For the past three years I have sponsored a tour of landscapes and gardens of my design or influence-in the interest of contributing to the programs of the Greening of Detroit. I am embarrassed to say that I only became acquainted with the Greening only three years ago. This year is their year long 20th anniversary celebration-marking a 20 year committment to planting trees in the city of Detroit, sponsoring urban farms (over 600)-and the teaching. Teaching people how to grow, how to protect and preserve the environment. What they do for our city-astonishing. One of their board members, the architect Michael Willoughby, nominated me to their board. I was pleased to accept. I am not the best board member-I am better at a local, and more hands on event in support of them .
I committed to sponsoring this garden tour, the proceeds of which would go to the Greening. 100 percent of the proceeds of all ticket sales-every dime goes to the Greening of Detroit. Deborah Silver and Co, and Detroit Garden Works maintain the cruise website, advertise the cruise, and put on the reception. I am happy to do so in recognition of what they do for our city.
I am out of my element, if the topic is politics. I am not good attending meetings, nor am I happy to be part of a committee. I have no interest in discussing community service-I was just raised to believe I should do my share. I was raised to believe that if I am able to help, I should. I told Monica from the Greening-I will make it my business to organize a tour, with the intent of raise money for the important work that you do, to the best of my ability.
The past two years, the tour has raised 25,000.00 for the Greening. Were you to ask me for a list of projects I am most proud of-this tour would be right up there. Should you live in my area-try the tour. This year, we had people calling in March for tickets. The tickets are available at Detroit Garden Works. If you cannot tour July 18, consider a contribution to the Greening of Detroit.
I am not the go to person for social, political or economic innovation. But I am quite sure that the work of the Greening over the past twenty years has benefitted our city. I would do what I could to support it. If you are able to support it via the tour-I am asking that you do so. Hard times have hit all of us-should you not be able to tour, spread the word however you can. The tour is exceptionally interesting to committed gardeners. Check out the tour website: www.thegardencruise.org.
These photographs do not begin to do justice to the gardens on this year’s tour. It is a friendly and fun event for gardeners. I’d be pleased should you decide to join us.
I go to work on the holidays too, as MCat lives at the store. I need to make sure he is ok; he gets pets, and holiday treats-daily attention. I have a greenhouse roof, modine heaters, and plants; any of the above could fail on any day-including a holiday. I only live 1.5 miles from work-this makes a quick trip easy. I figure I can handle any weather for that distance. But for a storm some ten years ago which had me holed up at the shop for 2 days, I am free, and lucky to be able to get to work, and just appreciate my snow.
Though I am a person delighted by color, in the past few years I have become interested in Belgian design. Rob has persistently bought Belgian garden ornament; the Belgian landscape reminds him of Michigan. Long before Cote de Texas featured Belgian design (www.cotedetexas/belgian design) and Restoration Hardware got the notion to organize an entire collection with a Belgian flavor, he was out there, shopping in a country much like our midwest. Those interiors built around natural materials-the raw wood floors, linen drapes, the whitewashed antiques-the unexpected crystal chandelier-I love this understated look. This particular New Years Day looked like a Belgian day to me. The white, chocolate, taupe and cream- fresh, and not over wrought. Just how Rob would have it.
This heavy snow wiped out all the extraneous details. This copper pergola only suggested that aged copper color. Brown,white, and taupe-a limited color palette. There is such great beauty from just a few quiet details. 
The snow added volume to what was already massive, and form to what had only been slightly suggested. The snow caught on the wall-an entire but silent discussion about surface. The irregular surface of the wall-I had never really seen this before. The snow detailed this for me.
The Belgian hazelwood fence panels-if you thought you could live without them, you might reconsider. Do they not look beautiful outlined in snow? The squared boxwood planted in natural concrete pots, the black iron benches, the trunks of the willows outlined in snow, the cream metal doors on the building beyond and next door-I am thinking this looks great.
My old Scotch pines on standard, planted in these incredibly beautiful Belgian oak barrels, withstood the storm with equanimity. The white, the chocolate, and the bright light-what a gorgeous view I had out my office window. The old fashioned clear white c9 lights in the window box-my garden’s chandelier.
In truth, I could spend one year planning a single project-and it could never keep up with what nature whips up overnight. My 2008 New Years day-extraordinary. 