I Simply Remember These Favorite Things, and then I Can Smile All Day, June Favorites
I Simply Remember These Favorite Things, and then I Can Smile All Day. Here is a list of my favorite things this month.
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.”
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my list of July Favorites.
Dr. A's Favorites for the Month of May
I Simply Remember These Favorite Things, and then I Can Smile All Day. Here is a list of my favorite things this month.
Episode 9, May, 2023
A Plant:
Larkspur, The annual delphinium
Oh my, now this is an unusual choice, but let me explain. These are annuals in that they flower, produce seeds and then die. As they produce seeds, they decline and look scruffy - but leave them alone and allow the seeds to be expelled. Dozens of seedlings will emerge the following spring.
If you don’t have any plants now, wander the neighborhood and meet a gardener who has some. She will be pleased to give you a small envelope of seeds, containing a thousand or so seeds. I promise! Or you can buy seeds and simply toss them in the garden.
DO NOT USE PREEN or any other seed suppression herbicide. If you do, you will have nary a larkspur.
A Garden:
Edinburgh Botanical Garden
This is on my top 10 list of great public gardens, perhaps even higher. The bonus is that in order to visit the garden, you must visit the spectacular city of Edinburgh. That in itself will knock you off your feet. The extraordinary rock garden will delight and captivate, as will the marvelous collections of trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants. No doubt, you will want to stay for days. Finish the visit with a wee dram of Scotch whiskey and you are good to go.
https://www.rbge.org.uk/visit/royal-botanic-garden-edinburgh/
A Book:
The Personal Librarian Marie Benedict, Victoria Christopher Murray
Historical. My friend Linda Copeland from Atlanta put me on to this book, and when I had finished it, I had to send her a thank you note. It is the story of the little-known personal librarian, Bella Costa Green, to the multi-millionaire J.P Morgan.
In her twenties, she was hired by J.P. Morgan to curate his collection of rare manuscripts, books and art for his newly built Pierpont Morgan Library. Over time, her talent, her intellect and her wit ,made her one of the most influential and powerful people in the art and book world.
However, Belle had a secret; she was a light skinned African American. The book shares the lengths to which she must go—for the protection of her family and her legacy—to preserve her carefully crafted white identity in the racist world in which she lived. An excellent read.
A Show:
Ted Lasso
It is about time that I mention one of the finest shows streaming today. If you have not seen it, buy Apple TV for a free three-month trial and start binging season 1. It is presently in its third and last season, and every episode seems to get better. The show revolves around an American football coach hired to manage a premier level English soccer (football) team. It is zany, yet the interactions between Ted and the supporting characters are superb. The writing, the acting and the story lines make you want the show to never end.
A Place:
Banff National Park
Going to the Rocky Mountains is always a worthwhile visit. Banff is located in Banff National Park, one of Canada’s most spectacular regions. The town itself is charming, but getting out to Lake Louise, Moraine lake, or Vermillion Lake is unforgettable. Riding the gondola is great fun but take time to explore a little further. The trip between Banff and Jasper will provide some spectacular scenery.
Winter and summer seasons are both great times to visit.
Watch your inbox for
my list of June Favorites.
I Simply Remember These Favorite Things, and then I Can Smile All Day
I Simply Remember These Favorite Things, and then I Can Smile All Day. Here is a list of my favorite things this month.
Episode 8, April, 2023
A Plant:
Rudbeckia ‘American Gold Rush’
Rudbeckias (yellow coneflower, brown-eyed Susan) are one of the finest plants for the perennial garden. ‘American Gold Rush’ is the Perennial Plant of the Year, meaning that people have had success everywhere. Plants are easy to grow, tolerate all sorts of bad weather and brighten up the landscape.
A Garden:
Montreal Botanical Garden
A visit to the beautiful and historic city of Montreal is not complete without a visit to their botanical gardens. It is a wonderful venue to simply walk and soak up nature, but it is also well known for its plant collections and themed gardens. One of my favorite venues is the Chinese garden.
In winter, 2023, the garden suffered major damage due to an ice storm, and renovations are being carried out.
Check the website before visiting: https://espacepourlavie.ca/en/about-jardin-botanique
A Book:
Lessons in Chemistry, Bonnie Garmus
Fiction. I had heard a good deal of buzz about this book, so I wanted to try it out. The title was a little boring and I had little hope when I first started reading. However, I must say this is one of the best books I have read in some time. The “lessons” are timeless and I have not heard a bad word from anyone who has read it. Difficult to put down once started. So good, we recommended it for our book club.
A Show:
The Crown
My wife Susan loves anything to do with the British monarchy, and can actually tell you who married whom and when. My eyes generally glaze over with monarch murmurings, but she talked me into watching The Crown. It turned out to be rather good, and I found myself trying to figure out who the good guys were (turns out it was more difficult than I thought). Watch on Netflix.
A Place:
Bergen, Norway
Going to Scandinavia is always a treat, and every country can take up all your holiday time. Visiting Bergen in Norway takes a little planning, but there is so much to see in the city and in the surrounding countryside. Enjoying a coffee in any of the shops in town, then heading to the fjords or the Flam railway, is truly a treat.