"Sometimes, in January, I find something new in bloom every time I go into the garden; even when there is no new flower, I find a tender leaf of hope."
- Elizabeth Lawrence, Gardens in Winter
Happy winter greetings! I am thrilled to be Wing Haven’s new Lawrence Garden Associate. Having been acquainted with this garden for many years, I never truly took the time to visit with it as I do now. This is a most intimate garden. I am humbled by the mastery and success of the garden's design.
Elizabeth Lawrence was so ahead of her time in her plant collections and trials; many plants she grew here sixty years ago are still rare in the trade! Part of what we hope to accomplish here is propagation of many of these special plants, as well as testing new plants from around the world, to continue Elizabeth’s philosophy of using the garden as a laboratory. I so look forward to sharing with you everything we learn along the way.
Each winter day that I am here in the Elizabeth Lawrence’s garden, I find myself searching, almost feverishly, for some delightful discovery; spotting a fresh tiny bloom of Galanthus elwesii (snowdrop), catching the intoxicating fragrance of the Chimonanthus praecox (winter-sweet), or perhaps unearthing a stone laid decades ago by Elizabeth. With each discovery, I get a rush of excitement and wonder.
Fresh tiny blooms of snowdrops seem weatherproof.
Even on the harshest days, when the crisp winter winds whip through several layers of clothing, and my hands and feet are so chilled they are almost numb, my heart is filled with the warm joy of uncovering the many secrets this garden tirelessly gives. Come discover for yourself the magic that is Wing Haven!
Yours in Dirt,
Andrea Sprott