Prairiebreak: The Master

I have been lucky in my long professional career to have come to know many of the greatest gardeners in the Alpine World: some by attending conferences together (so I can say I "met" Wilhelm Schacht, Jim Crosland, Jack Drake, Will Ingwersen, Roy Elliot because we brushed shoulders at meetings). But I have been blessed to have a much longer, much deeper relationship with several other masters of the field, and none is more remarkable or truly dazzling than Zdenek Zvolanek. His quaint Czech name proved such a challenge to foreigners that he's almost better known as "Zed Zed". I believe when all is said and done, Zdenek will loom as large and cast as long a shadow as Reginald Farrer, acknowledged as the most illustrious name in the field of Alpine Gardening. Zdenek is one of the originators of the Czech crevice gardening technique: that combined with his organizational flair helping design and stage the great Czech spring show, his wide international speaking activities and his out-sized personality and vision have helped expand our musty old art, making it exciting and relevant to the upcoming generation of Millennials--and bringing rock gardening into the mainstream of Garden Art once again.

Reggie and Zdenek share some notable traits: both are indefatigable plant explorers--Reginald concentrating on the Alps and Himalayas. Zdenek has cast a wide net as well--he has concentrated on the amazingly rich flora of the Balkans, Turkey--and spent quite a bit of time in Western North America as well. Both are prolific authors--Reginald wrote a bookshelf worth of tomes in his short life. Zdenek's lived decades longer than Farrer already, and looks fit to last many more--editing the Czech Rock Garden Society's Skalnicky, co-editing The International Rock Gardener (click on the name to see a sample) and authoring numerous articles in these, in other journals and the first ever book on Crevice Gardening. I'm not sure which of the two has stronger opinions: I wouldn't want to be stuck in the crossfire.

The contrasts between the two are even more striking--but it would take a book to elaborate on those! And it would be a book I'd love to write--but not, alas, on this blog!

Enough chit chat! What I am going to do is rather odd: I took an enormous number of pictures at Karlik (the town where Zdenek's garden lies). So many that it took me months to get around to writing this piece. I wanted to dash it off right after the wonderful Czech International Conference last May where Zdenek and Vojtech Holubec had invited me to speak. This, then, is a sort of thank you, and a taste of what I saw in Zdenek's garden on a simply luminous spring day at the height of bloom. I had looked forward to seeing this garden for half a century (for that's how long Zdenek and I have corresponded). He'd made his way to Denver four times starting in 1983 (and is due to return next summer!): my visit his way was horribly, ignominiously and terribly overdue. I am ashamed I'd not gone before. I will go back!

These pictures really don't need commentary, and I will not inflict it. You will see pretty much what I saw--I've eliminated quite a few duplicates, and those that remain are there for a reason. I am not going to tag plant names on each image--it would take forever for me to do that, and frankly, Zdenek has featured many of these in the International Rock Gardener, which is on line, and free to look up: do a bit of homework if you're dying of curiosity--or post a question at the end citing the picture number (I've added them in the lower right) and I shall respond if I know the name, or I suspect Zdenek might: I have a hunch he'll enjoy reading this...and seeing his garden through my eyes!

What will follow will be a mix of vignettes and vistas I photographed during a much too brief of tour of "the beauty slope" during the last International Czech rock garden conference on May 13 of this year.

I can't resist pointing out Oron Peri (hands on hips near center) the great Israeli seedsman, author and tour leader. That's the sort of participant you meet at these conferences! The best!

I love the paving on the patio and many of the subtle details throughout the home and garden.

Eighty seven images later we end back down on the street. My smile is sincere: even among a busload of fellow rock gardeners I felt that Karlik was all mine that day. A great sense of fulfillment and satisfaction fills my heart having finally seen Zdenek's masterpiece. Next summer, I look forward to spending time with him and Zdena--and continuing our friendship of half a century! I salute you, Master!