I See Green & A Bit of Decay

There’s no getting around it. 

The past year has been overloaded with the dramatic diversions brought about by climate chaos that resulted in such extreme swings of toooo hot and toooo cold and tooo wet and -- well, tooo much. 

One would be forgiven for thinking this was a Goldilocks scenario straight out of a Grimm’s scary fairy tale.  

Grim indeed…

But while no place on earth is spared their own creeping misfortunes, I am most fortunate to once again be in a “plant paradise” - in Ecuador - at Hacienda Cusin - that for all the world seems to be a pocket of miracles -- where hummingbirds the size of sparrows flit among the Fuchsia and Lily of the Nile.

I think I can safely say that I have learned their marked chirp and can better anticipate their presence.  Doesn't help that they are so fast in terms of getting a video.  

I implore them, "Why do you have to zoom away like a fairy when you know how beautiful you are and we just want a moment. Or two. Or a photo...?)  

They don't stick around to explain.  

But I'm happy for the fleeting moments I can get.

Llamas are lawn mowers,  

And the Andean snow-capped mountains are terraced up with agricultural farms that look like a green-hued quilt. 

  

The Sierra, where I am - at Cusin - is noted for its dairy products - and roses. And volcanos.

The plants here are as excited to see me as I am to reacquaint with them. Check out this plant action from the welcoming committee - a big green wave! 

Did you ever see a cuter ladybug? It looks like a mini VW bug taxi – all yellow and black and so cute you just want to "hug the bug. "   

The blossoms here come in a riot of fiery, fierce bold colors – and soft, sweet hues.  

Can you name them?

  

Each bloom and its plant could be a postcard....  I cannot stop taking photos of them! 

   

        

Look at those freckles! 

Hacienda Cusin - and its gardens especially - is a magical place that fills me with wonder and awe.  

In terms of good garden design, I believe that every garden needs a bit of aesthetic decay -- that sense of mystery that if walls could talk... or the unshakeable sense that there is a story hidden in the garden - be it romance or a darker, brooding tale.  

The hardscapes and the plants conspire to whisper such a narration... 

In essence, that's why gardens captivate our imaginations and our hearts... Because every great garden tells a story. 

At Cusin, there is a sublime, intoxicating sense of artful decay: a blend of the heart-pounding, vibrant beauty and the true arc of decay; haunting, symbolic culture as nature and time transport us to the other-worldly...

There is no doubt that here I experience an intimate connection with the enduring drama of nature, the peace, the harmony, the food, and the people... 

Enjoy the Green. Especially those of you in winter's embrace.  Remember, gardens are glamorous in all seasons. In every climate. 

-->