I Simply Remember These Favorite Things, and then I Can Smile All Day, June Favorites
Episode 10, June, 2023
A Plant:
Clematis ‘Solina’
I have a small garden. I love all plants. I am always running out of bed space. What can I do? The answer – grow climbers!
I have long been a fan of Clematis; no matter where I travel, I can count on seeing successful plantings of this wonderful plant. They are simple to site – just let them climb through your shrubs or even into trees. They do not hurt their supporting host and it is a lot easier than installing one more trellis. I chose the beautiful blue-flowered ‘Solina’ this month because it puts out a ton of flowers, requires no maintenance and has provided me years of pleasure.
If you can’t find Solina’ locally, go to www.brushwoodnursery.com, my favorite mail order Clematis nursery in the entire country. I could recommend many other cultivars but if you are confused, just ask Dan Long, the owner of Brushwood. He will set you straight.
A Garden:
Dawes Arboretum, Newark, OH
There are a many great gardens in the Midwest. Beman and Bertie Dawes purchased this Newark property in 1918 and called it Daweswood. The first sugar maples were planted soon thereafter and by the time Dawes Arboretum was opened in 1929, well over 50,000 trees had already been established. I visited Dawes many years ago and was enamored with the lovely trails, the lake, the meadows, boardwalk and even a swamp. One of the areas I truly enjoyed was the woodlands with the many species of native plants.
Enjoy at your leisure, it is a treasure for everyone.
A Book:
A Long Way Home, Saroo Brierly
Nonfiction. I once fell asleep on a train as a child, but never experienced the consequences of Saroo Brierley. He lived in a small town in rural India and at the age of five, he awoke to find himself totally alone on a train heading to Calcutta. Unable to recall the name of his town or even his last name, he survived for weeks on the rough streets of Calcutta, before finding shelter. His journey on the train, his ordeals in Calcutta and finally being taken in by agency are truly amazing- especially when he ends up adopted by a family in Australia. As he grew up, he wanted to find his parents and his home town. Using Google Earth and other tools, he searched for familiar landmarks a five-year-old boy remembered in the labyrinth of India. I am a sucker for inspirational stories and this one had me turning the pages as quickly as I could.
The book was made into the film “Lion”, released in 2016. Read the book, see the movie and allow yourself to truly understand the meaning of hope.
A Show:
Silent Witness
That this show is in its twenty sixth year, having first aired in 1997, provides testament to its quality and characters. The show focuses on a team of forensic scientists helping police solve various crimes in London and Cambridge, England. Characters have come and gone but the actors are all exceptional and the writing keeps you coming back.
Various streaming channels
A Place:
Arromanches, France
Visiting the D-Day beaches in Normandy was on my bucket list ever since I read anything about that time. France is a treat regardless of where you go, but visiting the areas where the world’s fate revolved was as profound an experience as anywhere I have been. Each beach, the cemeteries and the remnants of that day were greeted with silence and respect.
Deep water ports at Le Havre and Cherbourg were still under German control so the floating Mulberry harbour at Arromanches was installed immediately after D-Day to allow the Allies to unload heavy equipment and other supplies. Over 2.5 million men, 500,000 vehicles, and 4 million tons of supplies were landed. The beachhead at Arromanches-les Bains proved to be essential.
I remember Susan and I being with our French friend at Arromanches about eight years ago. We looked out at the calm scenes of people walking the beach and children splashing in the water. Then she stopped, turned to me and said,“Thank you, if it wasn’t for you, we would all be Germans.”