Mariana Sneideraitis is one of those clients who over the years, has become a friend. Buck and I were invited last night for the first time to a dinner party at her house. As I had spent a long Sunday designing and drawing for a presentation I will make today, I was so looking forward to it. She has an incredible enthusiasm for her life; her family, her friends, her garden, travel-and for cooking.
The menu was not just about the food. It was about the food she had grown up with, and learned to cook from her parents, and grandparents. She explained how at a certain point she would watch her Baboo prepare a dish, with measuring cups and spoons in hand, so she could write down the recipe he put together by eye and instinct. She explained that the Armenian cooking she grew up with was much influenced by Greek, and Middle Eastern cooking. Thus she shops different markets for what specialty ingredients they carry; it took five stops before she bought just exactly the size eggplant she wanted for last night. When I asked at what point she would have given up looking , she replied, “probably never”; I admire that kind of determination in a person. Her family life revolved around the dinner table, in a way not so different than my own. You learned about your roots, about how to carry on a conversation, you discussed school, friends, and important decisions. At one point she made a toast about how pleased she was for the company of her friends, sharing a dinner, friendship, and conversation, around her dining room table; clearly her expression was sincere and intense.
So why would I, who thinks about gardening and more gardening, be writing about her cooking and this dinner? Guernica Magazine published an article recently by Mark Dowie, entitled “Food Among the Ruins”; the opening sentence – “Were I an aspiring farmer in search of fertile land to buy and plow, I would seriously consider moving to Detroit.” What an astonishing statement. He explains that Detroit has no grocery stores whatsoever. No Krogers or Meijers. Not a WalMart, or a Costco. Some 80% of all people in Detroit buy their groceries from party stores, gas stations, convenience stores, and the like. As Detroit was originally built on farm land, he goes on to suggest that Detroit might remake itself into an agricultural city, that could feed its own. Urban farming-the stuff that the Greening of Detroit has devoted itself to for the past 20 years. It is an astonishing and provocative proposal; read it if you like at www.guernicamag.com/spotlight/1182/food_among_the_ruins/
If what Mariana so genuinely believes, about the importance of the dinner table in providing an essential forum for the development of sound families, and lasting friendships, then perhaps Mr. Dowie’s proposal has more than just a little merit. Marianna has absorbed and continues to live with her version of what her parents and grandparents taught her. She has passed that on to her children. Her kids, now 25 and 27, were disappointed that they would not be having Sunday night dinner with her last night. That sense of loss they felt, came from her. I myself was an appreciative beneficiary of the truly fabulous food, the story of how and what she cooks, the lively conversation and exchange between friends. I could no more cook a Pavlova for dessert than I could fly to the moon, but I can cook up good dirt, water in new trees, and improvise on my design recipes in search of a satisfying visual feast. Mariana sent me home with the notion that what I do might actually make a difference in the big scheme of things. Thanks a million for feeding me, Sneideraitis.
I never really worried about the weather; gardening people usually like weather. And I plain have faith that when I need to be in the garden, I will be able to. But this morning promised perfect weather, and delivered partly sunny; the 74 degrees in the afternoon-perfect for touring. 
All day long there was a steady stream of keenly interested and thoughtful people. I so enjoyed being there, hearing what people had to say about my place, and the other 7 gardens on tour. So many questions; what plant is this? How do you do this? What is your idea here? It is such a good way to figure out if your design ideas are being translated into the garden you intend. Listen to what people say; are you being clear?
I heard not one cross or disparaging word. All I heard was energetic appreciation-for the gardens and the people behind those gardens.
My neighbors, Fred and Jean, brought their Oscar and Beckett for the day they spent as docents; they were right at home. My corgis would have been low little and long wrecks over all the people; I left them at the store.
The overcast day made all my color look intense and rich-just as I intended. I like this color so much I am already fretting over what I will do next year. 
Adding people to the garden is always the best part. People we had-over 300. This hefty increase over last year was unexpected-and so welcome. We had a party going on.
Landscape clients, customers of the store, new people, old friends-a great mix made the reception afterwards so much fun. So much talk about gardens-I could not have had a better time.
Gardening is bloody blasted hard and frustrating work, but this tour made it all seem so worth it. My favorite comment came from a woman whom I did not know. “You don’t use unusual or rare plants particularly-its how you use them, the numbers you use, and the shapes you make that is so interesting”-this was music to my ears. 
A close second, this woman here from Cleveland for the tour. She was determined she was taking a variegated Moses in the Cradle she saw in my yard home with her. “Will you please get me one of those plants before you have a cocktail?”-too funny. We got her the plant.
Diana and I both dearly love the Baumgartners. They have sold their house and garden, and are moving out east to be near their kids. We will so miss them. I was so glad they put their garden on tour; I have worked for them for almost 25 years. From the looks of this picture,, they enjoyed it every bit as much as I did. 
Every gardener on this year’s tour is passionate about their landscape. How they choose to express it is individual-nothing surprising there. My lot and one half garden is multi-levels, much to the delight of my corgis. I have carved openings in the boxwood for them, and installed bark racetracks; the garden is friendly to them. My landscape is orderly; my pots are anything but-this is how I like it. So serene, with my favorite plants-and some unexpected surprises and punctuation marks. The day of the tour, Fred and Jean are my docents. English born and bred, educated in England in horticulture despite the second World War, they guide guests with their Shitz Tzu’s Oscar and Beckett in tow-just meeting the two of them is a treat. I plan this year to open my shell grotto/reliquary enclosed porch by popular demand-.
Every garden has water in one form or another-fountains, a pool; two properties are on lakes. Water-what a great thing in a garden..
