry Eilers'
Rudbeckia subtomentosa ‘Henry Eilers’
closer view of Rudbeckia subtomentosa 'Henry Eilers'
closer view of Rudbeckia subtomentosa ‘Henry Eilers’
nicotiana flowers
nicotiana flowers
jasmine vine - heavenly scent
jasmine vine – heavenly scent

And some plants I just like:

huge weeping spruce tree
huge weeping spruce tree
caryopteris
caryopteris
hydrangea
hydrangea
false Solomon's Seal with red berries
false Solomon’s Seal with red berries

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The sculptures — many of them repurposing garden tools, automotive parts, heating and cooling systems, and similar “junk” — are playful and beautiful:

metalsculpturefamilydogbedrockgarden17sept2016 baxissculpturesbedrockgarden17sept2016 cranescattailsbbedrockgarden17sept2016 ventilatorhedgeredfencethepatebedrockgarden17sept2016 sculpturehaloringpetitpondbedrockgarden17sept2016 acrobatssculpturepetitpondbedrockgarden17sept2016 birdsculpturedarkwoodsbedrockgarden17sept2016 gottagosculpturegarishgardenbedrockgardens17sept2016 ventilatorsspiralgardenbedrockgardens17sept2016

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The day I visited, they were hosting a  ‘A Walk in the Words,’ a Literature and Gardens Festival, which included this Word Garden:

wordgardensunshadebedrockgarden17sept2016 thinkbackintimewordsrocksburlapbedrockgarden17sept2016 wordgardendetailearthwaterifeelwonderbreatheliveinspirebedrockgarden17sept2016 findourspookyfriendbeautybelievewordsrocksburlapbedrockgarden17sept2016

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Some final views:

balanced stone cairn in Swaleway
balanced stone cairn in Swaleway
Straight and Narrow path and yew arch
Straight and Narrow path and yew arch

funnelgardensbedrockgardens17sept2016

lichenised bench
lichenised bench
arborvitae hedge
arborvitae hedge
bird's nest in Belgian espalier fence
bird’s nest in Belgian espalier fence
contrail
contrail
The Pate - hedges, path
The Pate – hedges, path
overview of Grass Acre
overview of Grass Acre
Asian pear -- I wanted to eat it!
Asian pear — I wanted to eat it!

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Thanks for checking in. And be sure to see what the other 31 Dayers wrote about.

damagedshellpinepoint29may2015largelogo31days

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