{"id":5222,"date":"2013-09-30T04:04:00","date_gmt":"2013-09-30T08:04:00","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2020-08-13T17:57:57","modified_gmt":"2020-08-13T21:57:57","slug":"garden-bloggers-conference-and-vist-to","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gardern.co.za\/2013\/09\/garden-bloggers-conference-and-vist-to\/","title":{"rendered":"Garden Bloggers Conference and visit to Kathy Purdy’s"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n\n
\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Central Upstate New York state, with its rolling hills, early fall foliage and 19th C. farmland.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
Cochicum selections bloom in their second year of planting along an old stone wall, in the garden of Kathy Purdy, author of the gardening blog Cold Climate Gardening.<\/a><\/p>\n
Upstate New York is surprisingly beautiful and rural.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\nAfter my talk, I was in a hurry to drive home ( 5 hours) from the center for of New York State, so I declined the many offers to tour gardens in the area, and dinner, but as I discovered, there is no easy nor direct way back to Boston from the Utica area. Kathy was kind enough to let me follow her, as she lived an hour away, but in the same direction that I needed to travel, and she promised to get me close to the highway that I needed to reach. The rolling hills, the early autumn forest just beginning to change color, acres of corn still golden-green, and the most iconic rural farm scenery one could ever imagine all became almost too much eye candy, and the fact that it was late September with bright, blue skies, didn’t hurt either. I almost drove off of the road.<\/p>\n
\n\n
\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
A white Colchicum speciosum<\/i> ‘album; in the garden, and collection of Kathy Purdy.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\nKathy then turned off, and rolled down her window, thanking me for a nice talk, and then pointing me in the right direction to get to Rt 88. “Unless you want to come see my garden – and my colchicum collection. I live about 2 miles down this road”. I jumped at the chance, even though I knew that it would add another hour to my drive.<\/p>\n
As I was driving around central New upstate New York, I kept thinking about what it would be like to live here ( I think about that often!), and after seeing Kathy’s home and garden, I think I am convinced. The time to move will be soon!<\/p>\n
\n\n
\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Garden writer, blogger and plantswoman – Kathy Purdy, in front of her 19th C. farm house in central upstate New York.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\nKathy has an impressive collection of Colchicum which she has been collecting for a few years now. Even to my somewhat trained eyes, it was hard to see the differences between many of the species and selections she had, but I knew most of the names (from sources like Odyssey Bulbs), but ordering such quantities as Kathy has, is still on my to-do list ( for like, when I move to Vermont or upstate!).<\/p>\n
\n\n
\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Kathy has recently discovered ( as I did last year with crocus) that many times large commercial mail order sources muddle up the names of selections, and properly identifying them can be a challenge. This tessellated form is one such example. But, who could ever complain when it looks this nice.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
<\/p>\n
You know those rare moments when you suddenly realize that you are about to experience something extraordinary? Well, when I drove into Kathy’s driveway as saw her collections of plants, her garden still in full glory, and her mid-nineteenth century farm house – I knew that I may be staying longer than an hour! So, big deal – I’ll have to drive home in the dark.<\/p>\n
\n\n
\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Kathy has a secret spot on the edge of her garden, near the woodland – a tumbling mountain stream. It’s where she goes to clear her brain, and to find a peaceful moment with nature, away from the computer and I’m sure, even the garden.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\nKathy is one of those bloggers who is not just a talented writer ( Oh, how I wish I could write half as well), but she is also a real horticulturist. A plant geek to truly keeps a garden that is worthy of a garden tour, and a plant society tour. Full of beauty, charm and horticultural interest, I finally get to ask the question that others often ask about me. “How do you find time to do it all, Kathy?”<\/p>\n
A gushing stream can be better than a glass of wine after a long day at work. Of course, it is probably better with a glass of wine ( or a bottle!).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Central Upstate New York state, with its rolling hills, early fall foliage and 19th C. farmland. This past weekend, I ended my whirlwind tour…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5223,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5222","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n
Garden Bloggers Conference and visit to Kathy Purdy's - Growing With Plants<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n