As it’s been about three months since I began ‘Old School Garden’, I think it’s right to take stock of the blog and see where I go from here. And I want you to play a central part in this!First, thanks for reading this – and even bigger thanks if you’re one of the regular followers I‘ve gathered up from different media channels! I value your interest and support and I want to make sure that in the future I deliver the sort of material that you want to see. Hence this stock take of where Old School Garden has come in the last three months and where it should go in the future.
So, what’s happened so far?
Now it’s your turn! I need your comments or suggestions on how I proceed from here:
Source: Buddha Eden website
I’m devoting my 100th blog post to a look back over the previous 99, and over the 20 months or so since my first post. It is a chance for me to think about the process of blogging – and an invitation to you to check out some material that you may have missed.
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Following my article about Portuguese Heritage Gardens, I thought I’d turn my attention to a few of my favourite public gardens in that country. I’m beginning with one of my real favourites, one I love to return to when I’m in Lisbon (not that that’s very often!).The gardens are laid out in a landscaped style with plenty of exotic trees, cacti, flower beds and a pond with fountains. The garden is especially popular with locals who come here during weekends to socialize, stroll along the paths, have a drink at the café, or play cards at one of the permanent tables among the trees.
The garden was designed by gardeners Bonard and João Francisco and it originally featured several romantic structures such as a gazebo and a Chinese pavilion. These structures are no longer there, but there are plenty of sculptures and a 19th century wrought iron bandstand, originally located at the site of the City’s main boulevard, Avenida da Liberdade. It was moved here in 1936.
After the creation of the Portuguese republic, several statues were installed in the park, the most expressive of which is of a farmer (sculptor Costa Mota,1913). There is another of a female nude known as ‘O Despertar’ (sculptor Simões de Almeida).The most famous statue in the park is probably that of the Guardadora de Patos (keeper of the ducks) – a limestone replica of the marble original from 1914, it shows the protagonist of a popular fairy tale. Other statues include a dog spouting water from its mouth and 3 other busts depicting poets and an actor. More recent additions include a children’s playground and a pond-side cafe. The garden hosts the annual Out Jazz festival – on Sunday afternoons during this time (usually May), Jardim Estrela will be alive with music and people enjoying the Sunday evening jazz in the open air auditorium.
Beyond the park is the English Cemetery, founded in 1717 and originally shared with the Dutch community. Novelist Henry Fielding, author of Tom Jones, died during a visit to Lisbon and is buried here.
Source: A View on Cities
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It was late afternoon when I decided to take a walk down the Little Miami Bike Trail a few miles from my house. I hadn’t been this way before. It was to be a new adventure for me. The sun was sleepy, lazily hanging low. The colorful quilt of the sky was slowly covering the heavens in preparation for a nice spring evening.
I veered off the paved portion of the trail and found myself near the Little Miami River. The water was low and I could walk across a few rocks to a small island where only trees and rocks lived. It was a beautiful spot and for that moment in time, it was mine. I could hear woodpeckers busy working, owls crying out “who”, and other various birds enjoying an evening chat. I sat down on some rocks listening to the nature symphony, taking in the beauty of…
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Our dinner today was an educative event, kids were teaching parents and grandparents about bitcoin, an interesting phenomena of the internet era. Things went pretty bad for us, older ones, it almost looked like we were complete idiots not understanding basic new concepts of virtual world. I said almost, for then I’ve remembered tulip mania.Some concepts were known already far ago, it would be shame to forget them, just in case…….which of course does not mean I do not believe in bitcoin…or tulips!
At the peak of tulip mania, in February 1637, some single tulip bulbs sold for more than 10 times the annual income of a skilled craftsman. It is generally considered the first recorded speculative bubble (or economic bubble),[3] although some researchers have noted that theKipper- und Wipperzeit episode in 1619–22, a Europe-wide chain of debasement of the metal content of coins to fund warfare…
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Just back from a trip to Mé’s hometown, Sorel, Quebec. It also happens to be the birthplace of PlayGroundology. The three wee ones, Mé and I spent the Easter weekend with Mé’s immediate and extended family. It’s always great to get there and be welcomed into the fold. And the kids, well they jump for joy every time we hit the road to visit les grands-parents. I’m right there with them, I understand their excitement. For all of us Sorel is ‘play central’.
It doesn’t seem to matter what time of the year we arrive, playfulness is in the air. The maestro, the impressario is grand-papa Raymond. The now retired primary school physical education teacher knows how to hit all the right notes. And we of course have the gift of stepping outside of our domestic and professional daily routines.
In July of 2008 we spent some quality…
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Nigel Boldero aka 'Old School Gardener'
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