Anne and Joe Spiegel's beautiful garden in New York State

[ranunculus]

ANNE & JOE SPIEGEL'S BEAUTIFUL GARDEN

Edit by Maggi as intro to new thread:
This thread has been created from the pages on Crevce gardening...http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=4656.0.. where other pictures from Anne's garden can also be seen.

As promised ... a new thread  of Anne's magnificent garden in New York State.  Probably the finest private alpine garden that it has been my privilege to photograph.  Hundreds more shots available, but I hope you can appreciate the quality and extent of this 'epic' undertaking - though few of us can imagine the effort and time invested by Anne (and willing workhorse Joe) in this truly splendid (and eternally ongoing) achievement. 

ANNE & JOE SPIEGEL'S MAGNFICENT NEW YORK STATE GARDEN

A report and further images can be enjoyed at this link.

https://nargs.org/newsletter-berkshire-chapter-august-1

[Luc Gilgemyn]

I have'nt seen it in the flesh like Cliff has, but this really looks a grand achievement  Anne ! 

I'm very much looking forward to seeing it planted up ! 

[David Nicholson]

Wow!!!!!!!!

[astragalus]

Thanks Cliff, Luc and David.  It was disappointing not to be able to plant as I went along but since I can't water, most things would have died.  Waiting should be easy for gardeners (we plant bulbs, right?), but it's frustrating in this case.  Now tackling the crevices on the cliff and starting to work on a ledge/crevice garden at the top.  That one will take quite a bit of time, it's a much bigger area.

[TheOnionMan]

The second crevice garden is finally finished.  The last part is only partially planted because this has really been the summer from hell.  Starting in the spring when we had record breaking days of heat, there has been nothing but that dreaded combination of heat (90s F), drought (2 months of no rain at all), and high humidity.  Many of the western american plants simply go dormant but revive when some rain comes, the high desert plants thrive although some really dislike the humidity, and many other alpines simply go permanently dormant.  Valeriana supina, thriving in the tufa garden at least 6 years, appears to be gone.   It's one of my favorites.  I'll do some planting in the new crevice garden in the fall and finish up in the spring.
Jiri's new crevice  garden looks wonderful.  The plants are really taking hold.  More pictures, please, Jiri.

Anne, the garden look fantastic.  Your signature block says "Steep, rocky and cold in the Hudson River Valley in New York State".  Maybe it should say "Steep, rocky and hotter than Hades... and DRY" for this past summer season.  I am assuming that you too got yesterday's and this morning's quenching downpours at long last.  I too stopped planting anything, it was instant death sentence given the depth of the drought this summer, but hopefully the 4 days of cool overcast weather, the trifling amount of rain in days 1-3 but good amount of rain in day 4 will signal a shift in weather patterns, and we'll start getting rain on some sort of semi-regular basis, instead of no rain in 2 months.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

The second crevice garden is finally finished.  The last part is only partially planted because this has really been the summer from hell.  Starting in the spring when we had record breaking days of heat, there has been nothing but that dreaded combination of heat (90s F), drought (2 months of no rain at all), and high humidity.  Many of the western american plants simply go dormant but revive when some rain comes, the high desert plants thrive although some really dislike the humidity, and many other alpines simply go permanently dormant.  Valeriana supina, thriving in the tufa garden at least 6 years, appears to be gone.   It's one of my favorites.  I'll do some planting in the new crevice garden in the fall and finish up in the spring.
Jiri's new crevice  garden looks wonderful.  The plants are really taking hold.  More pictures, please, Jiri.

Anne, the garden look fantastic.  Your signature block says "Steep, rocky and cold in the Hudson River Valley in New York State".  Maybe it should say "Steep, rocky and hotter than Hades... and DRY" for this past summer season.  I am assuming that you too got yesterday's and this morning's quenching downpours at long last.  I too stopped planting anything, it was instant death sentence given the depth of the drought this summer, but hopefully the 4 days of cool overcast weather, the trifling amount of rain in days 1-3 but good amount of rain in day 4 will signal a shift in weather patterns, and we'll start getting rain on some sort of semi-regular basis, instead of no rain in 2 months.

I guess David N must get quite frustrated reading this... 

[David Nicholson]

.... What is this word "dry"

[Luc Gilgemyn]

David,

Dry = not wet 

[ranunculus]

David,

Dry = not wet 

As in humour!   

[Luc Gilgemyn]

 

[astragalus]

Dry=not wet, but that doesn't refer to the air.  Over two months with no rain and high heat but also 97% humidity means that while everything around you is crisping and shriveling in the drought, you feel like you're living near the equator in a jungle.  Really dreadful.  We finally had some rain last weekend and some plants are already reacting, such as heterotheca jonesii, usually an all-season bloomer.  It had simply stopped flowering and is now showing some blooms and buds.  The one plant that has behaved normally (i.e. non-stop bloom) is Zinnia grandiflora. It's grown here in the lime bed and has spread nicely.  The lime bed is steeply sloped and the zinnia has clustered at the bottom where it probably receives extra moisture.  

[David Nicholson]

David,

Dry = not wet 

Ah! I understand now.
Ik begrijp nu.
Je comprends maintenant.
Jetzt verstehe ich.
 

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Very impressive David !
droog = niet nat ! 

[Lesley Cox]

David,

Dry = not wet 

Also means non alcoholic. Not a word you need to know David, in either sense.

[Lvandelft]

David,

Dry = not wet 

Ah! I understand now.
Ik begrijp nu.
Je comprends maintenant.
Jetzt verstehe ich.
 

Droge humor = English humour