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Duncan and Julia Brine and the Brine Garden

Structuring Nature: Duncan Brine Speaks at The St. Louis, Missouri, Garden Club

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February 19, 2008 This was a good trip. I will write a little about it towards the end of next week.

Duncan Brine founded his naturalistic landscape design and installation firm, Horticultural Design, Inc., in 1984. They specialize in native plants and whole property gardens. Recently, Anne Raver of The New York Times wrote about Duncan’s own 6-acre “dream-like landscape” in Pawling, NY. She wrote, “there is… drama at play here: The plants have been given unexpected roles, in unusual places, and the delight comes in seeing what they will do on this ever-changing stage. “The Garden Conservancy, “which visits America’s best private gardens,” features the Brine Garden as an Open Days selection. With his presentation, Structuring Nature: Background Before Foreground, Duncan will share naturalistic design techniques for particular garden and landscape situations. Duncan is an instructor at the New York Botanical Garden and the New England Wild Flower Society.

The Missouri Botanical Garden
St. Louis, Missouri

A Good Night with The Hardy Plant Society in Wethersfield, CT: Summer Dreams and Canaries

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The Hardy Plant Society of New England (CT chapter) 2008 speaker

I was pleased to speak to the Hardy Plant Society in the historic and handsome Solomon Welles House in Wethersfield. It went well, so I presume there will be some new visitors to the Brine Garden this summer.

I was glad for a chance to chat with my favorite nurseryman, Dick Jaynes, see his wife Sally, and hear about Broken Arrow’s newly approved nursery structure. I met Steve Silk, for the first time, although I’ve long admired his photographs in Fine Gardening and other places. Steve has collaborated with Sydney Eddison, and we spoke about her with warm admiration. Anyone who knows Sydney would have no other choice. (I didn’t get a chance to tell him that his nine-year-old son is just a little younger than the youngest of my two boys.)

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I was pleased to meet a gentleman and his wife from Brandford CT, who have a garden I’d like to see. Canaries frequent it !! Hopefully our visits will coincide.

This plant society is particularly experienced and knowledgeable, but no less friendly than other, less august clubs. If you have a serious interest in plants, and are anywhere within striking range of Wethersfield, you’re missing out if you don’t join them.

cthardyplantsociety.org

Some of the members had already been to GARDENLARGE and asked about Gifford Garden.Unfortunately, there was nothing cheerful to relate.

 

 

Selecting Plants for Landscape and Garden Backgrounds

With digital images, landscape designer, Duncan Brine will portray several areas of the Brine Garden in Pawling, NY. It is a 6-acre property that enjoys the old-fashioned ambiance of a former dairy farm. Hedges of Miscanthus giganteus and Salix purpurea ‘Nana’ and an allee of Taxodium are backgrounds for large-leaved and floriferous perennials.Duncan’s garden is a Garden Conservancy Open Days Program selection. He is the author of the introduction to The Literary Garden.