Sharon Lovejoy Newsletter
No. 1, 2001

Dear Gardening Friends,

At long last, a bit of time to wish you all a happy New Year with the hopes that the Year 2000 was kind to you and yours.

Thank you for all the wonderful e-mails, letters, and cards. They are my life blood and keep me going during the long, lonely, stretches of road called a writer's life...or lack of life. Truthfully, though, I love doing this, and I am so happy that I can work outside every morning gardening in my nightgown, then simply walk indoors and start working in my studio, surrounded by gardens and all the creatures I so love.

This past year found me running about a month or two (or three) behind on every project. I spent much of the year doing book proposals and writing for magazines, such as People, Places and Plants, Voyageur, the worldwide in-room publication for Radisson, Country Inns & Suites and Carlson Cruise Lines for January-March 2001, Northern New England Journey, and, of course, Country Living GARDENER. I am celebrating my 8th anniversary with GARDENER, and it has been a wonderful, enriching time for me and for my family. Thanks for continuing to support the magazine.

The Return of Sunflower Houses

I am so happy to share this bit of good news with you. Workman Publishing purchased the rights to Sunflower Houses and is printing it for release in late March 2001. It will be a 10th anniversary and 10th printing, somewhat of a rarity in this fickle world of media. I can honestly say that it is because of YOU and your continued support that my first born book is alive and well. I did a new front cover, and the book will be printed as an affordable paperback edition. Look for an excerpt and some illustrations from Sunflower Houses in the Spring 2001 Land's End Children's Catalog and on their website.

There are still a few of the hardbound books to be found on the internet (Search Bibliofind), some are running about $47.00 per copy.

Last September marked a milestone birthday for me. In answer to my husband Jeff's question, "Do you want to do something special for your birthday this year?" I said, "Yes, I want to spend my birthday in Monet's garden." "As in France," my he questioned. "As in France," I answered, thinking that it probably wouldn't ever happen. But it did, and I am so happy to report that it is even better than I dared hope it could be.

Monet's gardens are a short train ride, but worlds removed, from the busy streets of Paris. We arrived with a large group of tourists (all headed for the same place), and when we entered the gardens, we broke from the crowd and sought out the quiet spots.

Although it was late September, the gardens were magnificent, as colorful as a child's paint box and immaculately tended. Tall sunflowers greeted us with their broad, cheerful faces, nasturtiums escaped the borders and clambered across the grand allée, and a riot of zinnias, roses, and salvias glowed amongst the freshly trimmed perennials. I particularly liked the trellises and tuteurs that Monet utilized and painted that luscious blue-green for which he is famous.

I recommend a day or two in Monet's gardens for anyone who loves to dig in the earth. You will find inspiration and rejuvenation as you wander through his timeless creation.

If you are an artist, professional photographer, or writer, you qualify to enter the gardens on Mondays, the day that the gardens are closed for clean-up and re-planting. This enables people to photograph and paint without the problems of all the crowds. The only drawback is that the house is closed on Mondays.

You can choose from many affordable inns and some restaurants in the area, within a 2 or 3 minute walk from the gardens. And, just a few steps down the road from Monet's home, there is a small American art museum surrounded by stunning gardens.

We spent a few weeks in sunny Provence, an area that is heartbreakingly beautiful. Nothing prepared me for the first morning when I awoke and opened our shutters and windows to a perfect day and a neighborhood of picturesque homes and gardens. An elderly lady walked down the hillside behind our inn, The Auberge de Luberon, market basket across her arm and a long baguette tucked under her other arm. The bells in the village tolled, and from the kitchen below our room, we caught the scents of baking bread mingled with an unidentifiable melange of spices and herbs.

Every day was exciting. We made a point of visiting all the outdoor farmers markets in the Luberon Region. Each market is slightly different, some may specialize in cheeses, wild boar sausage, herbs and spices, fine honeys, and the biggest array of olives ever seen. Others include handmade gardening tools and fabulous, earthy pottery in tones of deep brick red and russet, decorated with bright glazes and fanciful patterns.

I will never forget the afternoon I saw a villager gathering fresh lavender and rosemary from the wild mountainsides of the Alpes de Haute Provence, or the old gentleman, with a large bag slung over his shoulder, hunting truffles with his dog. Things I have seen in movies and photos, but never dreamed I would experience in real life.

We stayed in the village of Apt for about four days and attended their largest market on Saturday morning. As we walked down a narrow alleyway in the oldest section of town, we discovered a man tending a display of handsome willow baskets of every shape and size. The baskets were colorful­yellow, green, gray, brown, rust, all the natural colors of the various species, and grown and woven by the banastounie Nicholas Appel. Although we had a slight language barrier, Nicholas and I did manage to communicate, and he invited us to his studio, growing grounds, and home in the 12th century town of Beaumont.

We spent an afternoon with Nicholas, photographed and drew his work, and purchased a sturdy market basket, which served us for picnics and markets through the rest of the trip. Now it rests atop a cupboard in Maine, and it will accompany us each week as we shop at our floating market, the market boat "Beth Alison," which pulls into our Christmas Cove town landing each Friday morning at 9 A.M.

Nicholas shared his favorite outdoor "room" with us, a large, round, living gazebo fashioned from an array of willows. He said it was simple, just traced out the circle (leaving an entry), tucked in osiers of freshly cut willows, and watered. Within months the willows were about 10' high. He bent the tops towards the center of the gazebo and tied them with twine to form the roof.

We visited the village of Bonnieux, which is one of the most exquisite and well-preserved of the village perche in France. There we attended a market (great goat cheeses) and visited Nathalie Waag, who was once featured in Gourmet Magazine. Nathalie teaches cooking classes and now also cooks special meals for anyone lucky enough to reserve the apartment of Paul and Sharon Mrozinski (Sharon of Tancready and Morgan in Carmel Valley, California, now of The Marston House, Wiscasset, Maine, (207)882-6965). Paul and Sharon's apartment is monastic, elegant, quiet, and private.

One of the highlights of our trip was meeting Marcia Mitchell, the talented and lively Provence food writer for the Washington Post newspaper. We met her quite by accident in a small restaurant in Apt, and ended up chatting for hours. Marcia invited us to dinner at her 14th century home and atelier in the perched village of Saignon (san-yone), just a few miles up the hill from Apt. We spent an evening with Marcia and Debby, one of her best friends from Maryland, ate great food, and sat mesmerized as Marcia read some of her latest columns to us.

If you are interested in staying in one of the best, most private and artistic apartments in the heart of Provence, write Marcia an e-mail inquiry at mizmittle@aol.com and visit http://www.personalprovence.com. The apartment is one floor below Marcia's and has every amenity you could want. To make it even better, Marcia will take you to the local markets and share the whereabouts of some of the best potters, artists, and restaurants. Marcia also prepares gourmet meals for her guests, so don't expect to lose any weight while you're there.

A suggestion for those of you who love French antiques. We found some great and inexpensive treasures at the outdoor markets held in many villages on weekends. Most notable was the gigantic outdoor market at Isle sur la Sorgue in Provence. A great source for antique linens, antique lighting, books, and primitive kitchen ware. I searched for a garde manger, which is sort of a miniature version of a screened pie safe, and so small it can be carried along on picnics. I found one at a Sunday market in the Isle, and it was in perfect condition, replete with old hardware (hooks for hanging sausage and cheese) and a tiny brass plaque with the late 1800's manufacturer's name. Carrying it home was a real challenge, but worth it. We will use it for special meals on our Maine porch. Speaking of our porch, if you see a calendar called "Out on the Porch," by Algonquin Press, a division of Workman Publishing, ours is the July spread. Just looking at the crisp photo by my pal Lynn Karlin makes me homesick for Maine.

After a few days and nights of sometimes torrential rains, the hills and the Santa Lucia Mountains surrounding Cambria are finally turning from golden brown to deep, Irish green. What a joy to look through the gardens and see hundreds of bulbs poking through the soil.

For West Coast residents, this is the perfect time to plant the seeds of natives. I spent a day last week shaking my cache of native seeds throughout the gardens and into the soil of my newly prepared containers. After seeding I tamp the seeds into the ground (Judith Larner Lowry of Larner's Seeds recommends stepping on them), and water gently. Luckily, Mother Nature has done a good job of watering, and most of the seeds are up. Golden crowned sparrows, towhees, and juncos are thrilled with the fresh, new floral salad they've discovered. To discourage them I simply criss-cross the soil with a light layer of pine needles. This seems to camouflage the seedlings. I also use the lattice-work baskets that usually hold tiny potatoes, tomatoes, or berries to cover my new seedlings. I bend wire or a twig to hold them in place, then remove the baskets when the plants are a few inches high.

For those of you who have requested my new speaking schedule, an explanation is in order. I have, by necessity, cut back my speaking to a minimum. I find it almost impossible to do all the traveling and maintain my commitment to writing, drawing, family, and my gardens. I think that the 12 city tour I had to endure for promotion of Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots nearly did me in.

In February I will do a talk on Sunday, February 11 at 1 p.m. at the wonderful Northwest Flower and Garden Show in Seattle. I'll also be doing a live Fox television interview on KCPQ Q-13 in Seattle and record a segment on Anne Jaeger's "Dig-it," (check link for airdate) on KOIN-TV (CBS) in Portland, Oregon. Hope to meet some of you in person at Seattle.

The American Horticultural Society will again host a conference with a focus on Child and Youth Gardening in East Lansing, Michigan (home of the incredible Michigan 4H Children's Garden) this July. For those of you with an interest in introducing and connecting kids to the natural world, this will be a great source of networking and useful inspiration and information. I hope to be able to attend and perhaps help some of you plan and plant some gardens or special projects for children.

I recently spoke with Virginia Kirschenman, the daughter of "Skippy" Shoemaker, the originator of the first sunflower house. I may do an encore talk in Bakersfield, California, to raise money for one of Virginia's favorite causes. Check my web-site for an update on this.

My dear friend Betsy Williams, whom you have no doubt seen in the pages of many magazines and books, will join forces with me in late October 2001 at the late Adelma Simmons' legendary Caprilands Herb Gardens in Coventry, Connecticut. Betsy and I will be doing both a slide show and hands-on holiday workshop for a gathering of garden lovers. All profits from this joint venture will benefit Caprilands, a garden which has exerted a powerful influence on thousands of lives for many decades. Check my web-site for further information about this autumn weekend.

During the late 1800's, Abutilons, commonly called Japanese flowering maple because of their leaf shape, became one of the most popular Victorian indoor plants. This winsome bloomer is easily propagated from green wood cuttings in late winter, so now is the time to get busy. Look for them in greenhouses (Logees is famous for theirs), choose the colors you like, then begin cutting and rooting indoors (if you live in a cold climate), or outdoors in a sheltered location.

My favorites in the gardens are usually natives, but this plant is so beloved by bumblebees and hummingbirds that I made an exception to my rule about growing introduced species and planted over a dozen varieties in large, terra cotta pots. They bloom prolifically in a wide range of colors, and here in California they flower nearly year round. I typically feed them with a weak solution of fish emulsion and kelp every time I water.

I just received my 2001 Seeds of Distinction Catalog, and it features a large-flowered variety of these beautiful plants in shades of orange, salmon, and maroon. To order the seeds (#2610 in the catalog), call (416) 255-3060 or fax toll free to (888) 327-9193.

For those of you who live in harsher climates, start some of these dear, old-fashioned flowers indoors now, then move them outdoors (in partial shade) during the summer.

Clip the fresh tips of willow trees (about a handful), stuff the tips into a large Mason jar, and cover with water. Steep in a sunny spot for about two weeks.

After steeping, strain willow water through a sieve, leaving only clear water in the Mason jar. Cap tightly and store in a dark cupboard.

Pour about 2 to 3 inches of willow-water in a clean Mason jar. Clip cuttings from abutilon, strip off lower leaves (don't submerge any leaves in water), and stand cuttings in water for about 12 hours before planting.

If you ever wish to receive a signed bookplate for a copy for my books, simply send your requested inscription and a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Sharon Lovejoy, P.O. Box 629, Cambria, California 93428.

My good friends Rebecca Sawyer Fay and Lynn Karlin created a great, new book, Gardens Maine Style (April 2001) published by Downeast Books of Camden, Maine. You probably know Rebecca from her writing in Country Living and Country Living GARDENER and numerous books. Lynn is a photographer extraordinaire for the great book Maine Farm and has too many magazines to her credit to name. This hardcover book is lavishly illustrated with Lynn's photos, colorful, well written, informative, and, most importantly, inspirational. I will be carrying this book on my web-site. I'll include a book plate signed by both Rebecca and Lynn with each order. Pre-order now, for this is being printed in a limited edition. Price $35.00 plus $4.00 for Priority Mail shipping. California residents please add 7% sales tax.

I feel honored to have written the foreword to this book and also to have my gardens (translates to porch garden) included in a book I feel is destined to become a classic.

For those of you committed to gardening with natives I can wholeheartedly recommend Judith Larner Lowry's book Gardening with a Wild Heart-Restoring California's Native Landscapes At Home, a University of California Press publication.

Although this book addresses many problems faced by California gardeners, it is relevant and timely for gardeners in every state. Judith, who is the owner of the respected Larner's Seeds in Bolinas, California, writes a provocative and thoughtful plea for the preservation and restoration of backyard gardens.

Readers will glean a new perspective on gardening with natives and the intricate interdependence of the creatures who depend on them. I give this book a Five Star Rating and hope that you will add it to your personal library.

For those of you who are AAA members (Automobile Association of America) and who live in Vermont, New Hampshire, or Maine, be sure to look for my upcoming articles in Northern New England Journey. The March-April issue will feature "A Picnic for the Alewives" of Damariscotta Mills, one of my favorite places in Maine.

You can witness the miraculous and timeless migration of these fish from about May 10th (can't predict Mother Nature) through mid October. If you journey to Damariscotta Mills, I recommend a stay at the Mill Pond Inn, phone (207)563-0889. The Inn is an 18th century colonial set right on the waters of the old Mill Pond­one of the most romantic and picturesque settings imaginable. Green lawns sweep to the edge of the water, a hammock stretches between two large, old trees, and a line of canoes await your pleasure. The innkeepers Bobby and Sherry Whear concoct great breakfasts and know how to make guests feel at home.

Before I sign off I must share that my small pond is truly one of the highlights of my quiet life, although at night my life is NOT quiet, thanks to the frogs. When our evenings are passably warm (in the 50's) they raise a great din of frog song. The birds, alligator lizards and a host of fascinating insects find the pond irresistible...as do I.

I send you all my best wishes for joyous garden pleasures,

Faretheewell,

Sharon Lovejoy

P.S. Some of you have asked about the origins of my traditional "faretheewell" ending in my first book and in many of my newsletters. My Grandmother was Quaker, and this was the way she and the elderly members of my family said their fond good-byes.