Every Flower is a soul blossoming in nature
- Gerard de Nerval -
I’ve had two significant teachers, my Mother, and the gardens of Belle Haven. My mother was a master of Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging. I learned from her the importance of honoring the seasons, the beauty of a fading color, or a winter branch revealing its structure, as much as the exuberance of flowers in their high color and bloom. She created beauty for us growing up, with exquisite arrangements of simplicity and restraint. In the gardens of Belle Haven I learned everything I know about horticulture. Over the course of 24 years it was both my home and university for a joyful life and education. I restored the remnants of existing overgrown gardens, and created new ones, all of which has provided me with knowledge and experience to share with others. I hope for each garden I create to inspire joy. For, in the spirit of my favorite quote of Einstein’s, “Basic joy is nature’s most beautiful gift.”
