Hills & Dales Park

Lookout tower

Hills & Dales Park was a gift to the city of Dayton back in 1907 and it is still a gift that keeps on giving all these years later. John Patterson, a co-founder of the National Cash Register company believed that exercise, outdoor recreation and education were the keys to good health. He hired the famous Olmsted landscape firm to design the park.

The park has trails for walking or riding, Adirondack style camps offer picnicking shelters at different spots, there is a woodland boardwalk and the beautiful Dogwood pond which has been recently restored has Adirondack style swings to sit and relax by waters edge. A waterfall flows at one end of the pond and is very picturesque.

Lookout Tower seems to be veiled in mystery as to its original year of construction. One suggests it was built by the Olmsted's and another by the WPA in the 30's or 40's. Regardless, it is romantic in appearance and charming. Unfortunately it is boarded up.

Dogwood Pond
 

In the center of the park is a Memorial to John Patterson. It was created by the Italian sculptor Guiseppe Morretti  (1857-1935) out of bronze and granite. The figure of John Patterson astride his horse Spinner is at the top. Apparently he used to love to ride in this very spot. To the sides are figures representative of industry, progress, education and prosperity. The memorial was built in 1928. The memorial overlooks the beautiful pastoral scene of the golf course down the hill.

Patterson Memorial


 

On the hillside just below the tower is "Staged Gates" a wooden sculpture of staggered gates framing the woods by Mary Miss erected in 1979. So there is so much to see and do in this beautiful little jewel of a park. Bring good walking shoes as you can follow the Adirondack trail up the length of the park.

A little Garden Plot

A must for me is a garden. It's therapy; digging, getting soil under my nails, planting seeds, tending and watering. Of course the harvest is awesome too but it's the whole journey of planning, preparing, planting, nurturing and caring for the new plants as they grow that I love and need.

In a new place too it's the sense of adventure of gardening in a new environment. After years of breaking my back and more than a few shovels trying to garden in Bishop Tuff (the name says it all), moving thousands of pounds of rocks and finally bringing soil in, it is a pleasure to have rich, dark, nutrient- loaded dirt! It is full of wonderfully healthy earthworms. Yes!

I have planted two rows of bush beans of which one row is green and the other is a variety of gourmet wax, bush beans. They were up in 4 days! I've already begun thinning the rows. Eggplant, brussel sprouts, broccoli, cucumber, basil, summer squash, zucchini, Mr.Stripey heirloom and Beefsteak tomatoes, scallions and chives. I have a tomato and lots of flowers. The squash have tiny flowers and fruits starting to form and everyone looks happy and healthy. I do talk to them every morning and tell them how wonderfully they are doing. Encouragement...we all need it.

I've almost finished clearing another small adjacent space to have more herbs and perhaps some flowers mixed in, and maybe some melons. We'll see what strikes my fancy along the way. Always room for more. Cardinals and the occasional blue jay come to sit in the old lilac next to the garden which has a nest in the top. I pull a chair into the shade and rest and it's so soul pleasing to look onto the garden. The garden is a mirror. That which you focus your attention on grows and thrives with tender loving care. You can apply this to any part of your life. Keep on growing.

Charleston Falls Preserve




Charleston Falls



 

 Charleston Falls Preserve is in Tipp City, Ohio just a short drive away. It is a lovely park of over 216 acres of woodland and Tall Grass prairie. It has 4 miles of hiking trails that are pleasant and easy to navigate. Along the trail were beautiful wild columbines, honeysuckle perfumed the air, and ferns formed banks of green. Limestone formations, a cave, and these beautiful falls. We were standing on the overlook looking down on the boardwalk and pool. It wasn't flowing heavily that day but it was still quite beautiful. The water falls 37' and is spring fed. The pool empties into a creek which makes its way to the Miami River. I can only imagine how beautiful it will be in the autumn and winter and will have to plan a trip back. The park is very popular as there were a lot of people out enjoying the day.

Just a lovely way to spend an afternoon...exercise and beauty!

Child's Play

The Children's Discovery Garden at the Wegerzyn Park is so much fun...and not just for kids. This picture is in front of the straw bale house that has a planted "living roof". The metal pink flamingos and art windows welcome you to the gardens. 







Everywhere you look there are little artistic and whimsical details; from the duck feet prints in the cement walkway; to a crocodile topiary overlooking the pond; a cave to crawl in with fossils to discover;
a sensory garden with aromatic herbs; a music maze with instruments to play; a canoe to sit in and teepee's to hide in; metal wind sculptures and dog topiary; tables to build a garden in; just fun! 


                                                                       

This is "A Wiggle in its Walk"

A living sculpture made of willow by

Patrick Dougherty. It is a 200' tunnel

of twists and turns with

caves and windows looking out

into the gardens. It is just outside the

Children's Discovery garden. 

 

 

Garden Inspiration

 
Wegerzyn Gardens is simply an inspiration! It is also one of my very favorite parks in Dayton so far. One of the Five Rivers Metroparks it has everything from a Children's Discovery garden, an arbor garden, Victorian, English and Federal gardens, woodland shade gardens, perennial garden and a woodland walk through swamp forest on the Marie Aull Nature trail. The Dayton Playhouse is also on the grounds.
This particular picture is in the English garden area. A great example of the trend in mixing edible crops; lettuces and greens along side boxwood and flowers. Love the elevated planter of flowers.

So many wonderful ideas and plantings and the staff on the grounds is knowledgeable and friendly and willing to answer questions. Just a wonderful park to explore, sit in one of the many benches and enjoy the flowers and discover a new plant variety. Next post will be all about the children's discovery garden- which is not just for kids!

A New Place to Grow

 

 

I find myself "planted" in a new place...who'd ever have thought Ohio? I've never even been to the Midwest, but hey if you are open to change why not? Life's an adventure and I'm looking forward to exploring a new place.

It's so green here and everything is blooming. After living in the High Desert of California and the pine forests of the High Sierra and Texas for 6 months the green is welcoming. It reminds me of New England where I grew up; lilac, honeysuckle, peonies, the green canopy of trees; thick green grass; rain- the sound it makes hitting leaves- a soft sound which is rather comforting especially at night as you lay  in bed listening. Everything seems alive with new growth.

We've been exploring the many parks of Dayton and the surrounding areas. This path led down to a river. It seems to say "come, see what's down here?" It's gentle curve winding down amongst the green, wild columbines here and there and that's what we did. You couldn't help but want to go and see where it led and it was lovely. A wide expanse of river with the trees filtering light above and the smell of wet earth and bird song overhead. Tranquil, restful, healing. The perfect place to walk and just Be. Be a part of the living environment with no distractions, no noise, no stress. Enveloped in a green embrace. Problem is I don't remember which park! Well we will just have to try and find it again and who knows what we will find while we look?