JOHN MATTHEWS-RAMONES
My Journey
As far back as I can remember I have always had a strong interest in anything to do with nature, especially when it comes to wildlife and plants. Obsessed with amphibians and reptiles there were hours spent in the company of box turtles, feeding them all kinds of fruit and vegetables. I marveled in the experience of watching tadpoles mature into frogs and toads and there was no place better to be than in the woods, fields, or along the ponds which I was so fortunate to be surrounded by while growing up.
My interest in horticulture is largely due to those very special people in my life who helped spawn an interest in growing. Among the memorable, my mom who showed me how to stick 3 toothpicks in an avocado pit to suspend in a glass of water. Watching it grow from an uninteresting beige sphere into a ball of life putting out a huge net work of roots and ultimately that first green shoot of the future tree was mesmerizing to me.
To this day I maintain strong associations with so many plants based on those who first introduced one to me. Among my fondest nature mentors was Barbara Cook Summer who lived across the street. One year she took an orphaned Catbird into her loving care. Despite the odds, the Catbird aptly named Birdie not only grew to adulthood but returned the next year. In addition to being a lover of nature Barbara was also a gifted artist and gardner. All these years later, on rare occasion when I see an Ageratum I am reminded of those in her gardens.
I always think of my Grandmother, Mary, when I see begonias or geraniums. She gave me my first cuttings and taught me about rooting in water, again a process astounding to a child. My Grandmother, Carolyn, who was a talented artist, would often paint flowers from their yard. Without fail, when I see a Bearded Iris or beautiful blue Hydrangea she lives in memory. Grandmother Carolyn also had an amazing Silk Tree in their yard, which was so unusual and exotic with the tropical looking pink puffs it produced.
We finally added one to our own garden which will provide a daily reminder of happy days spent visiting them.
I would be remiss if I did not mention Mary and Gerry DeGarmo who I considered extended family. Incredibly supportive during my early years when I first went out on my own to start an interior design business. I recall one day when Mary was showing me her garden and commented on a lily which was at least 6 feet tall and about burst into bloom. Now that our garden bounds with Stargazer lilies soaring 6 or 7 feet, I am always reminded of that day at their beautiful home.
After a decades long career in architectural and interior design I decided to turn my passion as a lifelong plantsman into a future helping others to design their dream gardens. All the years of experience in scale, function, and aesthetic are the foundation for garden planning as well. An outdoor space that makes you happy should reflect your personality as well as integrate well with the home persona.
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My hope is that by sharing my years of personal experience and ongoing learning about all the inhabitants of our gardens, others who may not have any idea where to start may delve with confidence and continue to learn with me.
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The only hard and fast rule about gardening is in fact that there are no hard and fast rules in the garden.