Lily-of-the-Nile, African Lily, Agapanthus— it’s a lovely tropical plant whatever you call it. The flowers resemble a cross between an allium and an amaryllis. In fact, it is a member of the Amaryllis genus. Until just recently, no agapanthus cultivar was reliably hardy in the ground below zone 7. This is starting to change, with cultivars bred for colder regions starting to come to market.
Still, if you want to grow this plant reliably in zone 6, a pot or planter is the best way to do it. Luckily agapanthus adapts readily to pots.
Making art from the garden, whether it’s crafts like wreaths and dried arrangements, painting “en plein air” or drawing botanical sketches, it’s always fun and a great way to preserve garden memories.
I want to stress, you don’t need lots of talent to do this. Art can be enjoyable no matter what your level of artistic acumen. The idea is to try a new fun activity with the breeze in your hair. Even doodles or sketches in a writing journal count. Capture some flowering trees in spring, paint an Adirondack chair among the daylilies, draw a vase of daisies; they all make fine subjects.
I’m sure you visit gardens where as soon as you set foot in them, you make a connection of some kind. The setting might evoke solitude, or playfulness, an easy familiarity, an invitation to bask in nature. Your mood lifts. In that moment, it’s the place you want to be.
It may have an atmosphere that is hard to describe; yet you identify with it in some way. Whether your reaction is deeply personal or widely shared with others, you feel affirmed and– pardon the pun– grounded. It can make you feel energetic, contemplative, nostalgic, sombre, or uplifted. It may trigger memories. Sometimes it is sheer beauty that captures our imagination.
Longwood Gardens Meadow on a September morning
In the context of the greater landscape, this elusive quality is best described assense of place. Battlefields and places of tragedy have it, of course. So do ancient ruins, natural wonders and world heritage sites. Urban landscapes can have such places too, with small parks and mere courtyards acting like little oases of refuge. The best private gardens are no different, and you can create one.
