Kokedera (Kyoto Moss Garden) doesn't need words!

 

On Thursday, November 4 I was lucky to join a dozen and more fellow travelers from the Denver and Dallas area to spend the morning at the UNESCO World Heritage moss garden of the Saiho-ji Temple in Kyoto. There are over 1000 shrines and temples in Kyoto--many of which would have been devastated during WWII had not Henry Stimson, Secretary of War at that time once honeymooned there before the war and consequently commanded that Kyoto be spared allied bombs. What if he'd honeymooned in Nagasaki? What greater illustration of the insanity of civilization than this bizarre factoid. The photos were meant to be sequential: that didn't happen. But hopefully you can get a taste of the extraordinary impact this garden had on myself (and I suspect any sensible or sentient being who visits). 

It's about time crime quit paying! Botany RULES!

 

                                                                    Joey Santore

If you don't recognize this ruggedly handsome dude you are either 1) not botanically inclined 2) immune to doom scrolling or perhaps 3) living under a rock. EVERYONE I know knows about him,  and once even fussy budgets (I suppose I'm one) leap over (or past) the uber-urban accent, the tats, the f-bombs you find yourself with one of the most lucid, honest and powerful minds on the Internet. Joey goes everywhere! The Philippines, Tennessee, Ecuador, New Caledonia, South Africa: you name it! and especially the hot spots of Texas. Wherever he goes he produces flawless videos highlighting stunning ecological relationships, morphological wonders and the most remarkable plants (and people) on the planet. Watching Joey's videos for a few months should qualify you for at least a Master's degree in Botany.

But what I admire even more than his botanical prowess is his unstinting stand for Nature. No one, and I mean NO ONE on the planet says it like Joey does. To listen to him rip into tawdry, conventional horticulture is pure pleasure! The invective pours out like maple syrup on a pancake. He slices and dices lawn worship, shreds stupid landscaping and just generally slaps back the stupidities of civilization as vigorously as bulldozers plow up the last remnants of some rare prairie. He is Mother Nature's knight in jeans and sweatshirts.

If you know Joey, skip to the last sentence. But if you don't here's one of the countless onramps onto Joey's vast Internet empire: Crime pays but Botany doesn't.

You have to promise me one thing: if you listen to five of his shorts in a row and don't agree with me, just email me here: you'll win a special red baseball cap made in China.

            Joey's DBG talk is SOLD OUT! There is still space available for his Tuesday evening, August 19 talk at High Dive (in the Golden Triangle, Denver) Click here to sign up:

 Crime pays but botany doesn't.

Denver, CLICK HERE and get one of the very last places left for Joey's talk.  (Last time I checked there were only 15 out of nearly 300 spots left.)

 

Chris Moritz: landscape architect extraordinaire!

Cas and Chris Moritz

Early in my career I'd heard a lot about Chris Moritz: the premier landscape designer of the Denver area in the last half of the 20th Century. He'd grown up in Germany prior to moving to Denver where he worked with the firm of Saco DeBoer before going out on his own. I shall never forget when an elegant European gentleman came up to me after my presentation at the very first Montana Green Industry trade show and said "you likely don't know who I am: I worked in Denver for many years. My name is Chris Moritz". I'd heard he'd moved to the Flathead Lake area--and was thrilled to find myself face to face with a horticultural legend! By the way, Cas has been a wonderful friend as well: their marriage and partnership is truly enviable. 

The photos that follow were all taken in the late afternoon of June 24 when I had the immense pleasure of having dinner with Chris and his wonderful wife Cas in Columbia Falls, Every corner of their garden had some extraordinary vignettes--this one tucked on the north side of his house where most visitors never go: that's a colossal giant Polygonum (Persicaria) polymorphum---higher than the eaves!

I was impressed at how well Lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia) does in Montana...

And a perfectly sited plant of Blue Avena Grass (Helictotrichon sempervirens) a plant Chris brought back from Europe--did I mention that he worked with the renowned Karl Foerster? He popularized this grass in our region through his designs.

A few glimpses of the incredibly elegant indoors, full of unique designs...

I love the way the garden and home flow into one another.

I was truly amazed at the extent of this garden and the variety of floral design: everything was in perfect health, and it seemed to be in peak bloom---although when I looked around I saw evidence that there had been an earlier sweep of spring color and lots of late summer and autumn flowers on the way!

Here is the gentleman himself: although we'd only become friends after he'd moved to Montana, our yearly visits have been an enormous delight for me.

Geranium ibericum

I'm guessing on the I.D.: this is one of the boldest of blue flowered geraniums in my book.

These pansies appeared to have become perennials in one part of the garden, carpeting the ground among the roses! The climate is so benign around Flathead Lakes--never too hot or cold! and the plants show it...

Crassula ovata

Some wonderful tender specimens, like this Jade Plant, that obviously move indoors and out.

The garden art was sparse, but very elegant!

Helleborus niger

It would be wonderful to see these Christmas roses in their peak bloom!

Briza media

Wonderful grasses, like this quaking grass, tucked here and there...

Aruncus dioicus

Chris has made the most stunning mass planting of Goatsbeard ever...you'll see several views of this wonderful plant in the Rose Family.

Several substantial Ponderosa pines provide shade and a note of grandeur to the lawn...

A salvia I did not recognize (Harrumph!) complementing the coral bells...

Wonderful edging of Heuchera sanguinea...

There were dozens of lilies along one woodland path--these were the first to open. 

I love the way the different textures combine..Hosta and daylily and geranium all so distinct.

I'm pretty sure this is a Geranium x cantabrigense cultivar--Chris had an enormous sweep of this planted...

There were several areas with tables at different points of the garden--you can tell this is a garden that is lived in!

The last of the German iris to bloom: our tall bearded iris were badly damaged by late frost this year!

Very happy Coral bells....

Many fine shrubs provide backdrop to the garden--Cornus, Viburnum and Physocarpus to name a few...

We end with the Goatsbeard, lawn and scarlet geraniums--as bold and elegant a planting as I've seen. I was so impressed with this garden, entirely weed free and everything so fresh and clean: Chris thanked me when I told him that, and sighed: "I wish you could have seen our LAST garden--much larger!".apparently he had downsized! Looked pretty grand to me......

I can only imagine!

If you've made it this far, you are in for a real treat! Chris has recorded a series of chats about his remarkable life and work. Click here to watch them...Incidentally, Chris donated his lifetime accumulation of landscape plans to Denver Botanic Gardens' Helen Fowler Library, where they are to be preserved in the Gardens' archives.