United States
Taughannock Falls

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    • Day 3

      Der Rosenmeister Estate

      July 25, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

      Ollie, Lee and Renate’s grandson, spent the day with us. What a cutie pie. We took a short hike up to Taughannock Falls Park. Gorgeous gorges. (Sorry, I had to do it.) The visible geology shows the layers of inland sea sediment from thousands of years carved out by water and ice. The falls were muddy brown from all the rain. It has been beautiful, but I wouldn’t be unhappy to see some sunshine.

      After lunch, I asked Leon to take me on a tour of the property. One of the design elements central throughout the gardens incorporates the Fibonacci spiral echoed in the architecture, rocks and planting beds and also in the selection of trees, shrubs and flowers. Impossible to capture in my photos, the Fibonacci spiral of huge boulders and plants begins with a small Norway Spruce Acrocona at the center and whirls outwards for about 40 feet. At the stones’ end, the pattern continues around the property to a second row of trees, flowers and sitting areas. (A drone camera would work well here.) Each seating area is carefully placed to give the viewer a vantage point to discover the beautiful, whimsical and lush garden features plus a hint of what is only partially visible from that spot beckoning you to visit another part of the garden. It is really quite magical. And who can resist a flock of pink flamingos?

      Renate has a big food garden with garlic, basil, rhubarb, beans, tomatoes, and a pile of other edibles. They also have blueberries, blackberries, elderberries, strawberries and a few I don’t remember. So much good food. The roses are not at their best at this point in the season, but none, and I mean none, have black spots. He really has found all the right roses to plant in the right locations. Jealous.

      They have a meandering creek on the edge of the property where Lee has hand-built a couple of bridges and seating areas. Each of the structures’ ironwork, wood, stone, and tile throughout the property have been collected over the years - one from the New York Worlds Fair - and make up a rich portfolio of stories to go along with their thoughtful composition. All of this was built and dreamed up by Leon out of 3 acres of hay fields. They started with a blank slate.

      Tomorrow I believe we might have some sun for a change.
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    Taughannock Falls

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