Mosses and ferns

[vaneramos]

In my general dissatisfaction, which is native to human flesh, I frequently forget that I have a garden. It resides behind the cottage at Lake Fletcher. Every visit, it draws me back, reminding me to calm down and enjoy small things.

My idea of a garden is a place where humans and nature interact. I like to influence the spirit of place, but exert as little control as possible. My cottage garden is inspired by photographs of Kokedera, the Moss Temple in Kyoto.

The only exotic plants that grow there are a few Hosta, Digitalis (foxgloves), Viola odorata and Myrrhis odorata (sweet cicely). Mostly I transplanted ferns from the surrounding forest, and the peculiar Polypodium, shown in one of these photos, has adapted particularly well. We have encouraged mosses to grow over the rocks and bare soil. Last year Brenna added quite a few clumps she had harvested from the cottage roof, and some of these have taken quite well. Other natives include Mitchella repens (partridge berry) and several species of Lycopodium (clubmosses, which are not like mosses at all). Every year, different fungi offer themselves.

Not much maintenance is required. Every year I have to pull up a few maple and hemlock saplings, and leaves must occasionally be swept from the granite stepping stones. The garden only requires that one stop and be still.

Comments

[djjo.livejournal.com]

It is looking lovely and peaceful there love. Wish I could have been there to enjoy it. Will try next year.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Missed you. I had many pleasant thoughts about our weekend there last fall.

[quirkstreet.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the reminder to be still and pay attention.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

I am experiencing my own form of Pete-induced stillness just now.

"Oh, Pete, what blue eyes you have!"

"The better to _______ you with, my dear."

[e-musings.livejournal.com]

I like your icon! and the photos.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Here's a larger size of that icon photo, taken last October at Lake Fletcher.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

oops.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/95/272269219_76608f2994_o.jpg

[e-musings.livejournal.com]

Thank you, Van! I love that picture and think I could stare at it forever.


Well, maybe 10 minutes.

[leafshimmer.livejournal.com]

How beautiful. I've missed your vision and your voice.

hugs, Shimmer

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

I've been wanting to ask you how TG weekend went. Instead, I went and read your post.

I have more to write about a relationship in the next day or two, but trying to pace myself.

[hankdmoose.livejournal.com]

The garden only requires that one stop and be still.

I absolutely love this statement.

Also, great photos. I've never had any luck photographing mosses. They always come out either blurred, out of focus, or both.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Of course the perfect solution to blur is a tripod, but I can rarely be bothered to carry mine around. I'm blessed with a steady hand, and can usually get away with shooting at 1/30th or even longer a little longer without inducing camera shake, which is necessary in this quality of light. What also helps is to brace the camera against a knee or nearby rock or branch.

[hankdmoose.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I definitely don't have a steady hand. I'm lucky if I can get away shooting at 1/100th sometimes. I've done the knee and the rock, but never when shooting mosses. I guess I just need to start grabbing my tripod whenever I grab my camera bag.