A Stroll Through Gardens Past

Gardens Calling...

faintly I can hear their delicate voices whispering to me...
"Gina.... 
              Gina....

what are you thinking!? 
Go back inside!  The heat out here is suffocating the life out of us!"

True that!  They have a point.
Why would I choose late July to start a gardening blog in Oklahoma?!?
All the plants are well into their summer "nap-time droop and defoliate" to conserve energy in this crazy heat.
If I take photos of plants right now and post them on my new blog, no one will ever want to visit my blog again!

So...
During this summer-time lull (but not so much a lull in the weeds and, therefore, work!), I thought I might take you on a brief stroll through some of my past experiences in gardens around the world.

I'll start with one big garden named
Switzerland.

Swiss Flag in Lavender

Yes, I am aware that Switzerland (d' Schweiz, Suisse, Svizzera, Svizra) is the name of a country in Europe.

But seriously, have you been there?  The whole place is like one gigantic garden!  Seriously!

Filzbach chairlift overlooking Walensee

See what I mean?




(I hope those of you who live in Switzerland don't take for granted what you have!)



Take notice - the Garden of Switzerland has its own garden shed and rope-and-pulley system for transporting items up and down the slopes.

Vierwaldstaettersee from Rigi

Seriously!


If you want to learn about gardening on slopes, this is the place!  Slopes galore!
(Unlike central Oklahoma, where you would first have to build the slope, and then learn how to garden on it.)
 
This garden is also complete with its own abundant and unique ponds and water features!


 

Kapellbruecke/Chapel Bridge
Reuss River, Luzern

Yet another water feature, complete with a water tower and a footbridge covered end to end with gorgeous red Geraniums.

Amazing.
I want one in my garden.

Sunflowers & Squash near Hinteregg

Vineyard overlooking
Schaffhausen

a closer look

   They even
 plant villages
in the middle of vineyards!














Yes, the Garden of Switzerland is broad and vast - I could show you photos for hours. Days!

But I won't go to that extreme.

Actually, there is one specific garden adventure from my time spent in Switzerland one summer several years ago that I want to share with you.

I was invited, for two full days, to help with the cherry harvest on a farm not far from Basel.
What a wonderful experience, learning how to judge between the cherries that were ripe enough to harvest and those that needed to stay a bit longer on the tree.  I got to wear a wicker basket tied around my waist to put the cherries in (the goal was to put more in the basket than in my mouth - but we were told from the beginning that they wanted us to eat as many as we wanted to or were able to).

And I got to climb the simple wooden ladder propped up against the tree.
One very impressive bonus - I did not fall out of a tree or off a ladder, not even once.  (If you know me, you know how impressive that really is.) 

When our wicker baskets were full, we emptied them into larger plastic trays on the back of a tractor.

The weather was warm and almost quite hot at times (even by Oklahoma standards), but really it seemed to be perfect weather for spending two days hanging out in the cherry trees.

I have to admit that one of the best parts was the full-on banquet of a lunch that was served to us both days.  Not so many cherries went into my mouth after those lunches!

Happily eating...
uh, I mean picking... chriesi.

Here is proof that I really did pick cherries, on a ladder, in a cherry tree, in Switzerland.  Notice the red-stained hands and the big smile. 

And notice also - no red stain around my mouth...have absolutely no idea how I ended up with not a drop of cherry juice on my face!

















A small part of that day's harvest.
Notice the branches heavy with unpicked cherries, and the simple wooden ladder propped up against the tree. 




During the times we would break for lunch and gather at the farmhouse, I enjoyed hanging out around the little garden just outside the house. 

 These beautiful Fuchsia flowers were in containers on the porch of the farmhouse.

Inspired by these beauties, I tried to grow Fuchsia in a hanging basket in the shade in Oklahoma a couple of summers past.  They did not last long in our extreme heat, even though the variety I ordered said they were hardy for heat.

I'd be glad to hear from anyone in Oklahoma who has success with Fuchsia in our summers.  Let me know the secret to success.

 One of the daisies from the daisy patch, complete with bee, and....


(Warning:  the following photo may be too graphic for those faint of heart or faint of stomach...or those who just plain faint at the sight of anything disturbing) 

 ... a hungry spider.
I was a little surprised that the bee wasn't quick enough to get away.  Oh, the hard and painful truth of life in a garden.






And that is a brief stroll through one of my "Gardens Past."  
I would like to invite you to stroll with me through other gardens from other great locations I have visited and lived.
But that will have to wait for another time.

Tune in again soon for another trip down Memory Lane in Gardens Past.


I'll leave you with one other photo from this trip.  

It is not actually from Switzerland, but rather is from Colmar, France.

I took a day trip to Colmar during my stay in Switzerland, and this is a view of some of the flowers planted along the river.


Until next time, 
enjoy the gardens in your life!